Amazon return policy for sellers: can you refuse a return?
On Amazon, your own return policy doesn’t get the final word — Amazon’s does. Here’s what that means for sellers, from Amazon’s seller guides.
Can an Amazon seller refuse a return?
For most products, no. Amazon says sellers are required to accept returns within the 30-day return window, and a “no returns” policy isn’t permitted — Amazon’s policies supersede any seller-specific policy.
If you ignore return requests or refuse to provide a return label, Amazon says it will automatically refund the customer — and your account may be suspended for violating its returns policy.
How returns work for orders you ship yourself (FBM)
- For US sales, Amazon automatically enrolls you in its prepaid returns label program.
- Amazon authorizes automatically every return request that meets its policy.
- Requests that fall outside Amazon’s policy, or are in exempt categories, are sent to you to review.
- You must respond to all return requests within 24 hours in Manage Returns, where you can authorize, close or complete a return.
- Use Buyer-Seller Messaging to talk to the buyer.
You can create additional return policies that match or exceed Amazon’s.
FBA orders
With Fulfillment by Amazon, Amazon handles storage, packing, shipping and returns for you.
Why it matters for your account
Return handling is part of the customer experience Amazon measures, and ignoring returns can put your account at risk — see Amazon account health. Accurate listings are the best way to keep returns down in the first place.
To see what fees leave you on each sale before returns, use the Amazon fee calculator.