Starting on the 1st of December, Amazon are going to automatically verify customer claims and offer refunds on your behalf for specific scenarios where Amazon can verify package delivery using the tracking information provided during order confirmation. This update they say will simplify the A-to-z Guarantee Claims experience for you and your customers.
Automatic verification of claims does not change any existing A-to-z Guarantee Claim policies.
New Amazon A-to-z Guarantee Claims experience
Currently, you must respond to customer messages about delivery issues within 48 hours, review the issue, verify tracking, and refund the order amount to the customer (if eligible). If you do not respond in 48 hours, the customer is more likely to file an A-to-z Guarantee Claim, which may result in an account debit that would negatively impact your account health or Order defect rate.
The automatic verification update will reduce the time and effort it takes to verify a valid claim. If the tracking information entered in Seller Central demonstrates that the customer claim is valid, Amazon will automatically issue a refund but will also use tracking to validate the claim in order to reduce the risk of unjustified claims.
How automatic verification of A-to-z Claims works
Customer A-to-z Guarantee Claims that will be automatically verified using proof of delivery include:
- Tracking shows that the package is refused and returned to you
If a customer refuses a package on delivery, and we receive tracking information indicating that the package is returning to you, Amazon will automatically refund the customer and debit your account for the claim amount. It does not impact your account health or Order defect rate.
- Tracking shows that you have not shipped the package by the Ship-by date
If you have not shipped the package by the expected ship date, or have not confirmed the shipment on Seller Central, Amazon will automatically refund the customer and debit your account for the claim amount. It impacts your account health or Order defect rate.
- Tracking shows that the item was undeliverable
If tracking information indicates that the package is undeliverable, Amazon will automatically refund the customer and debit your account for the claim amount. It does not impact your account health or Order defect rate.
If Amazon cannot verify the customer’s claim through tracking information, they will require them to reach out to you to resolve the issue before they file a claim. Customers will still need to contact you directly for any returns-related issues.
This is as fundamental change in the way Amazon works and should prevent many instances of A-to-z claims impacting your account health when you have done nothing wrong. In two out of the three scenarios above, your account health won’t be impacted – the only reason you’ll get a ding is if you fail to ship or fail to confirm a shipment has been sent.
7 Responses
What’s a guarentee?
This is a huge problem, we have already been seeing customers abuse returns for MF orders by returning different items or even empty boxes knowing they will get a refund.
Maybe it only applies to amazon.fr :p
More and more selling on marketplaces is becoming less attractive – customers order something and then are not home to receive the items – even with a load of options that say DPD offer they still think it is everyone else who is to blame for them not receiving the parcel they ordered. With free next day delivery we then pay DPD to try and deliver the parcel and for the return journey and Amazon just issue a full refund.
I ready comments on Tamebay (that by the way doesn’t have articles as good as it used to 2-3 years ago – these days it seems to just promote services or brands without any jounalism on the indusry) and I often think come on people be glass half full instead of empty. However having just had our best every November for sales and then looking at the bottom line after Google, Ebay, Amazon and DPD (who have introduced surcharges or increased prices 3/4 times this year) you wonder if you are just a busy fool.
Amazon Marketplace just gets worse with every new idea they have.
VTR still doesn’t work properly.
I keep getting items removed for REACH that don’t need REACH.
I get items suppressed that don’t have a white background, that do have a white background.
Returnless refunds.
And now this. I feel like it’s a constant battle with them and you can forget any kind of sense out of any contact you have with customer service.
I’m not renewing anything that runs out of stock, I’m just gradually letting it die, it’s just not worth the hassle any more.
“If tracking information indicates that the package is undeliverable, Amazon will automatically refund the customer and debit your account for the claim amount.”
So the customer can then go to the delivery office and collect the parcel despite having received a refund?
All becomes clear as to WHY Amazon has been using this VTR crap.
Without Valid Tracking the automated system doesn’t have the “data” to make an “informed” decision regarding any claims.