With holidays coming up, here's how to avoid any mishaps with your Amazon returns
"All I need is my phone, and on the app you get a QR code that matches the item."
CAMPBELL, Calif. (KGO) -- E-commerce consultant Envision estimates customers return 15 out of every 100 purchases from Amazon. With the holidays sneaking up on us, what can you do to assure your return goes smoothly?
The question came up when Amazon rejected the return of a Campbell man. We wanted to know how to avoid that in the future.
You might call Matt Mitchell a frequent Amazon shopper. He says he has enough "stuff" from Amazon to last a lifetime.
"Went on a spree for sure the past few years. Got everything I need at this point," said Mitchell.
He bought a pair of earbuds, but he says they didn't fit his ear quite right. They kept popping out.
He returned them via UPS, along with two other items he purchased.
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Amazon accepted his two other items, but declined to refund him for the earbuds, saying the return was incomplete.
"I kind of felt guilty like I did something wrong. They were saying send us the right product. So I don't know. It was confusing," Mitchell said.
Mitchell appealed the decision, saying he didn't know what he supposedly failed to send back.
Natalie Wolfrom of Amazon says its goal is to make shopping from start to finish pleasant for everyone.
"And that especially includes the return process which we know can be a headache sometimes," she said.
Wolfrom suggests the easiest way to return an item, such as a mug, is to use the box-free, label-free option.
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"All I need is my phone, and on the app you get a QR code that matches the item, and then you can make the return at thousands of locations," said Wolfrom.
Those locations include any Amazon store, Whole Foods, UPS stores and Kohls.
The Amazon employee will verify everything is right with your return.
"They make sure that the item, its multiple pieces, it's all there. Then they tell you you're good to go. And then you just leave," she said.
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Mitchell says he chose the option to have UPS pick up his returns because he found the drop-off locations to be inconvenient.
When Amazon denied his appeal, he felt at a loss until he turned to 7 On Your Side. We reached out to Amazon, which agreed to refund his money.
"I told everybody. I'm real proud of you guys for helping us out. It was truly on our side," Mitchell proclaimed.
Amazon tells 7 On Your Side you can return gifts the same way using your gift receipt or gift order number.
Take a look at more stories and videos by Michael Finney and 7 On Your Side.
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