If You Were Surprised by an Amazon Refund From Years Ago, Here's Why

What's better than a surprise package from Amazon? A big chunk of money.

After all the money you've spent at Amazon, it's only fair that the online shopping giant gives you some cash back, right? That's what some customers are discovering after learning about surprise Amazon refunds they've received, sometimes for purchases made years ago.

One customer on LinkedIn said he received a refund of $1,800 for a smart TV bought in 2018. Others made similar comments about products bought long before. What's going on, and why are Amazon customers getting these refunds so long after their purchases?

Why some Amazon customers are receiving surprise refunds

These surprise Amazon refunds seem to have arisen from an internal Amazon review, possibly in response to a 2023 lawsuit, according to Bloomberg. The lawsuit claimed Amazon had quietly reversed legitimate return-related refunds for some shoppers.

Now, it looks like Amazon's making good on those refunds -- and if you've ever had a return go sideways, you might see a little money show up, too.

How many Amazon customers are getting these surprise refunds?

A representative for Amazon told CNET that only a small number of customers would be affected. 

"Following a recent internal review, we identified a very small subset of returns where we issued a refund without the payment completing, or where we could not verify that the correct item had been sent back to us so no refund was issued," an Amazon representative said. "There is no action required from customers to receive the refunds, and we have fixed the payment issue."

In its latest earnings call on May 21, Amazon reported a one-time expense of $1 billion connected to expenses like refunds, returns and tariffs that the company had not yet sent out. These earmarked funds could be responsible for the sudden updates that shoppers are now seeing regarding purchases as far back as 2018.

How can I tell if I'm eligible for one of these Amazon refunds?

If you receive an email about a surprise refund from Amazon orders, it may be related to these changes Amazon has made behind the scenes. You may still want to confirm it's not fraud by logging into your Amazon account or making a quick service call, especially if it's a larger amount like a payment for a TV. 

Scammers may be taking advantage of this news, too, so be wary of any notification that asks you for financial information, which Amazon should already have.

Another way to see if Amazon has refunded you unexpected funds is to go to your Orders page with a web browser or via the Amazon app.

Check your Amazon Orders page via the Amazon app

1. Open the Amazon app and log in (if not already)
2. Tap the profile icon at the bottom of the screen
3. Tap the Orders button at the top of the next screen
4. Check your recent account activity to see if you've received unexpected credits

Check your Amazon Orders page with a web browser

1. Visit Amazon.com in your web browser of choice and log in (if not already)
2. Click on the Accounts & Lists link in the top right corner
3. Then click Your Orders on the next page
4. Check your recent account activity to see if you've received unexpected credits