Q&A: How can I refund my Amazon Marketplace buyer?

QUESTION: I recently sold a book on Amazon. Now the buyer wants to return the book, saying he ordered the wrong one by mistake. I want to help him out but am not sure how to refund his money. Do I refund him through Amazon or do I send him a check?

ANSWER: Tell the buyer he's welcome to return the book for a refund to his account. Since the buyer is at fault in this case, I'd definitely wait until the book is returned before refunding. You can also keep the shipping fee, but I usually refund in full even when the customer is at fault.

When you refund the buyer through your seller account, Amazon will credit the buyer's account and debit your seller account. You and the buyer receive an e-mail confirmation from Amazon a few minutes after you submit the refund. Here's Amazon's help screen for refunds:

Though Amazon.com processes all Amazon Payments from your buyers, it is a seller's responsibility to initiate refunds. We provide online tools for this purpose. If you would like to make an Auctions refund, please follow the links for more information. General guidelines on Amazon Marketplace returns and refunds are also provided on our Handling Returns and Refunds page