Amazon package-less returns

[disneysteve]

I don't know how new this is but it was new to us. DD bought something on Amazon the other day and after she got it and tried it, she just didn't like it. She went on to process a return. I've returned things from Amazon a number of times and there are usually several options for how to return it, some of which are free and some of which have a cost involved. Obviously, I always choose the free option.

This time there was a choice I had never seen before. She could simply drop off the item at a UPS store. No packing required. The store will pack and ship it for you. No charge. Amazon gives you a bar code for them to scan. I swung by there today, handed the clerk the item, she scanned my phone, gave me a receipt, and I was on my way. Couldn't have been any easier.

Kudos to Amazon for coming up with this.

[rennigade]

They've been doing that for a while now. I was actually confused the first time I went to return something that was package free. I actually ended up just packaging it up. The UPS store had to scan a bar code on my phone, and they printed the label.

Im not sure how I feel about it. Seems wasteful to me to throw a box out, take your item to a UPS store and have them package it in a new box. I dont get that mentality. We're pretty much a throw away society now, so its no surprise that returning products have also gone that way. Saves people 2 minutes though so theres something to be said about that.

[cypher1]

i don't return much, but I recently sent back an item doing the same process but initially confused as well. But I already had it boxed up (original ship box) and they needed to scan, close it, and tape. Not sure why them packing the item would cheaper than me simply requesting a shipping label only, and requiring I pack up as well. At this point I'm not going to argue or complain.

[kork13]

Im not sure how I feel about it. Seems wasteful to me to throw a box out, take your item to a UPS store and have them package it in a new box. I dont get that mentality. We're pretty much a throw away society now, so its no surprise that returning products have also gone that way. Saves people 2 minutes though so theres something to be said about that.

I think I've noticed that option recently as well. As you said, why would I not just repack it with the same box in which it came to me?

However, I think it may simply be a way to make returns easier for folks who have already discussed of the shipping box. Perhaps they've also determined that people who return purchased items are not terribly careful in packing said returns, so it's in Amazon's interests for items to be packed properly so as to protect the item from damage.

[disneysteve]

Oh, if it had come in a box, I would have sent it back in the box. Many smaller items, though, come in those tear-proof envelopes that you have to cut apart to open so they're kind of useless for returns.

One thought I had, based on a Facebook conversation the other day with a much younger friend, is that apparently many people don't have a printer anymore. They do everything on their phones. When you pack and ship the item yourself, they have you print a slip to put in the box and print the shipping label to put on the outside of the box. Can't do that if you don't own a printer. Offering this option may at least in part be a response to that trend.

kork13 also makes a good point that you may have just discarded the box already. In this case, she only had the item for 2 days but had we been returning something that we had for a couple of weeks, there's a good chance the box would have already been recycled. The point about things being poorly packed is probably true, too.

I'm guessing that UPS probably collects a bunch of items and ships them all back together rather than separately packing each individual item.

[rennigade]

I think I've noticed that option recently as well. As you said, why would I not just repack it with the same box in which it came to me?

However, I think it may simply be a way to make returns easier for folks who have already discussed of the shipping box. Perhaps they've also determined that people who return purchased items are not terribly careful in packing said returns, so it's in Amazon's interests for items to be packed properly so as to protect the item from damage.

from what I understand, anything returned to Amazon is sold in large bulk lots. You can YouTube videos of people buying pallets of products then reselling them. Amazon doesn't care if the item comes back destroyed since they can never sell it as new again.

[disneysteve]

from what I understand, anything returned to Amazon is sold in large bulk lots. You can YouTube videos of people buying pallets of products then reselling them. Amazon doesn't care if the item comes back destroyed since they can never sell it as new again.

That's awesome. I haven't heard of that. I just watched one of the videos. Guy paid $500 for $24,000 worth of merchandise. Even if he only gets 1/4 of that for it, that's $6,000 on a $500 investment. That's exactly the sort of thing I love doing and did for years with my collectibles business. If I ever needed money or something to do in retirement, I would totally get into that.

[~bs]

they've had it a while already, pretty convenient.

I do package it and label myself before dropoff. Idk, maybe it's old school thinking, but I'm not that lazy to package it myself. I mean hell, it already comes in a box I can return it in and I need to request the return on their site. How hard is it to click a button to print the label and slap it on the box?

[disneysteve]

I do package it and label myself before dropoff. Idk, maybe it's old school thinking, but I'm not that lazy to package it myself. I mean hell, it already comes in a box I can return it in and I need to request the return on their site. How hard is it to click a button to print the label and slap it on the box?

As I said, not everything comes in a box. This item did not. And as I'm learning, not everyone has a printer at home, which surprised me.

So rather than having to find a box and use my own packing materials, this was great. I just handed the item to the UPS clerk and she scanned my phone and we were done.

[~bs]

As I said, not everything comes in a box. This item did not. And as I'm learning, not everyone has a printer at home, which surprised me.

So rather than having to find a box and use my own packing materials, this was great. I just handed the item to the UPS clerk and she scanned my phone and we were done.

Amazon uses bags. I would just reuse the bag. But like your other thread alludes to, not everyone has a printer.

Can't argue with the convenience, to each their own. But like I said, I'm kinda old school

[Thrif-t]

A UPS hub is right down the street from me, so I miss being able to print a label and dropping it off at UPS, or I can take to work and UPS picks up there.

Now seems when I want to send something back I gotta take it to Kohls. I don't like that! Too time consuming going there and walking all the way back to the back of the store and having to wait in line for a return. But I haven't returned anything since around Christmas so I'm not aware of this no packaging shipping you are describing.

[moneybags]

from what I understand, anything returned to Amazon is sold in large bulk lots. You can YouTube videos of people buying pallets of products then reselling them. Amazon doesn't care if the item comes back destroyed since they can never sell it as new again.

There's a warehouse/store in SC that sells Amazon returns for $1-$5. It is called Bin Time. All items are in bins and you have to dig through to find things. I have not been, but have a friend that has.

[HundredK]

We've been doing this for a while now, I want to say at least a year, maybe two. Though we don't even need to go to a shipper, we just walk into Whole Foods and hand the item to the front desk. We also have an amazon hub nearby that we can drop it off at. And sometimes Amazon tells me not to even worry about returning small items at all. Even big items now that I think of it, we bought mattresses from them which were awful, and they issued a full refund and said to keep them (we just had the mattress store haul them away last week as they delivered the new much better mattresses).

[LivingAlmostLarge]

i love the ups non packaged. I always make sure to try and use ups store. But I haven't bought anything in awhile. Mostly it's DH.

[ua_guy]

Old thread, but was just talking about this yesterday. Yeah, UPS store for returns isn't a bad way to go.

But why can't the UPS guy, who is delivering more stuff from Amazon, just pick up a box for return off our porch? Or why not the Amazon guy driving the amazon van? I'm lazy, I know, but it would save a trip out of my way.