Let’s face it, sometimes “impulse buys” don’t quite fit the bill. You know, those items that you buy on a whim and then remember you don’t really need or want them?
In the digital age, we have Amazon to thank for making impulse buying even easier. All it takes is a few clicks of your mouse to have your desired products delivered right to your door. But what happens when you click ‘purchase’ only to have buyer’s remorse soon after?
It’s actually not as difficult as you think to cancel an Amazon order and get your money back. We’ll show you how in just a few easy steps. Read on to learn how you can get your refund quickly and easily – no matter what kind of order it is!
Sign Into Your Amazon Account
If you need to cancel an order you’ve made on Amazon, it’s easy—all you need to do is sign into your account. Go to the Amazon homepage, select ‘Sign in’ from the top right corner, and enter your email address and password.
Once you’re signed in, you can view the details of your order. On your account page, look for ‘Orders’ under ‘Your Account’. Here you can see all the orders that have been shipped and those on hold as well as other details such as estimated delivery date. To cancel an order before it ships, simply look for the button that says ‘Cancel order.’
If an order has already shipped, finding out how to cancel it will require a little bit more work. In this case, click on the ‘Details’ link next to your specific order to find out more information about return instructions, timelines and refund eligibility. If you’re eligible for a full or partial refund on a shipped order, you can go ahead and click ‘Return or Replace Items’ to begin the cancelation process.
By signing into your Amazon account and taking a few extra steps if needed, you can easily cancel any digital orders!
Find Your Order in ‘Your Orders’
The first step in canceling an Amazon order is to find that order. Head to the website, select ‘Your Orders’ from the hamburger menu, and find the item you want to cancel. You can also search for the item using a search bar if you don’t see it in your list of purchases.
Once you’ve located the order and clarified if it’s still eligible for cancelation, click on ‘Cancel Items’ beside it. You’ll see a list of items on the order as well as a drop-down menu with cancelation options. Select one that fits what you need and click on ‘Cancel checked items’ to confirm.
Now, all that’s left is to wait for your refund! Amazon will issue refunds according to their own timeline–usually within 3-5 business days after they receive confirmation of your cancelation request.
What You Can and Can’t Cancel
Ah, the age-old conundrum—what you can and can’t cancel. Here’s what you need to know:
You can cancel digital orders
If you’re ordering an item from Amazon’s digital storefront, like a Kindle book or game, you may be able to get your money back. You must request a refund within seven days of purchase, and you may be subject to additional terms set forth by the distributor.
You cannot cancel orders for physical items
Orders for physical items usually cannot be canceled once they’ve shipped. However, you may have up to 30 minutes after order placement to try and cancel an order with certain sellers. To see if your order is eligible for cancelation, look at the “Order details” page in Your Account.
Handling Digital Orders on Amazon
When placing your order, you might have noticed that some items on Amazon are labeled as digital orders. The good news is that if you need to cancel those orders, it’s actually pretty easy.
Canceling Digital Orders
If your digital order isn’t quite ready yet and hasn’t shipped yet, it will usually be automatically canceled and refunded. However, if you want to double check and make sure it’s been canceled and refunded, you should:
- Log in to your Amazon account and navigate to your Orders page
- Select the digital order you want to cancel
- Click “Cancel Item”, if available
- Select the reason you’re canceling
- Click “Cancel Instantly”
- On the “Your Cancelation Was Successful” page, confirm that your order has been canceled and refunded
- Check Your Account Balance to confirm the refund was processed correctly
If the”Cancel Item” option isn’t visible then most likely that item has already shipped and can’t be returned or refunded from Amazon directly anymore. In this case you’ll have to contact the seller directly for a return or exchange policy for those items.
Canceling Your Order or Refunding Your Money
If you’ve already placed your order, but change your mind afterward, you can cancel the order and get your money back. To do this, log into your account on Amazon.com, head to “Your Orders,” select the order you want to cancel and click the “Cancel Items” button.
The good news is that it’s pretty easy to cancel an Amazon order and get a refund—just as long as the cancelation deadline hasn’t passed yet. But there are a few things to keep in mind while canceling or refunding:
- You’ll have to return any physical items you bought before getting a refund.
- Digital items like Appstore & Software Downloads, MP3s and Videos can only be returned for a refund within 24 hours of purchase or within 7 days of shipment if the item was damaged when it arrived.
- Amazon Prime members are subject to different deadlines for refunds than non-Prime members, so be sure to double-check those rules before you attempt a return or refund.
- Some items might not be eligible for returns at all, so make sure you read through each product page for details about refunds and returns for any products you’re interested in buying before making a purchase.
It’s important to read through all the policies and regulations surrounding refunds and returns on Amazon—but once you’ve done that, it’s easy as pie to cancel orders or get your money back if things don’t work out!
Additional Steps to Take if the Order Has Already Been Dispatched
If the order has already been dispatched, you can still get your money back. Don’t worry too much if it’s too late to cancel—you still have a few options. Here are the steps you should take:
Refusing Delivery
When the package arrives, simply refuse delivery and make sure to include a note on why you’re refusing it—a ‘Return to Sender’ letter is perfect for this. This will help you identify the parcel when it comes back to Amazon and make sure they process your refund as quickly as possible.
Return Shipping Costs
You may be charged return shipping costs for the item by Amazon, but depending on the reason for return, you may also be able to claim them back from them through their ‘A-Z Guarantee’.
Online Printable Returns Slips
If the item is eligible for return, Amazon will provide you with an online printable returns slip which will explain what information needs to be included with the return and how it should be packaged before being shipped back. Make sure that your return follows these guidelines or you won’t receive a refund.
FAQs
Still have questions about how to cancel an Amazon order? Then you’re in luck, because we’ve got the answers. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about canceling an Amazon order:
Yes! You can cancel digital items like apps, movies and music, and you can do it the same way you’d cancel any other item—just click “Cancel items.”
It depends. If you purchased the item with a credit card or other method of payment, then yes, you should receive a refund. However if you used an Amazon gift card as payment, then your refund will go back to your Amazon balance.
That really depends on the items you’re trying to cancel and how quickly the seller responds. Most cancelations take one business day to process, but in some cases it might take up to three days.
With this information at hand, now you know everything there is to know about canceling an Amazon order. Now get out there and start making those cancelations!