Amazon refund policy.

[The GodMother]

Hello 

 

Yesterday a neighbour came to me saying that she sent a item back to Amazon as it arrived broken. The clip was snapped off making the item unusable as it does not close. It was a tower 3 in 1 sandwich maker brought for her daughter going off to uni. 

Amazon has had the item back nearly 2 weeks now, delivered back the 20th according to RM tracking dropped at sorting office on the 17th. 

 

Called Amazon yesterday to be told they no longer issue refunds until 14 days after the item has been received back starting the next business day.

 

Thinking she had miss heard them l said we would call them together tomorrow. she made them aware l was listening to the call and they were happy to go ahead with the call and again they said we don't issue refunds until 14 days after receiving starting the next business day.

 

Inquired as to why to be told its standard practise in America. Advised we're Uk not America and that it is not standard practise here as all refunds should be issued without delay.

 

She went on about how it is a American company and how they had to follow their laws, but l reminded her how the company is trading in the Uk and need to follow Uk laws. 

 

She has refused to issue refund as its not 14 days until Tuesday since they got the item back. Surely they should not be doing this as they are getting interest etc on customers money e

 

what law can l quote when we ring back. 

[dx100uk]

Do a chargeback.

 

Dx

[The GodMother]

I am going to suggest that but more my thought was is this legal and if not what laws can l quote. a breif online search yesterday came back with nothing really. 

 

[dx100uk]

There is nothing I know of within any consumer law that dictates any refund timelimits I know of.

 

Though strangely the times I've sent stuff back to Amazon refunds were issued as soon as they had confirmation the courier had collected it .

 

Go figure.

 

Dx

[The GodMother]

Same the last time l sent a item back earlier this year the refund was issued as soon as the item as scanned at post office. 

Tho l have mesaaged a few people l know use amazon.a.lot.who.told me they have been finding the same for about 3 or 4 months now. One person it took Amazon 6 weeks to issue a refund. They claimed they did not have it but tracking said they did. 

[Ethel Street]

According to gov.uk for online purchases the seller must refund the customer within 14 days of receiving the goods back.  They don't quote the specific law that says this. So doesn't look like 14 days is a breach of UK consumer law.

 

Accepting returns and giving refunds: the law - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

 

This 14 days is what's stated in Amazon's current Refunds policy, although it looks like it can be quicker depending on the payment method used

 

Refunds - Amazon Customer Service

 

 

 

[The GodMother]

So within 14 days means that what they told said was wrong. They said 14 days after they receive back and starting the next businesa day afyer the 14 eg receives back Saturday 14 days start the Monday when its really day 2 

[Ethel Street]

The Refunds policy says "...we will issue the refund, for a product shipped by Amazon, within a maximum of 14 days..." and doesn't say business days. So what the customer service person told you isn't consistent with their published Refunds policy. When the 14 days starts isn't defined but IMO it is possible to argue as Amazon did that Day 1 of the 14 days is the day after the product is received.

 

And in any case surely every day is a business day for a 24/7/365 business like Amazon!

[The GodMother]

Yeah it could be argued that every day is bussiness day. It would just help if customer services had the ability to be clear as they lady we spoke to was clear about the American rules just not the English. 

[Ethel Street]

Referring to the American rules was an irrlevant red herring. The Refunds policy linked is the Amazon UK site.

[dx100uk]

Someone in the background has corrected me..opps.

 

/assets/static/govuk-opengraph-image-dade2dad5775023b0568381c4c074b86318194edb36d3d68df721eea7deeac4b.png

Accepting returns and giving refunds: the law - GOV.UK

WWW.GOV.UK

---

When you do and do not have to offer a refund, repair or replacement, unconditional refunds for online purchases, and penalties for deceiving customers

 

[The GodMother]

Went back to Amazon got the refund started and after they received it made a official complaint regarding the information. 

 

Today a person that claimed to be a manager called back.  Neighbour has said that she quoted what Ethel said and the manager claims to have listened to the phone calls and that the agent has done nothing wrong and not advised wrong. 

 

The Manager has said that the 14 days is correct, but it can be extended to a further 14 during busy times as they have to scan each item back into the warehouse and check each item is the correct item that was dispatched or that the fault with the item is what they customer says. The also claimed that Due to the recent strike action by RM and Queens funeral they were behind on scanning parcels in.

 

Personally, l would have thought that Strike days gave them time to catch up l did not realise they were closed the day of the funeral. I know the website clearly worked as people were ordering stuff and l put things in my basket 

 

[dx100uk]

9/10 thrown in a container without checking anything and sold as a bulk lot on auction sites as untested returns.

 

dx

 

 

[The GodMother]

More than likely are but obviously this manager said different, and we can only go on what was said. 

 

I am still bemused over the extra 14-day rule. Even further bemused how RM strikes means they are behind on scanning post they have but hey what would l know. 

 

Oh and since when does amazon managers actually ring you back. l have been shopping with them for years and never had it once despite requests.