How to get a refund for online purchases & shipping costs at Amazon India
Want to know if you can get a refund on a product bought through Amazon India? This article provides detailed information on the policies of Amazon India to receive refund on products, as also the refund policies governing shipping costs which are incurred on the product.
When you buy something from a store, generally on your bill receipt you will likely see these words in small letters at the bottom: Goods once sold will not be taken back. Some store owners do mention that goods can be returned within 1 day or 2 days of the purchase, but will not necessarily give you a refund. They will require you to buy another piece of the same product, that too if there is a genuine reason for returning what you initially bought. Today, shopping online has become the norm. Why exert yourself going to a store when you can see it online & purchase it right away, with even cash on delivery being provided? What's more, online shopping portals do have refund policies wherein you can get a full refund of the product, provided of course it is as per the refund policies of the portal. You could get a refund on even an expensive electronic gadget provided of course it comes within the purview of the shopping site's policies.
Let's check out the refund policies of one such online shopping portal, the fast-growing Amazon India site.
Amazon India mode of refund
Did you buy the product using a debit card or a credit card or via Net banking? In all these 3 cases, the mode of refund will be exactly the same. That is, just as you paid for the product with a card or via Net banking, so also you will receive the refund via a debit/credit card or the Net banking account.
It is only if you have paid for the product using the cash on delivery mode that you will not get the refund via the same method. That is, you will not receive the refund by cash at your doorstep. Instead, there are 2 refund modes:
Go to Your Account section and update the details of the bank account where you wish to receive the refund. Alternately update these details or from the Returns Support Centre when you are return the product which you purchased online. The details you need to provide are: (i) your bank account number and (ii) the bank's IFSC code.
Once you provide the details, the refund via NEFT will be processed within 1 business day by Amazon India & the amount will be credited to your account in 2 business days.
Important notes:
You have the option of dropping your cheque in a clearance box. If you do so in any of the 16 cities mentioned, you need to use the box which is marked "Local Cheques". In case you drop the cheque in a clearance box located in a city not mentioned in the list of 16 cities, then you need to use the box which is marked "Outstation Cheques". If you put it in the wrong box, it is quite likely that you cheque will not be processed at all. Even worse, the bank may levy a penalty on you. So take care in following the instructions mentioned!
It is possible that you wish to present the cheque in person in another city than those from the given list. In that case, you need to inform the beneficiary bank that it should send the cheque for outstation clearing.How to track the refund
It is easy to know whether or not you have received the refund from Amazon India. Just log in to your Amazon account and go to the order's summary page. In case the refund amount is not showing in your account & the processing time for your specific payment method has passed, then you need to contact Amazon India for further clarification. Receiving refunds for seller-fulfilled products
If you have a seller fulfilled order for which you want a refund, then the return process is initiated through Amazon India's Returns Support Centre. The product which you ordered has to be returned to the seller and not to Amazon India. In case the product is being returned due to damage or for defective reasons, then the seller will issue the refund only if that product cannot be replaced by another one or cannot be repaired.
It will be the seller who will authorize the refund and Amazon India will only be facilitating the process. That is, the seller will notify Amazon India of the receipt of the product and Amazon India will assist in the refund process. Timelines for the amount to be credited are as follows:Refund on Shipping Costs
For a product fulfilled by Amazon India, you will receive a refund of up to Rs. 100 (issued by cheque) on return shipping costs, provided the return is due to one of the following reasons:
In both of the above-mentioned cases, even the gift-wrapping costs will be refunded if applicable. An additional refund may also be issued in case the product you ordered was a large one & hence you subsequently incurred shipping charges of more than Rs.100. In this case, you would need to submit a proof of payment, such as a courier receipt.
In the case of a seller fulfilled product, if the product is being returned because it is damaged or defective or due to an error on the part of the seller, then the cost of the product along with the delivery charges will be refunded. However, in case you return the product because you do not want it, then the seller will only refund the cost of the product.
The seller can be requested to reimburse the return shipping charges if you return the product due to it being defective or damaged or due to an error on the part of the seller. In this case, you may need to submit the courier receipt. However, in case you return the product because you do not want it, then the seller will not refund the return shipping costs.What's the catch?
For any goods and services, it is essential to read the entire policy governing purchase and refunds. In the case of Amazon India, it is a good idea to check out the list of products which cannot be returned. This will ensure that you do not waste time submitting applications for refunds. Looking at the list, it is understandable that something like baby diapers and personal care products, pet supplies and some health products cannot be returned. After all, there is the question of hygiene – if you have opened and partly used the product, you cannot expect it to be returned and used by somebody else. What is surprising though, is to see that sports equipment such as a table tennis table or a BSA bicycle cannot be returned. Surely these products do have the possibility of some defect arising within, say, a couple of days and ought to be returned.
I checked out the Amazon UK site and discovered that they have a detailed video about the refund policy & procedure. I would suggest that Amazon India too make provisions for such a video guide to assist buyers. It would be most useful.
Note: Readers are advised to check the official Amazon India site for updates on refund policies. The details can be accessed via the Customer Service tab.
Read Return/Refund Policies Of ShopClues
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Amazon seems to have a well planned and well executed refund policy. But I missed the information on the exact number of days that you can claim for the same. Like in the case of ShoClues refund policy who give a flat 10 days replacement guarantee, what is the policy states about this time frame?