What items does Amazon not make you return?

Our online Returns Center will guide you through the process—you can even print out a mailing label so you won’t have to wait in line at the post office. Just leave the package for your mail carrier to pick up, and we’ll notify you via e-mail when we’ve processed your refund.

You’ll be pleased to know we’ll accept returns of items purchased between November 15, 2001, and December 31, 2001, until January 31, 2002.

Any book in its original condition (or that we recommended and you didn’t enjoy)
Any unopened (still in its plastic wrap) CD, DVD, software, video game, cassette tape, vinyl record, or VHS tape
Any downloadable software title
Any item from our Electronics store or other stores in new condition with original packaging and accessories

Please note that we can process returns and refunds only for items purchased from Amazon.com. (See below for policies regarding items purchased from our partners.) We cannot exchange items unless they are defective or damaged. Items that are returned more than 30 days after delivery, are in unsellable condition, or are missing parts will be charged a restocking fee at our discretion. We cannot accept items returned after 60 days.

Computers and cell phones. These items cannot be returned more than 30 days after delivery.
Cell-phone service plans. If you want to cancel a cell-phone service plan you purchased via Amazon.com, you’ll need to contact your wireless service carrier. Please note that the carrier may apply early-termination fees.
e-Books. We are currently unable to accept returns of e-books.
Gas-powered items. For safety reasons, we are unable to accept returns of gas-powered items. Please contact the manufacturer directly for return information.
Magazines. Want to cancel a magazine subscription? Whether you received it as a gift or purchased it yourself via Amazon.com, call magazine customer service at (800) 586-2199. You’ll receive a refund for any remaining issues.

If you’re returning an item purchased from Amazon Marketplace, Auctions, or zShops, please contact the seller directly.

Returning Items from Toysrus.com or Imaginarium.com

Items purchased or received as gifts from our toy store are easily returned to Amazon.com via our online Returns Center. Please note that any items purchased from our toy store can be returned only to Amazon.com and not to a Toys «R» Us or Imaginarium store location.

Returning Items from Babiesrus.com

Items purchased or received as gifts from our Baby store are easily returned, either to Amazon.com via our online Returns Center or to a Babies «R» Us store near you. Please note that if you decide to return an item to a Babies «R» Us store, the Babies «R» Us return policy (rather than Amazon.com’s) will apply. Also note that any items not purchased specifically from our Baby store (including baby-related items such as toys, books, music, videos, etc., purchased from our other stores) can be returned only to Amazon.com and not to a Babies «R» Us store.

Returning Items from Borders Teamed with Amazon.com

Items purchased or received as gifts from Borders teamed with Amazon.com are easily returned to Amazon.com via our online Returns Center. Please note that any items purchased at Borders teamed with Amazon.com can be returned only to Amazon.com and not to a Borders store location.

Returning Items from Target at Amazon.com

Target purchases made online at Amazon.com may be returned via Amazon.com’s online Returns Center only, and not to a Target store location or Target.com. Amazon.com’s return policies apply. Target GiftCards are not returnable and cannot be replaced if lost or stolen.

Returning Circuit City Items Purchased Online via Amazon.com

Amazon.com cannot accept returns of items purchased from Circuit City. Instead, you may return or exchange these items at any of the nearly 600 Circuit City locations nationwide or to the Circuit City Returns Center. See Circuit City’s refund and exchange guidelines for more information.

Exchanges of Damaged or Defective Items

Amazon.com can exchange items only if they are defective or damaged. To exchange an item, visit our online Returns Center.

We’ll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we’ve received and processed the returned item. You can expect a refund in the same form of payment originally used for purchase within 7 to 14 business days of our receiving your return. If your return is not due to our error, we will deduct the shipping costs from your refund.

Returning a gift?

If the item was marked as a gift when purchased, you’ll receive a gift certificate for the value of your return, which can be used at any time toward your purchases at Amazon.com. The gift certificate will be mailed to you at the same address to which the order was shipped. (Don’t worry—we won’t let the gift giver know about your return.)

If the item wasn’t marked as a gift when purchased, we will send a refund to the gift giver, and he or she will find out about your return. To determine whether your item was marked as a gift, check the packing slip that came with your gift shipment. If it shows prices, your item wasn’t marked as a gift.

Did you use a promotional code or certificate?

If you paid for all or part of an item you want to return with a promotional coupon or code, that part of your refund will be credited to your account, available to use the next time you place an order at Amazon.com. Please note, however, that promotional credit may be refunded and reused only if the promotion has not yet expired.

Packing and Sending Your Return

Visit our online Returns Center and obtain a shipping label.
Pack the items along with the packing slip (receipt) securely in a box. You can use the box the items arrived in or another box, if you prefer.
Affix the shipping label to the outside of the box.
Leave the package for your mail carrier to pick up.

Please note that return mailing labels obtained from our online Returns Center are valid for domestic returns only. In addition, if you use a mailing label provided by our Returns Center and your return is not the result of our error, the shipping cost of that returned item will be deducted from your refund.

Lost Your Packing Slip?

Don’t worry! If you ordered the item yourself, you can still return it via our online Returns Center. What if the item was given to you as a gift, and you don’t have the packing slip or the order number? No problem. Enclose a separate sheet of paper noting the name and e-mail address of the person who purchased the gift, along with the reason for your return, and send the package to the appropriate address below:

For all products except desktop and notebook computers and cell phones: Amazon.com — Returns 1850 Mercer Rd., Suite 100 Lexington, KY 40598

For desktop and notebook computer returns: Amazon.com — PC Returns 2646 Rainier Ave. South Seattle, WA 98144

For cell-phone returns: Amazon.com 1728 Briercroft Ct. Carrollton, TX 75006

Still have questions? Search help or contact us.

12 Items That Can’t Be Returned to Amazon

Shopping on Amazon is a convenient way to get the items you want and need. But what’s the process when it comes to returning an item?

This article will tell you about some merchandise that Amazon won’t allow you to send back. Later on, I’ll explain the Amazon return process in detail.

12 Items That You Can’t Return to Amazon

Computers (After 30 Days)

Once 30 days have elapsed, you can no longer return computers; that includes laptops, desktops and Kindles, the retailer says.

Hazardous Materials

Items that are classified as hazardous materials, including those with flammable liquids or gases, are not returnable. Amazon wants you to contact the item’s manufacturer for any refund information.

Items Without Tracking Numbers

If your product doesn’t have a serial number or UPC, Amazon says you cannot return it.

Downloadable Software

Any digital products that you have to download are not returnable.

Online Subscriptions

Any digital subscriptions that you’ve downloaded cannot be returned.

Gift Cards

Amazon does not allow you to return gift cards unless you live in a state that has a “cash back” law pertaining to gift cards.

Prepaid Game Cards

Prepaid cards bought in games are not returnable. An example of a game for which you can buy prepaid cards is World of Warcraft, which works on gaming platforms like Xbox 360 Live. Wii Points, a form of gaming currency, are also not returnable, according to Amazon.

Some Jewelry Items

Jewelry with a value of $35 or more must be returned via trackable shipping, according to Amazon. To be accepted, the jewelry cannot have been resized or altered in any way.

Some Health and Personal Care Items

The majority of health and personal items, including hygienic products, are returnable. However, some items that are “health hazards or may pose safety concerns” based on their contents or ingredients, are not returnable, an Amazon customer service representative confirmed to Team Clark.

Grocery Products

While Amazon does not accept the return of grocery items (including those ordered via Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods), you can ask for a refund or replacement for unsatisfactory items.

Open Software

While in most cases, items in opened boxes can still be returned to Amazon, that is not the case with software. Once the software has been used, it cannot be returned, an Amazon customer service representative told Team Clark. Amazon says you can contact its technical department for tech support.

Live Insects

Amazon says live insects are not returnable to Amazon but your purchase may be refundable.

What Is Amazon’s Return Policy?

In general, Amazon allows you to return items within 30 days of receipt of shipment.

An Amazon.com representative told Team Clark that if you need to return an item to a third-party seller after the 30-day period, it’s a good idea to reach out to them first.

The third-party seller may choose to accept the item past the 30-day mark. It just depends.

How To Know Whether an Amazon Item Can Be Returned

According to Amazon’s website, you can quickly tell whether the item you’ve bought can be returned if you see a message that says so when you select Return or Replace Item in the Your Orders section of your account.

“If the item is not returnable per the Amazon return policy, you will not see any message,” it says on Amazon.com.

How To Return an Amazon Item

There may be several ways to return an item bought on Amazon.com depending on the seller, the reason for the return or what the merchandise is.

To return an item in general, here are the steps:

Go to the Your Orders section in your account.
Click on the item you want to return.
Here is where you will see whether it is returnable or not. As mentioned, if it is returnable it will be indicated by a Return or Replace link.
You can print the return labels and check the status of your return at Amazon’s Return Center.

If you buy a nonreturnable item and discover that it is damaged or defective, Amazon wants you to request a refund or replacement in the Your Orders section of your account. If you don’t see a refund or replacement option, contact Amazon.

Best Credit Card Sign-up Bonuses for 2023 — Team Clark spent hours reviewing the market for credit card sign-up bonuses and evaluated them according to the guidelines for usage set by money expert Clark Howard. Clark believes credit cards with exorbitant annual fees are a bad idea for most…

Best Cell Phone Plans in 2023: The Cheapest Plan for Every Need — Team Clark ranks the best cell phone plans and deals! See our favorites for unlimited data, families and cheap plans starting at $10/month.

What Does Amazon Do With Product Returns in 2023

What does Amazon do with returns? Has this question ever bothered you? If you had ever ordered something on Amazon and got upset or disappointed when it arrived, maybe you have been wondering where it went after returning it.

Online shopping is a leap of faith because you don’t see the product before paying for it. For example, maybe you ordered a comfy pair of shoes but only realized they had a small fitting after the package arrived.

Such an incident may be common and disappointing; however, the best you can do is return it. After all, you must get your money back if you do not want an exchange.

So, since you are wondering what happens to products once you return them to Amazon, we’ll like to shed some light on that.

Let’s get started!

What Does Amazon Do With Returns?

Now and then, customers return products they get from Amazon. This rather frequent occurrence may be because of a damaged product, wrong item, or even a product that did not satisfy the customer’s expectations.

Once you have returned a product to Amazon, it processes it and sells it to Amazon warehouses or liquidation retailers. Some returns make their way back to Amazon. However, most are put on pallets and sold in bulk to liquidation companies.

Apart from liquidation companies and Amazon warehouses, some returns end up in donations. There are also scenarios where there is no other option for recycling or re-using the product. This part could be because they are damaged or because of legal or hygienic reasons.

In such cases, the products are sent for energy recovery. Here, the process entails turning the non-recyclable waste into usable energy sources like fuel or heat. This conversion is done by combustion, pluralization, gasification, anaerobic digestion, or landfill gas recovery.

Where Do Amazon Products Go When Returned?

When a customer returns products bought to Amazon, they are processed at Amazon’s fulfillment centers and then distributed to warehouses. Some clients return slightly used items that are not in bad condition. Such items are added to the Amazon warehouse.

Other items are packed on pallets in the storerooms and sold to liquidation companies which buy them at a lower cost. Once a product gets to a liquidation company, it is sold through the sites of the said company.

Amazon finds it less costly in terms of time, money, and human resource to liquidate products. Hence, instead of placing them directly on its shelves, Amazon sells them to liquidation companies.

Reselling on the website and to liquidation firms helps mitigate losses. When Amazon cannot sell an item as new, it normally gives the seller other options. Such options include return-to seller, disposal, or fulfillment by Amazon grade and resell.

a) Liquidation Process

Liquidation is a process that Amazon offers sellers to use instead of disposal. The retailer partners with liquidation marketplaces that auction unwanted inventory to resellers.

The liquidation process helps you recover about 5% of your sale price. That is little but better than throwing it away. This process involves packing the returned products and shipping them to different buyers.

The package can contain similar items, or they can be mixed up. Once they are ready, the highest bidder will be the lucky one to buy them.

Each pallet will reach its destination with a manifest explaining its contents. However, you will never know the items’ condition before opening the package.

b) Return-to-Seller

The product can travel long distances when choosing the Return to Seller alternative. This journey could be on a truck, cargo ship, or airplane after leaving the Amazon warehouse.

It travels back to the seller for additional processing. Next, it can proceed to a different Amazon warehouse for sorting and repackaging before being delivered to a new buyer with the option to be returned.

c) Disposal

Disposal is quite common among many online retailers that handle unsold products. Although Amazon claims to do its best to avoid sending product returns to energy recovery, it has not found a solution to end it.

So, if the product cannot be sold, donated, or recycled, it will likely end up in the trash. But, of course, trashing the items is always the easiest thing to do, and some brands do so to protect their name.

Product disposal usually happens because the brands do not want lesser valued items on the market. After all, such items could ruin their name, making them lose customer loyalty.

You can also find that other brands like Nike have invented ways to upcycle returns. In return, they make more valued items that can be bought and used well.

However, the best way to deal with product returns is to sell them in their original form. This tactic is the best way to protect the environment as sometimes transforming them requires a lot of energy.

Amazon has programs that do that. For instance, for electronics like Amazon devices, video games, or phones, the company allows customers to send them to certified recyclers or trade them in for gift cards.

Also, since 2019, the FDA donations program has allowed sellers to offer eligible overstock and returns to charitable organizations through a non-profit network. This way, it is easier to donate items without making them go through a lot of trouble.

d) Fulfillment by Amazon Grade and Resell

In this process, products returned are inspected and categorized into four. These categories include;

Used-like new
Used-very good
Used-good
Used acceptable

After grading the products, they are resold on sections of Amazon’s sites. These sections include Amazon renewed for refurbished items, warehouse deals for used goods, Amazon outlet for overstock, and Woot. Also, if you want to sell used items on Amazon, you can do so in the abovementioned categories.

Amazon Return Policy

Like most online shops, Amazon offers returns on most items. After all, a return policy ensures things run smoothly for them and the clients. In addition, understanding their return policy can help you know what to do when you get something you do not want to keep.

If you purchase an item on Amazon and would like to return it, you only have up to 30 days from the shipment’s receipt date. Other sellers also offer this service on Amazon.

Also, most sellers on Amazon offer a returns policy the same as that of Amazon itself. However, this sometimes differs; you may need to confirm that before returning an item.

You won’t have to worry if the seller’s listing is eligible for Amazon Prime. This is so because the return policy will be the same as that of items returned to Amazon.

When returning to Amazon, it can take up to 25 days before it reaches the fulfillment center. Then, it will take several business days for the refunds to be processed.

What Items Can’t You Return On Amazon?

Not every product bought on Amazon is eligible for returns. Some, once you buy, you cannot return them. Examples include the following;

Open software
Live insects
Products missing the serial number or UPC
Products with special shipping restrictions
Grocery products
Prepaid game cards like Xbox 360 live, Wii Points, and World of Warcraft, among others
Some jewelry products
Some health and personal care products
Online subscriptions after they have been accessed
Desktops, laptops, kindles, and other electronic devices that you’ve stayed with for over 30 days
Hazardous materials or those that use flammable gases and liquids; for such items, you have to contact the manufacturer directly.
Gift cards
Software downloads
Products that expire rapidly
Alcoholic beverages, as their actual value can fluctuate, and the supplier has no control over them.

The important point is that Amazon.com does not accept product returns for items fulfilled by third-party sellers. After all, the seller, not Amazon, determines the return policy.

Also, if you bought a non-returnable item but it arrives defective or damaged, you can request a replacement or even a refund.

What is the Cost of Making Returns on Amazon?

If Amazon dispatched your product, it would refund the cost of sending it back. However, made-on-demand products are not eligible for free returns.

So, if you are returning a product that is not eligible for free returns, Amazon deducts the shipping costs from your refund. The amount deducted from your refund will depend on the size and number of packages you return.

For bigger packages, the shipping costs will cost a little more than for smaller items. For more details, you can also check how much it costs to ship a package from Amazon USA.

Amazon Global Store Products

Most purchases from the Amazon Global Store can be returned within 30 days after delivery.

The fulfillment center may wait about 15 to 25 days to receive an item. And it takes two business days from the time of receipt for the refund to be processed.

Once the process concludes, you will receive a refund for your original delivery fees. You will also receive any import fee deposits you paid for the returned items if they were inaccurate, faulty, or damaged.

Returns Abuse Vs. Returns Fraud

What is Returns Abuse?

Return abuse is seen when customers take advantage of the seller’s return policy, buy bulk items, and then return them. For example, this can happen when customers order the same item in all sizes and colors and return more than half of what they bought.

This phenomenon worsens when the client returns the products after using them, to the point that you can no longer sell them. They can also return a product after using it partially or entirely, making it impossible to resell.

Another example is online retail renting. Here, someone buys an item, uses it for a short while then sends it back for a refund.

Think of all the online fashion hauls where individuals buy a ton of clothing to try them on, review them, record a video, earn attention, and then send them back. Customers put them on a few times—often for special occasions—then repackage and send them back.

Some clients go beyond clothes, try everything they want, and then return them. These can be electronics or devices they need to use on a one-time job. Although this is unethical, it is legal, so you must act or look for ways to stop it if you are an online retailer.

What is Return Fraud?

Return fraud is an extreme form of return activity. One of the most typical types of return fraud is price manipulation or price swapping. It alludes to the custom of exchanging a product for another before returning it.

Most frequently, persons who carry out this type of fraud will buy two things at different prices. Then they switch the packaging and return the cheaper item as the more expensive item while pocketing the price difference.

Return fraud can also be practiced by returning an item bought from another retailer at a discount, a fake or stolen item.

Another form of fraud is friendly fraud. This is whereby a customer purchases a product and then claims that it wasn’t them. Or that they did not receive the product and requested a refund while they kept the product.

It is called friendly fraud, as the customer’s claims may sound honest and convincing.

Frequently Asked Questions on What Amazon Does With Returns

1. Does Amazon check their returns?

Amazon checks their returns; however, the seriousness will depend on the type of item. This means they check if it’s a high fraud item and whether the customer returns items often or has a clean account.

2. Can Amazon ban you for too many returns?

Yes, Amazon may ban your account if you keep on returning items. However, this happens if you return more than 10% of your purchases. Also, if you keep returning their products and there’s little or no evidence of real problems.

3. Does Amazon ever reject returns?

Amazon can reject items returned without original documentation. Also, if you return products that have been damaged, resized, or altered in any way (for example, damaged hygiene seals), they are more likely to be rejected than not.

4. What happens if the Amazon return window is closed and you want to return an item?

If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase and want to return it after 30 days, submit a return request. Amazon can allow you to return a product after the 30-day window, but this is handled on a case-by-case basis.

5. Must I have to pay return shipping charges?

If Amazon fulfills the items, you will not pay for the return shipping charges. However, if you bought the product from a third-party seller and initiated the return through the Amazon return page, you may have to pay the shipping fees.