How to Return a Product to
Amazon from Israel
Consistent
with its normal return policies, Amazon’s policy on items shipped to Israel is
that you can return unopened items within thirty days of receiving them in
Israel.
Starting the Process of Returning a shipment from Israel[1]
1. Go to ‘orders’ and select the order that you wish to return. The ‘Orders’ tab can be found in the top left corner of the amazon screen, next to the search bar. Alternatively, you can select ‘Accounts & lists’ (also pictured) and then choose ‘Orders’ from the dropdown menu.
2. Select the ‘Return or replace items’ tab.
3. All of your orders that are still eligible to be returned will be shown. The date on which the item was shipped will also appear in each item’s box. When you select the relevant item(s), you will see the date until they can be returned at the bottom left corner of the page.
4. Select ‘Why are you returning this?’ and then choose ‘Item is defective or doesn’t work’ from the drop-down menu. A comment box will then appear under the relevant item. Provide a detailed account of the issue in the comments section and then click ‘Continue’.
5. This will take you to the ‘How can we resolve it?’ page. Select ‘Refund’ and then click ‘Continue.’
6. You will then be redirected to the ‘How do you want to send it back?’ page. The default address that it is being sent from is listed beneath the page heading. If you would like to change it, select the blue ‘Change Address’ text.
7. You will also need to select a return option. This page will also inform you of the return fees for each carrier option, including the option to apply for UPS to pick up an item that is too large for you to transport to the post office on our own.
8. Submit your request.
9. You will now be on the ‘Your Return Summary’ page. If you have a printer available, select ‘Print label & instructions.’ Otherwise, you can select the ‘Email it to a friend’ or ‘Request label by mail’ tabs. We advise that you do not opt to have it sent by mail, as this will detract more time from your limited return timeframe. Regardless of which option to select, you will automatically be emailed a copy of the label.
10. Print out the authentication receipt and shipping label, and then follow the attached instructions. The sheet with the authentication number should be placed inside the package, while the shipping label should be attached to the front of the package.
11. You can use either the original packaging that the item was delivered in or a new sturdy box.
12. You can now take it to the drop-off point, post-office or wait for it to be collected, depending on the option that you chose.
Return fees
- As for the shipping fee, you will need to pay it unless the error is from Amazon’s side. In that case, they will reimburse you for this fee up to a $20 USD after they have received the item back.
- According to Amazon’s return policy page, it can take up to 25 days for an item to reach Amazon’s warehouse once it has been shipped, a further 2 business days to be processed and up to another 5 business days for the refund to go through. This means that it can take a total of up to 35 days days for the refund to come through. This may also be longer during holiday periods.
- You can track you return package from either the ‘Orders’ page in the same way that you can track you ordered items, or through Amazon’s ‘Returns Center’ page by selecting the ‘Manage returns tab’. and will only receive a refund if the item is returned before the date listed at the bottom of the ‘return method’ page. Once it has been received by Amazon, the refund should take between 2 – 3 weeks to process.
- It is important to note that you will be expected to pay the shipping fee upfront. Amazon will then later cover up to $20 USD of the shipping fee later as part of the total refund amount that they will return after they have received the item. However they do make exceptions and refund higher amounts, so it is worth contacting customer support to request a full refund if your shipping fee exceeds that amount. Custom fees are not refunded by Amazon, and so will have to be covered by the customer.
- Furthermore, this may differ slightly if the order was processed by a third-party seller rather than directly through Amazon’s warehouse.
However,
you should be careful not to abuse this return system, or Amazon might ban you
from using their site. But they will first send you a warning email if they
feel that you are returning too many items, so it won’t come out of nowhere.
Although there are no specific criteria for bans, it seems that ban warnings usually occur when the buyer returns too many opened products or when their returns total more than 10% of the overall amount that they have spent over a long period of time. The ban itself also only occurs if the buyer returns another item after receiving the warning. The buyer can appeal the ban, but it’s probably best that they don’t push their luck.
It
is also likely that Amazon would be more tolerant of reasonable return requests
such as receiving the wrong item or incorrect size. However, this isn’t known
for certain.
How do shipping fees work when returning items from Israel?
Although
Amazon has a free shipping policy for returned items within the 50 US states,
this does not apply to areas outside the united states.
Can items shipped to Israel be exchanged?
No.
Exchanges are only accepted when the item was bought and shipped through amazon
to a US address. Other examples of exclusions include gifted items,
add-on/promotional items.
Of
course, you can just go to your order history and choose to reorder that item,
so the ‘no exchanges’ policy isn’t too much of an inconvenience.
What are Amazon’s complaint categories when applying to return an
item?
- Description
on website was not accurate;
- The
shipping box or envelope and item are both damaged;
- Defective/Does
not work properly;
- Better
price available;
- Missed
estimated delivery date;
- Accidental
order;
- Wrong item
was sent;
- Arrived in
addition to what was ordered;
- No longer
needed/wanted.
I have updated this according to a
video that I watched in addition to the Amazon video and online information.
Have any of you returned an item and can confirm that this is how it still
works?
