Amazon A-to-z Guarantee Policy for Merchants

The following policy applies to the purchases made on third-party sites using Amazon Payments.

The Amazon A-to-z Guarantee provides buyers with an opportunity to obtain a full reimbursement for their purchase or cancel their authorized payment if they are not satisfied with a purchase made on a third-party site using Amazon Payments.

We encourage you to answer all buyer inquiries within 24 hours of receipt. Good communication with buyers promotes good feedback for merchants.

The vast majority of buyers will never need this program, but for those who do, the guarantee gives us a chance to provide confidence and trust when they shop with of sellers who use our service.

When can a buyer file an A-to-z Guarantee claim for an Amazon Payments transaction?

Buyers can file an A-to-z Guarantee claim when one of the following conditions applies:

• They did not receive an item
• They received the item later than the maximum estimated delivery date provided by you
• They received the item but it was defective, damaged, had missing parts, or was not the item depicted in your description
• They returned the item as per their agreement with you but you did not provide the agreed upon reimbursement after receiving the item
• You are not accepting the return of the item in accordance with the return policy posted on your website
• They believe that you charged an amount greater than the amount authorized for the purchase

See the Amazon A-to-z Guarantee online help topic to view the A-to-z Guarantee information that buyers see on the Amazon Payments website.

What should I do to avoid a claim?

The Amazon Payments Customer Service Best Practices describe the practices that Amazon Payments expects you to follow in order to offer a high quality customer experience. In addition, these 3 tips are most useful in mitigating the risk of an A-to-z Guarantee claim:

1. Ship promptly and use a shipping method that ensures reliable delivery.
2. Ship with tracking information and provide this information to the buyer.
3. Ship high-priced items with signature confirmation tracking and/or insurance.

How do I view and manage my claims?

For every claim, Amazon Payments sends you an e-mail with details, and requests a response, giving you an opportunity to represent your side of the issue. You can respond to a claim by replying to the e-mail claim notification with the requested information. You can also manage your claims proactively by visiting the A-to-z Guarantee Claims page in Seller Central (you can find a link to the A-to-z Guarantee claims page in the Performance section).

What are my obligations once a claim is filed?

1. You have 5 business days to respond to Amazon Payment’s notification, but it is a best practice to reply immediately. Within this period you can issue a refund to the buyer or represent your case to Amazon Payments. If the item has not yet been dispatched, you can cancel that portion of the order. If you do not respond within this time frame, we will automatically assign the claim to you. For assigned claims, we will reimburse the buyer and debit your account or cancel any future payment, as applicable.

2. For an "Item Not Received" or "Item Received Late" claim, explain your side of the issue in the representation form in Seller Central or by responding to Amazon Payments' e-mail. You should also provide the following information:
• A verifiable shipment tracking number, or proof of dispatch date, carrier, method, and class if dispatched via a non-traceable method;
• A copy of the e-mail provided to the buyer that indicated the delivery estimate(s);
• A copy of the receipt or order confirmation e-mail you sent to the buyer that displays the date of purchase, delivery address, total purchase price including shipping and handling, taxes, and any other charges, and for each item, its description, price, quantity, and, if it was not new, its condition;
• Details of any communication you had with the buyer outside of the Amazon Payments communication manager.

3. For "Materially Different" claims, explain your side of the issue in the representation form in Seller Central or by responding to Amazon Payments' e-mail. You should also provide the following information:
• A copy of the receipt or order confirmation e-mails you sent to the buyer that displays the date of purchase, shipping address, total purchase price including shipping and handling, taxes, and any other charges, and for each item, its description, price, quantity, and, if it was not new, its condition;
• A description of the disputed item and URL of the detail page where the disputed item is listed; and,
• Details of any communication you had with the buyer outside of the Amazon Payments communication manager.

4. For "Returns" or "Refund" related claims, explain your side of the issue in the representation form in Seller Central or by responding to Amazon Payments’ e-mail. You should also provide the following information:
• A copy of the receipt or order confirmation e-mails you sent to the buyer that displays the date of purchase, shipping address, total purchase price including shipping and handling, taxes, and any other charges, and for each item, its description, price, quantity, and, if it was not new, its condition;
• The URL of the page where your describe your returns policy and returns address;
• A copy of the return label provided to the buyer, if any; and,
• Details of any communication you had with the buyer outside of the Amazon Payments communication manager.

5. For "Charged more than expected" claims, explain your side of the issue in the representation form in Seller Central or by responding to Amazon Payments' e-mail. You should also provide the following information:
• A copy of the receipt or order confirmation e-mails you sent to the buyer that displays the date of purchase, shipping address, total purchase price including shipping and handling, taxes, and any other charges, and for each item, its description, price, quantity, and, if it was not new, its condition; and,
• Details of any communication you had with the buyer outside of Amazon Payments communication manager.

If you fail to provide a sufficient response to the claim, violate the Amazon Payments User Agreement or if we determine you were at fault, we will reimburse the buyer and debit your account for the amount of that refund, including item price, tax, and shipping. We may also cancel any future payment for the disputed order, if applicable. Any fees that you have paid on the relevant transaction will be credited back to your Seller Account.

How does Amazon Payments determine whether an item was not received by a buyer?

Merchants are accountable for resolving A-to-z Guarantee claims for items not received. The claims will be processed according to the following policies:

• Products shipped without tracking

A merchant will be liable for a not-received claim if the estimated delivery date (“EDD”) has passed and the order was shipped without tracking information. This policy applies to all orders, including those shipped by media mail.

• Products shipped with tracking--in transit

If a product is not delivered by the end of the EDD range, and tracking information shows an expected delivery in the near future (and the product was shipped by the promised ship date of two business days from the order date) the claim will not be granted and the buyer will be asked to wait for the product. The merchant will not be liable. However, if tracking information does not show expected delivery in a reasonable time frame, the claim will be granted and the merchant will be held liable. This will apply to packages lost in transit as well.

• Products shipped with delivery confirmation tracking—where tracking shows delivery but the buyer claims item not received

The A-to-z Guarantee team will investigate the dispute. Amazon Payments may contact the buyer to confirm non-receipt. If no receipt is confirmed, the merchant maystill be held liable for lack of fulfillment – Amazon Payments will not consider service errors, including loss, theft, or postal/shipping issues as grounds for granting the claim in favor of the merchant. Amazon Payments will, however, continue to extend the coverage of the Guarantee to merchants against fraudulent buyers and A-to-z Guarantee abusers.

• Products shipped with signature confirmation tracking—where tracking shows delivery but the buyer claims item not received

If the name on the signature confirmation matches the buyer, the A-to-z Guarantee team will deny the claim. If signature confirmation does not match the buyer’s name, the A-to-z Guarantee team will deny the claim and ask the buyer to follow up with the individual that signed for the package. Guarantee claims for packages that are signed for by a freight forwarder or an agent of the buyer (e.g. receptionist, family member) will be denied. However, if an investigation determines that the customer did not receive the order due to a shipping error beyond his or her control, the merchant may be held liable. We anticipate that this would be a very rare occurrence.

Am I required to allow returns for items that the buyer believes are materially different, defective, or damaged?

As a merchant, you are responsible for managing the returns process for materially different, defective, or damaged items, including providing buyers with a way to make the return and promptly initiating the refund for the return. Failure to manage the return may result in a debit to your account if the buyer is refunded pursuant to an A-to-z Guarantee claim, even if the item is not returned to you. You may also be held responsible if no response is received from you on an A-to-z Guarantee claim, or for declining to handle a return request that falls within required return policies.

Do buyers see the information I provide to Amazon Payments to investigate a claim?

Buyers do not see comments provided by you in the representation form or in response to our e-mail; they are sent only to Amazon Payments investigators. Buyers can see the comments that you made under the “Contact Buyer” page on the A-to-z Guarantee claims page.

How do A-to-z Guarantee Claims affect my Seller account?

A-to-z Guarantee claims affect your Order Defect Rate, which is used to calculate your reserve. Please see our Reserve Policy page on the payments.amazon.co.uk website for more details. Excessive A-to-z guarantee claims can lead to warnings, suspensions, or account termination. You should take care to minimize the number of claims granted against you on your account. Issuing refund is the easiest way to resolve the issue.

How does Amazon Payments prevent buyer from filing both an A-to-z Guarantee claim and chargeback?

Amazon Payments denies an A-to-z Guarantee claim under review once we receive a chargeback from the credit card issuer. If the A-to-z Guarantee claim is already granted to the buyer for the full amount of the transaction before Amazon Payments receives a chargeback, we will represent the chargeback to the issuing bank.

How does Amazon Payments handle an A-to-z Guarantee claim when I have already issued a refund?

Amazon Payments denies an A-to-z Guarantee claim if you have already issued a full refund for the items in question. In order for Amazon Payments to track the refund, you must issue the refund through us and provide us necessary information.

If you have resolved the issue with the buyer outside of our knowledge and Amazon Payments has granted the claim to the buyer, Amazon Payments cannot guarantee recovery of funds. In such a case, you should summarise the resolution and send it to the buyer. You must send this communication from the Communications Manager in Seller Central.

You can also request the buyer to reverse the A-to-z Guarantee claim by informing them to do the following:

1. Go to Your Seller Central Amazon Payments account
2. Locate order or transaction on the overview page
3. Click on the details link to view the transaction details
4. Click View/File Claim to view the claim details
5. Click on the Withdraw claim

When the buyer has withdrawn a claim, the order is recharged and your account subsequently credited.

How can I appeal a claim granted against me?

If the claim is decided against you, you have up to 30 calendar days to appeal that decision in Seller Central. During the appeals process, Amazon Payments may request additional details from you about the transactions. If the decision is reversed by Amazon Payments, your account will be credited.

What if I have additional questions?

If you have additional questions about the Amazon A-to-z Guarantee, please contact us.