Coronavirus has turned the world upside down, and companies are having to adjust their operations to cope with the situation in which we find ourselves, from working at home like Googlers in North America, to Apple closing down retail stores. Amazon's been doing its best to keep things moving as normally as possible, implementing some incentives for waiting longer for your goods, and prioritizing "essential" items (even if all its own products are conveniently included). Taking things one step further, Amazon yesterday announced that it is extending the return period for items bought during this time.

Giving our customers more time to return items

We’re temporarily extending return windows in light of the ongoing global health crisis. Most items ordered through Amazon or seller partners in the U.S. and Canada between March 1, 2020, and April 30, 2020, can now be returned until May 31, 2020. Items ordered through Amazon or seller partners in Italy, Spain, France, Turkey, and the Netherlands between February 15, 2020, and April 30, 2020, can now be returned until May 31, 2020. For more about customer orders and deliveries, click here.

This step will be especially useful in countries like Italy, which have been in full lockdown for weeks now. Strangely, the UK isn't listed here, but I can confirm that the return window has received the same extension as other European countries. There hasn't been an official statement to that effect, but all of my orders after February 15 carry the new return date of May 31, whereas an item I bought on the 14th does not.

Amazon isn't alone in taking this step, with Apple allowing customers to return items within 14 days of its stores eventually reopening. Hopefully, other companies follow suit during this difficult time.

Source: Amazon