Amazon is a very convenient service that only gets more convenient by the day. However, sometimes products ordered on Amazon do not arrive as expected. Sometimes, customers order the wrong product. Sometimes people even receive products from Amazon as gifts and simply wish to return them.
For most items, if it’s within 30 days of purchase, Amazon will accept your return without charging you any fees. This is their ‘Free Returns Policy’. But what do you do if more than 30 days have passed since your purchase?
Keep reading to see a detailed explanation of Amazon’s return policy after 30 days, as well as the various shipping fees and rules associated with Amazon’s return policy.
Amazon Return Policy after 30 Days
According to Amazon’s return policies page, if you’ve waited more than 30 days from purchase to return an Item, then you will no longer be eligible for a free return in most cases. Some exceptions to this rule apply, such as:
- Your item is damaged as a result of an error on the part of Amazon.com
- You received the wrong item as a result of an error on the part of Amazon.com
- The item you received is defective or otherwise not as expected as a result of an error on the part of Amazon.com
In these situations, the cost of return shipping will be provided by Amazon, as long as you use a return label provided by the Amazon Returns Center. However, if these situations do not apply to your purchase, then you will most likely have to pay a return fee.
Certain items are also eligible for free returns within a longer timeframe, such as:
- Amazon Warehouse-certified refurbished goods
- Baby products
- Presents ordered through Birthday gift lists or other custom gift lists
For these items, a 90-day free return window applies. This means that you will be eligible for free return on these items as long as you send them back within 90-days. You will also need to use a return label provided by Amazon Returns Center. A 180-day free return period also applies to gifts purchased through an Amazon wedding registry.
The costs of a return vary depending on the type of item being returned. These costs cover the re-shipping and re-stocking of your items, and will be deducted from your refund. Amazon charges a flat fee for each return shipment, as well as a smaller fee for each item in that shipment.
The exact costs based on item type are listed in the table below. This information may be subject to change, and customers can visit Amazon’s Return Costs page to see the most up-to-date amounts.
| Product Category | Per Shipment | Per Item |
| Apparel, Loose Stones, Jewelry, Shoes, Software, VHS Videos, Watches | $3.99 | $0.99 |
| Luggage | $4.99 | $0.99 |
| Books | $3.00 | $0.99 |
| Kindle | $3.99 | $2.99 |
| Cassettes, DVDs, Music, CDs, Vinyl | $1.99 | $0.99 |
| Video Games & Accessories | $3.99 | $0.99 |
| Cassettes, DVDs, Music, CDs, Vinyl | $1.99 | $0.99 |
| Video Games & Accessories | $3.99 | $0.99 |
| Video Game Consoles | $6.99 | $0.99 |
| Toys | $3.99 | $0.85/lb |
| Computers | $7.99 | $0.65/lb |
| Automotive, Baby, Cell Phones & Accessories, Electronics, Furniture, Grocery, Health & Personal Care, Home & Garden, Industrial & Scientific, Kitchen & Housewares, Office Products, Outdoor Living, Sports, Tools & Hardware | $4.99 | $0.75/lb |
| Pet Supplies | $4.99 | $0.59/lb |
| Televisions | N/A | $50.00 |
| Any combination of the above items | Highest applicable per-shipment charge | As above |
| Items shipped via a specialty carrier (e.g., CEVA, Pilot, ABF) | Not applicable | $50 |
When Are Amazon Returns Free?
As stated above, Returning most items purchased from Amazon is free-of-charge if it is within 30 days of purchase. Some items are exempt from this policy, but most items sold on Amazon are eligible. Look for a label stating “Free Return” in the product listing to see if your item is eligible.
Certain brands that sell their products through Amazon offer returns for much longer time windows than Amazon’s standard returns policy. Many of these brands will offer returns all the way up to 365 days after purchase.
If you take your item to a third-party service that handles Amazon returns (such as Kohl’s), then your return might still be eligible for free return shipping on behalf of that third party. You will have to confirm with the specific service whether or not this is the case.
Read: How To Find Out Who Sent You A Package From Amazon
Do Amazon Sellers Have to Offer Free Returns?
Amazon’s returns policy is fairly straightforward and clear on their website, but what about third party sellers on Amazon? If I buy an item from a third-party seller, is that item eligible for a free return?
Amazon runs a program called Fulfillment By Amazon. This program allows third party sellers to outsource their shipping process to Amazon in order to avoid the hassle of shipping items themselves. Items sold through this program will be picked up, packaged, and shipped entirely through Amazon’s in-house handling service.
Amazon’s regular return policy applies in most of these cases, provided the item is being returned within 30 days of purchase. If more than 30 days have passed since your purchase, you can contact an Amazon representative in order to get permission to return the product through Amazon.
Items returned through FBA are handled by Amazon themselves on behalf of the seller.
Does Amazon Fresh Accept Returns after 30 Days?
Amazon Fresh is a grocery delivery service offered by Amazon. Since the items delivered through this program often include fresh produce and perishable food goods, Amazon does not accept returns on most Amazon Fresh orders.
If your Amazon Fresh order is damaged or spoiled, it may be eligible for a refund. However, Amazon imposes a 30-day restriction on refunds for Amazon Fresh orders. There are no exceptions to this rule.
Want to learn more about Amazon? Read these next to learn what does Out For Delivery mean on Amazon, is it safe to order food from Amazon, and how to refuse an Amazon package.
Conclusions…
Amazon is fairly lenient across the board when it comes to returns, as long as you follow the guidelines laid out in their returns policy. If you’re concerned about being able to return an item, always make sure to be prompt in sending the item back.
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to fire away in the comments section.