When do Amazon issued return labels expire?

Selling on Amazon Returns and Claims
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1

A buyer messaged me over the weekend asking about a refund on a return they shipped back.

After digging around, I was able to determine that the item was ordered in November, a return request was opened on December 16, Amazon closed the return on Feb 22nd (which is, last I checked, well after the window Amazon claims they hold a return request open), the buyer returned the item via UPS on March 2. Clearly, there was no RFS on this order.

I have no record of receiving this return, which admittedly is not conclusive evidence of anything. The tracking is so old that it doesn’t show anything, returned or not. The fact that the UPS Access Point accepted the return and issued a receipt seems to indicate the return label was still valid, although I have no real experience using these and maybe I’m wrong about that?

Does anyone know how long an Amazon issued return label stays viable? I know that customers have returned items sometimes years after a label was issued, but at the same time I can’t imagine that Amazon issues millions of unused return labels and just eats that loss.

2

For us mortals,
UPS labels usually last 90 days! Which is insane, but that’s UPS’s trick, they charge you for creating the label. If you don’t use it, you still need to void it to prevent charges.
FedeX labels last for (officially) 14 days, but you’re not charged until they are scanned. I think that they remain good for a bit longer. Like 30 days *thereabout)
I believe that USPS can be good for up to 1 year, but I don’t use usps

For Amazon
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/seller-forums/discussions/t/1c87f75b11b3c143ee245ad8939edeae
That was 8 years ago, so it may have changed, but I’m not sure if it has

3

I know of sellers that have gotten returns 1 year after the return request.

My record is 6 months.

Technically the label just scans, I don’t think they actually expire.

4

So the problem is that AFAIK, they don’t expire because they aren’t “purchased” until scanned.

That means that the tracking number on the printed label could be re-issued 90+ days after print.

5

That’s what I believe too. Which is convenient for Amazon. But the result is that their return labels would seem to also never expire.

31 months.

6

I was able to get UPS to confirm the items were returned to me on May 4th, although I still can’t find them. Infuriating.

7

Does the returns section show that the label was used and show a delivery scan at your returns center? If not, then Amazon has no record of the item being returned.

8

Unfortunately, this information does not update once Amazon closes the return. Amazon closed this return over a month before the buyer shipped it back. They didn’t cancel the return label though.

9

Then Amazon has no record of the item being returned. I guess It is your option on whether you want to refund the cutomer.

10

Yes, my question was not about whether or not Amazon will force a refund. I just hate that this situation happens, and it’s only because Amazon return labels don’t expire.