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'Fulfilled by AutoDS' Service - Terms and Conditions

A must-read for every user who joins the Fulfilled by AutoDS service (aka Managed Accounts) - these terms apply to all users without any exceptions

General

  • AutoDS will not share any order information concerning the purchases on our managed accounts. That includes the following: images of the order placed, direct links to the order, or any detail of the purchase. All necessary information exists on the downloadable invoice and balance history sheet. 
  • An order will be fulfilled up to 48 hours maximum. AutoDS assumes no responsibility for an item that was no longer in stock at the time of the order or if its price went up. The user is responsible to make sure his/her settings allow the fulfillment of the order. 
  • When a order is sent to the automation the buy price is blocked and will be processed at that price up maximum to buy max price indicated in the settings. We can't guarantee that coupons or price discounts will be applied due the fast change of amazon and process of the system. Also we process thousands of orders and not all the prices reflects to our accounts.
  • If a buyer claims he did not receive the order, the managed specialist will chat with the purchase site support requesting a solution only in case the tracking number was not converted to BlueCare Express only. No such service will be given to orders older than 30 days. 
  • AutoDS is not the supplier of your products. AutoDS only fulfills the orders for you from a 3rd party supplier.
  • AutoDS is responsable for the support of orders within the terms & condition, the users are not allowed to contact directly the suppliers about orders fulfilled with AutoDS. If you have any inquiry about the status of order or questions about the cost of your order, you should contact AutoDS support. 
  • Our managed accounts fulfill thousands of orders per day. A supposedly available coupon for an item could have been already used on the purchase account and is no longer available  (the coupons are usually restricted to one order per account). Thus, AutoDS does not guarantee the system will be able to apply a coupon on an order.
  • If a user cancels his AutoDS account, he or she will no longer be eligible for any fulfilled by AutoDS services such as returns, order cancellations, or refunds. 
  • Editing or modifying a Fulfilled by AutoDS processed order to the point where we can no longer locate the order (i.e. adding/ changing the Buy Order ID and adding your personal Buyer Account on the order) will void all Fulfilled by AutoDS services offered for that specific order. This includes returns and refunds. A re-order may be allowed but you will be charged again on top of the previous order for the total amount of the new order.

Supported Suppliers, Regions, and Pricing

Click here to get the full list of supported suppliers, regions and their pricing.

Return, Payments and Refunds Policies

The logistics of processing returns and refunds are expensive and therefore not favored by suppliers, especially when they claim to offer free returns. Having too many returns and asking for refunds on an account put the account at very high risk for restriction. If the account is flagged and has a return case, the supplier will close and restrict access to the account. We sincerely advise users to avoid returns and refunds as much as possible and only ask for a return or refund as the last resort. The best practice is to have the buyer pay for the return.

The service would like to add those different suppliers come with different return and refund policies. The Fulfilled by AutoDS service and these suppliers will not conform to the return and refund policies you have on your chosen marketplace.

Section 1.  When can I initiate a return and refund request when using Fulfilled by AutoDS?

  • The order is Delivered status on the platform and on the supplier site. Open a return request can only be initiated on the supplier site when the order is delivered.
  • Returns limit. We evaluate the risk per buyer account, if the account has more than 4% returns, we will fail the return request and we will not proceed. 
  • You have a case open for orders above $100. You are requested to provide proof of the case. You may open a ticket and provide this information.
  • The item on the order is eligible for return. Not all items are eligible for return. These items are but are not limited to, flammable materials, perishable/ consumable items, chemicals, hazardous materials, etc. We highly recommend checking the items on your listings thoroughly if it is indeed eligible for a return.
  • The Supplier account the order was processed is not accessible anymore. Unfortunately, Suppliers close and restrict access to accounts without prior notice, and this is something common and unavoidable. There are currently no workarounds and reinstated accounts are quite rare. These occurrences are unforeseeable and cannot be prevented from happening. In these cases, returns and refunds are unfortunately not allowed without exceptions. See also below specific cases for suppliers. 
  • The order was processed not more than 30 days ago. Successfully processed orders are usually eligible for returns and refunds if it is still within the 30-day return period allowed by the suppliers. If the order is older than 30 days, we cannot proceed with the return. There is no exception to this rule and under no circumstances do we contact the supplier and ask for a return.
  • Return request failed and requests proof of the issue and buyer provided. Most suppliers require proof before proceeding with the return this must include a valid reason. Not liking the product is unfortunately not a valid reason and may still fail. If the reason is the end-buyer changed their mind, the buyer will be the one to return the item at their own expense, however, if the account is locked then it is not allowed.
  • The end-buyer opened a return and used a different return label or is being returned at my address. A return must only be made using the return label or method provided by Fulfilled by AutoDS. Refunding the buyer before receiving a refund from AutoDS can be done at the discretion of the AutoDS user but it does not guarantee the subsequent refund on AutoDS's part. No refunds will be issued and under no circumstances we contact the supplier to request a refund. 

Section 2. How long does the refund by Fulfilled by AutoDS take?

Once the suppliers received the package, we should not expect a refund to immediately be issued. The supplier does validations and this may take time. A refund should be expected within 7-30 days of the supplier receiving the package. Once the suppliers issue a refund to the Fulfilled by AutoDS managed account, a refund will be issued and this typically happens within 24 hours of receiving the refund.

Section 3. Amazon Returns and Refunds

Amazon seems to be taking increasingly growing action on account closures. This is very common and inevitable and can happen without prior notice. All dropshipping communities are well aware of such occurrences and their subsequent issues. Unfortunately, in these cases, returns and refunds will not be processed from Fulfilled by AutoDS service as our access to these accounts is therefore restricted. 

Our suggestion in order to avoid being in a similar situation in the future: Create a return policy that does not accept returns. If you do not want to use such a return policy, there are two options:
  1. Use the Fulfilled by AutoDS service knowing that there is no guarantee for returns even for prime products that are returnable. You will have to take responsibility for any extra expenses resulting from such cases.
  2. Use your own Amazon account in order to have full control over the orders. In case your Amazon account gets a suspension, you will have the option to return an item as a gift by using this link https://www.amazon.com/returns/gift

Note: *If the information is not provided here, please refer to Section 1.

  • Return failed with “Unfortunately, we cannot provide a return or refund for this order”. If the account is found to be restricted and can no longer be accessed, no label can be provided and a refund will not be issued.
  • A label is provided and the return was delivered but the account is suspended. We will not be able to issue a refund as we cannot confirm the refund on the order unless we got an email confirming the order has been refunded, in this case, a refund will be issued.
  • I’ll Ship and Pay return label was provided. The default return label that is grabbed by the system is UPS drop-off. However, there are cases where a return label provided is “I’ll Ship and Pay”, meaning, your buyer can return the item using a shipping service that is convenient to the buyer. For this case, we cannot provide any kind of return label as this is what is available from the seller.
  • It’s been 14 days and no refund has been issued even though the package was already delivered. Fulfilled by AutoDS does not refund unless a refund was issued for the return. In most cases, a refund is not issued by the supplier due to the reasons below:
  •  Your end-buyer returned an empty package or envelope.
  •  Your end-buyer returned the item that is not in its original state or has damages and scratches that are clearly from heavy use.
  •  Your end-buyer returned the incorrect item or is not the item on the order.

Note: *These reasons are dangerous to the account and will make the account have a return case and will most likely cause the account to be restricted. Under no circumstances do Fulfilled by AutoDS contact Amazon customer service.

  • I did not get a return label, but the status of the order is now Return Completed. There are rare cases where Amazon offers returnless refunds and no longer requires the end-buyer to return the item on order. This means a refund was already issued, and the refund has been returned to your balance and the end-buyer can either keep, donate or dispose of the item.

Note: *These instances are quite rare and can only happen once on a very cheap item. Abusing this will result in limitations to your returns even if you still have returns left.

  • I received a return label when the order is within 30 days but the end-buyer returned the package and was delivered passed the 30-day return period. No refund shall be issued in this case. In most cases, Amazon will charge restocking fees for the returned item that has passed the 30-day return period. The restocking fee amount will be close to or is the same as the charge on the order.

Section 4. Walmart and HomeDepot Returns and Refunds

Although these suppliers are not that strict, accounts can still be flagged and can no longer provide return labels. These cases may happen and the account will be banned from requesting returns or refunds.

  • Return failed with “Unfortunately, we cannot provide a return or refund for this order”. This means the account was flagged and can no longer provide return labels or refunds.
  • The item on the order is still within 30 days and returnable but is failing. In most cases, this is due to us not being able to get a return label from the supplier. 
  • You can refer to Section 1.4
  • There are special cases where the only option for the return is for the end-buyer to return the item back to a physical store and there are no workarounds. 
  • You can either let the end-buyer return the item to your address so you can return it at a physical Walmart/ HomeDepot store near you. If you claim the refund at the physical store, a refund will no longer be issued on your Fulfilled by AutoDS balance.
  • Let the end-buyer return to the nearest physical store on their location. But if the end-buyer claims a refund from the store, no refund will be issued to your Fulfilled by AutoDS balance.
  • Electronic and Luxury items purchased at Walmart Marketplace/ Third-party sellers have 14-day return policies.
  • The item was purchased with a third-party seller and the buyer wants the item returned but there is no return label provided or the return failed. Third-party sellers will most likely have different return policies. We highly recommend checking the items on your listings thoroughly as we are not liable for returns due to a different return policy by the third-party seller. We can contact them directly but will not guarantee a return label will be provided.

Section 5. AliExpress, Banggood, Alibaba, and other Chinese suppliers.

Most of the items ordered from these suppliers are from China, free returns are not guaranteed due to logistical expenses and the cost of returning the item back to the supplier in China. In some cases, they do have warehouses in the US but this is not the same with the majority of the items on the suppliers.

  • I keep receiving Return Failed status and asking for proof. This is due to the seller requiring proof of the reason for the return. This also means that the return reason must be valid. Not liking the item on the order is not a valid reason. 
  • It’s been a few days and I already sent proof, why is there no return label yet? With Chinese suppliers, a return process usually takes a few days since a return case needs to be opened against the seller on the supplier site. This is a back-and-forth process with the seller.
  • Why does the buyer need to pay for the return? Since most of the sellers on the Chinese suppliers are from China, international shipment is required. In most cases, free return labels are not provided.

Here are some general rules that you should keep in mind about return and refund requests with the FBA service:

  • Once payment to the fulfilled by AutoDS service was sent, it is not refundable. Selling your balance or AutoDS account to another AutoDS user is strictly prohibited. 
  • Auto-order credits are non-refundable - no credits will be returned for canceled or returned orders. 
  • AutoDS Managed account are not exempted in the USA. Thus, your orders will have US State taxes added to the final order price.
  • We may deduct fees up to 15% of any order value. If any additional taxes apply such as sales tax, customs etc., they will apply to you with no liability to us. Without derogating from the generality of the foregoing, You are solely responsible for any fees, charges, taxes, and levies on amounts you may pay or otherwise earn through the Website. To the extent required to do so under applicable law, we reserve the full right to deduct and withhold any applicable charges and taxes from any amounts payable to you or by you.
    The support can confirm the amount of taxes deducted for a order but will not be able to refund it on any case.

Order Returns

  • Each Amazon seller is entitled to up to a 3% return rate (out of all managed orders). Return requests that will exceed this rate will be automatically canceled/ refused. This rule is meant to keep our managed accounts open and safe from restrictions and is in the best interest of our Fulfilled by AutoDS customers.
  • Each user who uses AutoDS FBA service has a return rating value based on the percentage of returns from the total number of orders (lifetime order history).
    In AutoDS, the limit is 5%. Thus, reaching the 5% will result a failure and the return request will be denied.  Returns will be allowed again if the percentage is below 5%. Click here to learn how you can improve your return rate.
  • It is considered a return every time a successful label is provided or every time a return is requested. In case of multiple return over the limits, the requests will fail.
    Returns that fail should not be counted toward the limitation.
  • If an item is not refundable or returnable on the source site - the return request will be rejected automatically. The users are fully responsible to make sure the products they work with are refundable on the source site. 
  • If too many returns will be asked for an item per month (over 5) - the item will no longer be eligible for the managed service. 
  • An order is not eligible for a return after 30 days from the delivery date. Returns for orders older than 30 days will be automatically rejected. 
  • A return request which was not fulfilled in 30 days, meaning, the buyer did not send the package back to the purchase site, will be canceled automatically and will no longer be entitled to a return.
  • A return should only be fulfilled with the original label provided by AutoDS from the purchase site. If the return will be sent in any other way, it will be automatically rejected. 
  • The provided return label from Amazon will always be Amazon's default: USP drop-off unless it's not available and another service will be selected. Users cannot ask for another specific return label option. 
  • Refunds are processed by the source site within 7-14 days from the day the item had arrived at their warehouse since it still awaits scanning and inspection of the returned goods.AutoDS only processes the refund soon as it gets it from the source site.

Order Cancellations

  • Once an order is sent to the auto-ordering process, it cannot be cancelled. 
  • Our specialist will not contact the source site support with a request to cancel an order. It is not part of the service. 
  • Users of the 'Fulfilled by AutoDS' service should instruct their buyers to ask for a return when the item arrives to them. That's the only way they can get refunded for the order they wished to cancel. 

Shipping fees

  • It can happen that an order for an item that is prime has shipping fees, for example the prime membership has expired and the order was placed before renewal. It is rare and it can not be avoided. AutoDS will not refund the shipping fees in such cases. You have the option to change the order settings (max loss- profit) so that AutoDS will fail to place the order for exceeding the maximum buy price. For more information on how these settings work please read here and here.

Delivery Issues 

  • If there's a reliable carrier with a valid tracking number for the order, the user should contact the carrier directly for more info about the transit status. AutoDS cannot assist with these queries. 
  • AutoDS automatically updates tracking numbers once they are available from the supplier's site (The system checks every 6 hours for newly updated tracking numbers).
    Each supplier has a different estimated delivery time:
    Amazon - 2-4 business days for prime items only
    AliExpress - 30-50 days (expect a longer time for the tracking to be updated on your end)
    Home Depot/Walmart - 4-7 business days
    Estimated delivery times are subject to change by the supplier. There is no real guarantee from any supplier for the delivery date, It is the user is compete responsibility to make sure his shipping time settings are correct with the supplier's and his shipping policies on the selling channel. 

    If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at the support chat - we are happy to help.