Overview

Amazon will shrink the response period for international, seller‑fulfilled returns on its German (Amazon.de) and UK (Amazon.co.uk) marketplaces from four calendar days to three, effective August 11 2025. The tighter window applies to orders valued over €25 or £20 (VAT included) and removes the ability to dispute automatic refunds through the SAFE‑T program. Sellers who miss the three‑day deadline will see a refund issued to the buyer and charged to their account without recourse.

Key Points

• Response window reduced — The deadline to acknowledge a return request drops from four days to three calendar days for cross‑border seller‑fulfilled orders.
• Markets affected — Both Amazon.de and Amazon.co.uk will enforce the new three‑day rule starting August 11 2025.
• SAFE‑T claim eliminated — Refunds generated automatically after a missed deadline cannot be contested or recovered via the SAFE‑T process.
• Three approved return options — Sellers must present at least one of three compliant options (local prepaid label, international prepaid label, or full refund without return) within the three‑day period.
• Prepaid label program launch — Amazon introduces a DHL/DPD‑partnered prepaid return‑label service for cross‑border returns on Amazon.de, also beginning August 11 2025.
• Value thresholds — The new rules apply only to items priced above €25 in Germany or £20 in the United Kingdom, inclusive of VAT.

How the New Returns Window Works

1. Return request received — A buyer on Amazon.de or Amazon.co.uk initiates a return for a seller‑fulfilled item priced above the threshold. Example: A UK customer orders a €30 kitchen gadget from a US‑based seller and clicks “Return” on the order page.
2. Three‑day response clock starts — Amazon logs the request and starts a 72‑hour countdown. The seller must log into Seller Central and propose a compliant return option before the clock expires. Example: The seller sees the request at 10 AM GMT on Day 1 and has until 10 AM GMT on Day 4 to act.