Here at Savinly, we’re big fans of side gigs. For lots of folks, that means selling a few — or many — items through online marketplaces such as Amazon.
Now, Amazon has introduced major adjustments to how individual sellers handle returns.
Beginning Oct. 2, 2017, every product sold by private sellers will follow the same return guidelines that apply to merchandise shipped directly by Amazon.
What Does This Mean for Shoppers?
For consumers, this change means if you purchase something through Amazon and decide you don’t want it for any reason, you have 30 days to send it back for a full refund without paying return postage. You can simply print a prepaid return label from Amazon’s Online Return Center and mail the item back.
No need to haggle with the seller. No fretting about being stuck with an item that’s damaged, doesn’t fit or simply isn’t what you expected. Pretty handy, right?
The only caveat for buyers is responsibility for damage or loss while in transit. That portion falls on the purchaser.
I Sell on Amazon — What Now?
Some sellers might welcome this as a convenience, but many will not.
For example, if a buyer receives an item with a minor scratch, you might not have the chance to work out a small compromise.
Sometimes you’d prefer to offer a modest refund rather than a full reimbursement, correct?
Amazon is also introducing “returnless refunds,” allowing a buyer to get refunded without returning the product. In some situations, that could favor sellers. For instance, asking a customer to ship back a large, broken item can be costly and pointless. If it can’t be resold, why have it returned?
Sellers can exclude certain products from automated returns, and the returnless refund option is optional, according to Amazon’s statement.
That said, the policy could be open to exploitation by dishonest buyers.
On Amazon’s seller forums, it’s obvious that not everyone welcomes the shift. Numerous sellers are voicing concerns about the new rules and the potential problems they might bring.
One merchant wrote, “And Amazon is going to assume that a buyer would NEVER lie about the reason for the return so they don’t have to pay for it.”
Good point. Keep in mind, Savinly readers aren’t thieves. Amazon does monitor return behavior and may flag individuals who appear to have an excessive number of returnless refunds. The threshold is unknown. Excessive returns can even result in a lifetime suspension from Amazon.
The updated policy might have hiccups early on, but it could also boost buyer confidence in third-party sellers offering lower prices.
Shop confidently, but be sensible when returning purchases. Abuse of this trust could damage someone’s side-income venture.
Jordan Reed is a senior writer at Savinly who enjoys sunshine and discovering inventive ways to support others. Find him on Twitter at @JReedWrites.
