How to return something on Amazon

The holiday shopping season is upon us, and if you’ve bought something on Amazon and need to return it, here’s how.

The first thing to know is that there are two ways to buy/return things on Amazon: normal returns and gift returns. Gift returns apply if you mark an item as a gift during checkout, and they allow someone who wasn’t the original buyer to return the item.

How to return a standard package

On Amazon, you have 30 days to return your packages. To start the return, open up the app or website and navigate to ‘Your Orders.’

Click on the item you want to return and then choose the option called ‘Return or replace items,’ then select return item.

If the item was sold via Amazon and not a third-party seller, you can select your preferred return method, print off a postage slip and deliver the package to the post office to be sent back to the company. You can check on the status of your return in the same ‘Your Orders’ section of the app where you started the return process.

If you bought the product on your credit card, you can often get an instant refund. Otherwise, it might take 3-5 business days.

If the item is from a third-party store on Amazon, you must wait two business days for the seller to approve your return. If they don’t get back to you within that time, you can submit a request to Amazon for the larger company to cover the return/refund under its A-to-Z Guarantee. Things get a bit trickier if you need to file under the A-to-Z return guidelines but you can learn more about it here.

How to return a gift on Amazon

If someone has bought you something on Amazon and marked it as a gift, you’ll be able to return it without involving the original buyer. If the original buyer is the one doing the return, they need to follow the steps laid out above.

To return a gift, you need to head to a special Amazon gift returns site, input the order number, and sign into your Amazon account. Then pick the item you want to return and a reason for the return from the list.

Most of the steps are the same as above, so you’ll need to print off a return label and send the product back. The one major change is that your refund will be in the form of an Amazon gift card. That said, if you’re the sender of the gift, you will be able to get the refund back onto your credit card.

If you want to track your gift return you’ll need to visit the Return Centre or check the email that you were sent when you set up the return.