Amazon Free Returns NOT to Ireland

bk

Warning, Amazon offer Free Returns on shoes and clothing that is sold by Amazon UK. However it turns out this no longer applies to Ireland:

• The item was originally delivered to an address in the UK and is being returned from within the UK

Up to about a year ago, it did apply to Ireland. When you returned something, it automatically generated an An Post Free Post return label to a logistics copy in Ireland. That is no longer the case, now when you do a return, it generates a return label for an address in Wales and you have to pay it yourself!

You can't even select collect+ (to use ParcelMotel returns for €4) and their customer support staff can't manually generate one!

Now if you argue it with Amazon customer support, they will agree to refund your postage. But you have to take a picture of the postage receipt and send it to them and it all ends up a major pain in the back side and time consuming.

In the end, the An Post postage ended up costing €28!! which in fairness Amazon eventually refunded. But it is a pain for the consumer and very expensive for Amazon. I can't understand why they can't do a deal with ParcelMotel or DPD to offer free or reasonably priced returns from Ireland. It would be easier for both the customer and for Amazon.

Any way, I just wanted to warn people about this new policy.

grogi

bk wrote: »

Warning, Amazon offer Free Returns on shoes and clothing that is sold by Amazon UK. However it turns out this no longer applies to Ireland:



Up to about a year ago, it did apply to Ireland. When you returned something, it automatically generated an An Post Free Post return label to a logistics copy in Ireland. That is no longer the case, now when you do a return, it generates a return label for an address in Wales and you have to pay it yourself!

You can't even select collect+ (to use ParcelMotel returns for €4) and their customer support staff can't manually generate one!

In the end, the An Post postage ended up costing €28!! which in fairness Amazon eventually refunded. But it is a pain for the consumer and very expensive for Amazon. I can't understand why they can't do a deal with ParcelMotel or DPD to offer free or reasonably priced returns from Ireland. It would be easier for both the customer and for Amazon.

Any way, I just wanted to warn people about this new policy.

I don't it ever did... I have items returned in 2014 that I paid postage for myself...

I use Parcel Motel now to return them. Much more favourable rate - around €15 to return to Wales.

Now if you argue it with Amazon customer support, they will agree to refund your postage. But you have to take a picture of the postage receipt and send it to them and it all ends up a major pain in the back side and time consuming.

Seriously? That's your problem? It takes less than 3 minutes to take the picture and send it to CS...

And don't abuse that - you'll eventually get a letter from Amazon they don't want to do business with you anymore...

foggy_lad

bk wrote: »

Warning, Amazon offer Free Returns on shoes and clothing that is sold by Amazon UK. However it turns out this no longer applies to Ireland:

• The item was originally delivered to an address in the UK and is being returned from within the UK

Up to about a year ago, it did apply to Ireland. When you returned something, it automatically generated an An Post Free Post return label to a logistics copy in Ireland. That is no longer the case, now when you do a return, it generates a return label for an address in Wales and you have to pay it yourself!

If you get items delivered to your Irish address then returns of faulty or wrong items is always free and an An Post prepaid address label for Johnstone Logistics in Rathcoole is provided.

You can't even select collect+ (to use ParcelMotel returns for €4) and their customer support staff can't manually generate one!

Now if you argue it with Amazon customer support, they will agree to refund your postage. But you have to take a picture of the postage receipt and send it to them and it all ends up a major pain in the back side and time consuming.

In the end, the An Post postage ended up costing €28!! which in fairness Amazon eventually refunded. But it is a pain for the consumer and very expensive for Amazon. I can't understand why they can't do a deal with ParcelMotel or DPD to offer free or reasonably priced returns from Ireland. It would be easier for both the customer and for Amazon.

Any way, I just wanted to warn people about this new policy.

If people in Ireland chose to use a UK address for delivery then Amazon are under no obligation to deliver to that address as it is not the customers, and they are also entitled to charge for returns from Ireland for items they delivered to the UK.

I also assume you are referring to change of mind returns, Amazon are under no obligation to provide free returns in those circumstances to any Irish or even UK customers but they do provide a free service to UK customers.

bk

grogi wrote: »

I use Parcel Motel now to return them. Much more favourable rate - around €15 to return to Wales.

Still pretty expensive, if they let you generate a collect+ return label, it would cost you just €4 and really would make no difference to them (actually much cheaper for them)

€15 return on a €40 pair of shoes is pretty expensive!

grogi wrote: »

Seriously? That's your problem? It takes less than 3 minutes to take the picture and send it to CS...

Actually it ended up taking half a day with 4 emails back and forward to get sorted.

grogi wrote: »

And don't abuse that - you'll eventually get a letter from Amazon they don't want to do business with you anymore...

I won't, I'll never buy clothes and shoes from Amazon again!

I really don't want to abuse anything, I really like using Amazon and buy way too much stuff from them, mostly electrical, home automation and household. Feck I even buy coffee beans and nappy wipes from them every week!! I'm almost their perfect customer. Just look at how often I post on the Bargains Alert forum. Amazon has gotten an awful lot of business from my recommendations.

I would also like to buy shoes and clothes from them. But unfortunately, shoes/clothes are more personal and variable and some times they just don't fit and need to be returned.

But €15 isn't a reasonable cost for a return and €28 certainly isn't. Hollister charge just €9 for their returns, picked up from your home by UPS and shipped to Netherlands!

And that is why I asked them to manually generate a collect+ label, to save them money and I was quite happy to pay the €4 parcelmotel fee and going to the effort of dropping it off. But no, they couldn't do that.

My overall point is that it is stupid for Amazon not to do a deal with someone like ParcelMotel or DPD to do some sort of cheap or free returns. It would lead to much happier customers and would in fact end up costing them far less and would perhaps help them make even more sales in Ireland.

It ended up costing them €28 today, plus about one hours Customer Support staffs time/wages. I actually feel guilty about that. It is silly and it really shouldn't be this costly or difficult.

grogi

bk wrote: »

Still pretty expensive, if they let you generate a collect+ return label, it would cost you just €4 and really would make no difference to them (actually much cheaper for them)

Do you think Collect+ works for free? Amazon pays for it...

bk wrote: »

€15 return on a €40 pair of shoes is pretty expensive!

I know, but it's still better than the €25+ AnPost charges. And I don't have to go to the post office, which is another advantage

You can always put multiple returns in one box, as long as you have authorisation for all of them. I have done that multiple times.

bk wrote: »

Actually it ended up taking half a day with 4 emails back and forward to get sorted.

One thing I learned in Ireland - email does not work in the islands...

Ask CS to call you, explain when and what.

bk wrote: »

I won't, I'll never buy clothes and shoes from Amazon again!

I'm not buying cloths, shoes, anything from Warehouse deals, hard drives and many other things from them...

bk

foggy_lad wrote: »

If people in Ireland chose to use a UK address for delivery then Amazon are under no obligation to deliver to that address as it is not the customers, and they are also entitled to charge for returns from Ireland for items they delivered to the UK.

The items were shipped to my Irish address and returned from their. They always knew I was an Irish customer.

If I had used PArcelmotel/parcelwizard (which to be clear I didn't), then I could have used collect+ returns via ParcelMotel for just €4, much cheaper and easier for everyone involved.

foggy_lad wrote: »

I also assume you are referring to change of mind returns, Amazon are under no obligation to provide free returns in those circumstances to any Irish or even UK customers but they do provide a free service to UK customers.

Well they are under the EU distance selling act and 14 day cooling off period, no?

Also their website clearly says that they offer Free Returns, it is right next to the price. Many would argue that thus forms an obligation under advertising laws, even if they have some T&C's hidden away.

That is why I suspect they would so quick to cover the postage cost, they initially said I had to pay myself, but the minute I pointed out the Free Returns in big letters next to the price, they immediately offered to pay the postage.

Honestly people seem to be thinking I'm taking advantage of them! I'm not, I spend literally thousands every year an Amazon. I really like them and I would like to see them put in place a better policy that would make life easier and cheaper for both them and their customers!

bk

grogi wrote: »

Do you think Collect+ works for free? Amazon pays for it...

Oh I know it costs them, but MUCH cheaper then what An Post ended up costing them. And I was very willing to bear half the cost.

Collect+ most be the cheapest way to do returns for them, which is why they offer free returns via it in the UK.

Free Returns is a cost of doing business that they have to offer if they want to sell more clothes/shoes and compete with the high street. People aren't going to shop with them for these sort of items if free or cheap returns aren't possible.

In the end even with the cost of free returns, it should still be much cheaper for them then having to maintain expensive high street stores, staff them, etc.

ED E

TLDR but did you ask their CSRs?

I've shipped to PM then returned to Louth(?) just by contacting them.

grogi

bk wrote: »

Well they are under the EU distance selling act and 14 day cooling off period, no?

Yes, and it requires the seller refunds full amount paid after the goods are returned. It does not require the shipping back to be covered by the seller as well.

It is different when the goods are faulty, not fit for the purpose or not according to the description etc.

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I just do a UK returns label and get onto CS to change it to Johnson's.
A lot of the time they aren't aware of the depot here but a check with a supervisor sorts it most of the time.

bk

ED E wrote: »

TLDR but did you ask their CSRs?

I've shipped to PM then returned to Louth(?) just by contacting them.

I did, asked if he could generate a collect+ label, said he tried but system wouldn't allow it. I didn't think of asking him to try generating a label for Johnsons, good idea.

Makai Mammoth File wrote: »

I just do a UK returns label and get onto CS to change it to Johnson's.
A lot of the time they aren't aware of the depot here but a check with a supervisor sorts it most of the time.

Good idea, I didn't think of that, thanks for the tip.

But isn't is it really stupid that their systems don't do that automatically? A customer really shouldn't know the ins and outs of Amazons systems and logistics infrastructure in order to do a simple return!

It is an unfortunate result of Amazon UK not taking the Irish market seriously

A Dub in Glasgo

bk wrote: »

Well they are under the EU distance selling act and 14 day cooling off period, no?

They are under no obligation to pay for a buyer returning because they did not like the item. Amazon (and others) are going above and beyond the requirement in this regard

bk

A Dub in Glasgo wrote: »

They are under no obligation to pay for a buyer returning because they did not like the item. Amazon (and others) are going above and beyond the requirement in this regard

Yes, but they aren't doing that out of the goodness of their hearts. They are doing it because it will be the only way to convince people to buy clothes/shoes online and it is simply a cost of doing business.

Amazon just need to put in place a better system for Ireland.

A Dub in Glasgo

I agree, I do not buy clothes / shoes online unless I have seen the product I want in a shop as it is a false economy buying them speculatively online

bk

A Dub in Glasgo wrote: »

I agree, I do not buy clothes / shoes online unless I have seen the product I want in a shop as it is a false economy buying them speculatively online

Yup, I normally don't, but in this case I thought I'd be safe enough. Was replacing hiking shoes that had worn out. Exact same Brand, model and colour/style, just the 2016 model rather then the (no longer available) 2013 model.

Thought I'd be safe enough, but seems size and fit has changed.

A Dub in Glasgo

I find the colour cast in photos on your computer can be off therefore it is a gamble not worth taking. I ordered a winter jacket a couple of years ago and the colour was not what I was expecting at all, cost me to return for a refund. Now I go in to the shops and unless it is way over the price online, I will buy it there.

grogi

bk wrote: »

Yes, but they aren't doing that out of the goodness of their hearts. They are doing it because it will be the only way to convince people to buy clothes/shoes online and it is simply a cost of doing business.

Amazon just need to put in place a better system for Ireland.

Maybe, just maybe... They evaluated pros and cons and decided the cost of offering such service for Ireland is bigger then the profit it generates?

ED E

bk wrote: »

I did, asked if he could generate a collect+ label, said he tried but system wouldn't allow it. I didn't think of asking him to try generating a label for Johnsons, good idea.

Normally an AP pre-paid label is possible.

bk

grogi wrote: »

Maybe, just maybe... They evaluated pros and cons and decided the cost of offering such service for Ireland is bigger then the profit it generates?

If that was the case they wouldn't offer free shipping to Ireland on these items or even leave them be sold to Ireland (e.g. most TV's).

No, from what I've seen of Amazon UK, they just have a major blind spot about Ireland. They often just leave obvious things slide. I find it very hard to believe that Next, Littlewoods, etc. can generate a profit while offering free returns via ParcelMotel, but mighty Amazon can't do the same!

foggy_lad

Bought a microwave about 5 weeks ago on amazon and it was faulty, light inside didn't work and it works but the power level seems to alternate between high to low so you never know when food is heated properly or cooked.

I went to print off the prepaid return label but got a message to return the item and amazon would pay reasonable postage costs up to £8.10.

I went onto the chat and got told that only some items have this restriction on the free returns and that they could not issue the prepaid label because of this but that Amazon would pay the return postage, I told them that it would be more than the microwave had cost(€58 for an post registered parcel) so they told me to keep the microwave and they just issued the refund.

I did have a much smaller microwave bowl item to return the week before which had been damaged in transit and the same pay or postage up to 8.10 then seek refund from amazon was requested but when I went through the help section the same thing went through with the system telling me to dispose of the faulty item myself and the refund would be issued to my card.


Despite what the agent told me about it only being certain items that are not free returns I believe that it is all items and amazon are cracking down on their postage costs especially to Ireland, will have to go somewhere else for Christmas shopping this year.