Dealing with a buyer who keeps returning items on Amazon: manual authorisation of return requests, when you can close one, and how to keep records

Amazon Seller Reinstatement Support (hereafter "we") is not an official Amazon contact channel and has no ownership or partnership relationship with Amazon. This article is for sellers who ship their own orders and want to know what they can do when the same buyer keeps sending return requests, or when returned items come back in a different condition from the one they were shipped in.

To give the answer first: a seller can do four things. Choose in the return settings whether return requests that fall within policy are authorised automatically or manually. Answer each return request within 48 hours by authorising or closing it. Check the condition of the item after it is returned, and deduct a restocking fee only when the conditions apply. And keep a record for every order, writing only facts when you inform Amazon. There is no method in the Help for refusing returns on the basis of assumptions about the buyer's intentions.

This article is based on the Seller Central Help pages "Amazon Marketplace Guarantee claims", "Return request settings", "Processing return requests", "Frequently asked questions about returns", "Guidelines for charging restocking fees" and "Returns policy", checked on 19 October 2026. Policies and screens change, so please also check the latest Help pages.

What we handle is preparing and revising submission drafts. You log in to your account and handle appeals and submissions to Amazon yourself.

What to tell apart first when returns keep coming: within policy or outside policy

According to the Help, sellers must offer a returns policy that is equal to or better than the Amazon.co.jp returns policy. On that basis, the return requests you receive are divided into those that comply with Amazon's returns policy (within policy) and those that do not (outside policy), and they are handled differently.

Type of return request	How it is authorised (as stated in Help)	What the seller can decide
Complies with Amazon's returns policy (within policy)	Authorised automatically, and a link to the return authorisation label is emailed to the buyer. In stores where the seller has chosen "Manual (seller)" in the return settings, the seller authorises it	In stores where automatic authorisation is not mandatory, the seller can choose automatic or manual in the return settings
Outside policy (the return window has passed, the category is exempt, and so on)	Sent to the seller for manual authorisation	Decide whether to authorise it or close it with a stated reason
Seller Fulfilled Prime orders	The FAQ says return requests may be authorised automatically	Follow the Seller Fulfilled Prime terms

When returns keep coming from the same buyer, first check which type each return request is, using "View return and order details" in Manage Returns. Refusing a return that is within policy merely because the buyer is the same person does not appear in the flow described in the Help. For those outside policy, on the other hand, the seller can decide whether to accept them.

Can automatic authorisation be stopped? The "Manual (seller)" option in the return settings

According to the Help page "Return request settings", the default rule used to authorise return requests is set by choosing one of the following.

• Within policy (Amazon): Amazon automatically authorises every return request that complies with Amazon's returns policy
• Manual (seller): the seller authorises every return request manually

However, in stores where automatic authorisation of return requests is mandatory, you cannot switch to manual. Even after switching to manual, if 48 hours pass without authorisation, this meets a condition for the automatic approval of an A-to-z Guarantee claim, as explained in the next section. Use the manual setting not as a way to refuse, but as a way to check each return before answering.

Decide within 48 hours when a return request arrives: authorise, close or refund

STEP 1. Decide whether to authorise or close

The FAQ on returns recommends replying to a return request within 24 hours. And the Help on Amazon Marketplace Guarantee claims states that if the seller does not authorise a return request that needs manual authorisation within 48 hours (this includes closing or declining it), the buyer can file a claim, and that a request left for 48 hours with neither authorisation nor a decline meets a condition for a claim, once filed, to be approved automatically. Whether you authorise or close, answer before 48 hours have passed.

STEP 2. When you close, close with a stated reason

According to the Help page "Processing return requests", return requests whose status is pending authorisation can be closed. The situations given in which you can close one are as follows.

• When you decide not to accept a return that is outside Amazon's returns policy (for example, the return window has passed)
• When you intend to refund without asking for the item back
• When the return is caused by incorrect information in the Amazon catalogue (not eligible for return; direct the buyer to Customer Service)
• When the item is designated as non-returnable or non-exchangeable under Amazon's returns policy

To close one, select the request in Manage Returns, choose a reason under "Close return request" and write the detailed reason in the message field to the buyer. The FAQ says that once a return request is closed it cannot be reopened. If a refund becomes necessary after closing, you can refund from Manage Orders, but no record remains in Manage Returns.

STEP 3. Refund after receiving the return and checking its condition

The Help recommends that when an item is to be returned, you wait for it to arrive and check its condition on return before refunding. If no return is needed and the buyer may keep the item, you can refund straight away. Authorised requests with the status pending refund can be completed when the buyer has not returned the item, when the buyer has cancelled, or when the request is a duplicate. The Help also says that a return request not processed within 50 days of creation, and one with no update for 30 days after a partial refund, are closed automatically.

Restocking fees and partial refunds: only when the conditions apply

According to the Help page "Guidelines for charging restocking fees", under specific conditions you can charge the buyer a restocking fee on a returned item and issue a partial refund with the fee deducted from the refund amount. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the item price (excluding shipping), depending on the type of item and its condition on return.

How the item was returned (from the Help table)	Restocking fee
The buyer changed their mind and the item was returned in the same condition as shipped	Can be charged. Up to 20% of the item price
The buyer changed their mind and a non-media item was returned damaged or in a condition materially different from when shipped	Can be charged. Up to 50% of the item price
A book with obvious signs of use, or a CD, DVD, PC software, video game or similar returned with the shrink wrap removed and opened	Can be charged. Up to 50% of the item price
Damage in transit or by the carrier and the buyer refused delivery / the item was already damaged or defective when delivered	Cannot be charged (you may be able to claim compensation from the carrier or your insurer)
An item materially different from the one ordered was delivered and then returned	Cannot be charged

In the Help, this table is presented in the context that "you need not accept a return after the return window has passed, but if you do accept it you may be able to charge a restocking fee". It does not mean you can deduct a fee uniformly from returns made within the window, so check the conditions in the Help before deducting, and keep the basis for the deduction (photos of the condition and which row applies) in your records.

Records when returns keep coming from the same buyer: one line per order

Keeping records turns the impression that "returns keep coming" into information you can present to Amazon. Make a table with one line per order and keep the following items.

• Order number, order date, ship date, shipping method and tracking number
• Date and time of the return request, the reason (the reason the buyer chose in the Returns Centre), and whether it is within or outside policy
• Date and time of authorisation, closing or completion, and the reason written if closed
• The date the return arrived, and photos of the outer box and contents when opened (plus photos of any difference from the shipped condition)
• Refund date and amount (full or partial; if a restocking fee was deducted, the basis for it)
• Dates and times of exchanges in Buyer-Seller Messages

When there are several returns from the same buyer, group them by buyer so that the sequence of order numbers is clear. Photographing each returned item as it is opened gives you material for explaining differences in condition. For orders where the buyer's name and the recipient's name differ, or where held orders pile up, you can use the same format as the record sheet in the article on held orders and suspicious orders.

A seller does not need to decide what the buyer's intentions are. Keep only the facts — "many returns", "different condition" — together with dates, photos and amounts.

Where to inform Amazon, and how

If you want to tell Amazon about returns from the same buyer, raise it in a Technical Support case. How to open a case, and the practice of one problem per case, are covered in the article on contacting Technical Support. "Report abuse" in Seller Central is the channel for reporting policy or legal violations by other sellers; how to write such a report is covered in the article on suspected harassment. Returns from a buyer are raised in a Technical Support case; when you send one, keep to the following.

• Write facts only: order numbers, dates, return reasons, the condition of returned items and the refund details
• Do not write guesses or feelings: do not use wording that presumes the buyer's purpose unless it can be verified
• Keep a note of what you sent, when, and the case ID
• If there is no reply, do not send the same content repeatedly

The Help pages checked for this article contain no statement that the seller is informed of what action is taken on the buyer's side. If you believe a legal claim or legal judgement is needed, consult a lawyer with your records.

The effect on the A-to-z Guarantee and the Order Defect Rate: the risk of leaving requests unanswered

Leaving return requests unanswered has a bigger effect than the returns themselves. The return-related conditions for automatic approval listed in the Help page "Amazon Marketplace Guarantee claims" are as follows.

• The seller neither authorised nor declined a return request from the buyer within 48 hours
• The seller authorised a return request to an overseas return address but, within 5 days of receiving the request, neither provided a prepaid return label nor issued a refund without return
• The seller did not refund within 5 days of receiving an item returned with a prepaid return label
• An item returned with a prepaid return label became undeliverable because the seller's return address was out of date or incorrect

For an automatically approved claim, the claim amount is debited from the seller's account. The Help says that granted claims affect the Order Defect Rate. When repeated returns are causing problems, it is especially important to reply within 48 hours and to refund after receiving the returned item. What to do after a claim is filed, and how to appeal, is covered in the article on A-to-z Guarantee claims. The limits on returns as seen from the buyer's side, and how a buyer account comes to be restricted, are in the article on what to check before repeatedly returning items.

What we can do about returns

Authorising or closing return requests, refunding and sending a Technical Support case are procedures you carry out yourself from the Seller Central screens. We do not log in to your account or send anything on your behalf.

What we help with is reviewing your return records and the notices you received, and preparing and revising the draft of the explanation to send to Amazon. If repeated returns and A-to-z Guarantee claims have worsened your Order Defect Rate, we help with the draft of that appeal in the same way.

How Amazon judges a buyer or a claim is Amazon's decision, and we cannot promise an outcome. For cases we consider difficult, we tell you so before you engage us, to the extent known at that point.

Our fee is the same for every engagement: an initial fee of 80,000 yen plus a success fee of 80,000 yen (both including tax), paid by bank transfer. The initial fee is payable regardless of the outcome; the success fee is charged when the purpose of the engagement, such as reinstatement of the account, is achieved. If it is not achieved, no success fee is charged. Consultations are free, as often as you need.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Can I refuse returns from the same buyer on my own initiative?

A. The Help pages checked for this article give no method for refusing a return request that complies with Amazon's returns policy on the grounds that the buyer is the same person. What you can refuse are requests outside policy, such as those made after the return window has passed, and items designated as non-returnable; in those cases, close the request with a stated reason. Accept returns that are within policy, and respond with a restocking fee appropriate to the condition and with records.

Q. Can I stop returns being authorised automatically?

A. In stores where automatic authorisation is not mandatory, you can set the authorisation rule in the return settings to "Manual (seller)". Even with the manual setting, however, if you do not answer by authorising or closing within 48 hours, this meets a condition for the automatic approval of an A-to-z Guarantee claim. Seller Fulfilled Prime orders may be authorised automatically.

Q. The returned item had clearly been used. Do I have to refund in full?

A. Under the Help guidelines on restocking fees, for a return made because the buyer changed their mind where a non-media item is damaged or in a condition materially different from when shipped, you can charge a restocking fee of up to 50% of the item price and issue a partial refund with the fee deducted. Keep photos taken on opening and a note of which row of the Help table applies. You cannot charge a fee for damage in transit or where you delivered an item materially different from the one ordered.

Q. I closed a return request by mistake. Can I reopen it?

A. The FAQ says that once a return request is closed it cannot be reopened. Either ask the buyer to send a new return request, or leave the request closed and refund from Manage Orders. In the latter case, no record remains in Manage Returns.

Q. If I tell Amazon about a buyer who keeps returning items, will anything be done?

A. You can raise it in a Technical Support case with the order numbers and the facts. There is no statement in the Help pages checked for this article that the seller is informed of what action is taken on the buyer's side. What the seller should keep to first is the 48-hour reply, the refund after receiving the return, and a record for every order.

Summary

• Return requests are handled differently depending on whether they are within policy (automatic or manual authorisation) or outside policy (manual authorisation). Check which one first.
• In stores where automatic authorisation is not mandatory, you can choose "Manual (seller)" in the return settings, but you must answer by authorising or closing within 48 hours.
• You can close a request when it is outside policy, when you refund without a return, or when the cause is a catalogue error, among others. Close with a stated reason; a closed request cannot be reopened.
• A restocking fee of up to 20% or 50% of the item price can be deducted only when the conditions in the Help table apply.
• Keep one line of records per order and photos taken on opening, and tell Amazon only the facts. Leaving requests unanswered meets a condition for automatic approval of A-to-z Guarantee claims and also affects the Order Defect Rate.

*This article provides a general explanation. The appropriate response in individual cases depends on the circumstances.

Further reading

Before making repeated Amazon returns: restriction notices and purchase history Read article → When a buyer files an Amazon A-to-z Guarantee claim for "item not received": the seller's 48 hours, appeals and reimbursement Read article → Suspected harassment on Amazon: keeping records, reporting and reviewing operations Read article →