Amazon Refusing to Engage on Refund my Old Bank Returned

Wo0o0oW

Hi, 

A few months ago I returned an item under warranty to Amazon.

However unfortunately the refund went to my old debit card from my 6-month closed NatWest account.

Initially Amazon were helpful and provided the reference number (or ARN) of the transaction so NatWest could trace it.

However NatWest told me that it would have been physically impossible for the refund to go through and it would have been bounced straight back to Amazon.

For 2 months I was then bounced between NatWest and Amazon customer service with both saying the other had my funds, but providing no further evidence.

Finally a couple of days ago I got through to a very helpful lady at NatWest, who quickly was able to trace Amazon’s initial refund transaction with the corroborating ARN.

She then proceeded to tell me that a few days later, as the refund was to a closed account, NatWest processed a chargeback of the full amount to Amazon’s acquiring bank. She also provided a reference number and date for this transaction back to Amazon, and followed up via email providing all of this in writing.

From this point on I was relatively certain Amazon had my funds somewhere in their system.

However this is where Amazon Customer Service became truly terrible.

I have now repeatedly been on their phone and chat support, providing all the details NatWest gave me. And just get the response that ‘the system shows the refund was processed, please contact your bank’.

When I point out this is what I have just told them I have done, they just say ‘is there anything else I can help you with today?’.

they seem to literally just be doing a ‘computer says no’

They are also refusing to put me in contact with, or forward message to; anyone either in Amazon’s payments/accounts department, or anyone based in the UK.

I don’t know what to do, as Amazon just seem completely unwilling to engage. Does anyone have suggestions for what to do next?

Thanks in advance

born_again

I doubt that Amazon customer service will have any idea what you are on about. As it neds raising to their finance team.
Just wondering why NatWest did not just pass it onto you? Unless they could not contact you.

rbn

Is there anything of interest (like the reversal of the refund) on the Transactions page in your Amazon account? It's at Your Account / Your Payments / Transactions (or a direct link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/cpe/yourpayments/transactions )

Wo0o0oW

born_again said:

I doubt that Amazon customer service will have any idea what you are on about. As it neds raising to their finance team.
Just wondering why NatWest did not just pass it onto you? Unless they could not contact you.

Thanks for responding! Yeah the issue is that Amazon Support are unwilling or unable to put me in contact with anyone in the finance team, and that I cannot find any contact information for them online.

With regards to NatWest, I think they just returned it automatically. This was only a few days after Amazon sent them the refund, and before I had even realised it had gone to the wrong account or had contacted either of them. 

Wo0o0oW

rbn said:

Is there anything of interest (like the reversal of the refund) on the Transactions page in your Amazon account? It's at Your Account / Your Payments / Transactions

Hi thanks for responding! No unfortunately not, I believe the issue may be that rather that NatWest just declining Amazon’s original payment, they accepted it and then returned it to Amazon a few days later as a separate transaction. I assume this is why it is not showing up on my account and why customer service cannot see it.

I think to find it, it would need someone in Amazon’s finance/accounts department to manually search Amazon’s banking records with the reference number NatWest provided.

The issue is customer service just completely refuses to engage with the information I present and to put me in contact with someone who can do this. They just see the system shows the refund went through, say ‘computer says no’ and then seem to imply I am lying.

Wo0o0oW

If anyone has a working email address or number that might actually get me through to someone in Amazon’s accounts/finance department that would be great

powerful_Rogue

Wo0o0oW said:

If anyone has a working email address or number that might actually get me through to someone in Amazon’s accounts/finance department that would be great

Try

escalation-callback@amazon.co.uk

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Some claim to have had success by writing an old fashioned letter to their head office in London.

This is what happens when a company claims to want to be a global leader in customer service and then outsources it to developing countries who have a script to stick to and no idea who would deal with off script issues like this.... 

Wo0o0oW

powerful_Rogue said:

Wo0o0oW said:

If anyone has a working email address or number that might actually get me through to someone in Amazon’s accounts/finance department that would be great

Try

escalation-callback

Thanks, I have now tried managingdirector and got a auto response saying someone would get to me properly within 48 hours, if that doesn’t happen I’ll try this

Wo0o0oW

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

Some claim to have had success by writing an old fashioned letter to their head office in London.

This is what happens when a company claims to want to be a global leader in customer service and then outsources it to developing countries who have a script to stick to and no idea who would deal with off script issues like this.... 

Thanks, will give this a shot. 

Seems like it’s gone so downhill in the past few years. They used to be the best at giving customer service latitude to deal off script. Guess it’s a result of Jassy taking over and them becoming so dominant during Covid that they’ve got lazy

BILIOUS_GRREN

It appears to be a thing currently with Amazon Customer Services. I'm having an issue regarding a high value electrical item I ordered and paid for from them.

CS are terrible, even if you communicate via email and speak to the so called 'Executive Team' you will still be dealing with people not in the UK and whose first language isn't English. They either don't read or don't understand what is communicated to them and just want to railroad you to follow a process clearly they're instructed to use. Anything that alters from their predetermined processes and they will flatly refuse or fail to respond.

After a frustrating week my issue is now in the hands of my credit card company.

I would strongly suggest you don't waste your time any further with CS online or over the phone and heed the earlier advice to write an old fashioned letter to Amazon Head Office in London, as it appears to be the only way currently that customers are getting somebody in the UK to engage with them and achieve resolutions.

Sorry I can't be of any further assistance but I definitely feel your pain and frustration.