From the 30th of September, 2022, Amazon seller-fulfilled items returned using the Prepaid return label program will be automatically eligible for refund at first scan when the return enters your delivery partner’s network. Once refund at first scan is enabled, customers using an Amazon prepaid return label will receive a refund immediately after they hand over the return to the carrier and the return label is scanned.
Amazon say that Refund at first scan eliminates the manual effort needed to process returns in Seller Central, significantly reduces buyer contacts and A-to-z guarantee claims, and makes it easy to comply with their policies.
What about seller protection?
We know that some sellers will view this with dismay, wanting to examine the goods to ensure that:
- the correct item has been returned
- the item has been returned in good condition
Amazon say that they have this covered
Our return and refund policies will continue to apply to all refund at first scan eligible orders. To protect you from abusive customer behaviour, we also consider customer returns history, before processing a refund at first scan.
– Amazon
If a customer returns a damaged, incomplete, or materially different item or a customer return is otherwise not within Amazon’s return and refund policy, you can file a SAFE-T claim to request a reimbursement of the refund that we issued.
You’ll be notified via email each time refund at first scan is issued. To ensure your contact information is up to date, make sure that your “notification preferences” are up to date in Seller Central.
You’ll find more information on “Refund at first scan for seller-fulfilled returns” in Seller Central.
