Key Takeaways
- Amazon has a 30-day return window for products purchased directly from them or authorized resellers. Look out for third-party sellers with limited return policies.
- During the holiday season, Amazon extends its return window. Most items purchased between Nov 1-Dec 31 can be returned until Jan 31.
- Most items purchased from Amazon can be returned. Exceptions include digital products, hazardous items, and gift cards. Follow the return process online and refunds can take up to 30 days.
The holiday season is always full of surprises. We do our best to pick out things that we think our friends and family will like, and vice versa, but sometimes, for whatever reason, a gift just doesn’t land right.
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One Christmas in the early 2000s, I bought my grandfather an MP3 player because he loves classical music and had his collection on a massive stack of CDs. He looked at it, shrugged, and then went and bought himself a Zune with higher capacity instead. What can you do? If you’re stuck with a gift you can’t use that was bought from Amazon, good news. The company has a very forgiving return policy. Here’s how to use it.
When can you return a product to Amazon?
Products purchased directly from Amazon, as well as most authorized resellers on the service, have a 30-day return window.
It’s always important when you order anything from the site to check who the actual seller is. This is less noticeable with name brands, but unfortunately, Amazon is flooded with knock-offs and Wish.com versions of things like drones, cameras and phone cases that are sold by third parties. Those sellers may not have return policies as lenient or expansive.
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The holiday season sees Amazon extend their return window. Most items purchased between November 1 and December 31, 2023 can be returned until January 31, 2024. Apple products purchased on Amazon during that period can be returned until January 15, 2024.
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Some products have even longer return windows. Refurbished items through Amazon Renewed can be sent back within 90 days. as can baby items. Mattresses have a 100-day return window. For the complete rundown on different product types and their return policies, click here.
What products can you return to Amazon?
Nearly everything purchased from Amazon or a certified seller can be returned. In general, if the item was purchased as a gift, it can be returned for any reason. If it was not purchased as a gift, there may be restrictions or reductions on your refund amount.
There are certain items that you cannot send back. Digital products, like downloadable software, subscription software and open boxed software, cannot be refunded. In addition, anything that is classified as hazardous or flammable cannot be returned to Amazon. Gift cards are also non-returnable.
There are also a number of odd exceptions, like live insects, Amazon Fresh and grocery products, and some jewelry items. You can see the whole list here.
Interestingly, physical goods bought through Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant are always returnable, no matter what the reason.
How to start an Amazon return
- To use Amazon’s return system, you need to have the order number for the purchase. That should be on the receipt or gift receipt.
- Navigate to the returns page and enter that number to begin the process. You will be asked about the reason for return, which allows you to select from a menu of 12 choices. These choices may affect your refund amount; for example, selecting “No Longer Needed” implies that the product had no faults and may not be fully refundable, while choosing “Bought by mistake” or “Item defective or doesn’t work” may increase the likelihood of a rebate. However, Amazon does check these returned products against your reason, and they have been known to ban users who abuse the return policy.
- A return label will be created for you to print and affix to the package. You can also return some items to an Amazon Hub Locker.
- Make sure that all accessories and additional parts are packed with the item, and if possible return it in the original packaging.
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How long does it take to be refunded for your return from Amazon?
It can take up to 30 days for Amazon to process your return and issue you a refund. Those refunds will either be issued directly back to the card used to make the purchase or as an Amazon Gift Card balance. You can track the progress of your return in Your Orders.
For some items, Amazon does offer advance refunds, where they issue the payment immediately after the item is dropped off or picked up by their carrier. This is judged on a case-by-case basis, but you will be informed when you apply for the return. Gift recipients are not eligible for advance refunds, and all gift refunds go to the Amazon balance of the account that requested the refund.
Once the 30-day return window is passed, Amazon may offer partial refunds for returned items up to 80% of the purchase price.
Can I get a bonus for making an Amazon return?
If you have an Amazon Go store in your area, you can select a store as a drop-off location and return the item there. Proceed through the return procedure as detailed above, and choose your local Amazon Go address. Visit the store during its open hours and show the return code to an associate at the online returns area. They’ll take your item and give you a $2 credit on any purchase of $5 or more at the store. Read more about this program here.
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