Amazon - returns / repairs

Amazon - returns / repairs

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Discussion

Random_Person

Original Poster:

18,312 posts

206 months

Thursday 21st March
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I want to understand how such a successful company can remain so when every time you send something back to them for return / repair, it gets lost. Over the years I have sent numerous things back and some of it of a decent value, every single time without fail, it is lost.

I have used their repair service when things have broken under warranty 3 times. Each time I have generated the QR code and used their prepaid address and delivery info - each time without fail they have lost the item and no trace of it / no update / no explanation has ever been given. I don't even think they have a repair service, it feels like a spoof button designed for people to use to send stuff back hoping they forget about it. Its atrocious.

Last week I sent something back to them which was't faulty - I simply didn't like them. Brand new set of headphones sent back within 24 hours and guess what, lost.



And as for their help service, it is the worst by far of any company. The chat function is useless, questions not answered with the agent just disappearing and a new agent joining, only to start helping then disappears and a new agent, and so on and so forth. If you request a phone call your phone rings and half way through the problem it cuts you off. Zero understanding of or avenues of support for neurodiversity too, zero.

How can it be soooo bad?

billbring

192 posts

183 months

Thursday 21st March
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I've always found them pretty good, just take the item to a newsagent that facilitates their returns and hand it over, then get refunded a few days later. Pretty sure you don't even need to re-package the item now.

I have had one item go missing and I just emailed them with a receipt for its return and they refunded me without question.

21TonyK

11,531 posts

209 months

Thursday 21st March
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I regularly return stuff, no packaging just a QR code the PO scan and hand it over. Refunded within an hour or so to my account.

Not had an issue but never tried to get anything repaired, they've always just replaced.

Sheepshanks

32,769 posts

119 months

Thursday 21st March
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21TonyK said:
I regularly return stuff, no packaging just a QR code the PO scan and hand it over. Refunded within an hour or so to my account.

Not had an issue but never tried to get anything repaired, they've always just replaced.
Same as above - refund is done after scan. Chat has worked fine. That's if they want the item back - I forget what decides it now, but on a number of "returns" they've said just chuk the item away,

I didn't know they had a repair option.

I am a bit miffed that currently have a couple of failing Hue lamps and Amazon's process refers me to Philips and there doesn't seem to be any way around that. Philips want the bulb serial numbers and it's not trivial to get at them (the Hue app doesn't show the numbers).

Random_Person

Original Poster:

18,312 posts

206 months

Friday 22nd March
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How are you getting refunded in an hour? The process stipulates that the refund takes 14 days, and only once received (hence the time line I posted above).

The repair service is for goods under warranty that are outside the 30 day window. I have sent 3 things back using this service within the last year, all of them lost with me having to chase for an update / money back etc.

Jamescrs

4,479 posts

65 months

Friday 22nd March
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Random_Person said:
How are you getting refunded in an hour? The process stipulates that the refund takes 14 days, and only once received (hence the time line I posted above).

The repair service is for goods under warranty that are outside the 30 day window. I have sent 3 things back using this service within the last year, all of them lost with me having to chase for an update / money back etc.
May be value dependant and also how the refund is issued, I've returned a few things and I always have the refund credited to my Amazon account rather than original form of payment and as soon as it is dispatched they refund me.

I've had a couple of cheap items which for whatever reason I've found are not suitable and asked for a return and they just refund me without a return but that's generally sub £10 items.

Ham_and_Jam

2,204 posts

97 months

Friday 22nd March
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OP, Are you sure this isn’t a localised issue with a pilfering courier / pick up point.

It only seems you have the issue that is repeating itself.

zbc

851 posts

151 months

Friday 22nd March
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It's probably just lost within their system somewhere. They won't lose money as it will be there somewhere but fight for your refund.

Sheepshanks

32,769 posts

119 months

Friday 22nd March
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Random_Person said:
How are you getting refunded in an hour? The process stipulates that the refund takes 14 days, and only once received (hence the time line I posted above).
I take stuff to the post office (village sub PO), they scan it, and I get an email confirming I've been refunded shortly afterwards.

snuffy

9,765 posts

284 months

Friday 22nd March
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Amazon have the best customer service I've ever cone across. No arguments about anything.

For example, the Freeview box I bought turned its toes up. Log a call and they ring you back instantly. Very next they arrived with a new one, an hour later another van arrived to take the old one away.

And on the odd occasion I've returned some, I popped along to the local supermarket, no packaging as I'd hoofed that, but that is fine. And once they logged it as received, they issued a refund, I assume it's no longer your problem as they have acknowledged receipt.

They are brilliant.

Drumroll

3,756 posts

120 months

Friday 22nd March
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I must say whenever I have returned stuff or had a problem Amazon has been fine.

48k

13,086 posts

148 months

Friday 22nd March
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Sheepshanks said:
That's if they want the item back - I forget what decides it now, but on a number of "returns" they've said just chuk the item away,
In the scenario where the return is requested due to damage there is some quite sophisticated profiling and analytics on the back end which decides if the return could be a fraud attempt. This then feeds in to the decision to request the item back or not.

Wacky Racer

38,162 posts

247 months

Friday 22nd March
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My son ordered a Ring doorbell.

He genuinely didn't get round to fixing it for two years,,,,away on business, never got round to it etc.

It worked fine for two days then failed.

He explained and they said keep that one we'll sent you a replacement.

Great service thumbup






He still hasn't fitted the replacement a year later.....hehe