Amazon Won't Accept My Return

I purchased a fryer from Amazon, but it turned out to be defective as it was emitting excessive smoke. Consequently, I initiated a return request and sent the item back. However, it has been 1 week and 10 days, and my return has not been accepted. The reason given is "misuse." Did I use the fryer to wash clothes or misuse it in some bizarre way? I've had numerous conversations with customer service about my return, but each time, they simply defer it, citing the need for information from the warehouse. This experience with Amazon's A to Z customer satisfaction policy has resulted in A to Z dissatisfaction on my end, and I've been paying for the Premium service for several months. It's disheartening to encounter such issues with a company as prominent as Amazon.