A-z-claims (Amazon)
De termen A-z-claims, A-z Garantieanträge, A-to-z Guarantee Claims of AZC's, hebben betrekking op het niet-goed-geld-terug-beleid van Amazon.
Uitkomsten
Toegewezen A-z-claims hebben een negatieve impact op Account health. Zie Account health (Amazon) voor details
Hieronder worden alle vermoedelijk eindresultaten van A-z-claims besproken [1]. Het teken tussen haakje geeft de vermoedelijke impact aan, die deze uitkomst heeft op Account health.
Claim canceled (+)
??
Claim closed (+)
Na arbitrage is de verkoper in het gelijk gesteld.
Claim granted - Amazon funded (-)
- Deze uitkomst schijnt best vaak voor te komen, bv. als een casus complex wordt terwijl het bedrag relatief klein is
- Let op: Deze uitkomst heeft wel een negatieve impact op account health [2].
Claim granted - Seller funded (-)
Na arbitrage is de klant in het gelijk gesteld.
Claim withdrawn (+)
Order refunded (+)
Onder bepaalde (niet geheel opgehelderde) omstandigheden worden claims direct toegewezen. In andere gevallen heb je zo'n drie dagen de tijd om te reageren. In dat geval heb je oa. de mogelijkheid om de order direct te refunden. Daarmee kun je een negatieve notering vermijden.
Een casus uit begin 2018:
Nog een keer de meest concrete aanwijzingen van Amazon die ik hieromtrent ken [3]:
Avoid A-to-z claims and chargebacks Sellers should take care to minimize the number of claims granted on their seller account. Sellers with excessive A-to-z Guarantee claims or service chargebacks are subject to warnings, suspensions, or seller account termination. Here are tips on how to avoid A-to-z Guarantee claims and credit card chargebacks for your orders: * Answer buyer e-mail. In the online guarantee claim form, Amazon stresses to buyers that they should first attempt to work through any issues with sellers. We find that some claims filed against otherwise well-performing sellers are due to sellers' failure to respond to buyer e-mails in a reasonable time frame. * Refund proactively. Sellers can resolve open claims by promptly investigating and, when appropriate, directly refunding the buyer. If the problem is handled this way, Amazon marks the claim not granted. This is the most buyer-friendly outcome and ensures that the claim is not held against the seller's performance record. * Describe products accurately and provide clear images. This eliminates confusion over what the buyer expects to receive. All item offers must be matched against the correct ASIN. For example, it isn't appropriate to list a textbook against a different edition and then to try to explain this within the item description. * Ship with care. Use careful packaging, trackable shipping methods, and signature-required methods for high-cost items. * Keep the buyer informed. Confirm shipments right away and also include tracking information when possible. After you confirm a shipment, Amazon sends the buyer a shipping confirmation e-mail that includes any tracking numbers, if these are available. * Promptly cancel any out-of-stock orders. Send an e-mail to the buyer to let them know what occurred so they are not waiting for a package.
Voluntarily refunded (-)
De verkoper is akkoord gegaan met de claim zonder deze aan te vechten.
Hoe het werkt
Voorwaarden voor indienen
Amazon.com
Een koper kan een A-z-claim indienen wanneer één van de volgende situaties geldt:
- Er is niet tijdig geleverd
- Het geleverde product was anders en/of beschadigd
- Je kunt een retour-procedure niet in gang zetten
- Je hebt een retour-procedure in gang gezet, maar de verkoper heeft tekortgeschoten in de opvolging.
Verder moet deze voorwaarden allemaal gelden:
- Je hebt de verkoper gecontactueerd via je Amazon-account
- De verkoper heeft niet binnen twee werkdagen gereageerd
- Je maakt binnen 90 dagen na bestelling aanspraak op de A-z-claim.
In de praktijk worden claims vaak ingediend zonder dat er aan deze voorwaarden wordt voldaan. Er is geen automatisch mechanisme die zulke claims tegenhoudt. Als je als verkoper claims zonder verzet accepteert, graaf je in een rap tempo je eigen graf.
Amazon.es & Amazon.it
[4] & [5] (identieke URL's, muv. TLD):
- Je hebt de verkoper al gecontactueerd
- Je hebt twee werkdagen gewacht op een reactie
- De reden voor een A-z-claim is één van de volgende:
- Er is niet geleverd
- Geleverde is afwijkend, beschadigd of niet-functionerend
- Een refund-of vervangings-actie loopt niet ok.
Wat hier onduidelijk aan is: Wat nu als de verkoper wél gereageerd heeft? Mag je dan wel een A-z-claim indienen? Ik vermoed van wel, want een verkoper zou anders elke claim kunnen tegenhouden door niets-zeggende emails te sturen.
Datering
Een A-z-claim wordt gedateerd op orderdatum. Dat betekent dat je tot drie maanden ná een bestelling een A-z-claim kunt krijgen:
Wel of niet automatisch toegekend?
Soms worden claims automatisch toegekend, en soms niet. Ik vermoed dat dat afhangt van de ACR (Amazon Customer Representative) die de status bepaalt. Vermoedelijk speelt daarbij je score in het algemeen, ook een rol.
Als de claim niet automatisch is toegekend, heb je de mogelijkheid om te refunden, hetgeen geen negatieve impact op je score hebt. Zie het hoofdstuk uitkomsten voor details.
You've got mail!
Als een klant een claim indient, krijg je een email zoals hieronder (Amazon.ca, nov. 2017). Vreemd genoeg krijg je geen melding via Seller Central.
Dear Seller, We have received a claim under the A-to-z Guarantee program for order 701-xxxxxxx-xxxx817 because the item(s) did not arrive The buyer's comments were "I Totally Did Not Receive my order.- : Please return my money. I did not receive my order yet. it's almost 1 month now. I'm so desappointed of your service." Please note that you have three (3) days to respond to this e-mail. Failure to respond with all the information below may result in a debit to your Marketplace Payments account. Please do NOT ship the items from this order now if you have not already done so. If a partial refund has been given we do require a response to the claim notification explaining the reason a full refund was not provided, failure to do so may result in a debit to your Amazon Payments account. If you accept this claim or want to defend this claim, the easiest and quickest way to refund the buyer or represent yourself is to use online A-to-z Guarantee forms. By doing so, you will ensure faster resolution between the buyer and yourself. Do not reply to this email if you use the on-line forms. -------------------------------------------------------- Here are instructions for issuing a refund or representing your case. * Go to your Seller Account by typing the following web address into your browser's address bar: www.amazon.ca/sc-claims. Sign in when prompted. * Click on "A-to-z Guarantee Claims " for action required claims. * Click on "Refund the order" or "Represent your case" and follow the instructions. For refunds, when the reimbursement is complete, we will debit your account for the refund amount, and credit you back all relevant fees. You may wish to review our A-to-z Guarantee at: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/switch-language/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=10195011&language=en%5FCA And section 5-n of our Participation Agreement at: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=10195031&language=en%5FCA To respond via e-mail, please provide us with the date the order was shipped, shipping company used, the tracking number (required for tracked shipping; if no tracking number is available, please enter ‘NONE’), and any other information relevant to the claim: -------------------------------------------------------- Shipment date: Shipping company: Tracking number: Return Address and RMA (if appropriate): Other details: -------------------------------------------------------- Listed below are all the details regarding this order. Order #: 701-xxxxxxx-xxxx817 Guarantee claim reason: Non-Delivery Guarantee claim requested amount (buyer paid): $19.90 Purchase Date: October 18, 2017 It is our hope that sellers will maintain the standard of customer service to which Amazon.ca strives to hold itself. We appreciate your cooperation in helping to resolve this matter and look forward to receiving your reply. Best regards, Amazon.ca A-to-z Guarantee Program http://www.amazon.ca/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=10195011/
Reageer binnen drie dagen!
Indien de claim nog niet is toegekend (en daar wordt in dit hoofdstuk meestal vanuit gegaan), is het belangrijk om tijdig (dat wil zeggen: Binnen drie dagen) te reageren. Anders wordt de claim automatisch door Amazon toegewezen. Het is daarnaast niet van zelfsprekend dat claims terecht zijn:
- Vaak worden claims ingediend terwijl ze niet aan de voorwaarden voldoen
- Het komt voor dat claims worden ingediend met onzuivere motieven.
Je kunt op twee manieren reageren op claims: Per email, of via de Seller Central-interface → Doe het via de interface!
In eerste aanleg heb je de keuze uit twee mogelijkheden:
- Accepteren / accept this claim
- Aanvechten / defend this claim, oftewel represent your case.
Arbitrage
Als je een claim aanvecht, volgt er arbitrage.
Uitkomst
Zie het aparte hoofdstuk met mogelijke eindresultaten.
Fraude
Het schijnt nogal voor te komen: fraude door kopers. Dit is een interessante thread op Sellercentral.amazon.com hierover.
Best practices
Succesvol afhandelen van A-z-claims, is geen rocket science, maar zo voelt het in het begin waarschijnlijk wel:
Bepaal je strategie
Bepaal wat in de gegeven situatie het gewenste resultaat is. Weer: Zie [6] voor voorbeelden. Elders in dit artikel staan de mogelijke eindresultaten genoemd.
Ken de regels
Geen ontkomen aan: Wees goed op de hoogte van de preciese regels van Amazon. En dat zijn er nogal wat. Voorbeelden:
- Freight forwarders: Gelden aparte regels voor [[7]
- Materially different: Een afwijkend geleverd product, moet binnen 14 dagen gereclameerd worden [8]
- Klanten moeten retourzending betalen [9]
- Als de klant retourneert vanwege buyer's remorse, mag je een restocking fee in rekening brengen. Brengt echter wel risico met zich mee op negatieve feedback
- Delivery Confirmation (DC) is onvoldoende bewijs. Je hebt een handtekening nodig [10]
Product moet exact overeenkomen
Zorg dat de productomschrijving exact overeenkomt met wat er verzonden wordt. Ook al is het duidelijk dat die ene koolborstel geen veertje heeft (terwijl dat wel in de omschrijving staat), laat daar geen twijfel over bestaan.
We're happy to refund
Geen eerlijk persoon vind het leuk om een A-z-claim in te dienen. De meeste mensen willen waarschijnlijk maar één ding: Hun geld terug kunnen krijgen. Begin daarom je antwoord met een bevestiging daarvan.
[11]:
Tell the customer yes, you will be happy to refund. That should be at the very top of your e-mail. Make sure it is enthusiastic - "We will be happy to provide you with a full refund upon return of the item should that be the appropriate course of action" or whatever.
Avoid Q&A
[12]:
Don't request photos, serial numbers, etc. Don't argue with the customer. Don't engage in Q&A.
Respond to the claim - timely!
[13]:
Respond to the claim! Failure to respond is an insta-lose.
Do it on the web page
[14]:
Respond to claims through the web page. Don't use email
Watch the CSRs
CSR staat voor Customer Service Representative, in dit geval die van Amazon. Ze maken nogal eens fouten en tegelijkertijd kunnen handelaren flink helpen om hun leven eenvoudiger te maken. Deze thread bevat een paar voorbeelden.
Stop all other communications
[15]:
Once an A-Z claim has been filed. Stop all [other] communication with the customer.
Gelukt? Get case closed!
Probleem opgelost? Dan [16]:
Make sure they close the A-Z claim.
Refund is beter dan AZC
- Een gewone refund is beter dan een A-z-claim, omdat deze eerste geen negatieve impact heeft op je account health [17]
- Indien een claim niet automatisch toegewezen wordt, is refunden een manier om de claim af te handelen zonder dat dit van invloed is op je ODR.
Casus: INR (dec. 2017)
INR staat voor item not received.
Casus
- Dit betreft goederen die worden geleverd in een envelop, en die door de brievenbus passen. Er is dus geen track & trace, want het is geen pakje oid.
- Standaard wordt bij een INR-klacht het product opnieuw verstuurd. Regelmatig volgt daarop een A-z-claim van de klant
Opnieuw verzenden met ontvangstbevestiging?
- Misschien een oplossing: Bij opnieuw verzenden van het product, nu met een verzendmethode dat er om een ontvangstbevestiging wordt gevraagd
- Klant laten tekenen bij herhaalverzending? Een DC (Delivery Confirmation) is onvoldoende als ontvangstbewijs
- Ik vermoed dat dat niet werkt bij fraude, omdat Amazon alleen de eerste verscheping ziet (kwam ik op forum ergens tegen ofzo [18] Hiero?)
Refund
Oplossing die regelmatig genoemd wordt: Direct refunden:
[19]:
What is the cost of the item and shipping? It is all well and good to be right but many times you have to be pragmatic. As you mentioned, some customers are not worth dealing with or they cannot be reasoned with. In that case, we have found that a swift refund is the easiest way to deal with the problem if it is under $25. Then we file a claim with the USPS. We have been successful in every claim with the USPS over INR requests.
[20]:
1) For us we would never re-ship a 2nd item if the buyer claimed item not received. Best to refund and have them reorder. Amazon has no record of your 2nd shipment, & it ended up lost as well. 2) Just to clarify: you are sending every order with signature confirmation or does the tracking just say delivered?
[21]:
A 20 buck item? It's a no brainer...refund him. I had the same thing..I refunded.
[22]:
"If you refund the buyer in this case, it will increase the buyer's trust and it will make her happy and will give you a good feedback but if you do not want to issue a refund, the buyer may file an A-Z claim.
Casus: INR (jan. 2018)
- Had Amazon geen ondergrens van € 10 zodat tracking-en-tracking niet nodig is?
Het begint met een happy mail
From: garantia-pagos@amazon.es Subject: Decisión de la Reclamación de Garantía de la A a la Z del pedido 402-xxxxxxx-xxxx112 Saludos, La reclamación para este pedido de Amazon.es ha sido aceptada y se ha emitido un reembolso al comprador: -- Número de pedido: 402-xxxxxxx-xxxx112 -- Fecha de la reclamación: 2 de enero de 2018 -- Monto reembolsado: 9,95 € Se ha determinado que la responsabilidad en esta reclamación es suya, puesto que el comprador ha indicado que el artículo nunca llegó y que ningún número de seguimiento fue proporcionado a Amazon cuando el pedido fue enviado. Por lo tanto, se deducir á de su cuenta la cantidad reembolsada. Muchas gracias, Programa de Garantía de la A a la Z de Amazon Services
Lang leve Google Translate:
Groet, De claim voor deze bestelling van Amazon.es is geaccepteerd en er is een terugbetaling aan de koper afgegeven: - Bestelnummer: 402-xxxxxxx-xxxx112 - Datum van de claim: 2 januari 2018 - Terugbetaalde bedrag: € 9,95 Er is vastgesteld dat de aansprakelijkheid in deze claim van u is, omdat de koper heeft aangegeven dat het artikel nooit is aangekomen en dat er geen trackingnummer aan Amazon is verstrekt toen de bestelling werd verzonden. Daarom wordt het terugbetaalde bedrag van uw rekening afgetrokken. Bedankt Amazon Services A tot Z-garantieprogramma
INR & honoratie
Ik kwam ergens tegen, dat een INR-issue grond kan zijn voor Amazon om een AZC direct te honoreren. Kan ik me ook wel iets bij voorstellen: Er is zo weinig ruimte voor zinnige discussie als de klant zijn of haar goederen niet heeft ontvangen.
Aanvullende info - Seller Central
Seller Central » Performance » A-z-claims:
Details:
- Order geplaatst op 25 nov. 2017
- Koper heeft verkoper gemailed op 5 dec.
- Verkoper heeft dezelfde dag nog gereageerd
- Daarna nog een paar keer gemailed. De verkoper heeft als laatste gemailed, op 11 dec.
- Op 2 januari heeft koper een A-z-claim ingediend. Dat is 20 dagen na de laatste email van de verkoper
- Claim is direct automatisch toegewezen.
Evaluatie
- Dit betreft een situatie waarin een AZC automatisch is gehonoreerd, want INR-issue + geen tracking-info.
- Verifiëren of deze claim terecht is
- Strategie: Wat is de gewenste eindsituatie? → Claim cancelled (of zoiets). Of anders dat het wordt omgezet in een refund (als dat bestaat).
Uitzoekwerk
- OK - Is er een forum voor Amazon.es? → Ja: https://sellercentral.amazon.de/forums/index.jspa
- OK - Waar vind ik de regels tav. verkoop op Amazon.es? → Zie elders in dit artikel
- Track & trace verplicht? Hoe speelt dit een rol? Regels voor verkopers?
Voorwaarden A-z-claims amazon.es
- Het lijkt erop, dat er is voldaan aan de voorwaarden voor het indienen van een AZC
- Omdat dit vermoedelijk verschilt van marktplaats tot marktplaats, hierbij de situatie voor Amazon.es:
Gewacht op reactie van de verkoper?
Kopers moeten minimaal twee dagen wachten op een reactie, na het emailen van een klacht. Deze verkoper heeft steeds tijdig gereageerd. Mag de klant dan nog wel een klacht indienen? Mijn gezond verstand zegt me van wel: Anders zou een verkoper altijd een AZC kunnen vermijden door eindeloos nietszeggende antwoorden te emailen.
Eligibility in time
De koper heeft tijdig gereageerd [23]:
When there's a problem with an order, the buyer should contact you first and give you a chance to address the issue. If the buyer contacts Amazon first, we ask them to try to get in touch with you. If the attempt fails, the buyer can file a claim. Buyers can also file a claim directly online. The claim eligibility window starts 3 calendar days after the maximum estimated delivery date, or 30 days after the order date (whichever is earlier). Buyers have up to 90 days from the original order date to file an A-to-z claim. In exceptional circumstances, however, they can contact our Customer Service department after this 90-day period and we may allow their A-to-z claim to be opened up to six (6) months from the date of purchase.
Motivation required
Ook daar voldoet deze claim aan [24]:
Note: The A-to-z Guarantee does not apply if a buyer is simply disappointed with a product. Amazon will ultimately determine whether a product is materially different. We require buyers to provide comments and details for a claim that a product is materially different, such as whether the product was damaged, defective, or the wrong version. Comments are optional for "Product Not Received" claims.
Evaluatie
- Waarschijnlijk is de claim terecht, zeker als de klant ter goeder trouw zou hebben gehandeld, want dan wordt 't het woord van de leverancier tegen het woord van de klant
- Misschien dat-ie afgewezen kan worden omdat de verkoper steeds tijdig heeft gereageerd, maar dat lijkt me sterk.
Beroep
Beroep aangetekend, ondanks de zwakke casus, al is het maar om te oefenen:
Tracking - Hoe belangrijk?
Eindelijk een bruikbaar antwoord van Amazon.es tav. INR-issues [25]:
What if a buyer says they didn't receive their order? If a buyer says that they didn't receive an order, you and your customer service policy ultimately determine how you will handle it. All sellers are expected to demonstrate a high level of customer service. We encourage you to work with the buyer to reach a mutually agreeable solution. Below are some ways you can handle this situation. Regardless of which option you choose, the buyer might still post negative feedback for the transaction. For details about your orders, see Manage your orders. Refund the buyer The most customer-friendly solution is to issue a refund for a product that was not received. If the original order arrives after you've made a refund, Amazon can recharge the customer (with their authorization). For information about full and partial refunds, see Refund Orders. To learn about how returns and refunds are handled for Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) orders, see Customer returns for orders fulfilled by Amazon. Ask the buyer to wait a bit longer for the order to arrive See Contact a buyer to learn how to initiate communication. If you choose this option, be aware that the buyer might file an A-to-z Guarantee claim. Buyers can file a claim 3 calendar days after the maximum estimated delivery date or 30 days after the order date, whichever is earlier. They have 90 days from the maximum estimated delivery date or date of service to file a claim. However, Amazon reserves the right to accept claims after that time frame. For more information, see What to do if you receive an A-to-z Guarantee claim. Ship or drop-ship a replacement order at your cost If you choose this option, issue a refund, and then ask the buyer to reorder the product. Although this might cause a financial loss to your business, it’s good customer service. If the original order arrives, you can arrange a return with the buyer. Contact your shipping carrier If an order is lost in transit or shipped to the wrong address, sometimes you can get help from your shipping carrier. If you purchased package tracking or insurance, the carrier might be able to help find the package or file an insurance claim. If you did not get tracking information, your carrier might have other options available to help find the package. Tip: We encourage you to use tracking when you ship packages. Tracking can significantly reduce the costs associated with a lost shipment. It is also your best protection for A-to-z Guarantee claims.
Zie ook
Bronnen
- https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=541260
- https://www.amazon.ca/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=10195011 - A-to-z Guarantee Protection
A-z-claims - forum
- https://sellercentral.amazon.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=363950&tstart=0 - Thread: Buyer A-Z Claim Fraud
- https://sellercentral.amazon.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=221907&start=0&tstart=0&sortBy=date - Thread: How to Win A-z Claims
- https://sellercentral.amazon.com/forums/thread.jspa?messageID=2417023#2417041 - Interessante casus, inclusief klad-antwoord
Klant zegt goederen niet ontvangen te hebben
- https://sellercentral.amazon.com/forums/thread.jspa?messageID=4124725�
- https://sellercentral.amazon.com/forums/thread.jspa?messageID=4140669�
- https://sellercentral.amazon.com/forums/thread.jspa?messageID=4124751 - open a A-to-z Guarantee claim in my account, that item is not received → Send proof-of-delivery
- https://sellercentral.amazon.com/forums/thread.jspa?messageID=4045417� - Dealing with customers that claim not received item
INR-casus jan. 2018 (amazon.es)
- https://sellercentral.amazon.de/gp/help/help.html/?itemID=G1781 - Represent your side in an A-to-z Guarantee claim
- https://www.amazon.es/gp/help/customer/display.html/?nodeId=200680480 - Guarantee from A to Z (bedoeld voor kopers - Handig!)
- https://www.amazon.es/gp/help/customer/display.html/?nodeId=201889730 - Conditions for submitting a claim under the Guarantee from A to Z
- https://sellercentral.amazon.de/gp/help/help-page.html?itemID=69126 - Returns, refunds, cancellations & claims (startpagina)
- https://sellercentral.amazon.es/gp/help/G65221 - What if a buyer says they didn't receive their order?
Appendix: How to Win A-z Claims
Interessante openingspost op Seller Central forum [26]:
Many you have written privately and said "Bunga, you -- sorry let me start again. One or two o In the fantasy world inside my head, many of you have written privately and said "Bunga, you always say that no, the customer doesn't always win A-z claims. But how do you do it, Bunga? HOW DO YOU WIN A-Z CLAIMS?????" When asked so nicely, even if it is by the voices inside my head, how can I but share? We see a lot on these boards about how to deal with scamming customers, but I cannot recall any lengthy discussion of how to win A-z claims. So I'm kicking it off by discussing our experience, and how we've won them. I hope others will chime in with theirs. We have 51 closed A-z claims visible through Seller Central. Here is the tally of how they came out: * We voluntarily refunded: 20 * Claim was granted and refund given out of our account: 10 * Claim was closed (denied): 9 * Claim was granted and Amazon funded: 7 * Claim was withdrawn: 4 * Order was canceled: 1 The voluntary refund claims arise for a variety of reasons, the customer thinking it was the appropriate way to ask for a refund being a big one, our delay in processing the refund another, and the item not having reached us yet a third. Some customers feel the right move (or perhaps the Amazon CSR does) is to file A-z the instant tracking shows the item has arrived back at our doorstep. This is something we need to get better about, getting our refund processing done quickly. But I am leaving the voluntary refund category out of further discussion because there is no actual dispute -- in almost all of those cases we were already willing to refund. Of the remaining 31 cases, we "won" 16 of them, where I define winning as not having to pay, either because the claim was denied, or because Amazon paid. Ten were paid forcibly out of our account, four were withdrawn, and one was a ridiculous A-z claim filed by an Amazon CSR because an order had not been canceled as requested -- which was because of an Amazon processing glitch. (And the customer had called Amazon to chew THEM out for their part in the problems with her order while praising US . . . such are the vagaries of Amazon Customer Service). So we're winning (I'll stop using the quotation marks from now on, and you'll know I'm using the above definition) about 50% of our claims. As such you can understand why it works my nerves when sellers contend with magnificent ignorance that "The customer always wins A-z claims". He most certainly does not. One secret to winning A-z claims is knowing what your goal is. Sometimes it is going for the outright win -- "We are allowed to charge restocking" or "We have not received this return, so of course we haven't refunded." Other times there is a more subtle strategy that involves playing for a paid-by-Amazon win. That's where you try to make it clear that the situation is so muddied that Amazon cannot properly find for either side. It is precisely those circumstances where Amazon should step in and pay the claim in order to resolve it, and they often do. It's important to know which of those you are going for when you respond to a claim. I would also recommend keeping your response relatively short (not that I always do), giving as much information as is necessary and no more, and be forthright. You do not have to be a shrinking violet. If you have a case, make it! Someone wants to take money from you -- the least you can do is put up a strong defense. Finally, it of course helps to know Amazon's rules and conduct your business properly. Sending out product with missing parts, for example, is going to make it a lot harder to win at A-z time, no matter how carefully you craft your response. Below I give two examples of each outcome (Claim Closed, Claim Granted/Amazon Funded) -- the claims, and our responses. I have edited out identifying information to protect the innocent. Claim #1: Item not as described (The claim was not, in fact, for item not as described -- it was for a refund not given.) Claim text: "refund not issued for return". Our response: "We're sorry to hear there is a problem with this return. We have not received the item back, and as such, cannot issue a refund. If the buyer has tracking or other proof of delivery we would be happy to review the matter further, but we do not have this item in stock, and we have looked around to see if we have it sitting somewhere. As far as we can tell the item has not been returned to us. Once it is, we will be happy to issue a refund. Please note that this is a customer discretionary return, not a return because of an error on our part. It is incumbent on the customer to get the item back to us. Amazon suggests, as do we in our return info e-mail, that a trackable method be used for returns. We hope the customer has tracking info that we can review. In the meantime, we can only refund if we receive the item back. " Result: Claim closed (denied) Notes: A no-brainer -- we don't have to refund if we don't have the item. Claim #2: Item not received Claim text: "not received missed edd" Our response: "Customer is a freight forwarder. USPS tracking shows this item was delivered on November 20. As Amazon has ruled previously on A-z, professional freight forwarders need to be responsible for receipt and throughput of their own shipments. Please deny this claim." Result: Claim closed (denied) Notes: This shows the power of the magic words "freight forwarder". Amazon understands the issues associated with such folks and favors the seller in these instances, in our experience. Claim #3: Item not as described Claim text: "Two reasons for this claim. There are three listings under People’s Front. One of them Amazon sells, it is Judean People’s Front, the other, the one I tried to purchase, is entitled People’s Front of Judea. The appear different, slightly, and have different titles and asking prices. The People’s Front of Judea, as far as I can discover does not exist. So the listing is bogus. When I received the Judean People’s Front instead I contacted the seller and his attitude was basically buyer beware. You can read our emails. So I returned them and he charged me a $7.83 'restocking fee' plus I paid for the return shipping, $5.85. I am claiming I should have pain NOTHING. I did nothing wrong, made no 'mistakes'. I definitely have buyers remorse though. Over $12 for a seller error, why?" Our response: "Customer has already been refunded less restocking for this discretionary return. The item shipped was the item ordered, ISBN 0123456789. Please deny this claim. ******* Here are further details in case you want them. ******** The customer is changing her story, a not-uncommon practice for her through our correspondence. Her first e-mail states 'The tracking shows that this front was delivered but it was not! . . .'. Her second e-mail states 'You sent me a different front than the one pictured' (meaning she had, after all, received it). Her third e-mail states 'I am sorry. This is the same front. I did receive what you sold me, what I don't understand is why it is so much money.' ******** Note well that final statement -- 'This is the same front. I did receive what you sold me.' ******** Since then she has just been complaining about the price she paid. We told her we'd take it back, and we did. We told her in our return instructions the same thing we tell everyone, that she could return it, and how the restocking fees work. We refunded her less restocking. ******** Now she thinks she can change her story again and say that we didn't, after all, send what she ordered. Well, we did. It has the correct ISBN and we sent it, and she affirmed that in her third e-mail. ******** We are allowed under Amazon's rules to withhold restocking and not refund original shipping, and that is what we have done in this case. Please deny this claim." Result: Claim Granted / Amazon Funded Notes: I can't honestly say I was playing for the "Amazon Funded" result here, but it didn't surprise me either. The story is so convoluted and the amount in dispute so small ($11ish) that it made sense for Amazon to just pay. I particularly enjoyed the buyer saying “You can read our emails” – which, if actually read, showed the ever-shifting nature of her story. Claim #4: Item not received Claim text: "I never got this book." Our response: "Customer appears to be confused. Simultaneously with this A-z claim, as Amazon can see, she sent a return request claiming that it was an Unauthorized Purchase. 'Return reason: Unauthorized purchase Buyer comments: Don't know who ordered this.' So she is simultaneously saying that she never got it, and that she did get it - wants to return it - doesn't know who ordered it. Well, which is it? ******** Meanwhile, tracking shows this item was delivered on July 19. ******** Customer sounds like a scammer to us, given that in her first e-mail she started with 'I've check with all my neighbors' which no one ever says. She appears to be experienced in claiming things were lost. ******** Anyway, tracking shows it was delivered, and the customer is making conflicting statements, so we ask that this claim be denied. " Result: Claim Granted / Amazon Funded Notes: I was definitely going for the Denied win here and didn’t get it, but I will take the Amazon funded version. It’s very unusual for me to out-and-out state that I think the buyer is scamming, but it seemed so in this case. So that’s how we handled a few A-z claims and came out without monetary loss. I hope others will post their own censored examples. bunga bunga!