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Amazon Returns (refund, but don’t return)

IowaPackFan

HR Heisman
Dec 30, 2006
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Is anyone else finding Amazon just issuing refunds on returns, but telling you to keep the item?
We bought a few things on Black Friday from Amazon that we decided we don’t want or two sizes and don’t need the other. A few we have setup for return and they’re telling us to not bother returning and issuing a refund on about half. I presume some cost more to return (low price items) or they have too many in stock (one is a $70 coat).
 
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I ordered some safety pins off Amazon and got a gait belt instead. How does that even happen? I requested a refund and a return label and then figured out it was from another seller through Amazon. I got a full refund and they said to keep the belt. Maybe it will come in handy in 30 years!?!?
 
I posted about this last year. Literally tons of stuff winds up in landfills because the shipper cannot use the returned item, or they have decided the cost to return it loses them money. Some of it winds up in discount warehouses, some goes overseas, and a massive amount winds up in landfills.
 
I ordered some safety pins off Amazon and got a gait belt instead. How does that even happen? I requested a refund and a return label and then figured out it was from another seller through Amazon. I got a full refund and they said to keep the belt. Maybe it will come in handy in 30 years!?!?

I almost snagged one of those at goodwill just thinking it was a long belt. I had no idea it was a gait belt until your comment made me Google it.
 
I almost snagged one of those at goodwill just thinking it was a long belt. I had no idea it was a gait belt until your comment made me Google it.
I would have had no clue if there wasn't a tag on the bag that said gait belt.
 
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I ordered some safety pins off Amazon and got a gait belt instead. How does that even happen? I requested a refund and a return label and then figured out it was from another seller through Amazon. I got a full refund and they said to keep the belt. Maybe it will come in handy in 30 years!?!?
This isn't related to your post but when I worked for an internet money mover here in Omaha I did disputes for them and there'd be a ton of scams where people would try to get Blackstone grills for $99.99 but get sent, like, costume jewelry. Like, close to 15% of my calls were about this particular scam. People would be like, "HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? HOW ARE THEY TOO STUPID TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GRILL AND COSTUME JEWELRY?!" and I had to bite my tongue and not call them dumb for thinking a giant ass Blackstone grill is $100.
 
You may or may not be surprised how often this happens at the warehouse level with pallets full of merchandise. It's cheaper to have it destroyed or donated than to ship it back.
 
Have had this happen as well. Also recently had a box delivered to us from the Amazon truck and with our name on it full of stuff we didn’t order. Inside there was no gift receipt or anything and when we checked our order history nothing of the kind was in there.

Included a white noise machine, some vitamins, and a dice game.

I’ve read that sometimes someone will purposefully ship something to your address and then once it is delivered they are able to leave a 5* verified review which will help their business. Not sure there is anything we can do with this stuff even if we wanted to make it right. The white noise machine retails for $60.
 
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I had the opposite experience. Bought a new pair of bibs for the winter (can’t wait to move snow). They went on sale the next day. I asked for the new price instead of returning them and purchasing again. They said no. So I returned them and bought at the discounted price.
 
Yep. It’s often cheaper for them to have you keep it then ship it back, restock it and carry the inventory until it sells again, IF it even sells again. It’s a pure business decision folks.
 
Other than Prime Video and Britbox, I've never bought anything from Amazon. But it seems like a good way to get donations to the Salvation Army and United Way.
 
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Returns are basically useless to them. It is completely insane the stuff I get at a resale store that buys their return pallets. They have to be getting these for next to nothing. They operate on a week cycle starting on Saturday when they release the new items. Its flat rate and everything costs $7 on the first day. Then 5, 3, 1, and then on Wednesday its whatever you can fit in a bag for 10 bucks. Its mostly trinket items, but it is literally a treasure hunt. My basement shelving has basically become a mini Menards with stacks of hundred dollar plus plumbing and lighting fixtures. I work for a rental property company and have some of my own as well. The stuff I don't use at my own places the boss man is more than happy to just buy from my 'store' at a deep discount when I need something for his places.
 
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As I sit on the phone trying to explain that I'm not going to make a choice of paying for parking on the other side of town to drop off a return at Whole Foods or paying to return a product with UPS for probably the 5th time this year, I think I'm done ordering from it

Sending out used/open items seems to be the new business plan at Amazon. I could buy everything off ebay if that's the route Amazon wants to go down.

/rant
 
As I sit on the phone trying to explain that I'm not going to make a choice of paying for parking on the other side of town to drop off a return at Whole Foods or paying to return a product with UPS for probably the 5th time this year, I think I'm done ordering from it

Sending out used/open items seems to be the new business plan at Amazon. I could buy everything off ebay if that's the route Amazon wants to go down.

/rant
I returned a bunch of heavy things earlier this year. They’re punishing me by waiting the full 30 days to give me my money back.
 
Pottery Barm did the same thing last year. We’d ordered an $1,800 leather recliner. When it arrived my wife noticed a very small spot of discoloration at the bottom on the inside of the footrest )I still don’t see it). My wife called Pottery Barn and they said they would replace it. About 3 months later the replacement chair comes, and they never picked up the original. We put the first chair it in our 2nd floor loft.
 
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A couple years ago, I ordered from them a new pump for a pressure washer I had. $80 shipped...not cheap, but the whole unit was free so I figured $80 for what would eventually be a 3000 psi pressure washer was a pretty good deal.

One of the 3 mounting legs was broke in shipping, so I returned it for another. I got THREE pumps shipped back to me - in 3 different shipments - plus the money refunded for the original a month later.

$240 in pressure washer pumps, free of charge.
 
Got a mattress for free. It was slightly damaged and I called them. They said they can refund and keep. It’s now my son’s mattress. $600.
 
I tried, they wouldn't budge. I'll cancel prime after the return is processed, which you have to wait for otherwise you allegedly lose the ability to get a refund.

I doubt that this is a problem just in my location but whatever. I'm sure some twit with a spreadsheet has it figured out where they're in the black by sending out open/used items.
 
As I sit on the phone trying to explain that I'm not going to make a choice of paying for parking on the other side of town to drop off a return at Whole Foods or paying to return a product with UPS for probably the 5th time this year, I think I'm done ordering from it

Sending out used/open items seems to be the new business plan at Amazon. I could buy everything off ebay if that's the route Amazon wants to go down.

/rant
Pay for parking at Whole Foods? Drop the wife off and circle the block?
 
I ordered some safety pins off Amazon and got a gait belt instead. How does that even happen? I requested a refund and a return label and then figured out it was from another seller through Amazon. I got a full refund and they said to keep the belt. Maybe it will come in handy in 30 years!?!?
A who,what now?
 
This doesn’t occur nearly as much anymore since they partnered with UPS Shops and Kohls.

Now instead of shipping a single item back they can put dozens into totes and save a boatload on shipping. Although they did add the cost of those stores to process but I’m guessing it’s extremely low because for them it’s more about the easy foot traffic.
 
this is just for venting purposes and has nothing to do with the topic but i ordered something yesterday on amazon with delivery date on Saturday. Order confirmation email also has the delivery date of 11th.
Item shipped today but shipping email has delivery date of farking Thursday. WTF!! it's not something i need urgently but wtf...I have no idea if this is routine practice but wtf
 
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