Can Too Many Amazon Returns Get Your Buyer Account Banned?

Reports are suggesting that Amazon Returns are responsible for buyers receiving correspondence from Amazon to confirm the closure of their accounts (sometimes without letting the buyer know what they have done wrong). Buyers are suffering the consequences of returning their Amazon orders.

 

Wall Street Journal Report on Amazon Returns

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, Amazon has banned customers from making purchases on their site for returning too many items.

The Wall Street Journal report refers to two different Amazon customers. They both had their accounts closed without any prior notice or warning. One Amazon customer, Nir Nissim, reported that he had his account banned due to the frequency of his Amazon returns. His account got reinstated after several calls to Amazon.

Statement from Amazon

“We never take these decisions lightly, but with over 300 million customers around the world, we take action when appropriate to protect the experience for all our customers,” said Amazon. “If a customer believes we’ve made an error, we encourage them to contact us directly so we can review their account and take appropriate action.”

Amazon doesn’t actually go into much detail about what is getting their users banned. However, most practices related to abusing its returns policy can cause alarm bells for Amazon. This could include returning an incorrect item or making “too many” Amazon returns.

Past Issues

The issue of banning Amazon customers for the frequency of their returns is not new. A report in The Guardian from 2016 featured a computer programmer called Greg Nelson.  He had his account closed after returning just 37 of the 343 items he had purchased since 2014.

As we all know, one of the many benefits of shopping on Amazon is the company’s lenient return policy. If you’re not happy with an item that you have purchased, you can usually return it without too much hassle. Just try not to get carried away.

What’s return like on eBay? Further Reading: Amazon vs eBay – Should you Still Sell on eBay in 2018?

Alexis Rutherford

June 1, 2018

Pauline's passions lie in eCommerce and supporting individuals in their online selling endeavors. Currently, as a frequent contributor to the BQool Blog, she channels her passions into creating informative contents that break down the complex challenges Amazon sellers face on a daily basis.