NEED HELP for A to Z Due to Non Refund of Initial Shipping Charge
I've been selling since 2014 and never came across this before and would appreciate any help
I received an A to Z for NOT refunding the initial shipping charge on the order
The Return Reason: Didn't like fabric
Buyer Comment: Material is very stiff and uncomfortable and the colours are not what the original sports team colours are. Please process return
I sent a pre-paid label and refunded the entire order except the initial shipping charge which in my Refund Policy states that the initial shipping charge will NOT be reimbursed
So, why does Amazon ask us to have a Refund Policy if Amazon just overides it?
I would like to know if we as the seller responsible for a pre-paid return label as well as issuing a complete refund on every and all orders no matter what the reason for the return?
NEED HELP for A to Z Due to Non Refund of Initial Shipping Charge
I've been selling since 2014 and never came across this before and would appreciate any help
I received an A to Z for NOT refunding the initial shipping charge on the order
The Return Reason: Didn't like fabric
Buyer Comment: Material is very stiff and uncomfortable and the colours are not what the original sports team colours are. Please process return
I sent a pre-paid label and refunded the entire order except the initial shipping charge which in my Refund Policy states that the initial shipping charge will NOT be reimbursed
So, why does Amazon ask us to have a Refund Policy if Amazon just overides it?
I would like to know if we as the seller responsible for a pre-paid return label as well as issuing a complete refund on every and all orders no matter what the reason for the return?
0 replies
Seller_7LrAV0m5llaI7
duplicate post from 6 minutes ago:
sellercentral.amazon.ca/seller-forums/discussions/t/aa37bc55-a070-4f5b-bddc-887392464a55
Seller_zuoGHPdvt2zY1
You don't have to provide a label unless you shipped something wrong or it's defective. Now, that said, you need to keep in mind that the Buyer may not like that they have to pay for a return and may leave feedback accordingly.
Amazon does allow a restocking fee and initial shipping removed from a refund. Best thing I have found to do is to make it CLEAR in the refund notes why you are withholding money and note that this meets Amazon Policy. This cuts back on A-Z Claims BUT, should the Buyer make one, you can explain to Amazon that you were following THEIR policy and this was noted to the customer at the time of refund. 95% of the time I find we win the initial claim or on the appeal. Amazon Support often does not know their own policies so you have to treat them like toddlers and tell them over and over...
It's worth repeating: Buyer may not like that they have to pay for a return and may leave feedback accordingly.
As a side note, Amazon has of late been charging for return labels more and more, the free returns train seems to be pulling into the station...
Jurgen_Amazon
Hello @Seller_6VO6fhvCiHF1r,
Thank you for contacting Amazon Forums.
I understand you received an A to Z for NOT refunding the initial shipping charge on the order, and you would like to know if the seller is responsible for a pre-paid return label as well as issuing a complete refund on every and all orders no matter what the reason for the return?
As per Help Page Manage returns it indicates in the Return labels section: "When you approve a buyer's return request, Amazon sends the buyer a return label with an address. By default the return label is not prepaid. However, you can upload a custom pre-paid return label if you choose to pay for return shipping. "
Regarding the Refund, it mentions the following in the Refund Options section: "If you authorize the return request and want to refund the order, you can choose from several options. For more information, see Refund options. We encourage you to wait until you receive a returned item before issuing a refund so you can evaluate its return condition. To learn more, see Things to consider before issuing a refund."
Additionally, Help Page Things to consider before issuing a refund mentions the following:
Before you issue a refund, consider the following:
After you authorize a return request, you can wait until you receive the item back from the buyer before you issue a refund. If you prefer, you can allow the buyer to keep the item even if you decide to issue a refund.
- If the buyer returns the item to you damaged, or in a condition that is different from the condition in which you sent it, you have the option to issue a partial refund.
- If you decide to issue a partial refund, we recommend explaining this to the buyer in advance to help avoid misunderstanding or a possible A-to-Z Guarantee claim.
- If you described and listed the item accurately, but the buyer simply no longer wants it, you have the option not to refund the shipping costs.
Being said this, is not mandatory to have a pre-paid return label nor to perform a refund in every order. Based on the points mentioned above, you might be able to dispute/appeal the A to Z Claim.
I trust this information will be helpful for you. Please bear in mind that this information is valid based on the context you shared, however, if there is more information I am missing on this post, you would need to evaluate them against the Help Pages shared to determine how to proceed.
For further details on this matter, you can alwayscontact Selling Partner Support, too.
Sincerely, Jurgen_Amazon.
Seller_xJx7vH6fvZFD9
1. No, sellers do not have to provide a pre-paid return label in any case unless you sent a defective item to the customer (or the wrong item). We won a few A-to-Z claims when we refused to provide a return shipping label when items are ''no longer needed'' for example. However, if your carrier delivered the item late, you are likely to lose the claim (and the full item) if you do not provide a pre-paid label. So if you delivered on time, and the right item, then you should be fine and win the claim.
2. Issuing a complete refund or not is a good question. I wouldn't know because I generally refund 100% and take the initial shipping cost as loss.
However, Im guessing it would be easier to win an A-to-Z claim if you explicitly mention the shipping amount in the buybox. For example, we sell our items with a single price (No shipping added) that implicitly includes it. I think Amazon would side with the customer if you sell your item with a standard price without including a clear shipping cost. They might allow a ''restocking fee'' equivalent to the initial shipping cost.
