RETURN POLICIES AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON SHAPING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN ONLINE SHOPPING WITH REFRENCE TO AMAZON

As e-commerce grows quickly, online retailers face more competition. Post-purchase services like returns and refunds now play a big role in customer satisfaction and loyalty. Return policies help lower the risk customers feel when shopping online by letting them send back products easily and without much cost. Research shows that clear and flexible policies, fast refunds, and simple return processes all help increase customer satisfaction and the chance that customers will buy again. This project looks at how Amazon’s return policies affect customer satisfaction, focusing on shoppers in India. This study uses a descriptive and analytical approach, collecting primary data through a structured questionnaire given to Amazon customers who have bought online and used the return process. It looks at demographic factors like age, gender, income, and how often people shop as well as behavioural factors such as convenience, trust, fairness, and overall satisfaction. The study uses descriptive statistics to summarize what customers think, and plans to use chi-square tests to find links between return policy features and satisfaction. The results are expected to show that easy and clear return steps, fast refunds, several ways to return items, and low effort all lead to higher satisfaction and a greater chance of shopping again on Amazon. The study ends with practical ideas to improve Amazon’s return process for customers and suggests areas for future research on return policies in online shopping.