You already know that Amazon offers practically everything a consumer could want or need. But with such a diverse range of products to buy, you can also expect that not all of them will work out.
Returning stuff to Amazon can get a little tricky in some cases, particularly because of the abundance of third-party sellers on the site, and the fact that each can set their own return policy. Despite that, however, most returns to Amazon are actually quite simple thanks to easy-to-find return shipping labels for mail-in returns and thousands upon thousands of drop-off locations all across the country (including at Kohl’s stores).
Shipping your return back to Amazon may even be free! (Though that’s not the only thing you can get for free from Amazon.) The one downside, though, is that you don’t have a particularly long time to make your Amazon return in most cases—at least when compared to some other retailers.
There’s a lot of information to unpack here (kind of like those 10 different Amazon boxes that arrive on your doorstep each week), so let’s just jump into everything you need to know about how to return things to Amazon.
Amazon gives customers 30 days from the date of delivery to return most new and unopened items for a full refund. The stipulation is that it must have been fulfilled directly by Amazon, and not a third-party seller. Sellers can set their own return policies, though most are comparable to what Amazon offers.
While grocery items (including Amazon Fresh items) and wine aren’t returnable to Amazon, should they arrive damaged, spilled or spoiled Amazon will refund or replace your order within 30 days of delivery.
And, don’t forget that Amazon’s holiday gift to shoppers is a special extended return window. That usually lasts through Jan. 31 for anything shipped by Amazon between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31 (dates might vary each year).
There are some exceptions to the standard 30-day return and refund policy, including:
Within 7 Days | Books purchased from the Kindle Store Accidental purchases from the Digital Music Store via Alexa |
Within 14 Days | Customized products sold by third-party sellers (damaged or defective items) |
Within 90 Days | Baby items Items gifted to you from your Amazon Birthday Gift List Items gifted to you from your Custom Gift List Amazon-sold add-ons purchased from Amazon Luna Renewed items that do not live up to their Amazon Renewed Guarantee |
Within 100 Days | Unopened mattresses in original packaging |
Within 180 Days | Items gifted to you from your Wedding Registry |
Within One Year | Items gifted to you from your Baby Registry Renewed Premium products that do not live up to their Amazon Renewed Guarantee |
Literally Any Time (Seriously) | Some of Amazon’s own brands—namely Buttoned Down, Core 10, Moon and Back and Peak Velocity—carry an “Unconditional Satisfaction Guarantee” which means they’ll give you a full refund if you’re not completely satisfied at any point after purchase. |
As long as your item was shipped from Amazon.com or Amazon Warehouse, you should be able to return it for a full refund within the designated time frame. Returns can be made by mail, or shipped from one of over 18,000 drop-off locations. You can also request an item to be replaced or exchanged for a different size or color as long as it meets certain criteria, including being purchased with a credit or debit card.
Amazon promises that all items that are eligible for return must have at least one free return option – as long as they weigh less than 50 pounds. Amazon will also ship you an exact replacement of any merchandise that is damaged or defective upon receipt, unless it was purchased through a third-party seller. You can still get a refund in those cases, however.
Purchases from third-party sellers must be returned to the seller, even though the order was fulfilled by Amazon. It’s a little confusing, but the good news is that all third-party sellers are required to provide either a return address within the United States or a prepaid return label, or they must offer a full refund without the need to return the item. If a third-party seller doesn’t offer these methods to return your items, you may file an A-to-z Guarantee claim.
Some items, however, cannot be returned to Amazon. These include:
If any of these non-returnable items arrived damaged or defective, however, you can still reach out to Amazon to request a refund or replacement.
Though there are very few exceptions, your Amazon purchase was most likely completed online and delivered to your door. For such a simple process to get to you, Amazon offers a multitude of ways to send unwanted items back to them. You can:
The various options will have different requirements for whether you need to supply a box or label. Here are the options that were available to us for a recent return:
If you don’t mind boxing up an item and printing your shipping label out at home, here’s what to do:
If you’d rather not pack up your item yourself, you can initiate a a label-free, box-free return to Amazon.
Amazon’s box-free, label-free locations include:
Returning without a box and label is probably your easiest option, options available for you depend upon your location. Plus, dropping off at an Amazon box-free location lets Amazon reduce packaging and trucks on the road, by packing multiple peoples’ returns together.
Amazon notes that most payments are fully refunded within a week of them receiving and processing your returned item. Here’s how long it may take for funds to be available after Amazon has fully processed your return, depending on your original form of payment:
Original Form of Payment | When to Expect Your Refund After Processing |
If you paid by Amazon.com Gift Card | two to three hours |
If you paid by credit card or “Shop with Reward Points” | up to five business days |
If you paid by debit card, checking account, SNAP EBT card, or cash (at a participating brick-and-mortar location) | up to ten business days |
If you paid with a pre-paid credit card | up to thirty days |
If you’re returning a gift that you received from someone else, your refund will come in the form of an Amazon.com Gift Card, with the amount automatically added to the Amazon account that you used to generate your return.
If you’re returning a gift that you received from someone else, your refund will come in the form of an Amazon.com Gift Card, with the amount automatically added to the Amazon account that you used to generate your return.
Got a gift from someone at Amazon? You can return it in exchange for an Amazon gift card — and you don’t need a gift receipt. Follow these steps:
Though Amazon likes to make it sound as if returns are always free, return shipments are actually free of charge only in some cases. There are a lot of moving parts in terms of what items qualify and how you choose to ship the item back, but you can find the full breakdown here.
You may also be subject to restocking fees if select items are returned used, missing parts or in poor condition. This applies mostly to electronics and software purchases, and a tax on restocking fees may also apply in some states.
Finally, it should be noted that there are special circumstances around collectibles and other pricey items returned to Amazon. If the value of your collectible sports or entertainment items, coins, fine art, jewelry or watch is $35 or more, you’ll need to use a trackable method to send it back to Amazon. If it’s worth more than $500, it must also be insured. In either case, you’ll need to send these items back in their original packaging with all their documentation to avoid rejection of your refund, and you’ll want to photograph the item for your records before shipping it back. After all, you can never be too careful when your goal is to maximize your savings at Amazon!
Returning a purchase from another major retailer? Here’s how:
The post How to Return Products to Amazon appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.
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