Returned products incorrectly marked as " Tracking status = Carrier picked up the package"

Dear All,

Customer returns that automatically have a label generated by Amazon and charged to us are shown in the “Manage Returns” section as " Tracking status = Carrier picked up the package". The tracking when checked with the couriers websites shows absolutely no record of the item being handed over (same for hermes and Royal Mail). We have a significant number of items with this status and no movement in any networks.

I believe this " Tracking status = Carrier picked up the package" is incorrectly generated when the buyer prints/downloads the label - and not when they hand it over to a courier. These items are sitting for months with this status and it seems the customers have no intention to return the products and therefore we should be able to get a refund on the postage? However, with an incorrect status for the tracking I don’t like my chances.

It seems we may all have a large number of returns labels charged to our accounts for products that customers change their mind and actually never return?

I have spoken to support who fully agreed and created a case, but when it was transferred it all got lost in translation.

Has anyone got any ideas on if this is a technical error or able to explain?