Amazon are updating are making changes to their Prepaid Returns Label feature for seller-fulfilled orders. The aim is to offer a better user experience to sellers who fulfil customer orders sold on Amazon UK with the Prepaid Return Label feature by adjusting the Prepaid Returns Label exemption process.
There will be are automated exemptions in several categories from the 31st of August, aligned with Amazon’s return policy, to reduce your effort in manually requesting exemptions. As part of this change, all existing exemptions filed by sellers will be validated and backfilled, as long as they meet the validation criteria, such as over £100 for high price items.
Starting on the 31st of August, returns for the following product categories will be automatically exempt from the prepaid return label process and will be sent to you for manual review and authorisation:
- Handmade
- Amazon Custom
- Sexual wellness
- Certified Preowned Watches
- Professional medical supplies and Professional dental supplies
- Non-physical items (for example, warranties, digital software or digital vouchers)
- Items that are non-returnable by law and dangerous goods (hazardous goods) in any given product category
- Heavy and bulky items in any given product category
Product exemption is based on the information you provide to Amazon when listing your product, so you need to ensure that your product information is accurate and complete at all times, especially information for dangerous goods.
In addition to the changes Amazon are making to the Prepaid Return Label exemptions process, they are also automatically exempting the following categories and subcategories from automated return authorisations, which will also be sent to you for manual review:
- Grocery and Wine
- Video, Video Games, Software and DVD
- ‘Flowers & Bouquets’ and ‘Fresh Cut Flowers’
- Hygienic items from product categories Baby, Beauty, Health & Personal Care, Personal Care Appliances
For all pending return requests, a response is required within 24 hours. For information about how to manually review and process such requests, refer to Process return requests. To monitor returns, refer to Manage returns or download a Return report.
With the above changes, the exemption request process from the Prepaid Returns Label has been simplified, and you will no longer be able to manually request exemptions for the following reason codes:
- REQUIRES_SPECIAL_SHIPPING
- TOO_LARGE_HEAVY
- RETURNLESS REFUND
If the item cannot be shipped with a standard shipping label (such as dangerous goods) offered by 3P carriers integrated in the Amazon Prepaid Returns Label feature.
Heavy and bulky items where the shipping weight of the item exceeds carrier agreed weight and dimension guidelines, as these items will be automatically exempt.
You can still continue to use this feature through the Returnless Refunds option available under Settings > Return Settings > Returnless Refund.
However, you may continue to request exemptions for SKUs in the following category:
- HIGH_PRICE_GREATER_GBP_100
High-valued items that need special shipping (for example, items that require special shipping insurance)
All return requests for items where sellers filed requests to exempt SKUs from the Prepaid Return Label feature will be automatically authorised. For returns of seller-filed SKUs that are exempt from the Amazon Prepaid Return Label feature, sellers will continue to have the option to upload a merchant-prepaid label. Return requests that are out-of-policy or category-exempt will continue to be sent for manual return authorisation.
