Amazon- excessive refund postage fee?

curtise21

Hi,

I recently ordered a pair of Pilates socks on Amazon, along with some other items. The order qualified for free delivery.

The socks are much too big so I wanted to return, but when I tried to process the return I was presented with 3 methods for return - collect+, Royal Mail or collection - all with a £6 charge which will be deducted from my refund. The socks only cost £4.99 so I wouldn't actually get anything back.

The socks would fit in a standard envelope - I could return for the cost of a first class stamp, how can they justify £6 charge?!

Do I have any right to challenge them?

Thanks in advance!!

unholyangel

Under UK law, they're only allowed to charge the direct cost of the return (in other words, what it costs, without any room for profit). And I doubt all 3 methods would incur the exact same charge.

The problem is that amazon are not a UK company and when you buy from them, the contract of sale is governed by the laws of the duchy of luxembourg.

They will have similar laws to our own (as most of our consumer rights come from EU legislation) but there may be some differences. Whether luxembourg law states the same regarding the direct cost of return I have no idea.

Is sending it back yourself (using royal mail first class) not possible?

shaun_from_Africa

If you use their Returns support centre (the online process for returning unwanted goods), they only give the returns options that you mention but you don't have to use this process if you don't want to. I'll agree that the info isn't easy to find on the website but it is there.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=1161020

To cancel your purchase within the 14 day cooling-off period, you can visit our Returns Support Centre and print out a personalised return label for your item, giving the reason for the return as "I just don't want it anymore". You can also cancel your order through other means, if you prefer (check here for more information.) Please package the relevant item securely and send it to us using the personalised return label within 30 days following the date that the item was delivered to you.

Please note that we can't accept returns delivered by hand.

For your protection, we recommend that you use a recorded delivery service if the value of the return is more than £50.00.

And this one:
http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/cs/documents/cancellationform_uk._V335985426_.pdf
gives a link to contact Amazon to request a return outside of their online service.
Send them an e-mail to the address shown stating that you wish to cancel the contract and ask for an address to send the unwanted goods back to. (Make sure that you get proof of posting which should cover you if Amazon deny receiving the socks back).

GreatBeyond

Just use the address on your returns label and post it back to them along with the barcode part inside it.

If other things have also been ordered at the same time the returns page could possibly be calculating the fee of what it would think to also return other items. I think the way it works is they will calculate the amount it would be for outbound postage will and deduct that from the refund if you use their label. They will not charge any more for a collection.

If you do send it back yourself it might be an idea to send it back tracked, if it gets lost and you can prove that you posted it Amazon will normally still refund you, if there is no proof of postage they probably would still refund but it would be down to their goodwill.

GreatBeyond

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

If you use their Returns support centre (the online process for returning unwanted goods), they only give the returns options that you mention but you don't have to use this process if you don't want to. I'll agree that the info isn't easy to find on the website but it is there.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=1161020


And this one:
http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/cs/documents/cancellationform_uk._V335985426_.pdf
gives a link to contact Amazon to request a return outside of their online service.
Send them an e-mail to the address shown stating that you wish to cancel the contract and ask for an address to send the unwanted goods back to. (Make sure that you get proof of posting which should cover you if Amazon deny receiving the socks back).

In fairness Amazon are really good with returns, I don't think the OP has to worry about them pretending they haven't received a pair of £4.99 socks back.

Your advice is all correct but it's involving totally needless steps for the OP, just get the returns label and post it to the address shown on the label, there will be an address on the Collect+ or Royal Mail labels and then just send it off in your own envelope.

If any deductions are made just let them know that you didn't use their label and they will issue the refund straight away.

shaun_from_Africa

GreatBeyond wrote: »

If you do send it back yourself it might be an idea to send it back tracked, if it gets lost and you can prove that you posted it Amazon will normally still refund you, if there is no proof of postage they possibly would still refund but it would be down to their goodwill.

Tracked or signed for is certainly worthwhile in some instances but I think that using such a service for goods valued at only £4.99 is not one of those instances as the cost of the return would be a very large percentage of the actual cost of the goods.
Assuming that the package qualified for the large letter rate and weighed less than 100g, it would only cost 74p for it to be returned second class and a certificate of posting which is free should suffice in getting a refund should Amazon not receive the socks back.

GreatBeyond

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

Tracked or signed for is certainly worthwhile in some instances but I think that using such a service for goods valued at only £4.99 is not one of those instances as the cost of the return would be a very large percentage of the actual cost of the goods.
Assuming that the package qualified for the large letter rate and weighed less than 100g, it would only cost 74p for it to be returned second class and a certificate of posting which is free should suffice in getting a refund should Amazon not receive the socks back.

I agree but it's a decision for the OP to make.

I would imagine Amazon would issue a refund even without asking for any proof of postage but I wouldn't want to advise on doing something and then the OP comes back and says that they have refused to refund.

Edited as read previous post incorrectly.

George_Michael

GreatBeyond wrote: »

just get the returns label and post it to the address shown on the label, there will be an address on the Collect+ or Royal Mail labels and then just send it off in your own envelope.

I don't think that would work.
Whenever I've returned something to Amazon using their returns system, the Royal mail address they give is a for a prepaid service and if the OP was to use this, Amazon would be within their rights to charge the £6 that they originally quoted for a RM return.
As to using the collect+ service, the cheapest that C+ will send a package for is about £4.50 and with the socks only costing £6, it would hardly be worth it.


I agree that getting Amazon to supply a "normal" returns address and sending the unwanted item back 2nd class with a POP is probably the best way to proceed.

GreatBeyond

George_Michael wrote: »

I don't think that would work.
Whenever I've returned something to Amazon using their returns system, the Royal mail address they give is a for a prepaid service and if the OP was to use this, Amazon would be within their rights to charge the £6 that they originally quoted for a RM return.
As to using the collect+ service, the cheapest that C+ will send a package for is about £4.50 and with the socks only costing £6, it would hardly be worth it.


I agree that getting Amazon to supply a "normal" returns address and sending the unwanted item back 2nd class with a POP is probably the best way to proceed.

Amazon customer service can see that the label hasn't been used and if they were charged the return postage automatically they would just refund it.

The returns address will almost always be Amazon Way in Dunfermline, the address depends on the type of item that is being returned though.

curtise21

Thanks everyone for your responses.

I tried looking online for an alternative return address I could post to directly but couldn't find any, so I emailed customer services explaining I thought the charges were excessive and I would like to pay the postage directly.

They were really helpful and actually sent me a return label for DPD to collect the item and return for free - result!

I must say the customer service rep was very helpful, I guess in the scheme of things for a large company like Amazon it's better to give good customer service than squabble over return postage!

Thanks everyone for your advise!

Hintza

For something like this I think I would be setting it aside as a present for someone else and save the hassle.