Amazon Closed My Account for making too many returns

magoo84

I received an automated email from an Amazon "account specialist" notifying me that my account was closed because I was making too many returns, and I tried appealing and apologising but each time I just got a different pre canned response stating they wouldn't reopen my account, and that I wouldnt be able to open a new account in the future.

This seems to be happening more and more often having looked around different forums. Because Amazon dont state how many returns are too many in their terms and conditions, and they prominently advertise their "no-hassle" returns, it seems quite arbitrary and punitive to ban someone for life when their T's & C's are unclear. I wasn't doing anything shady like returning damaged items or items different to what I actually bought as I've read about other people doing.

I'm unsure if I have any comeback here because businesses appear to have the right to refuse to serve you, but it would be great to get clarification from someone more knowledgeable than I. As you can imagine, it sucks being shunned by the world's largest retailer, and they've made me feel like some kind of conman. I have an Echo speaker and Kindle which are now useless along with lots of digital purchases I can't access any more.

Thanks

L1011

There's no way to force a retailer to serve you unless they're refusing for a reason that is protected by discrimination legislation. This isn't going to be a protected reason.

Did you get a warning before the ban? Probably the only way to try argue with them via social media or something would be no warning. If you got a warning and kept making lots of returns, you're going to have to get used to Argos and Aliexpress...

Jim_Hodge

They can refuse to serve you once its not discrimination. Out of curiosity, how many returns in what period and for what reasons?

Del2005

Do Amazon still only work off the email address you use? I've used numerous email aliases to keep getting free prime delivery to my home address. They stopped offering me free prime using the . or + trick in Gmail so I just use random names as aliases

I wouldn't blame them for banning someone for too many returns as the majority of returns end up being binned.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119838223#Comment_119838223

I would imagine they also use payment details. Fudging an address is quite easy, particularly here where eircodes are optional for nearly everything.

The locked digital purchases is a major issue that wasn't in the OP when I first replied. They should be refunding anything they are refusing to let you access.

Breezy_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119838111#Comment_119838111

This should be good. I've never returned anything so what is OP at.

blackbox

In fairness, if Amazon were to state their limit on returns, the chancers would exploit this by going just one item below.

However it would be reasonable to expect them to give a warning if someone was pushing the boundaries.

Did OP get any warning?

I have an Echo speaker and Kindle which are now useless along with lots of digital purchases I can't access any more.

You should return them! 🤣

magoo84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119838706#Comment_119838706

Hilarious. Where do I buy tickets for your show?

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119838807#Comment_119838807

How about answering the earlier question? How many returns, in what period, for what reasons, and what type of product?

magoo84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119838848#Comment_119838848

Nope, not playing that game sorry. Been on boards long enough now to know better. I didn't keep a running total as it happens and no doubt even if I did know it would be weaponised to slag me off no matter how much I did or didn't return.

Doodah7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119838871#Comment_119838871

Obviously a very significant amount so…

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119838871#Comment_119838871

Fair enough. I can only assume Amazon find you an undesirable customer who costs them more in returns than is worth their while. I use them weekly and have had one return in 10 years plus three small defective or wrong orders that they replaced without needing to return them. They were always very decent to deal with. Therefore, I was genuinely interested to see if they were being unreasonable with you and I am not playing any game.

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119838871#Comment_119838871

You don’t need a running total. You can check the app for your order history to see clearly what you bought and what you retuned by year.

Check the last 6 months. -

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119838892#Comment_119838892

They booted him out.

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119838900#Comment_119838900

ah can’t even log in. I assume they have taken the absolute piss. Refusal to post numbers tells the story

quick check of their email will also give idea of purchases vs returns

magoo84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119838891#Comment_119838891

Sorry, I didn't mean to sound snotty. I returned a lot more than that, tbh I don't blame them for kicking me out as well. I never got up to any of the actual fraudulent stuff people do when returning items like sending back empty boxes or stuff with bricks inside! It was just the volume of returns, mostly due to buyers remorse, that did me in. Its something I feel quite ashamed of because I know I'm in a small minority of their users. I was hoping that there would be a way back for me to regularise my account but it seems a ban is a ban with Amazon!

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119838930#Comment_119838930

I can't blame them then, it's unlikely that your propensity for buyer's remorse would change if they reopened the account. Best to just avoid such sites really.

walterking

They were losing money selling to you.

No business needs or wants that type of customer.

And it's other customers that pay

mondeo

I think a retailer comes to a point where a customer has become a nuisance and just doesn't want to deal with them anymore.

If your returning everything you buy then they are not making a profit from you. I think the ratio of returns must be staggering and they decided your not a good customer but a choosy fecker who can't make up their mind.

Dial Hard

Sounds like they did you a favour, tbh.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119838930#Comment_119838930

What Decision process you go through to send something back ?

AngryLips

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119839225#Comment_119839225

Well imagine if OP were buying clothes off Amazon? Which is an area the company seems keen to push... people return stuff all the time for clothing, I wonder if they have the same policy for that.

I wonder how this tallies with the legal right to return under the Distance Selling Regulations.

ctrl-alt-delete

It could be linked to the people who can get you products for cheap by going through the returns process, seems it is becoming more widespread and they probably have a number now to try to combat it. You just got unlucky if it is that is the case.

green123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119840410#Comment_119840410

What people?

And how are they getting products cheaper?

Breezy_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119840483#Comment_119840483

Marketplace

KilOit

I've bought probably a guess of 1000 items over the span of 10 years on Amazon, and returned maybe 6, on top of my head. sounds like you did very poor research when buying anything or are extremely picky with products.

walterking

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119840333#Comment_119840333

yes I'm sure they do and many of the clothing companies are now changing their returns process due to the high costs and they are also closing accounts of those with high return rates.

Boohoo and Zara group charge, ASOS will soon charge as the cost of returns has caused them into a huge loss of £32m last year and share price collapse

The day of free returns look to be numbered but those with physical stores will probably still offer free "return to store" option that takes a lot of the cost out.

Breezy_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119840547#Comment_119840547

Theirs an american company that did the seemingly unthinkable. If you buy a jumper in size g, all tops size g will also fit, all size g jackets will also fit. Multi Millionaire owner already. I could never understand the bullshit around clothes sizes. DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH. Even Nike and adidas cant make their shoe sizes the same, how is this an issue in 2022!!!!! its ridiculous.

Very easy fix to clothes returns. Make them properly in the first place.

I was reading about that new chinese company sheen or somthing it's called and what they do to staff and the envoirment and stupid people fall over themselves to buy their crap. Same clowns that pump 200 million plastic cups into the environment every year....going around wearing sunglasses before sun comes up.

green123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119840497#Comment_119840497

That answer doesn't make any sense.

I know all about Marketplace.

He said some people are able to get you products cheaper.

How are some people able to get you cheaper products?

Who do I contact to get me cheaper products?