How to Track FBA Product Returns in Amazon Seller Central? 2020 UI Update | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Learn how to efficiently track and manage returns through Amazon's FBA program, including understanding return reasons and handling unfulfilled items.

Key Insights

• 👶 Amazon has introduced a new FBA Manage Returns page with a user-friendly interface, making it easier for sellers to track and manage customer returns.
• ↩️ Understanding the reasons behind returns, such as product damage, wrong items ordered, or defects, can help sellers identify opportunities for improvement and mitigate return rates.
• 📬 Unfulfilled items are stored separately and can be shipped back to the seller's warehouse for review and potential reuse, or alternative options like gifting or selling as open boxes can be explored.
• ↩️ Sellers should focus on minimizing return rates through quality control and product improvements rather than disputing individual return reasons.
• ↩️ High return rates can impact seller margins as they bear the cost of outbound fulfillment fees that are not reimbursed upon return.
• ↩️ Despite return-related challenges, returns are a common part of doing business on Amazon and are not necessarily a deal-breaker within the Amazon ecosystem.
• 🇨🇷 Sellers can incorporate strategies like automated weekly shipment of unfulfilled items back to their warehouse as a cost-effective solution.

Transcript

Amazon returns through FBA is somewhat of a quagmire over the years well Amazon has a new report will demo for you today to show you how to better track and keep tabs of those returns my name is Steven Pope and I and my Amazon guide so on the screen here I have a new FBA manage returns page here you can see up in the top right it says new and in he... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How can sellers access the new FBA Manage Returns page?

The FBA Manage Returns page can be accessed through the Seller Central dashboard by navigating to amazon.com/FBA-returns. This page offers a comprehensive view of return reasons and details.

Q: Can sellers dispute customer return reasons and avoid fees?

While customers may sometimes provide misleading return reasons, disputing them can be challenging. It is prudent to focus on minimizing return rates through quality control and product improvements rather than disputing individual cases.

Q: How do return fees impact seller margins?

Sellers bear the cost of outbound fulfillment fees when sending items to customers, and these fees are not reimbursed upon return. High return rates can significantly eat into profit margins, necessitating price adjustments or other cost-saving measures.

Q: What are some strategies to address unfulfilled items?

Unfulfilled items that cannot be resold can be shipped back to the seller's warehouse for review and potential reusability. Alternatively, sellers can explore gifting or selling these items as open boxes on platforms like eBay.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Amazon has introduced a new FBA Manage Returns page, offering a user-friendly interface to track and manage customer returns within the portal itself.

• Returns can be categorized into various reasons, such as product damage, wrong item ordered, or defective items, and understanding these reasons can help mitigate return rates and fees.

• Unfulfilled items that cannot be resold are stored separately, and sellers can choose to ship them back to their warehouse or explore alternative options.