Amazon Surprises Customers with Refunds for Years-Old Returns
Amazon has begun issuing refunds to customers who returned products but never received payment, with some cases dating as far back as 2018. The move comes after an internal review revealed a small subset of returns were left unresolved due to the company’s inability to verify if the correct items were sent back.
According to Bloomberg, Amazon is expected to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on these refunds. An Amazon spokesperson confirmed to Bloomberg that the refunds were being issued, although the company declined to comment on the total amount to be refunded.
Customers who received refunds were notified via email, with Amazon stating that despite not being able to confirm if the products were properly returned, they decided to “err on the side of customers and just complete refunds for these returns.”
One customer shared on LinkedIn that they received almost $1,800 for a TV refund that was originally expected in 2018. Other reports on social media indicate that refunds are being issued for returns as recent as mid-2023.
This development was hinted at during Amazon’s earnings call in early May, where the company mentioned setting aside $1.1 billion to handle historical customer returns among other things.
If you have outstanding returns with Amazon, it may be worth checking your account as you might be eligible for a refund in the coming days.