Keiko’s husband used Amazon’s streaming services to rent a movie that she wasn’t interested in seeing, and watched it on his iPad. He had no complaints about the experience, maybe because he was watching it on a relatively small screen. Yet Amazon went ahead and issued the couple a full refund anyway, just in case he might have had a problem with it. Keiko is impressed.

Keiko received the following e-mail that followed the refund:

Hello,

We noticed that you experienced poor video playback while watching the following rental(s) on Amazon Instant Video:

RED 2 [HD]

We’re sorry for the inconvenience and have issued you a refund for the following amount(s):

$4.99

While Amazon Video On Demand transactions are typically not refundable, we are happy to make an exception in this case. This refund should be processed within the next 2 to 3 business days and will appear on your next billing statement for the same credit card used to purchase this item.

Did her husband have playback issues? Some, but he didn’t think to ask for a refund at the time. Amazon just went ahead and issued him one anyway. “Sure, it’s only $5, but it was a nice surprise and a pleasant proactive approach to Customer Service,” writes Keiko.

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.