'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: what type of account was used, direct links to the order, or any detail of the purchase including images of check-out or order summary. All necessary information exists on the downloadable invoice, the managed balance purchase history, and the provided tracking page screenshot. 
• An order will be fulfilled up to 72 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 for making sure his/her settings allow the fulfillment of the order. 
• As soon as the order is sent to the automation process, the Buy Price is locked and will be processed at that price up to the Maximum Buy Price set in the settings. Please note that we cannot guarantee the coupons or price discounts can be applied. The frequent changes on Amazon and supplier sites, along with the complexities of the system, make it difficult to consistently apply discounts. 
• Orders sent to order automation that are already in "In Order Progress" status or have been successfully processed cannot be edited or modified. This includes the request to change the address details, quantity, or Buy Item IDs. Orders will be processed based on the details provided in the platform.
• If a buyer claims he did not receive the order, the FBA Specialist will chat with the purchase site support requesting a solution only in case the tracking number was not converted (if you set your settings to convert tracking numbers). No such service will be given to orders older than 30 days. 
• Fulfilled by AutoDS is not the supplier of your products. We only fulfill the orders from your preferred suppliers on our managed accounts.
• The Fulfilled by AutoDS Service handles order support according to our Terms & Conditions. The users are requested not to contact the suppliers regarding orders processed through the Fulfilled by AutoDS Service. If there are any inquiries, questions, or issues concerning the status of orders processed through the FBA Service, please reach out to the dedicated Fulfilled by AutoDS support team for assistance. This streamlined communication process ensures a smooth and efficient resolution of any concerns you may have. 
• Our managed accounts fulfill thousands of orders per day. A supposedly available coupon for an item could have been already used on the Buyer/Amazon account and is no longer available  (the coupons are usually restricted to one order per account). Thus, AutoDS cannot guarantee that the system will successfully apply a coupon in an order.
• 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 reorders, returns, and refunds.
• Once payment for 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.
• Fulfilled by AutoDS Managed accounts are not tax-exempted. Thus, your orders will have 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 Order Team specialist can confirm the amount of taxes deducted for an order but will not be able to refund it in any case.
• Orders through the Fulfilled by AutoDS Service will be processed and charged at the specified value on your AutoDS Orders page. Regardless of the currency used in your store, the price of the items will not be converted to USD. Any discrepancies in conversion are not eligible for a refund. We recommend to use USD as the currency for your store when using this service. 
• Our automated system does not support customizable or personalized items. In most cases, orders will still be processed but will be purchased as they are, without any customization.
• Removing stores or deleting the AutoDS account will greatly affect FBA Order details, including transaction histories and associated Buyer Accounts used to place the order. Please note that if one of these actions is done, our ability to assist you in regarding your FBA Orders will be limited. It's highly recommended to carefully consider any changes to your account to ensure a smoother and avoid issues with the orders.
• If a user decides to cancel their AutoDS account, please note that this makes them ineligible for any Fulfilled by AutoDS services. This includes, but is not limited to, reorders, returns, order cancellations, or refunds.
• If a supplier restricts access to our managed account and our system is not  able to retrieve a tracking number or update the already converted tracking number, Fulfilled by AutoDS will not provide an alternate tracking number. This is not part of the service and is not accountable for any issues that may occur if the supplier decides to restrict our account.

Supported Suppliers, Regions, and Pricing

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

General Return and Refund Policies

• A return request can only be initiated on the supplier site when the order is delivered.
• Each user has a return rating value that is 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.
• Your total return limit will be deducted each time a return request is sent by changing the status to "Return Pending." The total count towards the limit will increase each time a return request is sent repeatedly after failing.
• If an item is not refundable or returnable on the source site - the return request will be rejected automatically. The sellers on these supplier sites will have different return and refund policies. The user should look into these policies further to not have issues later on. They 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. 
• 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. This will not depend on the seller or supplier unless they have an even lower return window or does not accept returns outright.
• A return should only be fulfilled with the original label provided by AutoDS from the supplier site. If the return will be sent in any other way, it will be automatically rejected. 
• 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 is received from the source site.
• Suppliers or source sites 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, reorders, returns, and refunds are unfortunately not allowed without exceptions. See also below specific cases for suppliers.

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, refunds, and reorders 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 General Return and Refund Policies

• 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.
• Account return limit reached. We have set limits for our Amazon-managed accounts for ordering and when used as a supplier. Each account has 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.
• A label is provided and the return was delivered but the account is suspended. We will not be able to issue a refund or a reorder as we cannot confirm the refund on the order unless we get an email confirming the order has been refunded, in this case, a refund will be issued.
• The return label provided is not UPS Drop-off. The default return label grabbed by the system is UPS drop-off. Unless it's not available, another service will be selected. Users cannot ask for another specific return label option
• It’s been 14 days and no refund has been issued even though the package was already delivered. AutoDS won't provide a refund unless it has been issued by the supplier. Refunds are only possible if the supplier has already issued one. In most cases, suppliers might decline to refund, and this can be due to the following reasons:
  • 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 issues can flag the Amazon account, potentially resulting in a rise in return cases and an increased probability of account restriction. Fulfilled by AutoDS will not, under any circumstances, 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 the order. This means a refund was already issued, and the refund has been credited back to your balance. 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 on 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.

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 General Return and Refund Policies Line 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, however, try the methods below: 

• 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 in 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.

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 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.

Order Cancellations

Orders that are processed on Fulfilled by AutoDS-managed accounts cannot be canceled.

• Once an order is confirmed, it immediately enters our automated fulfillment process, making it challenging to interrupt or cancel. With this, once the order is on In Order Progress status with a white background, it can no longer be canceled as the automated fulfillment system has most likely finished ordering and is now updating the order.
• Cancellation requests are automatically rejected or denied. Once an order is placed on the source or supplier site, most sellers or suppliers immediately push the order to the advanced shipping stages, which, unfortunately, can no longer be canceled. Additionally, our specialist team will not reach out to the customer support of the source site to initiate an order cancellation request. This is not within the scope of our service.

• Too many cancellation requests may lead to account restrictions from some suppliers. We further avoid these cases and remove the option to do so on the platform. Changing the status to Canceled does not mean the order is canceled on our managed account.

• In cases where you receive a cancellation request, you may instruct the buyer to decline delivery. Once the order returns to the sender and we receive a refund from the source or supplier site, our specialist team should be able to issue a refund.
• In the event that the buyer receives the package and is not able to decline delivery, you may ask them to request a return instead. You should be able to request a return label on the platform by changing the status to Return Request. Once the return request is updated, you should be able to download the return label provided and forward it to your buyer. Again, once the item is received back by the seller or supplier and we receive a refund, we should be able to issue you a refund as well.

Shipping fees

Most of our supported suppliers that we manage do not have specific source site subscriptions that remove shipping fees. They will be charged for shipping if the item ordered is below a certain price. Examples of these subscriptions are Walmart +, Sam’s Club Plus Membership, Home Depot Pro Xtra, etc.

Even though we maintain Amazon Prime accounts, there may be occasional situations where Prime items incur shipping fees. This occurs when, during the order processing by our automated system, the Prime membership expires before renewal. While this is a rare and unavoidable scenario, AutoDS, unfortunately, cannot facilitate refunds for any associated shipping fees in such cases.

You may however, avoid these cases by adjusting your Supplier Settings (Maximum Loss - Profit) so that our automated fulfillment system will fail to place the order when it has reached the Maximum Buy Price.

Delivery Issues 

• In cases where an order has a reliable carrier with a valid tracking number, the user or buyer should reach out to the carrier directly for detailed information regarding the transit status. AutoDS, unfortunately, is unable to provide assistance with such queries.
• If you have late shipment complaints from your selling channel, please make sure that you have appropriately adjusted your handling time according to your supplier. It is best practice to set it up at least 5 days or more for US suppliers and even more for Chinese suppliers. It is also important to take note of the different estimated delivery dates for each supplier. Here are examples:
  • • Amazon US Prime: 2-4 business days within the US mainland. This will differ if the buyer is outside the US mainland but is considered as US territory.
    • Amazon US Non-prime: 7–30 business days, or even more, in some cases, depending on the seller and location of the buyer.
    • Walmart/ Home Depot: 4-7 business days.
    • Chinese Suppliers (AliExpress, CJ Dropshipping, etc): 30-60 business days.Print on Demand, AutoDS Sourcing, and AutoDS Warehouse Marketplace: This should be indicated on the product page details.