Can Amazon Refund a Buyer if a Marketplace Seller Doesn't Get a Signature on Delivery
My question involves small claims court in the state of:
So I sold a chromebook through amazon. Around a month after shipping the item, the customer sends me a message stating that he did not receive the item. I responded that I would look into it, he opens up a claim with amazon. I did not have a tracking number at the time, so there wasn't really much I could do and they refunded the buyer from my account. However, I actually found my tracking number about a week later (I was in a rush at the time, I didn't realize that I'd even paid for one). Anyways, I emailed amazon customer support this asking what I should do, and they responded with the following email:
"Greetings from Amazon Seller Support,
I'm so sorry for the issues you have had so far with this order: #002-1048680-2852254.
I have checked the order and the tracking ID you have provided it states that the item was delivered on March 18, 2015.
**** Also I have verified that there was no mistake from your end. And you do not worry about anything since the mistake was not from your side.
In this case, I suggest you to contact the customer service and explain them the situation and charge the buyers credit card for the order.
And you can submit an appeal to the claims team since there is no fault from your side.
To appeal against A to Z claim follow the below steps.
1.) Within the Performance tab, click A-to-z Guarantee Claims.
2.) The default view is for claims with 'Action Required,' the seller will need to select 'Resolved: Option to Appeal'
3.) On the following page, if the Claim can still be appealed through the Claim Manager, a button will appear on the right to 'Appeal decision' however if the appeal window has expired, no button will appear.
4.) If no button appears, and the seller has additional information to submit to the Claims team, they can write to the Claims team at seller-guarantee@amazon.com and include the Order ID, dates, and other new information that has not previously been provided in an appeal.
We have a dedicate team for A-Z claim, they will look into the matter and I would recommend you to provide all the details asked by the A-Z claim team so that they can investigate the issue and help you further in this issue.
***********************************
Also, I understand that the buyer is taking advantage over you.
If you ever feel that a buyer is attempting to inappropriately solicit an accommodation from you, you may submit your concerns to our investigations team at
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/reports/contact-us.
Please provide a detailed account of the situation. We ask that you use your best judgment; we also ask that you always try to maintain the same high standard of customer service that we aim to at Amazon.com. "
I contacted A to Z support (Basically like customer service that investigates claims for amazon) about this, and they told me there was nothing they could do because I did not get signature service for my tracking number. However, this e-mail clearly states that I was not at fault and that the buyer was taking advantage of me. Would I have a case against them in small claims court for the price of the chromebook as customer service said that I wasn't at fault for this?
Any responses would be appreciated. So sorry if my description was a little bit confusing!
Re: Do I Have a Case Against Amazon
This email alone would not determine the outcome. The terms of your contract with Amazon would determine what their liability might be in such a case. If you had been more on top of your business and provided them with proof of delivery more quickly you'd be in a better position. What do their terms say about such disputes? You may have let the time period for an appeal expire if they had already refunded the buyer's money based on your initial inability to provide tracking information.