The day I discovered I could return audiobooks on Audible changed my life. I have a tendency to purchase a book on the spur of the moment, get a few chapters in, decide I don’t like it, and resent parting with my money/Audible credits.
Even if you do your research and only select books with tons of five star reviews, there’s no guarantee you’ll like it.
So Audible’s return policy is an absolute godsend!
Returning audiobooks using the online tool is so quick, easy and no questions are asked, so what’s the catch? What’s to stop people exploiting Audible’s return policy? Is there such a thing as returning too many audiobooks? Let’s investigate…
Read more: 11 Ways To Save Money On Audible
What is Audible’s return policy?
Audible’s return policy says that if you’re unhappy with your book, you can return or exchange it as long as it’s within 365 days of the original purchase.
Audible says: “Our exchange policy is risk-free. It allows active members to take a chance on a new narrator or story without losing a credit. Our ability to continue to offer this benefit is dependent on our members using it for this purpose only. In instances where we find the benefit is being overused, we may reach out to assess why.”
The ability to return an audiobook is a benefit available only to active members. This means that if you cancel your membership, you cannot then return an audiobook. You’ll still be able to access and listen to the audiobooks that you’ve purchased, even though you’re no longer an active member.
How do I return a book on Audible?
In order to return a book on Audible, you have to do so on the desktop app. You cannot return a book on the mobile site or app.
Once you’re logged into your account, head to the Account Details page. You should find this by hovering over “Hi, [your name]” at the top of the page and selecting Account Details from the dropdown menu.
Once you’re on the Account Details page, click Purchase History down the left hand side of the page.
Next to each purchase, you should see the option to Return Book. Click this button.
Then, you’ll be asked for the reason behind your return. Once you’ve selected your reason, you should be taken to a confirmation page.
If you paid for the book with a credit, this should be returned to you within a matter of minutes. If you paid with money, this might take a few working days before it lands back in your account.
Are you allowed to return books you’ve listened to in full?
Yes, you can return audiobooks that you’ve listened to in full.
I’ve done this on 3 occasions but I kiinda regret doing it.
I don’t feel bad for Amazon (lol), but I am genuinely curious to know how these returns reflect on authors.
Is it possible to return too many books on Audible?
Yes. If you return ‘too many books’, your book-returning privileges are more closely monitored and you can no longer do so using the quick and easy online tool.
If Audible decides that you’ve been returning too many books, it forces you to get in touch with them to return any more.
If you try to return a book online and a warning says: “Not eligible for return”, you can contact Audible’s Customer Services to request a return.
Audible says: “[If your book says “Not eligible for a return”] good news – you can still return your books! Only a certain number of titles can be returned using the online tool. After that, we’d love to talk to you to understand what it is you’re not liking and make some recommendations to help you find a better listen”.
How many books can I return to Audible before it stops me returning them online?
Audible haven’t published a book-returning limit, but here’s a breakdown of the number of books I bought and returned before it revoked my online returning privileges…
2016
3 books purchased. 0 returned.
2017
10 books purchased. 2 returned
I didn’t start reading – 0 returned
Gave up part-way through – 1 returned
Read all – 1 returned
2018
33 books purchased. 12 returned.
I didn’t start reading – 1 returned
Gave up part-way through – 9 returned
Read all – 2 returned
It was at this point that the dreaded “Not eligible for return” warning came up.
What have other people said about returning audiobooks to Audible?
I’ve done a bit of Googling to see what other people have said about returning books on Audible.
Laura Rash, Quora – “I’ve purchased 22 books in the last year and returned 6 of them. Although I’ve returned nearly 1 in 4 of the books I’ve bought, I don’t fear being contacted by Amazon. I have a clear understanding of what I would say if they ever “reach out” to check why I’m returning so many. One of the titles was returned after I’d finished it, but I’d been on the fence about continuing to listen the whole time I’d “read” it. It was the first in a series and I didn’t want to go any further, and honestly I had not enjoyed much of the book. The majority of the books I “sent back” were less than half (or even a quarter) complete and I realized months after purchasing that I would never finish them. For all of that, my Audible stats say I’ve spent 11 days and a handful of hours listening in the past year, so I am a faithful Audible fan and will keep the vast majority of books I’ve tried from a range of genres.”
Bighatcat, Reddit – “we had a guy on here recently who bragged that he was listening to lots and lots of books which he would then just return. i think amazon wants to keep customers and so will go to great lengths to keep customers but i suspect they will have something like a limit. it probably relates to how much you purchase, if you are a heavy user and buy lots of books presumably they will be more generous in their policy. i have returned 2 books, both of which i paid 4.95 on sale for and which on listening part way in i realized i just didn’t like the narrator at all and wouldn’t finish the book”
Hubertus-Bigend, Reddit – “I return many of my purchases and have for years. Have not experienced any flagging so far. The return decision gets made pretty quickly, usually with the first hour or two. I Probably missed out on some great stories with amazing endings, but I wouldn’t be comfortable returning books I listened to much more than a third of. I wouldn’t dream of returning a book I finished, even if I hated it.”
