Amazon automates return verification procedure

As of last December 1st 2021 Amazon has made some changes to its procedures for automatically verifying customer complaints. It now refunds orders on behalf of sellers whenever the delivery can be proved by the tracking information provided when the order was confirmed. However, the marketplace has stated that this update does not change the pre-existing return policies.

Let’s take a look at some of the principal and most common examples of returns that are now automatically verified by Amazon using proof of delivery.

Package refused and returned

The first hypothesis made by Amazon is when the tracking information indicates the package was rejected and returned to the sender.

This is the scenario when a customer refuses a package upon delivery. The shipping information shows that the package was actually returned to the sender. In this case, Amazon will automatically refund the customer and charge the seller account for the amount of the product refused and returned.

The marketplace assures that this event will have no impact on the account status. Nor it states, will it affect the percentage calculation of defective products, since the package has not been received nor opened.

Package not shipped on time

The second recurring hypothesis is when a package is not sent within the originally scheduled shipping terms. In this case, or if the shipment has not been confirmed on Seller Central, Amazon will proceed by automatically refunding the customer. At the same time, it will debit the seller’s account for the amount of the claim.

Careful here! Contrary to the first scenario we mentioned above, this behavior will affect the quality of the account.

Package could not be delivered

We finally conclude with the third hypothesis contemplated by Amazon. The tracking information indicates that it was not possible to proceed with the delivery of the item to the customer.

If this be the case, then Amazon will make the refund automatically in favor of the customer and debit the seller’s account with the amount of the claim. In these cases, however, what happens will have no impact on the account status nor on the percentage of defective orders.

On the other hand, there are cases in which Amazon is not able to verify the claim through the available monitoring information. Hence, before filing the complaint, it will ask the customer to contact the seller in order to solve the problem. In any case, customers will still need to contact sellers directly in order to get further details about return issues.