Amazon, Flipkart users say accounts blocked for multiple return requests

Multiple instances of e-commerce giants blocking customers have been reported in recent times

Amazon and Flipkart customers have been raising complaints that they were blocked after placing requests for product returns. Multiple instances of accounts being blocked without warning were reported.

According to a report in The Economic Times, customers are being blocked arbitrarily without any notice and nothing pointing to this is mentioned in the return policy either.

The report reads that an Amazon customer, also a Prime member, received an email from the company in October stating that her account had been blocked because she “consistently requested refunds for a large number of orders”. She had returned three items within a week, which prompted the action by Amazon without any warning. Even after repeated attempts to get the account reinstated, it remained blocked.

Also Read | Amazon plans to lay off 10,000 people starting this week

Amazon in its reply to the customer reportedly said “While we expect the occasional problem with an order, we cannot continue to issue refunds at this rate.”

Several similar cases were reported by Flipkart customers as well.

However, the e-commerce platforms have in certain cases issued warnings before taking actions.

Amazon’s email to a customer who placed a return request said - “We understand that occasional problems with orders are expected in the normal course of business. The unusually high number of problems that you have reported with your orders exceed these occasional expectations. If this problem continues, we may not allow you to buy or sell on our marketplace.”

DH could not independently verify the report.

Interestingly, both platforms have not mentioned anything about the maximum limit for the number of returns.

“Flipkart’s return policy is the most customer-friendly across the industry and while we have not made any recent changes in the return policy, any policy change undergoes a rigorous vetting mechanism,” a Flipkart spokesperson told the publication.