Error 18035: Why Refunds Fail on Replacement Orders and How to Fix It
Error 18035 occurs when sellers attempt to issue a refund against a replacement order ID instead of the original order ID. Sellers must resubmit refund requests using the correct original order ID to resolve this error.
Overview
Amazon sellers who fulfill their own orders may encounter Error 18035 when attempting to process a refund. This error is triggered when a refund request is submitted against a replacement order ID rather than the original order ID. Understanding this distinction is essential for sellers who handle returns and refunds through Seller Central or automated feeds.
Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know
- Replacement orders cannot receive refunds — Amazon's system does not allow refunds to be issued directly against a replacement order ID. Any attempt to do so will result in Error 18035.
- Original order ID is required — To successfully process a refund, sellers must use the original order ID that corresponds to the replacement order.
- Common in seller-fulfilled workflows — This error most frequently affects merchants who handle their own fulfillment and returns, as they manage refund submissions manually or through feeds.
- Data resubmission is needed — After encountering this error, the seller must resubmit the refund request with the correct original order ID to complete the transaction.
How This Error Occurs
When a buyer requests a replacement for a defective or incorrect item, Amazon generates a new replacement order ID that is linked to the original purchase. This replacement order ID is a separate identifier used to track the new shipment. If a seller later needs to issue a refund — for example, because the replacement was also unsatisfactory or the buyer changed their mind — the seller might mistakenly reference the replacement order ID in their refund request. Amazon's system rejects this because refunds are structurally tied to the original transaction, not to subsequent replacement orders.
How to Resolve Error 18035
To fix this error, sellers need to locate the original order ID associated with the replacement. This can typically be found by looking up the replacement order in Seller Central, where the original order reference is usually displayed in the order details. Once the correct original order ID is identified, the seller should resubmit the refund request using that ID. For sellers who process refunds through flat files or feeds, the order ID field in the submission data must be updated to reflect the original order before re-uploading. The refund should then process without triggering the error.
Analysis & Recommendations
Why This Matters
Sellers who fulfill their own orders and handle replacements need to understand this error to avoid refund processing delays. Unresolved refund errors can lead to buyer complaints and potential A-to-Z claims.
Key Takeaways
- Refunds cannot be issued against replacement order IDs — only original order IDs are accepted
- Error 18035 requires resubmitting the refund request with the correct original order ID
- Replacement orders carry separate IDs but are linked to the original purchase in Seller Central
- Automated refund feeds should include validation to catch replacement order IDs before submission
Recommended Actions
- →When processing refunds, always verify you are using the original order ID, not the replacement order ID
- →Set up internal tracking that maps replacement orders back to their original order IDs
- →If using feed-based refund processing, add validation logic to filter out replacement order IDs before submission
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