Abusive free returns policy unstainable
The free returns policy that Amazon allows is making online commerce unsustainable. It has become a catch and release - zero sum game. This policy has changed the face and integrity of retail for a new generation and the melt down is only beginning. If you want to see abusive crowd control try standing in line at any UPS store these days. We live in a smaller town and the owner tells me he gets over 1500 returns per day and this is on a regular non-seasonal day - not his January numbers. This year the line is out his door pretty much all day long. People standing in line with arms full of similar looking garments or toys that were intended to be returned when they were purchased. Amazon has not listened to the needs of their partners, they have only made it easier for the quasi-buyer to abuse the privilege of what was once a clear-eyed customer service initiative. They must like it this way for a reason.
Everyone pays the price for this abusive system whether they realize it or not. The cost is passed along incrementally to every purchaser. This in turn, actually provides for a higher 'referral' fee so Amazon actually benefits there as well. If Amazon wants lower prices then allowing seasoned 3rd party sellers to service our own customer shopping experiences would be the obvious place to start. Along with the layers of confusion and different time periods for different claims etc, the thrill of entrepreneurship has escaped us. It pains me to see my wife in tears as she tries to navigate this myriad of intended perplexity. We can only pray that one day someone in a corner suite will step up and actually listen to the wearied voices of their exhausted partners and have the courage to treat us as they themselves are treated.
Abusive free returns policy unstainable
The free returns policy that Amazon allows is making online commerce unsustainable. It has become a catch and release - zero sum game. This policy has changed the face and integrity of retail for a new generation and the melt down is only beginning. If you want to see abusive crowd control try standing in line at any UPS store these days. We live in a smaller town and the owner tells me he gets over 1500 returns per day and this is on a regular non-seasonal day - not his January numbers. This year the line is out his door pretty much all day long. People standing in line with arms full of similar looking garments or toys that were intended to be returned when they were purchased. Amazon has not listened to the needs of their partners, they have only made it easier for the quasi-buyer to abuse the privilege of what was once a clear-eyed customer service initiative. They must like it this way for a reason.
Everyone pays the price for this abusive system whether they realize it or not. The cost is passed along incrementally to every purchaser. This in turn, actually provides for a higher 'referral' fee so Amazon actually benefits there as well. If Amazon wants lower prices then allowing seasoned 3rd party sellers to service our own customer shopping experiences would be the obvious place to start. Along with the layers of confusion and different time periods for different claims etc, the thrill of entrepreneurship has escaped us. It pains me to see my wife in tears as she tries to navigate this myriad of intended perplexity. We can only pray that one day someone in a corner suite will step up and actually listen to the wearied voices of their exhausted partners and have the courage to treat us as they themselves are treated.
15 replies
Seller_Qbd0RsfZFEZBY
This is exactly why Amazon return policy works.
Image how many customers Amazon has in your small town to get a line at the UPS store for returns!
Amazon return policy is WHY Amazon has so many customers, Why your Amazon business has so much traffic, and why you have sales
Seller_WBnGS7Ix3XiDX
Maybe if Amazon would at least keep to their policy, as the reason for the return.
No longer needed - The buyer should pay for the return, not the seller. That was suppose to be the rule, but I always seem to pay for the return shipping.
Bought by mistake - This should be a customer paid return. Why should their mistake cost me for shipping twice.
People don't read what they are buying most of the time. & will blame you for their mistake.
From selling on here, I have found this country to be 75% uneducated. Its really sad.
Seller_Qbd0RsfZFEZBY
While this sounds good, and many things do. In practice the return policy gives customers a sense of protection when purchasing from an unseen seller and dramatically increases the customer base while theft, fraud and shrinkage losses are nominal to a brick and mortar retail store.
Seller_RClwXXLQjUdPk
Although there a lot of responsible sellers like yourself that would likely do a great job with handling their own customer service, there are at least as many that would not. Many of Amazon's sellers aren't even in the United States. The safest way to ensure a consistent experience for buyers is to have one policy for all sellers.
We are a distributor that also sells to other sellers on Amazon. We have witnessed firsthand how the majority of drop shippers simply want to collect the money and dump customer service and support onto someone else. Quite often they have no knowledge or expertise of the items they are selling. Left to handle their own legitimate customer service would be disastrous for their (Amazon's) customers.
The only thing that will get Amazon's attention is sellers leaving the platform in droves. Unfortunately there are too many ready to step in and fill any potential void for this to ever take place. It is more likely that the majority of sellers will simply wind up being virtual companies selling on a virtual platform with virtually no real support for anything being sold.
Seller_LAhuiXJ4eMubd
Everyone except Amazon, that is.
Seller_U153PovWr91gQ
This is no longer a source of income—if anything, it’s a financial drain. Nothing sells, and on the rare occasion that it does, the order is often returned. The platform is poorly managed and operates more like a disorderly group than a legitimate business. Anyone who develops a serious alternative—one run as a real, profitable enterprise instead of this mess—would easily outperform it. If a new platform were created, there would be thousands of sellers ready to switch immediately. This one is finished.
Seller_G53rrrmDqxLLo
It's not the returns as much as the RETURN SHIPPING FEE"S, usually 2-3 times more than the ORIGINAL OUTGOIG SHIPPING!!!! And then of course there is the AMAZON REFUND PROCESSING FEE!!!! Amazon makes clear these are THIER CUSTOMERS and we are forced to pay more for PRIVELEDGE of making THIER CUSTOMERS HAPPY!!!!!
Seller_4HsL3GZbyDLea
Amazon customers have been absolved of all responsibility. But it, use it, return it.
