Update:
- Amazon asked a federal judge in Washington to trim a class action lawsuit accusing it of recharging consumers for items returned in the allowed refund time.
- Amazon requested the judge toss out three of the five claims against it, arguing the allegations rely on the company’s own return policies, an “express contract.”
- The Seattle-based company also asked the judge to decrease the class definition from six years to four for a claim under the Washington Consumer Protection Act.
- Consumers claim Amazon routinely recharges customers who opt in to the company’s “instant refund” option by returning a purchased item to a UPS store or other authorized drop-off location within 30 days.
Amazon class action overview:
- Who: Plaintiffs Laura Abbott, Sima Hernandez, Melissa Urbancic and Jill Capel filed a class action lawsuit against Amazon.com.
- Why: The plaintiffs claim that Amazon re-charges customers for items that were returned within the 30-day return window.
- Where: The Amazon class action was filed in federal court in Washington.
(Sept. 11, 2023)
Plaintiffs Laura Abbott, Sima Hernandez, Melissa Urbancic and Jill Capel filed a class action lawsuit against Amazon.com over the company’s return policy, alleging that it re-charges customers despite the fact they returned an item during the company’s 30-day return window.
The potential class for the Amazon returns class action includes all customers who were charged for items despite properly returning those items over the past six years.
While Amazon’s return policies have been lauded, in practice the company falls short of fulfilling its return promises, the Amazon class action claims.
“Amazon routinely fails to deliver on its promise of free, no hassle returns and instead re-charges customers who have returned items within the return window, despite Amazon’s own records establishing that it has received such items,” the Amazon returns class action claims. “This practice both breaches its contract with its customers and is unfair and deceptive, causing those who take notice of the re-charges frustration and hours of lost time in dealing with Amazon customer service representatives to reverse these improper charges.”
Plaintiffs all properly returned items and had receipts but were still re-charged for items, Amazon returns lawsuit claims
The lawsuit goes into detail on the experiences of the four named plaintiffs, who all properly returned items and received receipts for the returns only to be charged later due to what customer service representatives told them were technical issues.
The refunds for the re-charges only came after the customers noticed the charges and had to reach out directly to customer service to correct the issue.
Amazon has already been in the news recently thanks to a trio of class action lawsuits, a lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a Senate investigation and a $30 million settlement that put an end to two federal data privacy lawsuits.
Have you been re-charged for a returned Amazon item? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiffs are represented by Alicia Cobb, Matthew Hosen and Andrew H. Shapiro of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart and Sullivan LLP, along with Aaron M. Zigler of Zigler Law Group LLC.
The Amazon class action lawsuit is Abbott, et al. v. Amazon.com Inc., Case No. 2:23-cv-01372, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington at Seattle.
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338 thoughts onAmazon seeks to remove some claims in returns class action
Recently, I’ve had a very bad experience with Amazon returns/reporting of fraud. To the point they started treating me like I was scamming them when actually I was trying to stop the Scam the vendor was executing on their website which impacted serveral customers by the way.
My purchase history with Amazon spans over many years and I’ve purchased > $88K from them during this timeframe (per their records). In short they made me send in ID to prove who I am?? I eventually resolved this issue on my own (i.e. getting the refund) but it took 60 days and a lot of documenting/calls + pulling of Amazon records. Fast forward to today, Amazon has changed their return policy now by stating I could be charged a fee (partical or full) for my return (have the emails); however, “FREE RETURNS” continues to be advertised on the website. This is misleading to the consumer. I really can’t buy from them anymore given the recent circumstances and questionable return process.
Add me.
Add me
Add me! And they charge restocking fees when it’s under 30 days I returned the items!
I have plenty of proof over the years. It occurs often depending on how you return the products, or attempt to. I knew these unethical would catch up with them sooner or later
I am in Ohio, but I have had a horrible time with Amazon retro charging me for items returned 1-4 months prior. I have the receipts from UPS (b/c I started saving ALL of them. I fill out their Incident Report. Sometimes they issue the credit, but then the issue pops back up again months later. At some point they will tell me it’s too late to do anything about it, and that I’m stuck with the charge. So I have no item and am charged for it. This is quite the scam, and I don’t know what to do to make it stop. It never happened prior to August 2023, but it has consistently happened since then. I return the item at UPS, receive the credit, receive that notice that Amazon has received it, and then unexpectedly 1-4 months later, I am suddenly charged again and given an email that I am being charged b/c the item was not returned. BUT IT WAS returned. They need stopped. When I try to talk to customer service, they hang up on me. I need help!
I live in Illinois and Amazon charged me for prime membership during me for returns like multiple times like six times in one day and that’s returning product they charge me too much later You know it’s unreal how they’re doing this but I return product and they they retro charged me like 2 months later so it’s crazy yeah I’d like to join this
Please add me. I have all the documentation of them receiving item back, screen shots of them changing status of return and time frame, well as hours of documented phone conversations & emails with multiple customer service reps and supervisors. As well as a complaint with the california consumer affairs bureau and have sent a demand letter.
Hello, are people allowed to join this lawsuit? I had a horrible experience with this very issue. I returned my items to an ups store as directed by Amazon. I think it was a total or 9 items as I was holding a raffle for prizes but my event got cancelled due to covid. I have pages upon pages of screenshots dealing with rude Amazon customer service after they denied receiving my items back. I contacted ups and they verified the items were delivered back to Amazon returns center. Customer service representatives turned very rude after verifying my information and getting into my file. Someone must’ve added some notes in my file telling the next representative not to deal with me because they all were very nice up until the point where they got into my file. I lost over $500 and so much time over months and months of dealing with customers service to no avail. The whole ordeal was horrible and to be treated like I was a dishonest thief or something when I had all the receipts for each item being returned to ups they wouldn’t help me in any way! I even tried contacting the corporate office and was denied customer service there as well. The financial hardship from being denied my refund for over three years now created many sleepless nights and feelings of homelessness. I wish I would’ve known something like this was a course of action i could’ve taken but hopefully it’s not too late for me. My contract information will be included here I pray I hear back from someone with some good news.
I currently have been trying to get a refund for an iPad I returned over a month ago (returned in Nov 2023). When the UPS driver picked up the return package, they scanned the return bar code provided by Amazon, but somehow it was given a different tracking number that was tied to the return. I have the return receipt provided by UPS and have tried contacting Amazon Customer Service NUMEROUS times, but they say there is nothing they can do. I’ve given them a copy of the return label receipt, but they just keep saying they don’t see that UPS did the 1st pick up scan. They told me to reach out to UPS to file a claim, but when I contacted UPS to file a claim, they told me that Amazon has to initiate the claim since the tracking number is tied to their Amazon account and not mine. When I call Amazon back, no one will do anything with the tracking number I have for my package that they have somewhere at Amazon. I now have no refund and no iPad which is valued at $700. Now they are telling me my return is past 30 days and there is nothing they can do. They keep hanging up on me, I have asked for supervisors, and they are no help either. I have tried on-line chats with Amazon customer service, and they tell me nothing there is nothing they can do and abruptly end the chat. I have also reached out Amazon Help on X (formerly Twitter), and they say they can’t help with specific account information since they are online platform, so I asked if they could please elevate my request to senior manager or someone who can help find my return package, and they only gave me a link back to amazon to submit a request, which I did with very detailed information, and they responded with same exact response, that there is nothing they can do because the return has not had 1st scan from carrier. They will not even look for or try to rectify the tracking number that the UPS driver gave me when he scanned the bar code they provided. I am at a loss, and do not know what to do anymore and I would appreciate any help or suggestions for ways to try and get this resolved.
ADD ME
I have been charged multiple times for items that I returned within the 30 day. They now are saying “suspicious activity” I would like to know if they have us returning items “no box no label “ are to prove that we didn’t return the items? At my local UPS they just toss everybody’s things together in huge bags. I have proof I returned it yet that doesn’t matter.
Ya yeah add me to this case because you know I’ve been dealing with Amazon for about 6 years and I’ve had to reach out to them multiple times because they’ve retro charged me for items that I’ve done returned or they’ll say give me an email saying we’re going to charge you for this if you don’t return it and I’ve done returned it if it’s been like 90 to 100 days to 180 days I’ll return stuff and they still retro charge me for it Man I got to get on there and waste all my time and after all my hours is spent time lossing on this this freaking website trying to get to a chat get to the chat and they transfer you like 10 different people and it’s just terrible You know so you know I feel that they owe me because they’ve wasted so much of my time over the past years and then I’m having to go on there and and complain about something or they’ve charged me for something I’ve done returned you know and this is not returnable or anything like that so it’s kind of bull you know I don’t think they should get away with this and I like to be out of your case James Pratt thanks
I have very detailed screenshots and banking records showing over 1500 being charged, cancelled by amazon, and then recharged after it was “cleared”. I have now been charged 3 times for 944.76 (one AC), and though i have contacted them daily since the transaction Nov 26th, they say they cannot return my money.. even though they are who cancelled the order. I have spent over 14 hrs on the phone (recorded), support chat (screenshot), and on my amazon account (screen recording showing i cannot click on the false orders to see any information or return option). These items say eligible for return though.