The best ways to contact Amazon for help when you have a problem with your account

• If you need to track down a lost order or troubleshoot an Amazon device, its customer service is 24/7.
• For basic issues, Amazon's customer service page is intuitive with helpful FAQs and guidance.
• For complicated problems, contact customer service via live chat, phone call, email, even social media.

Considering we order everything from household essentials to clothes to groceries on Amazon, not to mention rely on devices like Amazon Echo, Alexa, Kindles, and Fire tablets, there's no doubt you'll need to contact the online retailer at some point to initiate a return, make changes to an order, or troubleshoot one of the aforementioned essentials. The problem: Customer service for online retailers is notoriously frustrating.

Thankfully for us, Amazon actually makes answering most questions quite easy. And if you're hitting snafus, we've tracked down all the info for how to troubleshoot the worst of issues, below.

How can I get help from Amazon?

The easiest way to get help with an Amazon order or account is to its Customer Service page. Amazon has a very user-friendly interface that allows for the majority of questions to be answered with just a few clicks (see image above). If you need help tracking down an order that hasn't arrived, starting a refund, reloading a gift card, managing details on your account, or troubleshooting devices, the Amazon Help site has endless pages dedicated to intuitive troubleshooting.

How do I reach a live person at Amazon?

Like most major retailers now, when you opt to use Amazon's live chat or phone number with their customer service, you'll first speak with a bot who will try and take care of simple issues. If the issue is beyond its abilities, you'll be connected with a real person.

How to call Amazon customer service

Amazon's customer service phone number is 1-888-280-4331, and that number is live 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

But calling Amazon often comes with a wait, and it also requires you to have on hand a mobile phone that is paired with your Amazon account, as the customer service representative will send you a verification code via text message before you can start asking your questions or sharing an issue.

If calling seems like a hassle, however – even with the potential ease of voice-commanding a call on an Amazon Echo – there are other ways to contact the company.

How to contact Amazon via chat

Often an online chat with an Amazon customer service rep is an easier way to get in contact with Amazon and to resolve an issue. Here's how to do it.

1. While logged in and on the main page, scroll to the bottom of the page and, under the column labeled "Let Us Help You," click on "Help" (last option).

2. On the next page, under the heading "Browse Help Topics," hover over (or tap if on mobile) "Need More Help?"

3. Click "Contact Us" from the menu that appears to the right.

4. The next page should look like the image above and have a large "Start chatting now" button.

How to email Amazon customer service

If you prefer to contact Amazon by email, there are two addresses to which you can send mail. But I've found that the response time is often 48 hours or even a bit more. That said, an email creates a record of your correspondence and thus might be the best method for some issues.

For issues with your account, such as a billing dispute, you should email cis@amazon.com.

For general inquiries, you should email primary@amazon.com.

How to contact Amazon via social media

If your preferred method of communication is social media, you can comment, Tweet, or hashtag one of their several accounts. This is not the most efficient way to reach them, but it can allow you to air a problem, potentially drawing a more thorough addressing of the issue from the company.

Amazon's customer service Twitter account is @amazonhelp. Their Facebook page is www.facebook.com/Amazon. On Instagram, they're – you guessed it – @amazon.

But really, if you want answers fast, just pick up the phone and give Amazon a call. There are reps ready to help you out. (I even made up a question and called them myself just now to make sure I could get through with ease.)