May 23, 2025, 12:09 pm | Read time: 3 minutes

Some Amazon customers are currently sharing a curious observation in various forums. They have unexpectedly received a credit from the retailer for an order placed years ago. Amazon is apparently issuing refunds that date back as far as 2018. The reason stems from internal audits. However, there may also be another, potentially legal, background.

Customers in the U.S. Welcome Unexpected Amazon Refunds

The amount of Amazon refunds varies from customer to customer. Some report on Reddit, LinkedIn, or X (formerly Twitter) about receiving substantial sums from the online retailer. While one customer received nearly $1,800, another got about $85. Sometimes, multiple partial payments appear as refunds on the Amazon account, as shown in a post on X:

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The reason for the unexpected windfall is essentially a cleanup operation at Amazon. “Following a recent internal review, we identified a small number of returns where we issued a refund without completing the payment or where we couldn’t verify that the correct item was returned to us, resulting in no refund,” Amazon explained. According to the company, the reconciled old orders date back to 2018.

Refunds Are Automatic

Affected customers don’t need to do anything to receive the credits. As a spokesperson further explained, the technical issue has been resolved. In the future, customers will be informed more quickly about uncertainties regarding returns. Refunds are generally processed through the originally used payment method. What happens with accounts that have since been closed remains unclear.

During the presentation of quarterly figures in early May, Amazon listed a one-time charge of about $1.1 billion. According to CFO Brian Olsavsky, this amount also includes provisions for “historical customer returns.” In addition to refunds, this figure also covers storage costs related to tariffs under the previous U.S. administration. The company does not provide further details on the exact number of refunds or affected amounts.

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Connection to Possible Class Action?

The refunds may also be related to a class action lawsuit against Amazon in the U.S. There, customers accuse the company of systematically refusing or reversing refunds. A court recently rejected the dismissal of the lawsuit—allowing more affected individuals to join.

There are currently no indications of similar cases in Germany. Here, Amazon is currently facing criticism for changes to Prime Video. The Düsseldorf Regional Court declared Amazon’s price adjustment clause invalid. Amazon customers who used the Prime annual subscription before the price increase in 2022 have, therefore, overpaid. Affected individuals can register online and join a lawsuit by the consumer protection center without having to take action against Amazon themselves.