Amazon plans to adjust its return policy and will start charging handling fees for sellers with frequent returns starting in 2025
Amazon plans to adjust its return policy starting January 1, 2025, mainly affecting third-party sellers. Customers can still return items within 30 days without reason, but sellers with frequent returns will need to pay a return processing fee to help Amazon manage high logistics costs. This move aims to reduce return frequency, encourage sellers to improve product descriptions, and reduce financial and environmental waste
IT Home reported on October 12th that starting from January 1, 2025, Amazon's return policy will undergo significant changes, mainly affecting third-party sellers.
Currently, customers can return items within 30 days for any reason (as long as the product is in new and unused condition) without incurring additional fees, and Amazon typically covers the return shipping costs for products it directly ships. The return policy remains similar for items sold by third-party sellers but fulfilled by Amazon.
However, for products sold and shipped by third-party sellers, the return shipping fee may range from $3 to $6 (approximately RMB 21.2 to 42.4 according to IT Home), depending on the item and the seller's terms.
Starting from January 1, 2025, Amazon will introduce a new fee for sellers with frequent product returns. While customers can still return items within the same 30-day period, sellers with a high volume of returns will be required to pay a return processing fee. This fee aims to help Amazon cover the high logistics costs associated with managing these returns, including transportation and processing.
Amazon stated that returns and unsellable items result in significant resource consumption for both Amazon and sellers in terms of finances and the environment. Amazon's goal is to reduce the frequency of returns, encourage sellers to provide better product descriptions, and ultimately minimize waste
