Theres a guy on youtube who buys Amazon returns by the pallet and then sells it on. Its quite eye-opening. http://resalerabbit.com/
Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up
171–180 of 351 posts
Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up
#172It could be that tracker was noticed and sent to landfill, not the item
Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up
#173The GPS tracker technique does not seem foolproof, basic QA on returned goods would likely be trashing the GPS trackers.
My read of that was that so little human attention is devoted to returned items that no one noticed a super-suspicious greenboard kicking around in the box.
Everyone probably noticed, but didn't care. I imagine they see a lot of returns where the customer forgot to empty the pockets, or something got mixed in with the returns, etc.
Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up
#174Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've also stopped buying at Amazon after 15 years. Even consumables and small items are problematic. Just in the last year, I encountered many issues including: * Showerhead that came without box, and clearly used. It still had a lot of water inside! * Underwear from a brand that sells items inside a sealed bag and discards returns came used, without bag (yuck!) * A module of Samsung RAM had visible wear signs and di…
I'm always shocked when I read these comments on HN. I swear it must be just the American Amazon that's so shit, because I literally never had any problems nor know anyone with these problems here in UK. Just this year I'm on 108 orders and counting, every single one of them was fine, working, definitely not used, definitely not counterfeit and delivered within 1 day as promised with Prime. Last year I've had 140 ord…
Amazon used to source everything themselves and as the years have gone by they source themselves things less and less. When almost everything used to have a “sold and shipped from amazon” many things now do not and that’s the root of the issue. They are becoming eBay without really telling anyone.
Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up
#175Learning about this, I'm half-way tempted to return an empty box and donate the actual item to charity. I mean, I usually get my refund 5 minutes after the UPS guy scans the label. Do you think they do anything beyond that?
That's still fraud, even if your heart is in the right place.
Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up
#176Earlier quoted context omitted.
Same here (France). I will actually pay a bit more for Amazon products because I never, ever had any problem. The closest I had to a problem was when I sent an email stating that a product is not functional after a year and a half. They replied that the 30 days return window is over and that I should contact the producer. I replied that according to the law, I have 2 years of warranty with zero costs from my side. Th…
But what did you reply after that?
Ah yes, I ended up replying to a HN comment :)
Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up
#177Earlier quoted context omitted.
Levis in particular are just notoriously inconsistent in sizing. At a brick and mortar store you grab five pairs to try on if you want to buy one or two.
For mens sizes I find that very odd, as the size are defined units of measurement, unlike the headache that is womens sizes.
Take out a tape measure and measure the actual size of a few different brands of trousers. They are never even close to the size that's on the label. Maybe men's clothes are more consistent than women's, but the label is always wrong by several inches.
Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up
#178While this may seem shocking, logistically it makes sense. It’s potentially easier to destroy or dump a returned product than re-preparing it for sale. I went out on a date with a program manager for one of Amazon’s return programs and she told me her job was basically finding out ways to repurpose returns as cheaply as possible. Apparently destroying and dumping it’s the easiest and least resource consuming way to d…
These days there are also so many health and safety concerns that putting any items which had their packaging unsealed back on sale is a big risk unless they are carefully checked and tested. Often this is not cost effective or even doable at all.
Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up
#179Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have friends who send back nearly everything. Not sure about shoe size? Order 3 sizes, keep the one you like and send back the other two (or return all 3 if you dont like it). Want a shirt? Order 5 and keep the ones you like, if any.
I'm sure there are people who abuse the system, but for you example of clothes, I'm not surprised there is a high number of returns. Last year I bought two Levis jeans at the same time. One the exact same model, color and size as the one I was wearing which was worn out, the other a different color (figured I could use having two pairs of jeans). None fit me correctly. The model I had already was too big, the other t…
It is always like that. Jeans expand when you use them. If you gain 3 lbs it might be really tight when getting new ones of the same size. I almost always buy 505s.
Re: Cameras and secret trackers reveal where Amazon returns end up
#180> 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.
I never would have thought this till I started a relationship with a woman who buys several sizes of everything she shops for to ensure she gets the right fit. Women’s attire doesn’t have standard sizing so every brand is different. It’s a giant guessing game.
Basically, the industry needs some standards to help with all this waste.