Amazon.com A-Z Guarantee

Amazon.com A-Z Guarantee

Amazon's "A-Z Guarantee" provides no protection to sellers, and in essence means that any unethical person with a credit card can get anything they want for free! After I sold a CD on Amazon.com, the buyer filed am "A-Z Guarantee Claim" saying that he did not get the CD. The buyer then sent me a number of obscene, insulting and harassing e-mails gloating about the fact that he could get his money back from me. I contacted amazon.com within their required amount of time, giving them all the details on the transaction, including the fact that I had sent the CD, when I sent the CD, and transcripts of the buyer's obscene e-mails. Amazon.com CLAIMS that if the seller responds within this amount of time, they will not remove funds from the seller's account. However, they did remove the funds from my account. When I contacted customer service again, first they claimed I had never sent an e-mail, then later they admitted that I had sent it, but that since it was not a specific "response to Guarantee Claim Form e-mail" they were going to keep their decision to take my money as it stands, and that no further e-mails from me will be answered. The amazon site does not provide any form or address to respond to "A-Z Guarantee Claims," so it is hard to see how my e-mail to customer service could have been a more specific "response to Guarantee Claim Form." The buyer in question has recently done this to another seller as well, but Amazon.com does not care. They say "we will apply our policies equally to all customers." Therefore, all sellers are vulnerable to this scam!

Click this link to e-mail the above consumer: Email User Consumer

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Same happened to me, the buyer states I sent him a wrong book (the one which I haven't seen in my life), but I am 100% sure the book was what is was supposed to be. I can swear to God I am not lying! I called to amazon, and they just suggested I refund that order, but why, I payed for shipping and I sent him the book, and now I am out of MY money twice! Very-very bad situation and no protection for the seller. I am pretty sure the buyer is lying, but how can I prove that? No way... Never-ever will I sell something on amazon again...

P.S. Does anyone know what can be done in this situation to protect myself? Thanks!

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I got a new one today - I shipped a book on 12/20/2008 to a guy in Hawaii, using USPS media mail - the lady at the post office said it would take at least 10 business days to get there. I shipped the book on a saturday. Today, 12/23/2008, tuesday, the guy sent me an email saying he was unsatisfied with the condition of the book and wants a refund. How in the heck does he have the book already???? He doesn't. There is NO WAY. According to the post office, media mail to Hawaii goes on a SHIP! What is going on here? I sent Amazon an email about the potential scam, but I suspect that they will refund him his money anyway.

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Welp i have been selling on amazon for over 5 years and as of today no longer...1 neg feedback out of 200 and i get suspended....the buyer that left bad feedback will not even email me back....there feedback and A-Z Guarantee system is just pathetic.....if you get 1 A-Z Guarantee claim they will freeze you're whole account no questions asked....No seller protection at ALL!!!!

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I have been a recent victim as well. I have a woman who ordered a book for her son at a university. I sent it the very next day and got order confirmation on it.

Well 20 days later she claims her son has never recieved it. So i made a few calls of my own and contacted the unveristy dorm room who has informed me that the textbook package is sitting in their office waiting to be picked up. I have emailed Amazon and am awaiting their response.

what angers me is that they asked all kinds of information from me and it seems they never followed through, they just told me to refund her payment a couple hours later. Why am i, the seller, being a mother to some college brat who doesn't know how to check his mailbox?

how is this my fault?

i hope they see my point in this as well, because if they don't i'm going to complain as high up as i can to get my money back. I am not giving away that textbook for free, i am a college student myself who worked hard to buy that book and the only thing i am guilty of is selling it back for cheaper to some brat who doesn't know how to check his mailbox.

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As a long time Amazon video game reseller your experience with a buyer was always a concern for me too. Recently, I shipped a game to a military address (Iraq), the guy claimed he never got it - which he probably did not. Amazon pays media mail rates only and since the address was overseas I had to fill out a customs form and ship Priority Mail. Four months after thinking all was resolved and Amazon accepted my explaination, Amazon debited my card. They really only guarantee payment to themselves, and have no loyalty to resellers making them thousands for using only their canned software (storefront).

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If I were you, and the item was something a little more valuable, like the other commenter's mp3 player, I'd take the buyer's a$$ to small claims court. Then again, this is assuming that you live close enough.

BTW, if Amazon blindly enforces their biased policies like this, I agree that someone should start up a class-action lawsuit. In fact, next time this happens to you (assuing you sell on Amazon again), I'd threaten something to that tune when they say they will simply stop replying to your emails.

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Up until yesterday, I was a seller on Amazon.com. Now, because of one dishonest customer, my account, with over 64 out of 65 positive ratings, has been suspended. Amazon not only refunded this jerk's money. Long story, but he gave me the WRONG ADDRESS, wrote me hostile, vulgar emails, threatened to ruin my ratings on Amazon, which he did, but because of his A-Z claim, suspended my account. To add insult to injury, they're now holding on to $465.15 in my hard earned money. I pray to sweet Jesus that some lawyer who wants to stick it to this deceptive, evil company, files a class action lawsuit on behalf of disenfranchised customers. I am their nightmare: Honest, articulate and I'll come armed with the facts!

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I too have just received the "shaft" from amazon.com. I sent a Creative Zen MP3 player to an APO address (which according to the US Government is STILL in transit) and the buyer filed an A-to-Z claim against me. They (Amazon) have given the user back his money despite the fact the item I sold is still in transit and will in fact be delivered at some point. Meaning I just "gave" away my brand new MP3 player. I feel so violated and there's nothing I can do. I can't even file a claim with the post office because the item is "still in transit". I wish I knew how I could fight back this online injustice.

I will NEVER, EVER again in my life sell anything through Amazon.com. Their A-to-Z program is seriously flawed and the way they DO NOT protect their seller is wrong as well. I am out both my item and $235 dollars. I am a college student so for me that's a big amount of money. I feel physically sickened by this, and even though I have been selling and buying online for years now, this experience has painted a dark over what was once an enjoyable experience for me.

Shame on you Amazon! SHAME ON YOU!!!

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You are right.... they allow buyers to get remorse and get refunds and they buyer can lie to get refund and we are not given a choice to refund.

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I too have been scammed twice by the Amazon A-Z Guarantee.

The buyers are saying the item is materially different from what I advertised when I am fully aware that it is not.

Also, someone said they never received their item.

I incur shipping cost and then get debited the money I deserved for the item.

I will never use Amazon Again.