4 ms·

Amazon applies a restocking fee of 25% of the item price

23 points by dxxvi 8y ago

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dxxvi/amazon-restocking-fee/master/Amazon-restocking-fee.png It's a surprise that nobody outside of Amazon knows about Amazon restocking fee.

kakarot 8y ago
> To set expectations, we have a restocking fee if Amazon is not in error. > To set expectations, we have a 30-day free return window. This is why I could wave the fee. ...What? Is this not conflicting policy? It creates an artificial price increase only for the ignorant customer. If there is a free return window, why are they charging anything? The expectations they set are very confusing.
- Tomte 8y ago
  Amazon is strange in that way. On my first Kindle Paperwhite (second Kindle overall) I paid for removal of ads. For my second Paperwhite I just called the hotline and asked them to cancel the ads. Done. For free.
  - kakarot 8y ago
    I bought a Paperwhite last month and I was planning to do this. Heard it worked for a lot of people. How long did you wait before asking?
NicoJuicy 8y ago
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=901926 https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=... ?
- mockindignant 8y ago
  Came here to post this. Some items are marked Free Returns, others are not. This is not news, and plenty of people know about it.
crapplestore2 8y ago
Part of the fee is determining how fake the product was, so it can be commingled again and sent out to another unsuspecting customer.
PopeDotNinja 8y ago
"Items in original condition past the return window*"
- user5994461 8y ago
  "If your item was fulfilled by a third-party seller, you may be charged up to 20% restocking fee even if you return the item in original condition within the return window."
chrisseaton 8y ago
If you return an item, Amazon probably cannot reasonably literally 're-stock' it as they can't be sure what you have done to it, even if it appears sealed. I would imagine the item now has to be sold at a massive discount, recycled, or simply thrown away, so to them it's probably 100% loss when you include things like shipping. You're at fault for that - you simply decided you didn't want it after previously agreeing to purchase it - so it seems very reasonable to me to charge you for that. I think in the US they don't have to accept returns at all when you don't really have any reason (in some countries they do) so they're already doing you a favour!
- coaxial 8y ago
  In my experience amazon doesn't really care. I have received items sold as new that were obvious customer returns, including things like hair clippers. Amazon has absolutely no quality control whatsoever and will sell just about anything you'll send to their warehouses without any control or inspection. Fake CE and UL markings on obviously hazardous items that plug into wall outlets are rampants too. Amazon just doesn't care.
- _wmd 8y ago
  Seems US distance selling laws are stuck somewhere in the 1800s
- dxhdr 8y ago
  > I would imagine the item now has to be sold at a massive discount, recycled, or simply thrown away, so to them it's probably 100% loss when you include things like shipping. I've received numerous "new" items that were previously opened and returned merchandise; things like a vacuum with hairs in one of the cleaning attachments. Same with a pair of headphones. I'd be happy if there were a discount for accepting a minimally used item. As it is Amazon just hopes you don't notice.
  - esaym 8y ago
    "amazon warehouse deals" is where all the returns go. And yes you can get good deals.
user5994461 8y ago
That must be an American thing. Here in EU an online seller must give a full refund for any item returned within a few weeks.
- zzleeper 8y ago
  Is there a reason for that? Here (US) a lot of people buy stuff on a whim and when they decide they don't like it, they just return it, as Amazon usually doesn't charge anything. I always though that as a huge cost that ends up being passed on to people who don't buy+return stuff on impulse.
  - user5994461 8y ago
    See https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/shopping/guarantees-returns/index_en.htm https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/shopping/gua...
  - halfdeadcat 8y ago
    This is a risk Amazon assumes, by offering products that customers cannot see in-person before purchasing. There is no substitute for actually handling the product, and Amazon can't exist if people are reluctant to purchase items for this reason. While returns may cost Amazon, they are essential to convincing customers it's ok to by unseen merchandise. Think Zappos (also an Amazon company).
  - Tomte 8y ago
    Sure. Since the customer cannot inspect the item, as he could in a store, the legislative decided that the next best way to let him inspect what he's getting is free returning. It got a bit less attractive a few years ago, now the seller doesn't have to pay the postage if the item is less than 40 Euros (and some minor otehr requirements).
  - dingaling 8y ago
    I often see that with reviews by US photographers who will order several copies of a lens to test and return all except the best copy. To eliminate sample variation. Or order several different types of camera bag to try, and keep one. To a UK reader that sort of generosity seems completely contrary to the way US companies are usually run and I'm not surprised they're tightening the rules.
1stranger 8y ago
One of the problems is Amazon decided to become a bazaar instead of a store. So it might be sold by Amazon, or fulfilled by Amazon, or sold by somebody else. You have to pay attention to who you're buying from and what the policies are. It's like walking into Target and there's the regular store but there's been a flea market setup inside as well. Personally I wish they'd segregate the experience. Have one experience be the Amazon store as it used to be with consistent expectations. If you can't find the product you want it could then direct you to the bazaar.
LyndsySimon 8y ago
I've not had any issues with this, though I am somewhat hesitant to return items because of the articles I've read about Amazon sometimes closing accounts - including access to AWS and previously-purchased digital goods - for "too many returns". In the past month I've returned a cellphone case (not as described) and a marine-grade amplifier (despite being explicitly "waterproof", it failed the first time it got rained on). I probably won't buy anything expensive from them for a while because I don't to have to return something else if it's faulty.

23 points by dxxvi 8y ago

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dxxvi/amazon-restocking-fee/master/Amazon-restocking-fee.png It's a surprise that nobody outside of Amazon knows about Amazon restocking fee.

kakarot 8y ago

> To set expectations, we have a restocking fee if Amazon is not in error. > To set expectations, we have a 30-day free return window. This is why I could wave the fee. ...What? Is this not conflicting policy? It creates an artificial price increase only for the ignorant customer. If there is a free return window, why are they charging anything? The expectations they set are very confusing.

Tomte 8y ago
Amazon is strange in that way. On my first Kindle Paperwhite (second Kindle overall) I paid for removal of ads. For my second Paperwhite I just called the hotline and asked them to cancel the ads. Done. For free.
- kakarot 8y ago
  I bought a Paperwhite last month and I was planning to do this. Heard it worked for a lot of people. How long did you wait before asking?

NicoJuicy 8y ago

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=901926 https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=... ?

mockindignant 8y ago
Came here to post this. Some items are marked Free Returns, others are not. This is not news, and plenty of people know about it.

crapplestore2 8y ago

Part of the fee is determining how fake the product was, so it can be commingled again and sent out to another unsuspecting customer.

PopeDotNinja 8y ago

"Items in original condition past the return window*"

user5994461 8y ago
"If your item was fulfilled by a third-party seller, you may be charged up to 20% restocking fee even if you return the item in original condition within the return window."

chrisseaton 8y ago

If you return an item, Amazon probably cannot reasonably literally 're-stock' it as they can't be sure what you have done to it, even if it appears sealed. I would imagine the item now has to be sold at a massive discount, recycled, or simply thrown away, so to them it's probably 100% loss when you include things like shipping. You're at fault for that - you simply decided you didn't want it after previously agreeing to purchase it - so it seems very reasonable to me to charge you for that. I think in the US they don't have to accept returns at all when you don't really have any reason (in some countries they do) so they're already doing you a favour!

coaxial 8y ago
In my experience amazon doesn't really care. I have received items sold as new that were obvious customer returns, including things like hair clippers. Amazon has absolutely no quality control whatsoever and will sell just about anything you'll send to their warehouses without any control or inspection. Fake CE and UL markings on obviously hazardous items that plug into wall outlets are rampants too. Amazon just doesn't care.
_wmd 8y ago
Seems US distance selling laws are stuck somewhere in the 1800s
dxhdr 8y ago
> I would imagine the item now has to be sold at a massive discount, recycled, or simply thrown away, so to them it's probably 100% loss when you include things like shipping. I've received numerous "new" items that were previously opened and returned merchandise; things like a vacuum with hairs in one of the cleaning attachments. Same with a pair of headphones. I'd be happy if there were a discount for accepting a minimally used item. As it is Amazon just hopes you don't notice.
- esaym 8y ago
  "amazon warehouse deals" is where all the returns go. And yes you can get good deals.

user5994461 8y ago

That must be an American thing. Here in EU an online seller must give a full refund for any item returned within a few weeks.

zzleeper 8y ago
Is there a reason for that? Here (US) a lot of people buy stuff on a whim and when they decide they don't like it, they just return it, as Amazon usually doesn't charge anything. I always though that as a huge cost that ends up being passed on to people who don't buy+return stuff on impulse.
- user5994461 8y ago
  See https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/shopping/guarantees-returns/index_en.htm https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/shopping/gua...
- halfdeadcat 8y ago
  This is a risk Amazon assumes, by offering products that customers cannot see in-person before purchasing. There is no substitute for actually handling the product, and Amazon can't exist if people are reluctant to purchase items for this reason. While returns may cost Amazon, they are essential to convincing customers it's ok to by unseen merchandise. Think Zappos (also an Amazon company).
- Tomte 8y ago
  Sure. Since the customer cannot inspect the item, as he could in a store, the legislative decided that the next best way to let him inspect what he's getting is free returning. It got a bit less attractive a few years ago, now the seller doesn't have to pay the postage if the item is less than 40 Euros (and some minor otehr requirements).
- dingaling 8y ago
  I often see that with reviews by US photographers who will order several copies of a lens to test and return all except the best copy. To eliminate sample variation. Or order several different types of camera bag to try, and keep one. To a UK reader that sort of generosity seems completely contrary to the way US companies are usually run and I'm not surprised they're tightening the rules.

1stranger 8y ago

One of the problems is Amazon decided to become a bazaar instead of a store. So it might be sold by Amazon, or fulfilled by Amazon, or sold by somebody else. You have to pay attention to who you're buying from and what the policies are. It's like walking into Target and there's the regular store but there's been a flea market setup inside as well. Personally I wish they'd segregate the experience. Have one experience be the Amazon store as it used to be with consistent expectations. If you can't find the product you want it could then direct you to the bazaar.

LyndsySimon 8y ago

I've not had any issues with this, though I am somewhat hesitant to return items because of the articles I've read about Amazon sometimes closing accounts - including access to AWS and previously-purchased digital goods - for "too many returns". In the past month I've returned a cellphone case (not as described) and a marine-grade amplifier (despite being explicitly "waterproof", it failed the first time it got rained on). I probably won't buy anything expensive from them for a while because I don't to have to return something else if it's faulty.