Irish Amazon customers will be liable for the cost of returning some products once the UK leaves the European Union, the company confirmed in an email.
Irish customers of the Amazon.co.uk website will be able to return faulty or incorrect orders free of charge but will incur the cost of any other returns.
In an email sent to customers on Tuesday, Amazon said that the company would continue to cover costs for eligible returns, including defective, damaged, and incorrect goods.
Any others returns will be covered by the customer, the email confirmed.
"If the reason for return is the result of an error (e.g. if the item is defective/damaged/incorrect), any costs incurred for the return will be paid by Amazon," the email said.
"Otherwise, any costs incurred for the return including transport costs, as well as any associated import fees of customs, will be payable by the person returning the goods."
The charges could include transport costs and import fees or customs and will apply to all Amazon UK customers with an EU address.
The email also stated that packages delivered by Amazon after January 1, 2021 may be subject to customs duties, taxes, and fees.
Orders may also be subject to additional Value Added Tax (VAT) charges and import fees, resulting in a price change at checkout.
All UK retailers will have to apply similar charges and fees for orders from the EU from next January onward.
The EU and UK are yet to agree on a post-Brexit free trade agreement from January 1, meaning that online shoppers in the EU will no longer enjoy EU protections when shopping on UK websites.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has advised consumers to shop with EU-based retailers once Britain leaves the EU.
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