{"id":5294,"date":"2026-01-06T09:19:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T09:19:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/?p=5294---67ed6af6-9e2c-4729-ae5b-a2051149e1e2"},"modified":"2026-01-12T03:31:24","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T03:31:24","slug":"seller-fulfilled-return-update-effective-august-16-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/blog\/seller-fulfilled-return-update-effective-august-16-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Seller Fulfilled Return Update : Effective August 16, 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a  data-ilj-link-preview=\"true\"  data-featured-image=\"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/boost-sales-300x200.jpg\"  data-excerpt=\"Unlock Amazon&#039;s Brand Referral Bonus! Discover how driving external traffic, especially from Google Ads, boosts your sales, increases organic reach, and earns rewards.\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/blog\/boost-amazon-sales-using-google-ads\/\">Amazon<\/a> has always prioritized <a  data-ilj-link-preview=\"true\"  data-featured-image=\"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/download-9.jpg\"  data-excerpt=\"E-commerce success isn&#039;t just pre-sale. Excellent post-purchase customer service, from delivery to satisfaction, is vital for brand loyalty and repeat business.\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/blog\/importance-of-customer-service-for-e-commerce\/\">customer service<\/a> over everything. Currently, Amazon&#8217;s customer service guidelines are responsible for the latest updates, which puts some third-party sellers in trouble. Third-party&nbsp;sellers operating independently of Amazon&#8217;s FBA must meet the same criteria as the FBA.<\/p><h2>Amazon&#8217;s Policy Update<\/h2><p>From August 16, 2021, &nbsp;Amazon will automatically authorize the US return requests that fall within Amazon\u2019s return policy, including items where <a  data-ilj-link-preview=\"true\"  data-featured-image=\"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/amazon-brand-analytics-guide-300x200.jpg\"  data-excerpt=\"Master Amazon sales! Discover how Amazon Brand Analytics empowers sellers to stand out, optimize products,\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/blog\/amazon-brand-analytics-a-complete-guide-2024\/\">sellers<\/a> filed requests to exempt SKUs from the Prepaid Return Label <a  data-ilj-link-preview=\"true\"  data-featured-image=\"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/amazon-reimbursement-for-defects-errors-300x191.jpg\"  data-excerpt=\"Maximize your Amazon FBA profits! Learn how to successfully claim reimbursements for lost or damaged inventory. This guide covers eligibility criteria, common scenarios, and steps to get your money back from Amazon. Avoid leaving money on the table!\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/blog\/claim-what-amazon-owes-you-through-the-amazon-reimbursement-program\/\">Program<\/a>. For returns of seller-filed SKUs that are exempt from the Prepaid Return Label program, sellers will continue to have the option to upload a merchant-paid label. Out-of-policy return requests or category-exempt will continue to be sent for manual authorization.<\/p><p>For international seller-fulfilled returns, the sellers are required to provide one of the following return options:<\/p><ul><li><strong>Returnless refund<\/strong>: Offer a full refund without requesting that the item be returned.<\/li><li><strong>Provide a domestic return option<\/strong>: Provide a local return address in the buyer&#8217;s country.<\/li><li><strong>Provide prepaid international return <a  data-ilj-link-preview=\"true\"  data-featured-image=\"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/amazon-fba-worth-it-2022-make-money-on-amazon-advertising-300x200.jpg\"  data-excerpt=\"Considering Amazon FBA to make money online? Learn how it works, its benefits, drawbacks, and if it&#039;s still a viable option for your e-commerce business.\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/blog\/is-amazon-fba-worth-it\/\">shipping<\/a><\/strong>: Provide your own prepaid return mailing label for a return request from the marketplace in which you are selling.<\/li><\/ul><p><em>Also, from August 16, 2021, for international seller-fulfilled returns that <a  data-ilj-link-preview=\"true\"  data-featured-image=\"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/marketo1-300x210.jpg\"  data-excerpt=\"Boost brand trust! Today&#039;s consumers scrutinize where your ads appear. Prioritize quality media and ethical ad placement to safeguard your brand&#039;s image and reputation.\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/blog\/do-not-leave-your-brand-advertising-to-anyone\/\">do not<\/a> abide by the above policy, Amazon may refund the buyer on your behalf and charge the amount to your seller account.<\/em><\/p><h2>How the policy covers low-priced items?<\/h2><p>Returns processing typically ranges from 20-65% COGS. This is why Amazon has also introduced &#8220;non-refundable returns&#8221;. The company claims this is a &#8220;strong request&#8221; from the sellers. This feature allows merchants to refund buyers without taking back items that may cost more to ship than they are worth or be difficult to resell (read: shipping if damaged). Shipping. <a  data-ilj-link-preview=\"true\"  data-featured-image=\"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/images-1-300x147.jpg\"  data-excerpt=\"Optimize your Amazon seller journey! Discover how FBA streamlines shipping, boosts seller ratings, and leverages customer feedback for online success.\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/blog\/key-terms-you-need-to-know-when-you-start-out-as-a-seller\/\">You will<\/a> also be charged a fee to process the refund of the buyer&#8217;s card (and the time required for administration and check-in). You should then check whether the returned item is damaged and determine whether it can be resold. If possible, it may be necessary to change prices or swallow losses to cover the cost of handling returns. If you can&#8217;t, you will have to pay a disposal fee.<\/p><h2>Should sellers be worried about this new update?<\/h2><p>This is a huge inconvenience to sellers. Especially those who have multiple warehouses and they need to have an RMA generated within the Seller\u2019s system (not Amazon) before being sent. How <a  data-ilj-link-preview=\"true\"  data-featured-image=\"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/download-8-300x150.png\"  data-excerpt=\"Master Amazon PPC campaign structure to boost sales! Learn essential strategies for wholesale and single product sellers, from ASINs to keyword match types.\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/blog\/structuring-amazon-campaigns-the-right-way\/\">will Amazon<\/a> determine which warehouse to return the items to?<\/p><ul><li>For many small sellers, this negates any reason to <a  data-ilj-link-preview=\"true\"  data-featured-image=\"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/selling-and-getting-started-on-amazon-uk-300x300.jpg\"  data-excerpt=\"Ready to sell on Amazon UK? Discover how to start your ecommerce journey, explore seller options, costs, and unlock the benefits of this massive online marketplace.\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/blog\/beginners-guide-to-amazon-uk\/\">sell internationally<\/a> on Amazon since a single scam can wipe out a huge percentage of <a  data-ilj-link-preview=\"true\"  data-featured-image=\"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/boost-sales-300x200.jpg\"  data-excerpt=\"Unlock Amazon&#039;s Brand Referral Bonus! Discover how driving external traffic, especially from Google Ads, boosts your sales, increases organic reach, and earns rewards.\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/blog\/boost-amazon-sales-using-google-ads\/\">profit<\/a>.<\/li><li>Many sellers express their concern that this change in policy increases the number of scammers in disguise of unhappy customers.<\/li><li>Another issue with this policy update is that this policy encourages return instead of troubleshooting. This change in policy worries many sellers as the customers may simply place a return request for an issue that could be easily sorted out over a phone call or an email.<\/li><\/ul><h2>What can you do to prevent fraud returns?<\/h2><p>Amazon advises sellers to exclude certain SKUs from <a  data-ilj-link-preview=\"true\"  data-featured-image=\"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/14852061501918-300x166.jpg\"  data-excerpt=\"E-commerce didn&#039;t kill physical stores, but consumers still find flaws. Uncover top frustrations like queues, stock problems, and poor staff training.\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/blog\/the-4-realities-that-most-frustrate-and-annoy-buyers-in-physical-stores\/\">inventory<\/a>, such as bulky, heavy, or expensive to ship.<\/p><p>In addition, the seller has the option to deduct the return shipping cost from the item. Ability to charge a 20% to 50% restocking fee for non-returnable customers. This means that if the buyer requests a return because the item they received was not ordered, the seller must provide a full refund.<\/p><p>However, buyers asking for too many refunds are often banned from Amazon.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Amazon&#8217;s latest return policy shifts affect third-party sellers. Discover key changes impacting FBA, international returns, and how to tackle potential fraud.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":5307,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,89,620],"tags":[171,1070,167,273,1071,51,1072],"class_list":["post-5294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advertising","category-amazon","category-amazon-ppc-advertising","tag-amazon-advertising","tag-amazon-policy-update","tag-amazon-ppc","tag-amazon-sales","tag-amazon-seller-poilicy","tag-amazon-seller-tools","tag-fullfiment-policy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5294","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5294"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5294\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12035,"href":"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5294\/revisions\/12035"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5294"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5294"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aihello.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5294"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}