Fraudulent Customer Activity - Amazon automatically refunding SFP/MFN orders without involving us
Hi Seller Community,
I’m reaching out to share a frustrating experience and to see if anyone has advice or has dealt with something similar.
We are a SFP Prime seller, and are suffering with a fraudulent customer who is exploiting Amazon’s policies, and Seller Support has been unwilling or unable to help us.
This individual orders products from us and then contacts Amazon Customer Service directly, claiming "item not as described." Without involving us, Amazon instantly issues a full refund. The customer gets to keep the product and the refund. What's worse is that it’s the same person each time - they’re using different delivery addresses, but the name and contact information are identical. They've done this over 15 times now.
As an SFP seller, we are supposed to handle customer service ourselves, but this individual is bypassing us completely and abusing Amazon's system. They clearly know exactly how to game the process. We’ve flagged this with Seller Support, provided evidence, and explained the recurring pattern, but we’ve been met with nothing but unhelpful, generic responses.
This situation is infuriating, not only because it impacts our business financially, but also because it undermines the trust and hard work we pour into serving our customers. It feels like Amazon’s system is designed to protect buyers at all costs, even when it’s blatantly obvious that the buyer is acting in bad faith.
We are a small business, and every loss hurts. We are committed to doing things the right way, but this situation leaves us feeling powerless. I know I’m not alone in experiencing these challenges, which makes it even more frustrating that there doesn’t seem to be an effective resolution process in place.
If anyone in this community has dealt with something similar or knows of a way to escalate this within Amazon effectively, I would greatly appreciate your insights. I also think it’s worth starting a broader discussion about how we as sellers can collectively push for better protections against such exploitation.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I’m trying to stay professional despite my frustration because I believe that transparency and collaboration can help drive change. If nothing else, maybe this post can shed light on an issue that affects many of us.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
3 replies
Seller_QuM1AZgzfU9x4
Unless something has changed with SFP Amazon are responsible for providing customer service and handling refunds in the same way as for FBA.
You'd need to open Safe-T claims for any problematic refunds.
Seller_ZVAz3d5lZuGid
"... it’s the same person each time - they’re using different delivery addresses, but the name and contact information are identical. They've done this over 15 times now."
Sounds as though it is a dropshipper, if it is the same buyer, but going to different addresses. Have you tried reporting the buyer via report abuse ?
Seller_ZJhFeE3tNKzfh
Key questions related to your query are...
When will Amazon CS provide a full refund to the customer?
CS may provide a full refund to the customer if the order is delayed beyond the promised date, if the customer does not need the product any more, if the order does not have tracking information, if the customer complains that the product is defective/damaged, has missing parts or a wrong product is received. Sellers are notified of refund decisions by CS with information on why that refund has been issued (see FAQ 11). If you need more information on a particular order, you should open a case with Seller Support.
Can sellers dispute CS decision to refund the customer?
No, as part of participation requirement in Seller Fulfilled Prime, CS decisions are not disputable. You must accept a decision once it has been made by CS, whether it is accepting a return or providing a refund. If, however, you feel you should not be held responsible financially for the decision, you can open a reimbursement claim according to Seller Fulfilled Prime Reimbursement Policy.
What happens, if CS refunds the customer but I don't think I should be held responsible for the refund?
In certain cases, Amazon may reimburse you, if you claim you should not be held responsible for the refund. For more information, refer Seller Fulfilled Prime Reimbursement Policy.
You could also review the program terms - but they are blank unfortunately. Perhaps that could be your out - amazon can't have adhered to the program terms, because there aren't any.
Fraudulent Customer Activity - Amazon automatically refunding SFP/MFN orders without involving us
Hi Seller Community,
I’m reaching out to share a frustrating experience and to see if anyone has advice or has dealt with something similar.
We are a SFP Prime seller, and are suffering with a fraudulent customer who is exploiting Amazon’s policies, and Seller Support has been unwilling or unable to help us.
This individual orders products from us and then contacts Amazon Customer Service directly, claiming "item not as described." Without involving us, Amazon instantly issues a full refund. The customer gets to keep the product and the refund. What's worse is that it’s the same person each time - they’re using different delivery addresses, but the name and contact information are identical. They've done this over 15 times now.
As an SFP seller, we are supposed to handle customer service ourselves, but this individual is bypassing us completely and abusing Amazon's system. They clearly know exactly how to game the process. We’ve flagged this with Seller Support, provided evidence, and explained the recurring pattern, but we’ve been met with nothing but unhelpful, generic responses.
This situation is infuriating, not only because it impacts our business financially, but also because it undermines the trust and hard work we pour into serving our customers. It feels like Amazon’s system is designed to protect buyers at all costs, even when it’s blatantly obvious that the buyer is acting in bad faith.
We are a small business, and every loss hurts. We are committed to doing things the right way, but this situation leaves us feeling powerless. I know I’m not alone in experiencing these challenges, which makes it even more frustrating that there doesn’t seem to be an effective resolution process in place.
If anyone in this community has dealt with something similar or knows of a way to escalate this within Amazon effectively, I would greatly appreciate your insights. I also think it’s worth starting a broader discussion about how we as sellers can collectively push for better protections against such exploitation.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I’m trying to stay professional despite my frustration because I believe that transparency and collaboration can help drive change. If nothing else, maybe this post can shed light on an issue that affects many of us.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
Fraudulent Customer Activity - Amazon automatically refunding SFP/MFN orders without involving us
Hi Seller Community,
I’m reaching out to share a frustrating experience and to see if anyone has advice or has dealt with something similar.
We are a SFP Prime seller, and are suffering with a fraudulent customer who is exploiting Amazon’s policies, and Seller Support has been unwilling or unable to help us.
This individual orders products from us and then contacts Amazon Customer Service directly, claiming "item not as described." Without involving us, Amazon instantly issues a full refund. The customer gets to keep the product and the refund. What's worse is that it’s the same person each time - they’re using different delivery addresses, but the name and contact information are identical. They've done this over 15 times now.
As an SFP seller, we are supposed to handle customer service ourselves, but this individual is bypassing us completely and abusing Amazon's system. They clearly know exactly how to game the process. We’ve flagged this with Seller Support, provided evidence, and explained the recurring pattern, but we’ve been met with nothing but unhelpful, generic responses.
This situation is infuriating, not only because it impacts our business financially, but also because it undermines the trust and hard work we pour into serving our customers. It feels like Amazon’s system is designed to protect buyers at all costs, even when it’s blatantly obvious that the buyer is acting in bad faith.
We are a small business, and every loss hurts. We are committed to doing things the right way, but this situation leaves us feeling powerless. I know I’m not alone in experiencing these challenges, which makes it even more frustrating that there doesn’t seem to be an effective resolution process in place.
If anyone in this community has dealt with something similar or knows of a way to escalate this within Amazon effectively, I would greatly appreciate your insights. I also think it’s worth starting a broader discussion about how we as sellers can collectively push for better protections against such exploitation.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I’m trying to stay professional despite my frustration because I believe that transparency and collaboration can help drive change. If nothing else, maybe this post can shed light on an issue that affects many of us.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
3 replies
3 replies
Seller_QuM1AZgzfU9x4
Unless something has changed with SFP Amazon are responsible for providing customer service and handling refunds in the same way as for FBA.
You'd need to open Safe-T claims for any problematic refunds.
Seller_ZVAz3d5lZuGid
"... it’s the same person each time - they’re using different delivery addresses, but the name and contact information are identical. They've done this over 15 times now."
Sounds as though it is a dropshipper, if it is the same buyer, but going to different addresses. Have you tried reporting the buyer via report abuse ?
Seller_ZJhFeE3tNKzfh
Key questions related to your query are...
When will Amazon CS provide a full refund to the customer?
CS may provide a full refund to the customer if the order is delayed beyond the promised date, if the customer does not need the product any more, if the order does not have tracking information, if the customer complains that the product is defective/damaged, has missing parts or a wrong product is received. Sellers are notified of refund decisions by CS with information on why that refund has been issued (see FAQ 11). If you need more information on a particular order, you should open a case with Seller Support.
Can sellers dispute CS decision to refund the customer?
No, as part of participation requirement in Seller Fulfilled Prime, CS decisions are not disputable. You must accept a decision once it has been made by CS, whether it is accepting a return or providing a refund. If, however, you feel you should not be held responsible financially for the decision, you can open a reimbursement claim according to Seller Fulfilled Prime Reimbursement Policy.
What happens, if CS refunds the customer but I don't think I should be held responsible for the refund?
In certain cases, Amazon may reimburse you, if you claim you should not be held responsible for the refund. For more information, refer Seller Fulfilled Prime Reimbursement Policy.
You could also review the program terms - but they are blank unfortunately. Perhaps that could be your out - amazon can't have adhered to the program terms, because there aren't any.
Seller_QuM1AZgzfU9x4
Unless something has changed with SFP Amazon are responsible for providing customer service and handling refunds in the same way as for FBA.
You'd need to open Safe-T claims for any problematic refunds.
Seller_QuM1AZgzfU9x4
Unless something has changed with SFP Amazon are responsible for providing customer service and handling refunds in the same way as for FBA.
You'd need to open Safe-T claims for any problematic refunds.
Seller_ZVAz3d5lZuGid
"... it’s the same person each time - they’re using different delivery addresses, but the name and contact information are identical. They've done this over 15 times now."
Sounds as though it is a dropshipper, if it is the same buyer, but going to different addresses. Have you tried reporting the buyer via report abuse ?
Seller_ZVAz3d5lZuGid
"... it’s the same person each time - they’re using different delivery addresses, but the name and contact information are identical. They've done this over 15 times now."
Sounds as though it is a dropshipper, if it is the same buyer, but going to different addresses. Have you tried reporting the buyer via report abuse ?
Seller_ZJhFeE3tNKzfh
Key questions related to your query are...
When will Amazon CS provide a full refund to the customer?
CS may provide a full refund to the customer if the order is delayed beyond the promised date, if the customer does not need the product any more, if the order does not have tracking information, if the customer complains that the product is defective/damaged, has missing parts or a wrong product is received. Sellers are notified of refund decisions by CS with information on why that refund has been issued (see FAQ 11). If you need more information on a particular order, you should open a case with Seller Support.
Can sellers dispute CS decision to refund the customer?
No, as part of participation requirement in Seller Fulfilled Prime, CS decisions are not disputable. You must accept a decision once it has been made by CS, whether it is accepting a return or providing a refund. If, however, you feel you should not be held responsible financially for the decision, you can open a reimbursement claim according to Seller Fulfilled Prime Reimbursement Policy.
What happens, if CS refunds the customer but I don't think I should be held responsible for the refund?
In certain cases, Amazon may reimburse you, if you claim you should not be held responsible for the refund. For more information, refer Seller Fulfilled Prime Reimbursement Policy.
You could also review the program terms - but they are blank unfortunately. Perhaps that could be your out - amazon can't have adhered to the program terms, because there aren't any.
Seller_ZJhFeE3tNKzfh
Key questions related to your query are...
When will Amazon CS provide a full refund to the customer?
CS may provide a full refund to the customer if the order is delayed beyond the promised date, if the customer does not need the product any more, if the order does not have tracking information, if the customer complains that the product is defective/damaged, has missing parts or a wrong product is received. Sellers are notified of refund decisions by CS with information on why that refund has been issued (see FAQ 11). If you need more information on a particular order, you should open a case with Seller Support.
Can sellers dispute CS decision to refund the customer?
No, as part of participation requirement in Seller Fulfilled Prime, CS decisions are not disputable. You must accept a decision once it has been made by CS, whether it is accepting a return or providing a refund. If, however, you feel you should not be held responsible financially for the decision, you can open a reimbursement claim according to Seller Fulfilled Prime Reimbursement Policy.
What happens, if CS refunds the customer but I don't think I should be held responsible for the refund?
In certain cases, Amazon may reimburse you, if you claim you should not be held responsible for the refund. For more information, refer Seller Fulfilled Prime Reimbursement Policy.
You could also review the program terms - but they are blank unfortunately. Perhaps that could be your out - amazon can't have adhered to the program terms, because there aren't any.
