Amazon sells an incredible amount of products with a simple click every year and while most customers are generally pleased with their purchase, some return the product for various reasons with around 25% of the purchases being returned.
However, one question comes to mind when thinking about returning items, where exactly do Amazon returns go?
Where Do Amazon Returns Go?
Amazon returns either go to the Amazon Warehouse to be resold or to a liquidations center.
When a customer returns a product, it is then processed by Amazon at the fulfillment centers and then sent to different storages, depending on the product
The state in which the product was sent back will determine where it will end up, for example, items that have almost no use whatsoever, will be directly sent to the Amazon Warehouse.
Other items that were sent back in poor shape, whether it was Amazon’s fault or the delivery, will be sent to storage and ready for selling at liquidation sites.
If you want to know more about what Amazon does with the returned items, keep reading to learn more…
How Does Liquidation Work For Amazon?
The idea behind liquidation in Amazon is mainly to avoid the process of checking every returned item, repackaging, and listing it again for sale. In terms of time, and resources, it would not be a good idea for Amazon to do this.
Instead, what they do is having the returned items on the Amazon warehouse to sell them to a third-party liquidation site, so that they can sell these items. By selling returned items and products that have been stored for quite some time, Amazon manages to make a profit out of something that would otherwise be a burden.
Shoppers can also rest assured that their returned products usually get a second chance at life, although it cannot be guaranteed that every item will be resold.
Can I Buy Amazon Returns?
You can buy them from liquidation companies after Amazon went through the process of selling their returned items. That way you can look for Amazon Pallets, preferably through a seller with a good reputation, and bid on it.
Can I Resell Returned Items From An Amazon Pallet?
Yes you can, in fact, is a whole other business that has been growing a lot these past few years due to companies like Amazon having a lot more than they can handle, so naturally, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.
There is an interesting story of a family that found success with their business as The Family Flips, who make a living out of purchasing pallets from liquidation companies and reselling them to customers.
That’s the beauty of reselling. There are millions of different ways that you can be a successful reseller. Find the items that you like, find the items that you can sell in the ways you want to sell them. That’s where you’re going to find success for you.
You can also check out a similar story on youtube by clicking on the link below.
What Kind Of Items Are Returned on Amazon?
You can return almost anything that’s listed for purchase on Amazon, however, there are a few things you can’t, or some conditions to be met when thinking about returning a specific product.
According to Amazon, these are the items you can’t return, whether it’s under specific conditions or at all times:
- Laptops, desktops, and kindles, after 30 days of delivery.
- Products that are tagged as hazardous or dangerous such as liquids, or flammable chemicals (there may be some exceptions but it would have to be discussed directly with the provider or manufacturer).
- Any product that doesn’t have a serial number or UPC.
- Downloadable content or software.
- Paid subscriptions cannot be returned once the buyer has already subscribed.
- Gift cards, and prepaid videogame codes, such as PSN cards, Nintendo points, or Xbox gift cards. (Sometimes the law will intervene with an exception).
- Some jewelry
- Some health and hygiene products.
- Groceries
- Products with special shipping restrictions.
- Live insects.
Why Do Customers Return Their Products?
The reasons vary depending on the situation, it can be due to items in a bad state when they reach the buyer, confusion from any party, or maybe the reason is as simple as the customer changing his mind about his purchase.
They do however need some good reason to return their item, otherwise, Amazon will reject the request.
Does Amazon Check Returns?
Yes, Amazon does check returns as part of the refund process since you need to return the same item that you purchased.
However this process may vary depending on the product, still, it has to be done to complete the refund to the customer and then be able to decide if it’s worth reselling or just put it in a pallet for a liquidation.
Since Amazon receives so many returns, you can expect them to not be checked under a microscope to ensure they are still working and/or not missing any parts.
Can Amazon Returns Be Thrown Away
When something doesn’t work, it’s not worth reselling, so yes, in an event where a product no longer serves its purpose it will be thrown away, instead of being sent to the Amazon Warehouse or filed for liquidation.
Sometimes it’s also an option if some products are taking up space that eventually leads to major financial losses.
Does Amazon Have A Donation Program For Returned Items?
Yes, they do, since 2019, Amazon introduced the initiative called “Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) Donations” which will make returns that offer good quality and conditions to be donated to charities.
According to Alice Shobe, Director, Amazon in the Community.
We know getting products into the hands of those who need them transforms lives and strengthens local communities, we are delighted to extend this program to sellers who use our fulfillment services.
If you want to learn more about Amazon, check out these related posts to find out when does Amazon charge for pre-order and can I use an Amazon gift card at Whole Foods
Conclusion…
When a customer decides to return an item know that more often than not, it will not go to waste. Depending on the issue and the state of the product, it will have some usefulness unless it’s completely broken or permanently damaged.
Amazon has everything planned out, as a product is marked to be returned, first they check and grant the refund to the buyer, then they decide whether to have the item back in stock or send it to the Amazon Warehouse, then begin the liquidation process and sell it so that the liquidation company can resell it in pallets and keep the market flowing.