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Re:Toys ‘R’ Us Plans Bankruptcy Filing Amid Debt Struggle by icebraining on Tuesday September 19, 2017 @03:29AM (#15282485)
Cost customers? Amazon has free returns, and sometimes they even refund you and let you keep the item.

Meanwhile, it's not like you can really test a toy in a store, and returning it means another trip.

Re:Toys ‘R’ Us Plans Bankruptcy Filing Amid Debt Struggle by cookiecaper on Tuesday September 19, 2017 @01:30PM (#15286727)
Amazon only has free returns if you choose very specific options that place the blame wholly on the seller (I think it's "item defective"). If, for example, you say that you found a better price, or just didn't want the item anymore, Amazon charges a hefty return shipping fee and may also charge a restocking fee.

Of course, this means that customers always choose that option, and FBA sellers get harmful demerits on their account every time that happens. This is such a popular way to hurt FBA sellers that people have a habit of ordering items from competitors just to return them as counterfeit and/or defective, in the hope that doing this a few times will get a competitor removed from the seller pool.

Re:Toys ‘R’ Us Plans Bankruptcy Filing Amid Debt Struggle by icebraining on Tuesday September 19, 2017 @01:56PM (#15287040)
Nope, sorry. Just returned something, selecting that I ordered by mistake, yet didn't have to ship it back at all.
Re:Toys ‘R’ Us Plans Bankruptcy Filing Amid Debt Struggle by cookiecaper on Tuesday September 19, 2017 @03:28PM (#15288014)
It's possible that Amazon has some algorithm that decides whether a product is worth returning or not, and that they just tell you to keep the product since the cost of return handling, etc., would consume the margin they'd make reselling it. I'm not sure if this type of algorithm would be applicable to FBA sellers, but I doubt Amazon would want it to be, since they'd lose out on the opportunity to collect additional handling fees from the seller.

Just conjecture at this point as I don't think any non-Amazon employee could know exactly all the details around when Amazon decides to charge a return handling fee, etc. I guess this may be in the fine print somewhere, but I would rather expect the fine print just to say "We can charge you a return handling fee if we want".

My experience is that I tried to return something last year, and Amazon was going to dock 12 dollars of my 14 dollar refund for return shipping if I clicked anything other than "defective". The product wasn't defective so I just decided to keep it, not worth the hassle for a $2 refund.

Did you order from a third-party FBA seller? If you did, they will often tell unsatisfied customers to keep the product and issue a refund anyway, because they'd rather be out one unit than have a return against them.

Re:Toys ‘R’ Us Plans Bankruptcy Filing Amid Debt Struggle by icebraining on Tuesday September 19, 2017 @04:02PM (#15288292)
It wasn't from FBA, sold by Amazon itself.
Re:Toys ‘R’ Us Plans Bankruptcy Filing Amid Debt Struggle by kamaal on Tuesday September 19, 2017 @04:47AM (#15282818)
Amazon has free returns for now as only a tiny minority uses that as an option. Also returns work largely if there is a defect or you genuinely bought a wrong product(Like a wrong shoe size).

If most users start doing returns, they won't be free or even possible, given how much logistical nightmare that will be.

Beyond all this, that turn around time to buy a single product will be high.

Stores offer a good middle ground, and you can get a good hold of things before you actually make a purchase. I'm not saying toy purchase or any other purchase online will go down, but there will be a lot of buying will be waste.

Re:Toys ‘R’ Us Plans Bankruptcy Filing Amid Debt Struggle by falsedan on Tuesday September 19, 2017 @07:22AM (#15283565)
> If most users start doing returns, they won't be free or even possible, given how much logistical nightmare that will be.

Would this nightmare be worse than unlimited 1-day shipping? Amazon seems to have worked that one out already.

Most places would allow you to print a label and leave the item at a designated collection point. In the UK there's heaps of companies handling this (CollectPlus, MyHermes, ParcelPoint, even Post Offices).

Re:Toys ‘R’ Us Plans Bankruptcy Filing Amid Debt Struggle by tmnvix on Tuesday September 19, 2017 @06:50AM (#15283398)
> Amazon has free returns

I doubt this is true for anywhere but North America.

Re:Toys ‘R’ Us Plans Bankruptcy Filing Amid Debt Struggle by icebraining on Tuesday September 19, 2017 @07:13AM (#15283512)
You doubt incorrectly :) From Amazon.de: "If you want to return an article within Germany, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland or Portugal, we even supply you with a pre-paid return mailing label"

Sometimes they even let you keep the item. I barely buy anything from them, but I had that happen earlier this month with an item worth ~30€, despite choosing the option that indicated it was my fault.

Re:Toys ‘R’ Us Plans Bankruptcy Filing Amid Debt Struggle by philfrasty on Tuesday September 19, 2017 @07:45AM (#15283718)
This is incorrect for Amazon.de.

You generally pay 3,90€ for returning the item via DHL/Hermes (unless you declare the reason for return as e.g. not working). Certain categories (clothing) have free returns. This is only the case if the order was placed through FBA or Amazon itself. Marketplace sellers with their own fulfillment usually charge you for returns or don't provide a shipping-label at all.

(source: selling on AZ)

Re:Toys ‘R’ Us Plans Bankruptcy Filing Amid Debt Struggle by germanier on Tuesday September 19, 2017 @09:19AM (#15284322)
AFAIK Amazon.de does not charge for a return label no matter which reason you state if you return within 14 days and the article is valued over 40€ (even though they could legally now). Since this April they require Marketplace vendors to cover shipping back in those cases as well.
Re:Toys ‘R’ Us Plans Bankruptcy Filing Amid Debt Struggle by falsedan on Tuesday September 19, 2017 @07:18AM (#15283535)
Why not check? I would be surprised to find a market where Amazon charge for returns (for Amazon-fulfilled items).