Amazon Return Policy Guide

Amazon is a wonderful platform on which you can buy almost anything, from running shoes to fresh flowers. Even live insects and food can be purchased on Amazon. However, if you’ve ever been unsatisfied with your purchase, you may have noticed that the Amazon return policy guide is a massive document to sift through. So, what are the rules for returning products on Amazon?

---

Advertisement

---

The guidelines for returning products to Amazon are that products should be returned within 30 days after receiving them. You must return products in the original packaging. Products worth more than $35 must be returned with a tracking number, and products worth more than $500 must be insured. And when all else fails use the Amazon Chat help feature, they are so incredibly helpful with any return or more complex return or order issues on the chat.

Although the basic guidelines for returning products to Amazon are pretty straightforward, returning things like electronic devices, digital products, and luxury items is more complicated. Therefore, we have put together this article, making it easier for you to know exactly how to return certain items to Amazon. Read along to find out how to return the more unusual things to Amazon.

• A Guide To Amazon’s Return Policy
  • Returning 3rd Party Items
  • Returning Fresh Produce And Grocery Items
  • Returning Amazon Photos
  • Returning Baby Items
  • Returning Items From Birthday Or Wedding Gift Lists
  • Returning Computers And Electronics
  • Returning Digital Products
  • Returning Jewelry And Watches
  • Returning Live Plants And Insects
  • Returning During Holidays
• How To Return Items To Amazon
• Abusing Amazon’s Return Policy
• Final Remarks About Amazon’s Return Policy

A Guide To Amazon’s Return Policy

Although most items purchased from Amazon can be returned within thirty days of receiving them for a full or partial refund, certain items are excluded from this list. Amazon’s return policy clearly explains how to return any item bought from them.

However, reading through the entire Policy guide can be a headache, especially if you’re looking to return something that doesn’t belong to the standard thirty-day return policy. Products excluded from this policy are:

• Certain 3^rd party products
• Fresh products and grocery items
• Amazon Photos
• Baby Items
• Items from a birthday gift list or wedding registry
• Computers and electronics
• Digital products
• Jewelry and watches
• Live plants and insects

We will discuss the return policy for these products and list the items that are non-returnable to Amazon. This is how to return the items listed above to Amazon.

Returning 3^rd Party Items

Some products are advertised on Amazon but supplied by another company. These are known as third-party sellers. In most cases, third-party sellers have a similar return policy to Amazon. However, if the return policy differs from Amazon’s, you will see it in the product information.

Suppose the third party doesn’t have a return policy in line with Amazon’s. In that case, you can also file an A-Z Guarantee claim, and Amazon will help you to return the products. You can make an A-Z guarantee claim here.

Returning Fresh Produce And Grocery Items

Fresh produce and grocery items are non-returnable. However, if the products are damaged or fresh produce is rotten upon delivery, Amazon will give you a refund. A refund can be issued up to thirty days after the items are received. To request a refund for Amazon fresh products, click here.

Returning Amazon Photos

Amazon photos are another non-returnable item because of their personal nature. However, suppose you receive non-digital photos that are scratched or damaged, or you’re unsatisfied with the quality of your photos. Then Amazon will give you a refund or replace the photos.

Returning Baby Items

Fortunately, baby items can be returned to Amazon within ninety days. If the items were ordered from a baby registry, you can return them within 365 days after receipt. Breast pumps can only be returned if unused and in the original packaging.

Amazon will not refund the original shipping fees if the return is not because of a fault from their side. So, for example, if you want to return the products because you don’t like them or because they don’t fit, you will not be refunded for the shipping.

Returning Items From Birthday Or Wedding Gift Lists

Products purchased by the owner of the wedding registry or birthday gift list must be returned within the standard 30-day window. However, if a product was purchased by someone else from your birthday gift list, you can return it within 90-days of receipt.

For gifts purchased from a wedding registry, you have 180-days to return those items. Ensure all items are in their original packaging. Items damaged by you will not be eligible for return or refund.

Returning Computers And Electronics

Computers and other electronic devices can be returned within 30-days of receiving them if they were damaged upon delivery, would not work or switch on, or were unopened. If you have saved personal data on electronic devices, delete this before returning it.

Note that the electronic devices will undergo testing if returned because they’re not working. If it is found that you are responsible for the damage, or if you have exaggerated the damage of the electronic device, a fee will be incurred, or the product will not be refunded.

Returning Digital Products

Digital books purchased for the Amazon Kindle can be returned within seven days of buying them. However, you will not have access to the book once you have returned it. Educational resources can also be returned within seven days after purchase, provided they have not yet been downloaded. Games and software downloads cannot be returned unless otherwise specified.

You can cancel a subscription with Amazon at any time. However, you will not be refunded for the period the subscription was active. Apps and in-App purchases can be refunded within 90 days of purchase, depending on your reason for requesting a refund.

Returning Jewelry And Watches

Jewelry and watches can be returned to Amazon within 30 days of receiving them. However, if the product is worth $35 or more, it must be returned with a tracking number. In addition, the original packaging, certificate of authenticity, appraisal, and grading must be returned with the product.

Returning Live Plants And Insects

As you may have guessed, you cannot return insects or live plants. However, suppose they are delivered in poor condition or dead. In that case, request a refund from Amazon, or they will send you a replacement for the product in question.

Returning During Holidays

During the holidays around the new year like Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah there is usually an extended holiday return window the goes beyond the 30 day return window. This is due to the amount of gifts that are opening beyond a 30 day period, usually the time period is 90 days or until the end of January for any orders from November/December. It varies by year but keep that in mind if you are holiday shopping.

How To Return Items To Amazon

The easiest way to return items to Amazon is on your order’s page on the Amazon website. This is how to order a return on Amazon starting from your account page when you are logged into your account.

Go to “Orders” > Select the order > Select “Return Items” > Choose the reason for returning > Select return method of your choice

You will then have to arrange for a courier to collect the order from you and deliver it to the Amazon warehouse you selected or find a place that accepts dropping the package off for return like a Kohl’s or UPS locations. This is not the only way for you to start a returning process on Amazon.

Below, you can find a table with some methods for requesting a return on Amazon:

Method Of Return To Amazon	Accepted
Website inquiry	Yes
Email inquiry	Yes
Phone inquiry	Yes
Chat inquiry	Yes
In-person inquiry	No

You can use any of these methods listed above to arrange for a product to be returned to Amazon. By phoning or mailing Amazon, they will send you specific return instructions. However, the easiest way to return most products is on Amazon’s website. The second easiest option is using the Amazon chat option if you are having trouble returning anything via the website.

When a return is initiated you usually have a few options. The most common is printing a return label, placing it on a box with the returned item and dropping it off at a UPS store. Other options include at-home pickup, or using a QR code and dropping it off at a store location that accepts returns like UPS. Smaller price items usually get refunded rapidly. Larger or more expensive items can take longer to be processed to your account.

Abusing Amazon’s Return Policy

Some shoppers will buy many products from Amazon, only to return most of them later. While this practice isn’t illegal, it’s also not encouraged as it creates additional administration for Amazon employees and wastes time and resources.

Therefore, Amazon has issued a warning to its users, stating that they have the right to ban persons deemed as returning products to Amazon unnecessarily. In other words, if you return products you bought from Amazon more than 10% of the time, you can legally be banned from shopping at Amazon in the future.

If you return more than one item per month, or the items you return are of higher value than the items you originally bought, you may receive a warning letter from Amazon. Amazon may limit your allotted product returns and may even ban you from using their website for purchases.

Therefore, it’s best only to return genuinely problematic products to Amazon. Don’t buy any products you’re not sure you will use, and don’t return products for invalid reasons.

Final Remarks About Amazon’s Return Policy

Amazon’s return policy guide is generally easy to follow. Most products can be returned within thirty days of purchasing them. You can easily return a product by logging a return request on Amazon via their return portal. You can also request a return via email or telephone.

For those who often return products bought from Amazon, they have issued a new policy where users can receive a warning or even be banned from using the website if they are suspected of taking advantage of the Amazon return policy.