Wrong FBA returns are increasing—is this a scam or mere sloppiness?

Is there an uptick in wrongful FBA returns?

One Amazon seller shared their recent (and increasing) experience with wrongful returns on Reddit. After they opened a case and provided photo evidence, they were fortunately reimbursed for the returns.

But the question is: Why is this happening, and who’s doing this?

?? The culprits

Seasoned sellers weighed in on the topic, saying there were 3 possible reasons for this:

• Legitimate mistaken returns from customers, who might return the wrong item to a seller or return the correct item to a different seller.Amazon even has a dedicated Mistaken Returns page to handle cases like this. The retailer also urges customers to contact support immediately (but can’t guarantee the order will be found).
• Scam customers. As we’ve shared before, returns can be “disgusting.” Scammers buy your products and then return a completely different item.The annoying twist: You don’t know what you’re getting! One seller shared he got a “ziplock bag full of engine oil.” ???
• Amazon sloppiness. There’s also the possibility that Amazon centers have messed up the labels or items.

What can you do about this?

Different sellers had different ways of handling wrongful returns. The most common is to file a case to get your money back. For some, dealing with returns is too much of a hassle, especially for cheaper items. Some just keep a stash of the wrong returns and give it to friends.

How about you? How will you handle a situation like this?