AMZ123 has learned that Amazon recently introduced two temporary policy adjustments for the 2026 year-end peak season. On one hand, it relaxed inbound time limits for international FBA shipments, leaving more buffer for ocean shipping delays, port congestion, customs inspections and similar situations. On the other hand, it extended the return window for the holiday shopping season, giving consumers more time to handle holiday gift returns and exchanges.

On logistics, Amazon said that because many sellers this peak season are affected by longer ocean transit times, port delays, customs holds and other external factors, the platform decided to adjust inbound rules for some international FBA shipments. The new rules apply to international shipment plans created between August 1 and November 30, 2026, mainly involving arrival deadlines for multi-destination shipments and automatic shipment closure times.

Specifically, for a shipment plan that needs to be sent to multiple destinations, Amazon extended the arrival deadline for related shipments from 30 days to 45 days after the first shipment is received. That means as long as the remaining shipments are received within 45 days after the first shipment is received, sellers will not be charged related defect fees because the shipment is deleted or disposed of.

In addition, Amazon extended the automatic shipment closure period to 90 days, giving shipments still in transit more time to reach the warehouse and avoiding automatic closure by the system due to timeout.

Note that even if eligible shipments still appear in the inbound performance dashboard in Seller Central, the related defect records will not disappear, but Amazon will waive related fees for eligible shipments.

Fees that have already been charged will be refunded, and sellers can check details in the Reimbursement Report in Seller Central. The entire adjustment does not require sellers to apply separately; the system will automatically implement the policy changes and fee refunds.

In addition to logistics arrangements, Amazon has also begun adjusting its consumer return policy for the holiday shopping season. The 2026 extended holiday return policy will take effect on November 1. Eligible items purchased by consumers between November 1 and December 31, 2026 can be returned by January 31, 2027, providing more time to return holiday gifts, duplicate gifts or unsuitable items.

However, not all products enjoy the same return window. For Apple brand products, the return deadline is earlier, on January 15, 2027, 16 days shorter than regular items. The policy applies to seller-fulfilled orders, Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) orders, and Amazon retail orders. Eligible items that are not damaged can be returned for free, and specific return requirements will be shown on the product detail page.

Amazon still does not accept returns for some products, including perishable goods, customized products and pharmacy items. To process a return, consumers can log in to Amazon, go to "Your Orders", find the item and click "Return Items", then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process. If the item is sold by a third-party seller, consumers need to send it back according to the return address provided by the seller.

These two adjustments show that Amazon is simultaneously addressing pressure from peak-season logistics and consumer demand. For international FBA sellers, the 45-day inbound deadline for multi-destination shipments and the 90-day automatic closure period provide more room to adjust to shipping delays and reduce the risk of extra fees caused by uncontrollable logistics issues.

Author ✎ Summer/AMZ123
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Source: Amazon News
Original link: https://www.amz123.com/t/9rC7BjAH