I recently purchased an item at Amazon and decided to return it. Like many other times in the past, I simply indicated that I wanted to return the item and then was sent a QR code which I took to a nearby UPS Store, along with the item. I suspected that something was wrong because unlike previous experiences with returns where I received a refund within hours or days, I had received no communication from Amazon after several days. I was able to obtain the UPS tracking number for my return and discovered that the package had not made it to its destination.
About 1.5 weeks after returning the item, I attempted to inquire about the delay through UPS, but after fumbling through its website and automated phone triaging system, I was unable to resolve my issue or find a way to speak to a human. The only remaining potentially viable option at UPS was to file a claim, but I was unable to find any criteria related to whether this was the proper approach for my situation. Also, given that the item needed to be received by the Amazon seller by a particular date to qualify for a return, I did not want to get lost in limbo with a UPS claim if it were to be unresolved by the return deadline.
Therefore, I decided to contact Amazon. Initially I struggled to find a way to speak to a live Amazon customer service agent. Like many other large companies, the Amazon website is designed to attempt to resolve a vast majority of customer inquiries. However, none of the standard automated options met my needs. Unable to find a way to speak to a live Amazon agent, I asked Google and was directed to this link which allows customers to request that a representative call them back:
Although the website says that it is for Amazon Go, Amazon Go Grocery, and Amazon Fresh, I found that they were able to handle inquiries related to any Amazon business. I spoke to a nice lady who understood my story and tried to refund the money to me, but I was a couple days shy of the 2-week mark after which the agent is authorized to issue a refund. Therefore, she asked me to call back in a couple of days. My phone interaction with Amazon was followed up with an email acknowledging the details of our conversation, and this exceeded my expectations. Additionally, instead of having to request a call from an Amazon representative, I was provided with Amazon’s customer service phone numbers which are staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:
U.S. and Canada: 1-866-216-1072
International: 1-206-266-2992
I was also provided other options for contacting Amazon customer service:
At the 2-week mark after I dropped off my package with UPS, I confirmed that the package was still in “Delay” status and had not reached its destination. Therefore, I dutifully called Amazon customer service and spoke to an agent. After a couple of brief holds, I was told that I should receive my refund within about 10 minutes, and within a few minutes I received both an email and text message confirming that the refund had been issued.
In summary, the root cause of the issues with the return were related to operations at UPS. Given my inability to resolve the issue through UPS in a timely manner, Amazon rose to the occasion and has kept me happy. This will definitely help Amazon retain me as a loyal customer.
