Amazon A-to-z Guarantee Policy for Sellers
The following policy applies to the purchases made on third-party sites using Amazon Payments. For details on A-to-z Guarantee protection for purchases made on the Amazon.com website, please see Representing Your Side in an A-to-z Guarantee Claim.
Over the years, Amazon has built a base of millions of satisfied buyers by being responsive to their concerns and acting quickly to resolve these concerns. We extend this valuable buyer trust to sellers like you on our platform through the Amazon A-to-z Guarantee Program. 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.
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 from the universe of sellers who use our service.
When can a buyer file an A-to-z 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 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 Protection for Buyers 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 Policy describes the practices that Amazon expects you to follow in order to offer a high quality customer experience. We expect these best practices will help you avoid A-to-z claims.
How do I view and manage my claims?
For every claim, Amazon sends you an email with details, and requests a response, giving you an opportunity to present your side of the issue. You can respond to a claim by replying to the email claim notification with the requested information. If you have a Seller Central account you can also manage your claims proactively by visiting the A-to-Z Claims page under the Performance tab in Seller Central.
What are my obligations when a claim is filed?
- You have 5 business days to respond to Amazon's notification, but best practice is to reply immediately. Within this period you can issue a refund to the buyer or represent your case to Amazon. If the item has not yet shipped, 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 Seller Account or cancel any future payment, as applicable.
- 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's email. You should also provide the following information:
- A verifiable shipment tracking number, or proof of shipment date, carrier, method, and class if shipped via a non-traceable method;
- Copy of the email provided to the buyer that indicated the delivery estimate(s);
- Copy of the receipt or order confirmation email 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;
- Details of any communication you had with the buyer outside of the Amazon communication manager.
- For "Materially Different" claims, explain your side of the issue in the representation form in Seller Central or by responding to Amazon's email. For claims on Amazon Payments purchases, you should also provide the following information:
- Copy of the receipt or order confirmation emails 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;
- 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 communication manager.
- For "Returns" or "Refund" related claims, explain your side of the issue in the representation form in Seller Central or by responding to Amazon's email. You should also provide the following information:
- Copy of the receipt or order confirmation emails 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;
- URL of the page where your describe your returns policy and returns address;
- 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 communication manager.
- For "Charged more than expected" claims, explain your side of the issue in the representation form in Seller Central or by responding to Amazon's email. You should also provide the following information:
- Copy of the receipt or order confirmation emails 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 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, then we will reimburse the buyer and debit your seller 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.
Do buyers see the information that I provide to Amazon to investigate a claim?
Buyers do not see comments provided by you in the representation form or in response to our email; they are sent only to Amazon investigators. Buyers can see the comments that you made under the “Contact Buyer” page on the A-to-z claims page.
How do A-to-z Claims affect my seller account?
A-to-z guarantee affects your Order Defect Rate which is used to calculate your reserve. Please see our Reserve Policy 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 prevent a buyer from filing both an A-to-z claim and a chargeback?
Amazon denies an A-to-z claim under review when we receive a chargeback from the credit card issuing bank. If the A-to-z claim is already granted to the buyer for the full amount of the transaction before Amazon receives a chargeback, Amazon will represent the chargeback to the issuing bank.
How does Amazon handle an A-to-z claim when I have already issued a refund?
Amazon denies an A-to-z claim if you have already issued a full refund for the items in question. In order for Amazon to track the refund, you must issue the refund through Amazon Payments and provide the necessary information to Amazon.
If you have resolved the issue with the buyer outside of Amazon's knowledge and Amazon has granted the claim to the buyer, Amazon cannot guarantee recovery of funds. In such a case, you should summarize the resolution and send it to the buyer. If you have a Seller Central account then you must send this communication from the Amazon Communications Manager in Seller Central.
You can also request the buyer to reverse the A-to-z claim by informing them to do the following:
- For Checkout by Amazon and Flexible Payments Service: Reply to the original claim confirmation email and provide specific permission to Amazon for recharging their credit card for the order or transaction.
- For Amazon Payments Advanced:
- Log in to your Amazon Payments account on the Amazon Payments Website.
- Locate the order or transaction on the Overview page.
- Click the Details link to view the transaction details.
- Click View/File Claim to view the claim details.
- Click the Withdraw claim against the claim that they want to withdraw.
If the buyer follows through with this action, the order will be 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 from Seller Central. During the appeals process, Amazon may request additional details from you about the transactions. If the decision is reversed by Amazon, 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.
