Get Amazon refund… and keep item too

SHOPPERS who decide they do not want items bought from Amazon are being told they can have a refund – and keep the product.

On smaller purchases – understood to be those costing £10 or less – the online retailer is telling customers not to bother returning the items. Consumer watchdogs believe that the handling costs of dealing with unwanted items and returning them to warehouses make it uneconomical for the firm to take them back.

One told the Sunday Mirror: ‘It shows the power of the retailer that it can swallow costs in a way an independent shop could not.’

The company – founded by entrepreneur Jeff Bezos in 1994 – is worth £290billion and has annual sales of more than £6billion in the UK, which is the firm’s third biggest market after the US and Germany.

One Amazon customer bought a box of pens costing £8.25 and was given a refund when she tried to return them. She said: ‘I couldn’t believe it but I think it’s good customer service.

‘It’s nice to get the money back and not have to queue in the Post Office.’

Another customer bought a hose connector for £3.99 and was given a refund as well as being told to keep it.

Both shoppers were sent messages saying: ‘ We are processing the refund. You don’t need to return the item to us!’

There are posts about the loophole online from US customers dating back to 2013, but it is believed to only have begun applying to British shoppers recently. It appears that in some cases, more expensive items have been refunded without the hassle of a return.

Gwen Geen wrote on Facebook: ‘Two items that I’ve ordered have been refunded without having to send them back and one was for £14.’

And another shopper, Sam Rosser, said: ‘This happened to me with a unit that was £139. It was damaged – they sent me a new one and said keep the other one.’

It is understood that there are measures in place to stop the refund policy being flouted. Amazon’s online customer service page reads: ‘Amazon may determine that a refund can be issued without requiring a return.

‘If you aren’t required to mail your item back for a refund, you will be notified in the Online Returns Centre or by a Customer Services Associate.’

Martyn James, of consumer rights website Resolver, said: ‘It’s great to get a bargain – even if it’s by default.’

Amazon declined to comment on the refund practice.