Returning Amazon item of 154 GBP value, anything to watch out for?

spuddy

Amazon mistakenly sent me the wrong item, and they want me to pay for the return. They have confirmed at least they will reimburse the cost of the shipping.

For the shipping, using DPD for instance, I'm asked to enter the tariff code, which I eventually found. All of this makes me nervous though. Is there any chance that it gets stuck in customs on the way back to the UK? Has anyone any experience sending something back of this value?

Thanks!

Cabaal

Is it being returned to Amazon or a third party seller?

Were you supplied with a pre-paid label or did they advise you to choose the carrier, I only ask as the mention of DPD seems odd. I've personally always used An Post and never had an issue (using their pre-paid labels or choosing my own carrier)

Ezeoul

If it was their mistake, you shouldn't have to pay for return shipping up front and await a refund. They should send you an An Post mailing label for their returns depot in Portlaoise.

The address is:

Amazon Returns

C/O An Post

Portlaoise Mail Centre

Clonminan Industrial Estate

Portlaoise

Ireland

R32 A32F

I would get back on to customer service, I have found that some of their customer service reps are not even aware that Ireland has a depot in Portlaoise. They may have to cancel the original return request, and set it up again.

But for an item that expensive, I wouldn't risk it. I've had issues getting refunds of postage for returns before, sometimes having to chase them two or three times.

Also, if the item you purchased has a lithium battery by any chance, An Post won't accept it for return to the UK, under any circumstances.

Cabaal

^ Please don't follow these suggestions, its likely to cause you problems and its not entirely correct.

1. If the item was dispatched by Amazon (not a third party seller) then Amazon will either provide a pre-paid return label or refund postage. You only need to provide a receipt if you pay for postage.
2. Amazon recommends tracked delivery for anything over a certain amount, for an order over 100 gbp ALWAYS send it via tracked.,
3. Amazon uses more then one return address depending on whats being returned, returning an item blindly to a different address then what Amazon specifiys can cause issues.
4. Amazon commonly supplys return labels for sold by Amazon item which advise advise the item contains batteries, I have never ever had an issue with An Post accepting these items.
5. If the item was bought on the Amazon website but dispatched by a third party seller then you should never ever return it to Amazon, if you do the seller will not refund you.

So first thing op needs to clarify is who dispatched the item, was it Amazon or a seller.

Ezeoul

@Cabaal

returning an item blindly to a different address then what Amazon specifiys can cause issues.

That is not what was suggested.

The advice given was to contact Amazon Customer Service again, and see if the return can be redone with a mailing label for Portlaoise provided, instead of the UK. I provided the address so the OP had it to hand when talking to Customer Service.

Amazon commonly supplys return labels for sold by Amazon item which advise advise the item contains batteries, An Post have zero issues accepting these items.

I have twice attempted to return items with lithium batteries (as I specified) to Amazon UK via An Post where the post office completely refused to accept the item under any circumstances, and told me to get back on to Amazon. The OP is returning to Amazon UK.

In both cases, when i got back onto Amazon they gave me full refunds without a return.

Unless you're advising that the label for litium batteries be left off any return package?

spuddy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121705934#Comment_121705934

I ordered a monitor (one I saw over in Bargain Alerts) sold by Amazon directly. They delivered the wrong one, and wouldn't replace it (the price had gone back up by then), all they would do is process a refund. The return label provided was for their Returns Centre in Fife.

I called 3 times, and spoke with 3 reps, none of them would issue me with a prepaid label, no matter how much I protested. They would only offer to refund the amount I paid for shipping (max 100 GBP). I also sent umpteen emails, to no avail.

I'm sick of it at this point, if I don't return it in the next couple weeks, no refund, so I just want it gone. I've used DPD before to ship stuff myself and so far haven't had an issue with them, so plan to stick with them now (they provide tracking).

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121706831#Comment_121706831

Address it yourself and send to Fife by recorded delivery. They'll refund you.

Cabaal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121706831#Comment_121706831

If Amazon wouldn't replace then it had to be one of three things

• Warehouse Deals item
• Fulfilled by Amazon (sold by a third party seller but dispatched by Amazon)
• Out of stock (if item is out of stock they obviously cannot replace it)

Items that are actually sold by Amazon directly can be replaced by Amazon. Amazon isn't able to provide pre-paid labels for every item, but if they cannot they'll refund postage.

Just post the item and claim back the postage, its not big of complex to do. I've done it for items costing many 100's and for items costing 20. I've always used An Post and always used tracking.

Last item I returned was a 26 gbp bike light which cost me 14e to return, zero issue getting that refund.

You've decided to use DPD and you are posting here because you say they are asking for a TARIFF code, I've never been asked for such info by An Post.

I suspect DPD may actually be looking for a TARIC code and I see An Post have a tool for identifying TARIC codes - https://www.anpost.com/Commerce/SME/InternationalSending/Find-a-TARIC-Commodity-code I've also never been asked by An Post to provide a TARIC code.

Ezeoul

An Post ask what's in the package and then look up and apply the taric codes to customs declarations themselves.

Cabaal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121709541#Comment_121709541

Explains why I've never been asked so 😂

Thats good customer service!

zell12

If it is £154item , then there was vat and possibly import duty. Who deals with that when there is a return?

Slightly Kwackers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058334209/returning-amazon-item-of-154-gbp-value-anything-to-watch-out-for

Several items I bought from Amazon were not as described over the last couple of years.

The most expensive being around fifty euro though paid in UK sterling.

A prepaid label has not been supplied for years and I am given labels but with the choice of carrier left to me and a maximum postage of £11 or 15 quid, I'm not sure.

The junk coming through was frequent and bad, most times a phone call would waive the need to return the goods. This at least saved repacking, but still wasn't satisfactory because were the product to be described correctly, I wouldn't have bought it.

I really don't consider Amazon worth the trouble now. Maybe when the Chinese garbage was cheap it was worth taking the odd hit, but now it's expensive and junk.

My electrical purchases last year are still failing and in a recent phoone call on a totally different matter, their IT person was adamant the Amazon were dead against selling unsafe products and can easily be contacted to report dangerous goods.

That is certainly not the case. A lethal electrical item is still on sale despite user reviews by myself and several others and also my direct communication with the supplier.

Were I to supply a product which in normal use has exposed live conductors I would not get a wink of sleep, yet the fitting I bought and is in use only by virtue of the fact that only I can power up and use the lighting unit, has been on sale on Amazon for years and are still available from their site with the comforting logo that 50+ were bought last month.

Maybe the drop in quality is somehow linked to Brexit? I use the UK site as it's cheaper on postage, but have used the German site also and the product range seems better on the whole than the .uk site.

Not a problem anyway, on my list of suppliers they have gone to the bottom of the list when selecting goods, even household named brands such as the Sharp and Panasonic microwaves are not of the quality I experienced a few years back [Severe rust and a control panel that pushes into the case when operated].

Try a phone call to moan about the need to put yourself out over something that is plainly their fault.

It could be worthwhile if the product is flammable or you have access to a landfill site.

davetherave

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121709578#Comment_121709578

Returned goods relief, it just needs to be marked as returned goods on the declarations.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pay-less-import-duty-and-vat-when-re-importing-goods-to-the-uk-and-eu#before-you-claim

You can get a relief if you’re re-importing goods into the UK that have previously been exported or transported from the UK. This is known as Returned Goods Relief.

To claim the relief on the import VAT, the exporter and importer must be the same person and the goods must be re-imported in an unaltered state