If you’re thinking of sending back a disappointing gift you just received over the holidays, the return may bring even more disappointment.
Americans have grown accustomed to free returns, but a growing number of retailers are charging fees as returns squeeze retailers’ bottom lines.
Macy’s, Abercrombie, J. Crew, H&M and other companies have all added shipping fees for mail-in returns.
And it’s not just the big mall brands, either. Eighty-one precent of merchants are now charging a fee for at least some methods of returns, according to Happy Returns, a logistics company that specializes in returns.
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Shipping fees for returns isn’t too bad, but if it looks like a retailer isn’t standing behind the products they sell them they shouldn’t be surprised when shoppers shop elsewhere.
Honestly I don’t blame them. If they try to resell the item it’s probably going to be a 25-50% discount for being an open package.
They just mark it as new and sell it at full price. Had this happen with Amazon several times.
Eh, maybe with online services. I worked at a brick-and-mortar big-box store for awhile and almost everything that was returned that wasn’t for extreme damage or being non-functional was put on a shelf with a large discount because we didn’t have the space to store it and wanted it gone quickly since it what a shame to throw it away when someone could probably use it.
Part of me wants to be upset, but especially since these are clothing manufacturers, I have to wonder if the people handling the returns have the same problems that I did when I used ro process them.
It was my first job out of highschool (through a temp agency), it was my first day, and I did some returns. You know, writing down what the products were why they were returned, the order numbers yadda yadda. Everything was cool until I got this package with a LOT of sharp pins in it saying “you obviously need needles to sew the clothes properly”. There was only ONE thread loose, and this lady felt that making a conplete stranger find sharp needles hidden in fabric was suddenly ok.
Some returns had legitimate rotting garbage in them, and a lot of them were only worn once and returned because “only needed it for party, need money back now”. You can only see so much ridiculousness before you have enough, you know?
To be honest, I understand them not being ok with funding a lot of those. As a former employee, the fact that the company essentially paid for those needles and rotting garbage to be sent for other people to deal with (for no good reason) was legitimately enough to make me quit. It also made me lose a lot more faith in most of the general public, too. A lot of these people feel waaaay tougher when they aren’t talking to someone face to face.
As long as in-person returns are still valid (within reason) and it’s stated very clearly that online returns will cost money, I don’t really see the issue.
It will help save the poor mofos who still have to deal with these insane returns for minimum wage. Fuck the overhead profit, and fuck people who take their rage out on random minimum wage employees. (Not literally ofc)
Part of me wishes that that particular person experiences the same level of “goodwill” that they give to others. I don’t like wishing ill on people
Don’t guilt yourself for wishing ill on people. Those people deserve it, and you are not being a bad person by wishing ill on those who deserve it. Society tells us it’s bad to do that, but all that does is make us feel guilt and let bad people get away with it. Wish ill, and do it freely!
Mirror principal: what you put out comes back. Aka karma.
Except karma isn’t real, and wishing something isn’t putting anything out. It’s just a wish. So you’re totally safe doing it.
Just because it isn’t instant doesn’t make it unreal. To put it in worldly terms, you reap what you sow. But do you. I’ll do me.
People ranting about Chinese crap, I suppose they think the shit they bought it’s made in Finland…
Everything it’s made in China you dumb bastards!!
Everything it’s made in China you dumb bastards!!
Not really, I have plenty of stuff made in UK.
I’d love some examples of stuff that you own manufactured and assembled completely in the UK. Purely for curiosity sake and not a gotcha
I have some knives from Sheffield steel made in Sheffield. I have British made filament for 3D printing from 3DQF. I have an Aeronaut RDA which I use for vaping. Solovair shoes, Denby pans, different bicycle parts, idk, a lot of stuff.
I have some knives from Sheffield steel made in Sheffield. I have British made filament for 3D printing from 3DQF. I have an Aeronaut RDA which I use for vaping. Solovair shoes, Denby pans, different bicycle parts, idk, a lot of stuff. British made stuff is usually affordable and well made. Not always, but usually.
If this weren’t just a rage-bait article that gets recycled every year, I would say good. There is a portion of consumers who compulsively buy and return, with never any intention of keeping and using the product. They just like clicking ‘Buy’.
(I personally think the behavior is a sign of emotional ill-health)
Or you’re buying online and buy 3 different sizes of the same item with the plan to send back 2 because the sizing charts and measurements are all lies.
You want to give people as reason to go back to brick and mortar shopping? Because this is how you get people to go back to brick and mortar shopping.
The main issue is amazon and their insistence on allowing China to sell utter trash, knock offs, counterfeits, and lies.
Amazon used to require someone selling in the US to have a physical presence of at least like a small office building in the US in order to sell goods here. They got rid of that like 10 years ago and now you get bs brands like Liuxipon selling flashlights that are garbage with 300 fake 5 star reviews. Then if they get flagged enough or get enough real 1 star reviews, no problem. Now their company name is Lioxipan and they do it again.
Amazon turned itself into a trash heap.
We started shopping AliExpress instead of Amazon. At least you don’t pay the high Amazon prices and are pleasantly surprised when something of decent quality arrives. Got the kids some flying spacemen drones. $1.99 each. They’ve been playing with them all day long. No complaints. AliExpress even refunded me on a few things that arrived broken, without having to return anything.
That’s exactly what I do because amazon basically sells the same stuff as aliexpress, only amazon insists on selling stuff in higher quantities to jack up prices.
Bigger quantities to up prices?
For example, let’s say I needed a clear container tube for something like lotion. And I only need one, or two. But definitely no more than 5.
Amazon will only sell something like 12 pieces for over $10, whereas on aliexpress, I’ll be able to purchase 1 or 2 for $0.33.
$1 each. 3 for $5.
“I’ll take 3, but I want them individually.”
I understand that the cost per item is the same, but I simply don’t need that many bottles (or whatever it is).  So if I get the bundle, I’m spending more money to have more junk in my household. 
So basically, I’m paying more for the three items that I do need and end up with a bunch of leftover crap. This is not hypothetical. I still have a bunch of leftover stuff that I’m not using in my drawers from scenarios like these.
