Amazon extended returns, introduced as part of the martetplace’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic, have been extended again to the end of July due to ongoing local outbreaks. This applies to the UK, Spain and Turkey.
Due to some continued local restrictions, on Amazon in the United Kingdom, Spain, and Turkey, most items ordered between between the 15th of February 2020 and the 30th of June 2020 can now be returned until the 31st of July 2020.
The reasoning for the Amazon extended returns window is that many customers may be unable or unwilling to return unwanted items at the moment, due to the need to visit a physical premises in order to do so and in some areas such as Leicester some customers may be in lock down or have been asked to isolate from Track and Trace programs, having been in recent contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus.
The good news is that generally extended returns periods don’t increase the quantity of returns exponentially, but what they do do is instil consumer confidence in making a purchase in the first place.
Amazon are asking merchants who fulfil their own orders on the Amazon marketplace to match the return policies for the applicable Amazon site regardless of your fulfilment solutions. Naturally if products are fulfilled through FBA, any requests during the Amazon extended returns window will be accepted by Amazon themselves.
In better news, in Germany, France, Italy and in the Netherlands, Amazon extended returns are over and normal 30 days returns apply on the Amazon marketplace.