Like most folks, I order a ton of stuff from Amazon for myself and my family. And on the rare occasion something doesn’t work out, Amazon’s return policies are usually pretty accommodating. But there are categories on Amazon where returns are not allowed, even if the product is defective or misrepresented. And, while Amazon claims these products “may be refundable,” in many cases, Amazon does not give you the option to get a refund, either.
I faced this issue recently when I ordered a bottle of fish oil for my dog from a brand we had been using for years. When the bottle arrived, I immediately noticed that the recipe had changed, substituting cheap cod oil as the first ingredient, where none had been there previously. Checking the listing on Amazon confirmed the old ingredient list in the description and images, only a recent one-star review from another purchaser gave a hint to the ingredient switch.
When I went to initiate a refund for the misrepresented product, I found that the fish oil was non-returnable (pet food is one of the categories that Amazon prohibits returns) and there was no way to initiate a refund through the online return portal. Even though Amazon displays a message “This item is non-returnable, but you may contact Customer Service to request a refund or replacement.”, the associated Contact Us button did nothing but lead me to a generic landing page asking if I needed help with anything else.
No matter what path I tried, I just kept hitting the roadblock of the item being unreturnable.
This is an issue many others face, too. In the Amazon reviews of this product and others with non-return policies, purchasers complain about not getting refunds for items that are expired, defective, or otherwise not suited for sale. And there are multiple Reddit threads dedicated to this subject.
Only Amazon customer service can help – if you can find them…
The solution for getting your refund is to avoid the standard order return process and contact Amazon customer service directly. This may sound obvious, but Amazon has made it increasingly difficult to find a path to get there. It was only through trial and error that I finally found a way.
- On Amazon.com, sign in and then go to Accounts & Lists > Customer Service (this is the same generic landing page I was redirected to above by the order return process).
- Click the “Help with something else” button. The options on the page will expand. Select “Something else”.
- That will bring you to a new page. Hit the “I need more help” button and it will finally launch a customer support chat window.
Of course, you still haven’t gotten to a real person – you’re talking to a chatbot – so ask the bot for “agent.” The chatbot will try to keep you in the automated process; ignore it and choose “Connect with a Customer Service Associate”. At this point, you will finally be given the choice to either chat with a support agent through the chat box or request a call back to your phone.
Through this process, I was able to explain the misrepresentation to the agent who returned my call and receive my refund. But it wasn’t quick or easy – the agent took time to collect details of the issue and verify what I told him against information on the product listing.
My secret shortcut to reaching customer service
The process I go through above is the "official" way of reaching customer service, as non-obvious and convoluted as it is. However, the Amazon Call Me page is a secret shortcut for getting straight to a customer service call back request. There is no direct link to it on the Amazon site (at least that I've discovered) and I wouldn't be surprised if Amazon takes it away, so make use of it while you can.
Read more: How to Cancel Amazon Subscribe & Save
Categories of items that can’t be returned on Amazon
When shopping on Amazon, pay attention to the return policy for that item before you buy. The policy will be listed next to the “Add to cart” button on the item page. Groceries, pet food, pharmacy, some personal care items, and computers (unless defective) all have return restrictions. If unsure, check Amazon’s official return policy page. In addition, be aware that third-party sellers may have return policies that are separate from Amazon’s.
[Image credit: Amazon box concept via Midjourney]
Josh Kirschner is the co-founder of Techlicious and has been covering consumer tech for more than a decade. Josh started his first company while still in college, a consumer electronics retailer focused on students. His writing has been featured in Today.com, NBC News and Time.
