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A little advice about Amazon returns and how to cover yourself

OnTheRoadAgain

Solar Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 22, 2021
Messages
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I just went through an ordeal with Amazon trying to get a refund for a defective power supply I returned.
Every step for the return was followed by the numbers.

I requested the return
Amazon sent a return label Scan code.
I took a picture of the scan code
Went to local UPS Store with the package and scan code on my cell phone
Clerk took package, scanned code on my phone and printed receipt
All done, good to go (so I thought) and put the receipt where I could find it if necessary.

2 weeks later I still had no refund and so i checked the tracking number. To my surprise it still said "Label Created, UPS Awaiting Package" !! wth ??

So I got out the USP Store receipt for my package return and noticed that the tracking number on the label was not the same as the tracking number in my phone that the clerk scanned. I do not know if this is a dishonest clerk at the UPS store of if it was an honest mistake, but this is exactly how it happened.

After a long discussion with Amazon, they issued the refund saying that "As a good, loyal customer, they will trust me"......"Trust me" ???
I do not want my returns to hinge on their "trust". it's why there are tracking numbers to begin with.

My advice

ALWAYS double check that the tracking number on your Amazon scan code matches the tracking number on the receipt the USP clerk gives you immediately before leaving the store.
 
BTW....the only clerk working that particular day was some young guy that I hadn't seen there before. The usual people there are the owner / manger and his wife I believe. Just coincidence?
 
The issue we have living rural is the closest UPS store is fifty miles away. We do have a UPS drop off business close by that accepts drop offs as long as you have a printed return label on it. Only official UPS stores are able to scan that Amazon code on phones. We have ask for an emailed label when making a return.
Usually as soon as the label is scanned by the drop off we receive an emailed receipt. Soon after that another email indicating a refund is being processed.
And yeah as @OnTheRoadAgain says, we always write down the tracking # on the mailing label and confirm it matches the receipt.
 
We have a Kohls very near us and we just take returns there .... don't even have to have if fully re-boxed.
Usually get the refund within a couple hours.

Oh .... and Kohls gives you a 25% off cupon.
 
We have a Kohls very near us and we just take returns there .... don't even have to have if fully re-boxed.
Usually get the refund within a couple hours.

Oh .... and Kohls gives you a 25% off cupon.
Same here...Kohls and 25% coupon every time I have returned something. Never had an issue.
 
I recall reading some interesting tales about the number of "lost in shipping" playstation 5's...every job has its good people and bad people; and sometimes its just a software glitch hehe
 
I personally think Amazon’s response adequately protected their self interest AND affirmed you as a customer. The scams on returns and false claims is incredible- but that ups place should be responsible for the loss imho
Amazon can’t control situations like yours but they did the right thing anyway.
 
Same here...Kohls and 25% coupon every time I have returned something. Never had an issue.

Plus the gals at the retuen desk are hella cute. So I retuen 17 items. One at a time.
 
There is a scam run in the exact same way. That's why Amazon said they would "trust you".

The general idea is that you buy something, get a return label, Photoshop a different address (located very physically close to an Amazon return center, like a McDonald's up the street), but keep the same tracking; Then send an empty box, and UPS will show the return delivered. Their system will have the proper tracking number, and will show it was delivered to the return center. What really happeed is that an empty box showed up to a random store, and UPS didn't realize that the address was off by a few digits. You have all the documents you need to verify you sent a return, and Amazon is left holding the bag.

From what I understand, that scam is a lot more popular in Europe due to Amazon's return policies there. There's a TON of scams in the US because of the seemingly endless supply of different courier services Amazon uses to deliver packages here.

Amazon told me something similar when two packages in a row were just empty boxes. They were like "your account seems to be in good standing, so we will issue a refund this time". I was like " you fu*king better, I paid for stuff I didn't get". It seemed very standoffish at the time, but once I understood that that was a scam technique, I understood why Amazon dealt with it the way they did, and to their credit, they did reship my items immediately.

Edit: I don't know how I ended up in this old ass thread. Sorry for trying to resurrect the dead.
 
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