Returns coming back through Hermes
So Amazon now use Hermes for returns, no longer Royal Mail. As we sell clothing we have to pay for a customers return and they get a Hermes label.
Hermes lost two of our returns with items worth £100 each, this was at the end of December. The process to claim for these is appalling. Amazon wash their hands of it and say we have to talk to Hermes. That isn’t easy! However, did that and Hermes have eventually said that due to the level of compensation that Amazon have chosen, we will receive £10 per parcel. Its just disgusting.
67 replies
Seller_ZQyopdiwkUHOZ
That’s really unfair. I don’t know if it’s still an option, but you used to be able to exempt certain lines from the automatic returns labels somewhere on the site with high item value being one of the accepted reasons.
If that’s still an option, I suggest exempting the lines with value significantly above £10 and provide the returns labels yourself for those.
Seller_B4VbHpnDLDLAU
The whole new returns system is and has been a shambles. I have had more complaints from buyers on how to use the system, the lost parcels with amazon and Hermes blaming each other with a-z out of our pocket.
Customers messaging with issues relating to the label creation.
Complaints with the Hermes charge
The incorrect advertising of what’s free returns what’s not.
The abuse of opening incorrect returns request to gain the free post
When we could have RM for returns us sellers could not get VAT invoices which is why they stopped it.
The list is endless.
Seller_3sA3mMDSBeAxr
We’re currently having this issue. Customer sent the return over two weeks ago, parcel hasn’t moved from the depot in over 10 days, we’ve now had to refund without knowing if the item was complete as per the return reason etc.
Seller Support told us to ‘work it out with the buyer’ and ‘have the buyer contact hermes’ regarding the tracking.
Has anyone been able to claim for a ‘lost parcel’ through this system and can point us in the direction where to claim?
Seller_3TuKPsB3ieWKC
We’ve moved quite a lot of products off of Amazon because of their forced returns.
- Charging us £3.30 for items which can be returned by Royal Mail for £1.00
- Shifting all responsibility for returns onto sellers. If the buyer fails to return an item it’s now the seller’s fault.
- No longer viable to sell lines which are £5-£10, with a return cost of £3.30. Our choice for some lines is sell at a loss, increase prices to a level where items would never sell or remove from Amazon.
- It’s basically a stealth fee rise. Forcing us to pay for all returns at Amazon rates will likely cost us somewhere in the region of £2000-£3000 per year.
- Customers are confused by different return policies for different products/categories
- Hermes turn up at any random point through the day, or not at all.
- Telling sellers that it is our responsibility to claim if a buyer has a lost item is utter insanity.
Seller_LPQTXAx3oIrLt
Hermes is the pits. I’ve lost multiple items with Hermes, also have a lot of stuff come back wet/damp - when I asked the driver (local lady) why the boxes are wet, she said she gets too much mail in the morning when Hermes drop it off to her and it sits in bags on her driveway until she can sort/load it. If the floor is wet, or it is raining, the mail gets wet.
Seller_O87orUdmHqL2M
The whole returns process is infuriating - I cannot do them anymore, have had to delegate to a member of staff who is less invested in the company. ‘No longer needed’, ‘Unauthorised Purchase’ - the classic ‘Smaller than i thought lol sorry!’ - why should we have to pay for the return, we shouldn’t even have to refund the outgoing postage based on the above reasons for return.
The whole process is too easy for the customer, I guarantee that 90% of customers would not return items if they knew that the above costs would be theirs to pay and not the innocent seller. And yes Amazon using Hermes is a joke, they are the worst couriers by a country mile and we now regularly have damaged returns or lost returns due to their ineptitude - as long as it saves Amazon a few pennies at our expense though hey!?
Seller_Iti0OkAyMPN7I
I refuse to use Hermes FULL STOP - I have had a couple of Warranty returns to Amazon for £200+ items which are faulty and I refused to send them back via Hermes Amazon backed down on 1 and issued an RM label and the other they refunded the Tracked 24 cost.
Both Hermes and Amazons return Policy are not fit for purpose.
Seller_nzd3XpaZpr8Gb
Yes this system is absolutely appalling. The last two cases I have raised have suggested I ask the customer to contact Hermes Customer Service! My customers just go (understandably) mad at me and I have to refund with no goods.
Seller_zLn3YOkGOaTxU
Don’t understand what Amazon where thinking with this policy; it clearly wasn’t run past anyone with any retail experience. We have multiple returns addresses which are dependent on return reason, and never had any issues before the new process. Now Amazon gives a label and half of our returns go back to the wrong address. Contacted Amazon and they say they realise that there are problems with this - but haven’t done anything about it!
Seller_DnL3AXoQFgZKI
Have you noticed who invoices you for these returns? Most bizarre
Wonder why Amazon does that?
