Refurbishment and liquidation are now automated-removal options

#1

Effective September 9, 2021, we’ve added two value-recovery services options for automated removal of unfulfillable inventory:

  • Refurbishment. Eligible customer-returned products that are in new condition but require low-touch refurbishing will be returned to sellable status at no cost to you. For more information, go to FBA repackaging and refurbishment services.
  • Liquidation. Eligible products will be made available for wholesale liquidation through a trusted provider. If the products are liquidated, the recovery value is transferred to your account. For more information, go to FBA Liquidations.

These alternatives to having unfulfillable inventory disposed of or returned to you can help you manage your storage costs and minimize the impact on your IPI score and storage limits.

To configure these settings, go to Automated unfulfillable settings and select Liquidate, Refurbishment, or both. Unfulfillable units that are not eligible for these value-recovery services will be removed automatically based on your selection of either Return or Dispose.

Does Amazon Still Return Damaged Goods to Sellers After Making Reimbursement?
#2

I like the Refurbishment option and it looks like we were automatically enrolled with that - I don’t know about liquidation so I’m glad that is not automatically enrolled.

Refurbishment just sounds like they’re being a little less picky with what they consider “new” and I am mostly ok with that. A lot of products - especially commercial and industrial products - come in plain packaging anyway and if a piece of tape is missing or a corner is crushed on the outer box it really shouldn’t matter. It seems they also acknowledge that some products the customer would care about packaging condition and so those products will not be refurbished and sold as new (nice colorful packaging such as on entertainment and collectibles where the packaging is sort of an extension and part of the product).

#3

Sadly though Refurbishment has led to a lot of “Selling Used as New” complaints.

I’d like to know if Amazon has any plans on marking these refurbished items so that buyers will know what has happened. Or are there plans by Amazon to prevent a seller getting hit with the USN complaint when Amazon refurbishes?

#4

It should be grounds to mark out bad feedback: “Amazon refurbished this item and we take responsibility for its condition.”

#5

I didn’t think of that but yes - any complaint related to refurbishment should be automatically taken care of. And I know they can do that because in our feedback I’ve seen some stricken out when the feedback was related to delivery times and it was an FBA item.

#6

It is not a review issue, as it pops up as an account health issue and Amazon will not accept their own role in the problem leaving the seller to risk suspension of the account or ASIN.

#7

I suspect you know as well as most that it’s not wise to run your business based on what Amazon “should” do.

#8

This will make lots of bad feedback.

#9

Myself, and clearly other sellers have concerns about claims that will follow from this repackaging.

What is going to protect us from a customer claiming a Used Sold As New or counterfeit item from an Amazon repacked item?

Many of the items I sell are branded items that are available in retail stores across the world. Their packaging and branding is very recognizable, and customers are quick to point out discrepancies and claim counterfeit if they do not match the consistency of the brand they are purchasing.

What guarantees can Amazon provide that we will not be punished for actions we did not take? I will definitely be disabling this until we get some more clarification.

#10

Which happens all the time. Amazon FBA will gladly repackage those items for you and sell them as new but if there are “Used sold as New complaints” Amazon will always hold the seller liable. Just like if you send items into FBA and they have too many returns or damaged items. It doesn’t matter if it’s your fault or Amazon’s, you will always be held accountable. Which is why packaging and protecting your items well is so critical.

How about simply adding an option so we can have returned items sent back to us instead of having them added back as “sellable”. I know we’ve asked for this hundreds of times (if not thousands) over the years but it seems that they just don’t really listen to our suggestions. It would be so simple to add an option to have items returned to the seller instead of adding it back into inventory. Either a blanket option or by individual SKU. Either one would solve many of the damaged item issues we experience with FBA. It would be better for the seller, for Amazon and for the customer.

#11

we are bringing 100% of our items home. literally, 99% of returned items that are “defective”, are just customer bought the wrong item, and just need a new box… our items are very model-based and consumers don’t like taking the extra minute to verify their model number against amazons cross-reference system.

#12

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refurbish dept staff & supervisor

#14

From a seller’s perspective, how will this differ from Amazon Warehouse Deals? How will it be different for the buyer?

#15

Whole issue caused by Amazons policies.

#16

This was an option at one time that was taken away.

We’ve been selling here since 2009 so it’s difficult to remember when the automatic removal of all returns was last available but I’m thinking maybe 2017.

I’ve never understood the “logic” for not giving us the option to have all returns automatically sent to seller other than by making more returns sellable the fulfillment fee is charged twice for the same item.

#17

How about policies to control rampant returns?

#18

I think that this process has already been occurring and that the people actually taking the action don’t know that Amazon actually sells used books. We have rarely had returns but a surprising number were disposed of by the warehouse.

#19

Absolutely no way would we ever let Amazon refurbish our product by Billy Bob in the FBA center.

#20

Does anybody know if there is a charge for this ‘‘service’’? I can’t find a definite answer from the info Amazon provided.

#21

I was curious to know as well if the refurbished item will be put back in inventory like an amazon warehouse item? I would rather discount a bit then to retrieve it, that is a cost in itself!