Amazon Expands Options for Handling Customer Returns

Amazon Expands Options for Handling Customer Returns

Amazon provides sellers using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) with flexible options for seamlessly managing product returns.

Amazon is committed to helping customers find the right product for their needs. “We’re continuing to innovate to launch features such as personalised size recommendations, review highlights, and, most recently, Rufus, our genAI-powered expert shopping assistant, to help customers make more informed decisions.

Most of the time, customers love their purchases, but just like any retailer, occasionally customers want to return something that they purchased from us. If a customer decides to return an item, we make returns convenient and easy–working backwards from customer and selling partner needs to streamline the returns process,” the company said in an announcement. 

Amazon said it offers sellers who choose to use its Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) service an array of options to handle their returned inventory efficiently. These options range from customer convenience boosters like Returnless Resolutions (also referred to as keep-it returns) to services that help extend the life of returned products like Grade and Resell and FBA Donations.

Here are a few of the key services available to selling partners:

Grade and Resell

For items that are returned to Amazon’s return centers, Amazon offers Grade and Resell, which is an optional program that helps extend the life of returned products by providing sellers with a resell channel on Amazon for returned inventory. 

Before an item can be sold through Grade and Resell, Amazon conducts a comprehensive inspection to thoroughly test the condition of each item and provide a detailed description of its condition to make it easier for customers to make a more informed purchase decision. “For electronic items, we will power on, test, and factory-reset as part of the evaluation. Based on the quality check, each item will be assigned one of four listing conditions: “Like New,” “Very Good,” “Good,” or “Acceptable,”” the company said.

Product Support

Both retail and FBA brands can opt in to provide customers with free product support on eligible items once an item is purchased, helping with product setup, product use, or troubleshooting issues. 

Depending on the product, brands can provide customers with manufacturer contact details, step-by-step troubleshooting instructions, help videos, or coordinate the replacement of missing or broken parts. 

In 2023, product support helped avoid the return of more than 11 million items in the US and Europe, up 50% from 2022–ultimately improving the customer experience, benefiting brands, and reducing return shipments. Customers can access these options through the Your Orders page by clicking Get Product Support.