Amazon India has Stopped Offering Refunds for Mobile Phones; 10-Day Replacement Only

E-Commerce sites have indeed changed the way we shop, the convenience of buying things at a tap on the button has given rise to a multi-billion dollar industry. Further, the discounts and the other freebies offered by the online shops has ensured that consumers cling to their sites. Until now, Amazon had been offering a refunds for a damaged or a defective mobile phone, but not anymore.

The return policies have however been revised and now Amazon.in will no longer offer refunds on mobile phones, starting 7th February. However, Amazon will still be offering a free replacement for defective or damaged mobile phones. So if you order a phone and feel that it doesn’t suit your requirement, Amazon will no longer be able to accept it back.
Even prior to this change in policy, Amazon and even Flipkart have been reluctant to furnish refunds for mobile phones which are not damaged, and it would take a lot of coaxing up and mostly a letter from authorized service center to initiate a refund. This move from Amazon seems to be aimed at cutting down on losses due to unnecessary returns. Moreover the used phones would then have to be returned to the distributor as retailer won’t be able to resell the same even if it is in working condition.

Flipkart’s return policies clearly outline that the company would be able to provide refund only if the seller is not able to ship a replacement product and if it is currently out of stock. On the contrary, Amazon’s return policy doesn’t describe what they would do if a seller doesn’t have stock of the mobile phone in question and this grey area might make the buyer to wait for their replacement until the stock at sellers end is replenished. That being said, Flipkart still provides buyer protection for 30 days from the date of purchase as opposed to Amazon’s 10-day replacement policy.
At the outset this move might not go well with the buyers but as customer all you need to do is check out if the product suits your requirements and only then go ahead and buy it. Check out our exhaustive phone reviews on TechPP and it is most likely that you will not be affected by this change in policy provided that you are able to decide on the mobile phone. That being said, this change of policy only affects Amazon fulfilled products and other sellers can still outline their own return policy.