Overview

Amazon Handmade sellers operate under a specific set of return and refund policies that differ in important ways from standard Amazon marketplace rules. The key distinction revolves around whether a product is customized — items with personalization like engravings, monograms, or embroidery follow different return eligibility rules than standard listings. Understanding these policies is essential for Handmade sellers to manage customer expectations, avoid A-to-z Guarantee claims, and maintain good account health.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• 30-day return window is the baseline — Handmade sellers must accept returns within 30 days of customer receipt for any non-customized items, matching Amazon's standard return policy at minimum.
• Customized products are return-exempt — Items that are configured, personalized, or inscribed (engravings, stamps, monograms, embroidery, embossing, etching, carving, or printing) are not eligible for standard returns.
• Size and color options do not count as customization — Listings that only offer generic selection options like size, color, finish, or length are treated as standard products and must accept returns within 30 days.
• A-to-z Guarantee still applies to customized items — Even though personalized products are return-exempt, buyers can still file A-to-z claims if they receive a damaged, wrong, or materially different item.
• Return requests require a 24-hour response — Sellers must approve or close every return request within 24 hours, providing a reason to the customer if the request is denied.
• US return address required for US fulfillment — Sellers fulfilling orders in the US from outside the country must provide a valid domestic return address for items under $25, or Amazon may issue returnless refunds automatically.

How Return Eligibility Works for Mixed Listings

One area that often confuses Handmade sellers is listings that offer optional customization. When a product listing includes an optional personalization feature — such as an engraving that the buyer can choose to add or skip — both return policies can apply to the same listing depending on what the customer actually ordered. If a buyer purchases the item without selecting the customization option, the standard 30-day return window applies in full. However, if the buyer opts for the engraving or other personalization, the item becomes return-exempt under the customized product policy. The only exceptions where a customized item must still be accepted for return are cases involving a misspelling or error in the personalization that was not the buyer's fault, the item arriving damaged, or the product being materially different from what was ordered.