Opinion: Amazon's refund loophole shouldn't be used as a shopping trick to get 'freebies'

An unofficial Amazon returns policy could mean you get to keep low-value items like books and stationery and get a full refund. Here’s what you need to know and why we think you shouldn’t make it a habit to save money or score freebies.

Amazon shoppers could benefit from a returns loophole that allows them to get a refund and keep the item they no longer need.

It happened to me earlier this year. I bought three books about chess for my nephew’s ninth birthday, but I only kept two of them and decided to return one that cost £6.49.

To my surprise, I found that Amazon refunded the item but didn’t issue a returns label and instead told me I could keep it.

How the loophole works

This loophole isn’t an official Amazon returns policy.

However, more and more shoppers are reporting that the online giant isn’t bothering to ask for low-value items to be returned.

Typically, shoppers are finding goods like books, stationery and toiletries under £10 are refunded but don’t need to be sent back.

It’s believed that these 'freebies' are doled out as the handling costs of dealing with low-value item returns isn’t worth it for Amazon and, given its size, the retailer is able to absorb the costs.

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Why it’s not a shopping trick

If you’re trying to save money when shopping at Amazon you shouldn’t try to use the loophole to try and get things for free.

First off, it’s not an official returns policy and probably isn’t applied to all low-value items. So you could be caught out if you’re trying to play the system.

Moreover, buying items with the sole aim of exploiting the refund loophole is unethical and could eventually land you in hot water.

I’d hazard a guess that Amazon will notice if you start to buy lots of low-value items and return them soon after, and it may decide to take action and suspend your account.

Lastly, trying to avoid paying for low-value items could potentially harm smaller businesses using Amazon to fulfil their orders.

So, what is it good for?

 Returns where you get to keep an item is a nice perk of shopping with Amazon and shouldn’t be abused.

In my case, I gave the book away to another nephew on his birthday, saving me extra money in the long run.  

How to save at Amazon

If you want to save money at Amazon there are plenty of legitimate ways to do so.

Check out: How to save money when shopping at Amazon for a mega roundup of all the Amazon shopping tips and tricks you need to know about.

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