Online shopping has made everything so convenient, even returns! But exactly how long do Amazon returns take?
Are they instant or does Amazon take time to check returns before crediting your account? Find out….
How Long Do Amazon Refunds Take?
Amazon’s refund process takes about 3-5 business days once they receive your returned items. If your refund is to be done without any returned items, it will be processed within 5-6 hours. Once the refund is processed, the money can take about 2-3 business days to show up in your account.
Amazon also offers some ‘instant’ refunds where they credit your Amazon account instead of returning the money to your credit/debit card. As soon as they receive the returned item, the amount will be reflected in your account.
If you are going to make another Amazon purchase, this is the best option as you can use the credit towards any other purchase.
If you want to learn more about Amazon’s refund policy and how long their refunds take, keep reading…
What Is Amazon’s Refund Policy?
There are two possible scenarios for your Amazon refunds, either you had to return the items back to Amazon to get your refund processed or your refund is being processed without you needing to send the items back.
At times, when the cost of the products are very low and the shipping charges will end up taking more than the entire refund amount, Amazon will just refund the amount automatically and not ask any questions.
If you have to return the products, the refund process will only start once Amazon receives your product. The actual processing time is only a 3-4 days but the time taken for Amazon to receive the product can be a long time.
Depending on the option you chose for the refund to get processed, the time taken for you to get the money can vary. In some cases you can also chose the instant return option if it is available.
In this case Amazon will initiate your refund before processing the item, but in this case also you will have to return the items within the return window. The return window is usually about 30 days.
So once Amazon receives your items, they will process the refund within 5 business days. But even once the refund has been processed, the financial institutions can take some time to send the money back to you.
But this is not the fault of Amazon. If you chose to receive your refund in terms of gift cards or you want the money to be transferred to your Amazon balance, it can be done within 3-5 hours.
On the other hand pre-paid credit cards can take the most amount of time, up to 30 days. When it comes to debit cards, checking accounts, cash payments, Reward points or credit cards, it can take anywhere from 5 to 10 days for the amount to be reflected.
Refunds and Returns of Gift Items
If you are dealing with refunds or returns of gift items then the refund policy is a little different. When the gift is returned past the return window of 30 days, and the item is in the original condition then the refund amount is usually 80% of the original value.
If you are returning DVDs or CDs which have been opened, then the refund amount is 50%. When the items have been damaged by you or if it is clearly not in the original condition, then the refund amount is up to 50%. Software or video games won’t be refunded with any amount.
Gift returns and refund also depend on how the original purchaser bought the products, you can check what the exact policy is on the ‘return a gift’ section on Amazon.
Do You Get Refunds For Products You Never Received?
Yes, if you never received the product, it got lost, or you cancelled before it arrived, the refund will be initiated instantly.
If you have to return the items to physical stores like Whole Foods, the refund can be initiated within 4-5 hours.
Does Amazon Refund Immediately?
If you requested a credit to your account, it will show up instantly in your Amazon account once they receive the returned item. Depending on shipping speeds, that can take 2-7 days for Amazon to receive the product.
Returning the item to Kohls or Whole Foods (if that is an option for the product) will make the return quicker.
Amazon will only process the refund once they have received the items which you are returning. But in situations where you don’t have to return the items or once Amazon receives the items, Amazon will process the refund within 3-5 business days.
Once the refund is processed, depending on the mode of payment, your financial institutions can take some further time to reflect the amount in your account.
Why Do Amazon Refunds Take So Long?
There can be multiple reasons for Amazon to take so much time to make refunds. A lot of times, they are overwhelmed with the return requests and they have to go through each of the returns one by one. Even with the large workforce, this process can take some time.
There can also be delays in Amazon receiving your returned item. Sometimes they arrive in only a couple of days, but occasionally can take them a couple of weeks.
This is why it takes further couple of days even after Amazon releases the funds for them to reach you.
What Is The Average Amazon Refund Processing Time?
The average refund processing time is 3 days and on the higher side it can take about 5 days.
Amazon does offer some ‘instant’ refunds if you don’t want the money back on your card. The amount will be placed in your Amazon account as a credit and you can use it toward any purchase in the future.
How To Initiate Refunds On Amazon?
Requesting a refund on your order is very simply with Amazon. Once you are on the website, simply click on your account and go to your orders sections.
Now select the specific order you want a refund on and select ‘problem with this order’ button. Now just explain what the issue is and click submit.
That’s it, that’s all you need to do. Sometimes a customer service specialist might contact you for further information on this problem.
From here, Amazon will guide you through the entire return and refund procedure.
Want to learn more about Amazon? Check out these posts to learn what Is Amazon Flex, what does Amazon delivered to safe place mean, and does Amazon ship to Hawaii.
Conclusion…
Initiating refunds and returns with Amazon is a very straightforward process.
Once Amazon receives your returned products, it usually only takes them 4-5 business days to process your refund. If they are crediting your account, it can be as soon as they receive the item.