While Amazon Prime has been a darling for many, it’s recently becoming increasingly frustrating to expect refunds after returning high-priced items.
One of the dreaded statuses nowadays is, “Your return is being processed at the returns center.”
Unlike when it took only a couple of days for Amazon Prime members to get refunds after returning items, the new norm is that 30 days have to pass before you can get a refund, and even then, nothing is guaranteed.
What does “Your Return Is Being Processed At The Returns Center” mean on Amazon?
This status means that Amazon has received your returned item and is waiting for the item to be inspected before they can process a refund.
If Amazon detects at the inspection stage that there is a missing manual or accessory, they usually provide partial refunds or none at all.
At this point, we would like to mention that some Prime members reported never losing any of these, and failing to get any refund from Amazon.
What Do The Amazon Return And Refund Policies Say?
- Most items on Amazon can be returned within 30 days after they get delivered to the recipient
- Sometimes, Amazon refunds you before they even receive the returned item (advanced returns)
- If Amazon refunds you in advance and you are expected to return the item refunded, you should create a return request. Failure to return such an item will get you charged
- If Amazon refunds you in advance and the items are not as expected, they can charge you for the advanced return
- After the refund has been issued, it might take between 2 hours to 30 days for the transaction to reflect, depending on the refund method used
- If the customer uses, damages, or loses some parts, manuals, or accessories, they can be considered for a partial refund or nothing at all.
Find all the Amazon return and refund policies in this article.
What Should I Do When The Status Stays Stuck On “Your Return Is Being Processed At The Returns Center?”
Contact Their Customer Support
If 30 days pass after you return your item and Amazon still hasn’t refunded you, beginning by contacting their Customer Support Reps is fantastic.
They will look into your issue, and while it might take several minutes of back and forth with different Reps, you will most likely receive your refund shortly afterward.
The reason we mentioned 30 days here is that their terms mention that refunds can take up to 30 days after receiving the return and inspecting it.
From our observations lately, you might need to contact Amazon Reps daily if you don’t receive your refund on the first try. Different Reps handle refund issues differently.
File A Chargeback
If you urgently need your money back and Amazon seems not to help you realize it, you can opt to file a chargeback with your payment provider.
Of course, there is a point of concern before opting for a chargeback as you will see in our sub-topic below.
If the payment provider approves your reason for a chargeback, they will tell you how long it will take before your money gets back to your account.
At that point, it’s vital to mention that Amazon mostly contacts you via email to want to issue the refund right away before the chargeback goes through.
Again, before you file the chargeback, you can let the Reps know you will follow that route whenever you see that they aren’t helpful towards your refund request and you are eligible for one.
Some Points Of Concern
Removal Of The “Refund Credited Dates”
After creating a return request, this is how the process looks like:
- Initiated
- Dropped off
- Received
- Refund Issued
- Refund Credited.
Now, the “refund issued” and “refund credited” dates help the customer gauge when they’d receive their refunds.
Lately, there have been several incidents where after Amazon received the return, they removed the “Refund issued” and “Refund Credited” dates, leaving the page looking like our screenshot below.
Unfortunately, when that happens, it takes a few hours, and then you will find that they have changed the “Refund Issued” and “Refund Credited” dates. This is to mean that the customer will end up waiting for more days to receive their refund than they initially expected.
Sometimes, they leave those dates blank and customers have to keep contacting them before any new refund dates can be created. Generally, refunds aren’t what they used to be like when using Amazon Prime.
Banning Customers Who File Chargebacks
Sometimes, Amazon Reps don’t help much when customers reach out to ask for refunds after returning items. Before filing one, we insist that you let their Reps know as that will most likely move them to fulfill your request.
Some customers end up filing chargebacks with their online payment providers, and from different narratives on socials, most have complained about getting banned by Amazon after they filed chargebacks.
If Amazon dislikes chargebacks this much as it’s a lose-lose situation for them (potentially losing a customer and chargeback fees), why can’t they offer refunds as expected of them when there are clearly deserving cases? Someone ought to make it make sense.
Holding On To Funds
Whenever Amazon changes the refund dates, it means that they are holding onto customers’ funds.
The only logical reason they could do this is to make more money.
See, the inflation and interest rates are higher than in the past. So, when they hold on to huge amounts of money, they will make more money whenever the interest rates go slightly higher than at the moment.
Delayed Refunds Are Common Around The Holidays
Whenever you place your order around Christmas or Black Friday, it seems like the time it takes to get a refund is longer than at any other time of the year.
We recommend you place any expensive order in advance so that returns and refunds (if needed) won’t keep you frustrated.
In such peak seasons, tracking returns isn’t seamless, too, and you might need to keep contacting customer support to ask if they received your returned item.
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