Amazon Returns

pete_c

Guru
Noticed here that some items ordered cannot be returned even though the returns are labeled until January 22 et al.
 
For these un returnable items Amazon will give you credit.
 
Very difficult to find the phone number or even chat now on Amazon help.
 
Found a number that works today googling it.
 
Noticed too that many 3rd party vendors selling on Amazon charge you for return and delete it from the original purchase price credit.
 
Typically these are returns via USPS, UPS or Fedex.
 
I always call Amazon and get credit for shipping on these returns.
 
888-280-4331
 
On Amazon.ca they are doing the same thing.

Typically the contact number is the last link in the fine print buried about 5 links deep at the bottom of every page.

Most of the responses do a few attempts at semi-reasonable solutions and then the support person gets impatient and then just throws money at you, no return necessary.

This reminds me of the old Sears attitude years back. All works very well until they went under from too much customer satisfaction.

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This is a new number that I saw on Googling Amazon Support.   It may not last.  
 
Recently (last few months) their published on Google numbers only went to fraud support.
 
When you found the speaking to a CS number on Amazon (buried deep) it offered chat first the it was a call back instead of a direct call number. 
 
The chat was totally a waste of resources as I never would get any answers that made sense to me.  Maybe it was a chat bot?? 

Best for returns to Amazon is just getting a bar code and walking in the neighborhood Amazon return location except for some 3rd party sellers on Amazon which I really do not like dealing with.  This is where I call them and get credit for shipping to return these items to 3rd party sellers.  I always get credit or add months to my subscription to Amazon.  Basically the conversation states that I need to be reimbursed for my efforts dealing with you.  IE: Customer is always right type stuff.  There is a CT user here that got them to change his account such that it defaults to 1-day delivery with no charges whenever for the last few years.
 
Yeah. I have also found the online chat people tougher than the voice call ones.

I have also ran into a few third party sellers returns that tried the partial refund thing and will refund you your shipping later trick. From Canada, nothing ships to the USA for less than $28, so the usual $20 credit, after the fact, doesn't comply with Amazon's policies so they like to hear about it.
A few I have reported have been met with full refunds, shipping labels, and usually the product being pulled. IIRC, one vendor disappeared off Amazon.ca completely.

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I used to ask Amazon to print me a shipping label for the return.
 
Now Amazon will first ask the vendor to send me a shipping label.  If they do not then Amazon prints it and charges the vendor.

I had an email dialog with one 3rd party seller a few months back that told me that Amazon was going to put her out of business. I told her via email I felt her pain and recommended to her not to use Amazon if she was not happy with their methodologies that were used for 3rd party sellers.
 
I've only had one purchase (out of hundreds a year) where there was a restocking fee.  That should be a warning flag.  
 
What annoys me is how Amazon return policy seems to evolve.  They usually give you a label for UPS without a problem, but there was a time, you could bring something back without a box to the UPS store.  Now seems you can only bring things back without a box to a Kohl's store.  But overall, you have to admit Amazon's return policy is pretty easy.  I hear they track the number of returns, but I buy so much, it's probably never a problem.  
 
From the perspective of working for a third party seller on Amazon, I can tell you that there are times that we have to charge for return shipping and restocking fees.
 
If there is something wrong, we of course, do not charge any of those fees.  But many times, we get returns that are claimed to be no longer needed, or bought by mistake, or arrived too late when it clearly wasn't.  Then when we get them back, the packaging is mangled, missing paperwork, shoved into the box.  So we cannot sell the product as new again.  We've paid for outbound shipping.
 
And you should have seen the 8-Channel amplifier we got back that had bent rack ears, rack rash and was sent back with no inner packing.  Just loose in the box.  All while claiming it was brand new and unopened.
 
Is it unfair for us to charge a restocking fee and return shipping when it was no fault of our own?
 
And today, Amazon owns online retail.  We as small, family run businesses cannot compete with our own websites, because Amazon and the other big players win the Google battle too.  So we have no choice but to sell on Amazon and eBay.  Amazon takes 15% on pro and commercial electronics.  15%.  And most of the time, they are selling the same products we are.  So the only time we get a sale is when they run out or we sell something they don't.  Rare.
 
Just wanted to throw out a perspective from the other side.
 
It sound like it is becoming time for amazon to stop lying about having 'free shipping' as it is starting to become evident to most buyers...it is a completely false advertising lie, to fool buyers into choosing Amazon over other vendors. This will bite Amazon in the a$$ eventually.

The masses need to be aware of where their money is actually going and not deal with scammy type vendors. The truth eventually surfaces and IMHO Amazon will soon change their facade and become another vendor, offering a level playing field to their competitors.

In the meantime, my sister in law makes complete usage of Amazon's Tom Foolery, and returns over half the items she tries on her body. It definitely makes the economy, especially all the new delivery services, very prosperous.


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I'm always amazed at what Amazon cannot take back in returns and will simply issue a refund and tell you to keep the item.
 
I was upgrading my neighborhood swim team's sound system a few years ago and I accidentally bought the wrong pair of Electro-Voice speakers.  The Amazon page had several different speaker choices and I thought I was buying a set of powered speakers, but had really selected unpowered speakers.  The error was 100% mine.  When I went to return them, I found that there wasn't a "return" button like there normally is.  I ended up calling Amazon and found out that the speakers have some sort of "hazardous material" and it wasn't eligible for return.  They simply refunded my purchase cost (which was over $700) and didn't want me to return them.  I bought the correct speakers for the team and now have a pair of 15" EV speakers that I use at my house.
 
When I have had to call them for returns lately they mention an A-to-z Guarantee return policy and have suggested that I file a claim.  I have never seen a link to this so I request that they file a claim for me.  It is different than a few months back.  I always get a copy of the email thread to the 3rd party vendor from Amazon.  Initially the vendor email response threads come as a surprise and vendor emails back that they do not know of a vendor paid return policy.  Some 3rd party Amazon return labels show a charge with a return amount less than originally paid.
 
Amazon will also credit your account for a return upon authentication of shipping via USPS, FedEx or UPS immediately these days.  This is the same as they do when you purchase and return Amazon products.
 
I like using the Amazon return policy better than the Amazon response to a product purchased and calling up the vendor (IE: if you are missing hardware).  It is faster and easier to do a cross ship to get missing pieces of a product.  IE: 2 weeks ago purchased a chair from a 3rd party vendor on Amazon.  It came in 2 days missing hardware and manual (screws and bolts).  Amazon suggested that I call the vendor and I did.  The vendor asked for the product ID which was all over the box and on the chair pieces.  45 minutes and the CS couldn't find the product in their database.  That and I repeated my address to CS no less than 4 times and made her repeat back to me.  The vendor shipped the missing hardware and no manual one day FedEx to the wrong address which took another week for me to get.  
 
I understand than many 3rd party vendors are upset with the Amazon policies for 3rd party sellers.  I have suggested to one 3rd party seller to do their own web stuff or go to Ebay if they are unhappy.  Much like the rules of a Casino relating to the "house always wins".
 
Here I am sticking to Amazon and like @Ano above have purchased hundreds of items from them in 2021.  I am OK with their policies and quick shipping.
 
Ebay now does similar even though the seller will post no returns or a return shipping charge / restocking charge.
 
Rambling now....

Recently purchased new tires for 3 vehicles.  Very frustrated here locally dealing with big box tire stores so went to TireRack HQ in South Bend Indiana.  Locally all of the big box tire stores have increased their labor and tire charges due to Covid restrictions. Its a joke. The Tirerack HQ is about 2 hours away and worth the drive for the fast service and good prices.
 
I understand than many 3rd party vendors are upset with the Amazon policies for 3rd party sellers.  I have suggested to one 3rd party seller to do their own web stuff or go to Ebay if they are unhappy.  Much like the rules of a Casino relating to the "house always wins".
 
But therein lies the problem:  For a business to startup their own web store now, with products that are sold elsewhere, including Amazon, they cannot win.  Online sales are all about Google ranking.  If you don't come up on the first page or two, you WILL NOT get sales, let alone much traffic.  We have owned our domain name for 20 years.  We opened our store 18 months or so ago.  We barely make a blip in traffic.  Why?  Because when you search for any given product that we sell (except for maybe something really obscure), the top listings are Amazon, eBay and all of the BIG online retailers that can afford to pour tons of money into advertising, like business like ours CAN'T.
 
Between just Amazon and Google, small businesses don't stand a chance.  So we sell on Amazon and eBay.
 
And I have had customers contact us with questions before the sale.  And I ask why they don't just purchase direct.  They say it's because they feel "protected" by Amazon.
 
So, do we spend thousands on advertising to TRY and get more traffic?  Or just sell on Amazon?
 
So here's our website, maybe I'll get a little more traffic :)
https://www.audiosupply.com
 
It's very difficult these days with the Internet only on line retailers competition.
 
 
 
Historically what worked locally was a store front where the purchasing folks could just walk in and out purchasing their stuff.
 
or just "word of mouth" between old customers and old customers to new customers.
 
I am not as much of an audiophile person I was say 40 years ago.  I remember having to re coning speakers in the 70's and 80's.
 
Just this pass year replaced my JBL tower speakers after noticing a funny sound.  Pulled the covers off and the paper cones were deteriorating.
 
Looked and looked and ended up purchasing same sized speaker replacements from a company on the Internet that has been around a long time except that I purchased them from Amazon at touch more money.
 
Your link here is like advertisement as I would trust you / your company here cuz you have been on Cocoontech so long.
 
pete_c said:
our link here is like advertisement as I would trust you / your company here cuz you have been on Cocoontech so long.
I appreciate that.  But to be clear, I don't own the company.  Just a worker bee.  I built the website and I sell and design commercial and pro audio systems.
 
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