We have known for awhile that online shopping is hurting the planet. Alibaba and Amazon are a huge part of the problem as the biggest online retailer in the world. with packaging thrown out and returns often destroyed. There are efforts to mitigate this but they are insufficient and need to be further developed.
Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up
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Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up
#12> 30 to 40 per cent of all online purchases are sent back That seems almost an order of magnitude higher than I’d expect. Setting aside kids shoes (which probably do get 50% returned), I can’t imagine sending back even 5% of my online purchases, let alone 30-40%. I think I’ve sent back exactly 1 Amazon order in the last year, out of nearly 100.
IMO it's definitely exaggerated. If you're selling through Fulfillment by Amazon (as I did for years), the merchant is charged for the return shipping cost, which is often UPS Retail Pricing.
Considering the inbound shipping costs to the fulfillment center, the storage and handling costs, hard cost of the finished good, the cost of returning the item from Amazon to the merchant if it is deemed to no longer be "New" (or the choice by the merchant to destroy) plus Amazon's commission of 15-20% depending on the item category, a 30-40% return rate would make one's business unviable at best and bankrupt at worst.
Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up
#13> 30 to 40 per cent of all online purchases are sent back That seems almost an order of magnitude higher than I’d expect. Setting aside kids shoes (which probably do get 50% returned), I can’t imagine sending back even 5% of my online purchases, let alone 30-40%. I think I’ve sent back exactly 1 Amazon order in the last year, out of nearly 100.
Few people probably abuse the system too much. There are scamming forums and services for Amazon refunds. Scammers take 10-20% of the item cost for refunding it without giving the original. A trend I observed here among college students is buying clothes for a party or instagram selfie and then returning it. Small sellers get screwed pretty hard. You should check their forums.
Wait, people genuinely buy clothes (although this is more like borrowing) just for the purpose of taking a selfie?
I can't even begin to comprehend how desperate they must be to look good and fit in.
Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up
#14> 30 to 40 per cent of all online purchases are sent back That seems almost an order of magnitude higher than I’d expect. Setting aside kids shoes (which probably do get 50% returned), I can’t imagine sending back even 5% of my online purchases, let alone 30-40%. I think I’ve sent back exactly 1 Amazon order in the last year, out of nearly 100.
You might not be using Amazon right, just one example: Every time I need a new filter for my air purifier I buy a new machine, swap the filters and return the new machine with the old dirty filter.
Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up
#15The GPS tracker technique does not seem foolproof, basic QA on returned goods would likely be trashing the GPS trackers.
Exactly, a GPS tracker in the landfill != product in the landfill.
Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up
#16> 30 to 40 per cent of all online purchases are sent back That seems almost an order of magnitude higher than I’d expect. Setting aside kids shoes (which probably do get 50% returned), I can’t imagine sending back even 5% of my online purchases, let alone 30-40%. I think I’ve sent back exactly 1 Amazon order in the last year, out of nearly 100.
Here in the Netherlands it is almost common for girls to shop and fit at home, the sent a lot of stuff back.
Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up
#17If the return rate is truly 30-40% wouldn’t this be easily proven by quarterly income statements? Even at the generous assumption that every item is sold for double the wholesale price if 1 of 3 packages are returned and tossed/recycled or otherwise not resold I can’t imagine Amazon being even close to profitable as a retailer. I know Amazon was famously unprofitable for years but those days are gone now right?
Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up
#18So this was a lot about Amazon, but it leaves out comparisons to any other store. What do others do? Is this the common practice?
Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up
#19> 30 to 40 per cent of all online purchases are sent back That seems almost an order of magnitude higher than I’d expect. Setting aside kids shoes (which probably do get 50% returned), I can’t imagine sending back even 5% of my online purchases, let alone 30-40%. I think I’ve sent back exactly 1 Amazon order in the last year, out of nearly 100.
IMO it's definitely exaggerated. If you're selling through Fulfillment by Amazon (as I did for years), the merchant is charged for the return shipping cost, which is often UPS Retail Pricing. Considering the inbound shipping costs to the fulfillment center, the storage and handling costs, hard cost of the finished good, the cost of returning the item from Amazon to the merchant if it is deemed to no longer be "New" (…
> a 30-40% return rate would make one's business unviable at best and bankrupt at worst.
Amazon's retail business has poor profitability.
Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up
#20> 30 to 40 per cent of all online purchases are sent back That seems almost an order of magnitude higher than I’d expect. Setting aside kids shoes (which probably do get 50% returned), I can’t imagine sending back even 5% of my online purchases, let alone 30-40%. I think I’ve sent back exactly 1 Amazon order in the last year, out of nearly 100.
Few people probably abuse the system too much. There are scamming forums and services for Amazon refunds. Scammers take 10-20% of the item cost for refunding it without giving the original. A trend I observed here among college students is buying clothes for a party or instagram selfie and then returning it. Small sellers get screwed pretty hard. You should check their forums.
Back in the days of brick-and-mortar shopping there used to be people who bought a large screen TV shortly before a big sports game and then returned it afterwards. A lot of stores revised their return policies because of this.