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There may come a time when you order something on Amazon but have to cancel it shortly after.
You may discover that you don’t need the item or that you don’t have the funds to support your purchase.
After successfully canceling the order, you may find that you still have a charge for it.
Here are some things you should do if Amazon charges your account even after canceling an order.
Amazon does not charge your card until the order has shipped.
You might see a transaction on your bank account, but that doesn’t process until after the order has left the seller and is on its way to you.
As long as you cancel the order before it ships, you’re able to get a refund without any problems.
The problem becomes more complex if you choose to cancel the order after it shipped.
In this case, you might not qualify for a refund.
That said, there are still a few things that you can do.
Here are some things to try if you canceled your Amazon order and are still seeing a charge or lack of funds from the purchase in your account.
1. Wait A Few Days
One of the first things you should do is wait a few days after canceling the order.
It can take anywhere from one to 10 days for a refund to show up in your bank account.
Amazon even lists out expected wait times for refunds based on the payment method used to buy the item.
For example, it lists that if you used a credit card to make a purchase, then it can take three to five business days for those funds to return to your account.
If you used a gift card for Amazon, then it can take two to three hours for the refund to return to the card.
A debit card can take up to 10 business days to appear back in your bank account.
If you linked your checking account to Amazon, then it can take up to 10 business days to get a refund.
A SNAP or EBT card purchase also takes up to 10 business days.
If you received a promotional certificate and used that to make a purchase, then you won’t receive a refund.
If you had reward points that you used for a purchase, then it can take up to five business days to get a refund of those points.
For certain sellers who have a physical location and you paid with cash, you can expect to wait up to 10 business days for a refund.
Finally, if you used a prepaid credit card, then it can take up to 30 days to receive a refund.
That last payment method usually comes down to the actual credit card company.
Clearly, depending on what you used to pay for the order, it can take some time for the actual refund to show up in your bank account.
Wait that amount of time, and if you’re still not seeing a refund, then you may need to try some of these other steps.
2. Contact Seller
The next step you should take is to contact the seller.
There’s a chance that, while you canceled the order, a software error may have occurred, and didn’t update their side of things.
As such, their side still reads that you bought the order and thus didn’t put in for a refund.
The benefit of using Amazon to buy items is that it’s easy to contact the seller.
You simply need to go to the item page where you bought the item.
You should see a contact seller link on the page.
Give them as much information as you can about when you canceled the order and the amount that you were charged.
This allows them to then look at their side of things to ensure there wasn’t an error.
If there was, they can correct it.
Your refund will start to process from there.
If there wasn’t an error, there might be something else going on.
They can advise you on the next step that you should take.
In most cases, it’s going to be to contact Amazon Support.
3. Contact Amazon Support
After speaking with the seller, you’ll want to then contact Amazon Support.
The great thing about Amazon Support is that they try to help you resolve your issues on your own without needing to speak to anyone.
After navigating to their Support page, you should see an area for your orders.
Click that and find the item that you canceled.
Once you see the item, you can check its status.
There’s a chance that you may have thought you canceled the order, but you actually didn’t.
The good thing about this page is that you can cancel the order right then and there.
You should see a Cancel button on the order that enables you to cancel the order.
If it says that you did cancel it, then you can check and see if it says anything about a refund status.
Amazon also generates a few helpful support options for you to click on and examine or issue.
You can also use that page to send a message to their Support employees directly.
If everything checks out, then it’s worth messaging their Support team.
Tell them the date that you canceled the order and the issue that you’re experiencing.
They can check on their end whether an error occurred on your account.
If your refund is processing, then they can also make you aware of that.
Otherwise, if you don’t qualify for a refund because you canceled the order after it shipped, then they’ll also make you aware of that.
Speaking with their Support team can help you become aware of any problems with your account or the status of your refund.
4. File An Amazon A-To-Z Guarantee
Another thing that you can do is to file a claim with Amazon’s A-to-Z Guarantee service.
This service is a sort of catch-all that helps customers get refunds when certain situations occur.
Most commonly, this service is to help get a refund for customers that experienced a shipment that never arrived, received a product that was different than what they had ordered, or they didn’t receive a refund from a seller after returning the item.
Your particular circumstance may not qualify for the A-to-Z Guarantee, but it’s worth checking to try and ensure you get a refund.
5. Return The Item
If you canceled the order after it shipped, then you won’t be able to get a refund.
However, there’s still a way that you can get your money back.
Wait until the item arrives at your home.
If the item didn’t make it far after you canceled it, then there’s also a chance that it will go back to the Amazon warehouse.
However, if the item makes it to your door, then you’ll want to return it.
Returning products to Amazon is relatively easy.
You first need to tell Amazon that you’re returning a product.
Click on your Orders page and find the item.
Then click on the Return option.
Amazon will give you a label that you can print and stick on the box.
When your item arrives, you shouldn’t open it.
Simply put the label over the old label and take it to the USPS or your choice of package carrier.
In most cases, you won’t have to pay for postage, but there are a few exceptions.
Checking Amazon’s return policy can make you aware of whether you need to pay for postage or not.
Amazon will receive the item.
Once it does, it will start to process your refund.
Keep in mind that returns take longer to generate a refund than canceling an order before it ships.
You’ll need to wait some time before your money hits your bank account.
However, this is an ideal way to get your refund even after canceling the order after it shipped.
If you’re still experiencing problems with getting a refund, then you’ll want to try the Amazon A-to-Z Guarantee again.
It’s better suited for returns than for canceled orders.
6. Cancel Charge Through Bank Or Credit Card Company
A final step that you can take is to check with your bank and credit card company.
You can tell them that you canceled an item on Amazon and that you don’t want the charge on your account.
Depending on the situation, they might be able to cancel the charge.
It really depends on whether you received the item or not.
If you received the item, then they might not be able to cancel the charge.
Instead, you’ll need to return the item and get a refund.
If the item never arrived, then they might be more willing to cancel the charge and return the funds to what they were before purchasing the item.
Speaking with your bank or credit card company, at the very least, can make you aware of what you can do through them.
How To Cancel An Order On Amazon
When it comes to canceling an order on Amazon, you’ll want to move fast.
If Amazon has a reputation for anything, it’s how fast its shipping process works.
To ensure you’re able to cancel an order and remove the charge on your account, it helps to know how to cancel an order.
Here are the steps you should follow to cancel an order on Amazon.
1. Log In To Amazon
To start processing your canceled order, you’ll need to log into your Amazon account.
Like its return policy, Amazon makes it easy to cancel or modify your order.
Once you’ve logged into your Amazon account, you’ll want to navigate to your Orders page.
You can usually find it under your Account settings.
You should also see an option near your Account for Orders.
2. Find The Item
Once you access your Orders page, you’ll see a list of the items that you bought recently.
You can organize this list in several different ways.
Since you’re canceling an order, the item you need is probably near the top and front of the group.
Click the item that you want to cancel.
3. Check Order Status
One of the most important parts is determining the order’s status.
After you click the order, you should see a status on it at the top of the page.
It will tell you the current status of your order.
It might be processing, shipping, out for delivery, or some other status.
You want to make sure that it’s not shipped.
If it isn’t shipped, then you can proceed with the next step.
If it has shipped, then you should wait for the item to arrive at your door and return it instead.
It’s a lot easier than trying to cancel an order that’s shipped.
It also ensures that you get a refund.
4. Click On Cancel Item
As long as the order hasn’t shipped, you should see a Cancel Order option.
All you need to do to cancel the order is click on that option.
Amazon might prompt you to verify that you want to cancel the order.
It might also ask you the reasoning behind canceling the order.
Write your reason, then click submit.
You should see the status of the order update immediately or after a few minutes.
5. Wait For Funds
Since Amazon doesn’t charge funds until an item ships, you should receive your refund in a few days.
The company doesn’t actually charge you until the item ships.
Instead, it transfers funds from your card and holds it.
Once the item ships, then they transfer those funds to the seller.
If you cancel the order before it ships, then they simply release those funds back to you.
That’s why it’s more complex if you choose to cancel the order after it ships.
The funds are with the seller.
It’ll be down to them to refund the order.
In this case, it’s best to get a refund via a return.
What Is Amazon’s Refund Policy For Sellers?
Amazon has a pretty cohesive refund policy for sellers when it comes to refunding their buyers.
Here are some of the situations in which sellers must refund their buyers.
1. Subscribers Canceled Before Shipping
Amazon started introducing subscriptions during the big subscription craze.
Certain sellers allow their buyers to subscribe to their items.
This allows them to receive a monthly supply of the item at a discounted rate.
Some of the most popular subscription items are things like groceries, household goods, and pet food.
When a subscriber wants to cancel their subscription, they have to do so before the next shipment heads their way.
If they manage to cancel the order before the next shipment, then sellers have to refund them the amount of that month’s shipment.
However, if the subscriber fails to cancel before the order ships, then sellers don’t have to refund them.
That’s because they’re going to receive the item.
At that point, the subscriber can attempt to return the item to get a refund.
However, depending on what it is, they may not be able to return it.
Food items, in particular, are usually not eligible for returns.
2. Buyers Received Flawed Product
Another situation in which sellers have to refund their buyers is when a product arrives broken or flawed.
Buyers spend money on a product expecting it to work and arrive in perfect condition.
When this isn’t the case, then they’re able to get a refund since the money they paid isn’t the value of the product.
Sometimes, a seller might want to reach out to a buyer and send them a new product instead of a refund.
If the buyer requests a refund and not a new product, then the seller must refund them.
It’s usually good practice to send photos showing the damage or malfunction to prove that the item did arrive flawed.
If the authenticity checks out, then the seller will refund the buyer due to a flawed product.
3. Product Didn’t Fit Description
Another reason buyers can receive a refund is when the product doesn’t make the description that the seller gives.
This is a way to protect buyers from sellers who might be trying to take advantage of buyers or are downright frauds.
If the product states that it’s supposed to fit a specific size or that it’s supposed to perform some function, but the product doesn’t, then the buyer can get a refund.
That’s because they bought the product under the impression that this would solve a specific problem that they had.
When that isn’t the case, then they bought a product that was falsely advertised.
The seller has to refund the buyer for a product that doesn’t fit the description that they gave.
4. Product Is No Longer Available
A final situation in which a seller has to refund the buyer is when the product is no longer available.
Amazon is usually pretty good about listing when things are out of stock.
They make it so it’s impossible to buy the item.
However, there may come a situation when someone buys a product before the seller can update the inventory.
In this instance, they’re buying an item that doesn’t exist.
The seller has to refund the buyer since they’re not going to get a product.
Conclusion
Amazon tries to make canceling an order easy on their website.
However, it can take some time for the refund to show up in your bank account.
To make the process smooth and easy, you need to try and cancel the order before it ships.