Free returns disappearing from retailers | The era of free returns — an essential part of the rise of online shopping — is ending
Free returns disappearing from retailers | The era of free returns — an essential part of the rise of online shopping — is ending
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Is this some sort of American thing I'm too European to understand?
Yes, it is. That's because companies like trying unpopular policies in America first before moving them to Europe.
Try telling that to my unequivocal legal right to return anything for any reason within 14 days at no cost to myself other than postage
Yes. You have to pay for postage. Americans pay nothing and Amazon forced them to pay one dollar. I'm sure retailers would happily trade free returns for a 14-day return policy that makes the customer pay for postage.
In Sweden. Never paid postage to return anything to a shop. Never paid postage to send a product anywhere, actually, be it for warranty or what have you. Typically the store either gives you a shipping label to print out, or they send you one.
That's usually how it is in America too. Amazon started charging $1 if you took it to a courier office instead of a Whole Foods (Amazon-owned grocery store chain) if the Whole Foods was closer to you.
The thought of Amazon selling food too creeps me out so bad.
It's just a regular grocery store, albeit a rather expensive one. They give discounts for Prime members. In the back, there is an area where workers accept Amazon returns and you can also pick up orders there in the odd chance you would ever do that instead of having it delivered to your home at no extra cost...?
Edit: I remembered that some people might want packages delivered here if they're frequent victims of package theft
One reason you'd get something delivered to an Amazon locker or work or whole foods is if your home or apartment doesn't have a secure mail room.
Just the idea of a corporation growing to that size gives me the ickies. It's just one step closer to a corporate town. I'm sure the service is great for now.
Thankfully Amazon hasn't really managed to settle properly where I'm from. They're great for weird niche products, but they're not your go-to for most things.
I agree. The US Federal Trade Commission is actually taking legal action against them for anticompetitive monopolistic practices right now, which could result in the company being broken up.
Whole
PaycheckFoods existed before Amazon (I'm fairly sure).Honesty I didn't realize Amazon had acquired them.
Yeah they were big before Amazon bought them. It was a huge investment to try to get into grocery
Honestly, Whole Foods sold overpriced crap before they were acquired by Amazon and continued to sell overpriced crap afterwards. For comparison, a box of store-brand macaroni and cheese, obviously an American staple food eaten on a daily basis, costs twice as much at Whole Foods compared to a regular grocery store (Walmart, Kroger, &c.) and triple what it would cost at a cheap grocery store.
- Pound of chicken breast at Whole Foods: $6
- Pound of chicken breast at Walmart: $3
- Pound of chicken breast at WinCo: $2
and
- Frozen pizza at Whole Foods: $10
- Frozen pizza at Walmart: $4
It's like this for basically everything. If you'd normally spend $80 a week on grocery, you'd instead spend $150 at Whole Foods. But at least the food is organic, right??
That makes sense. Why establish something new when you can just buy it.
Det inte sant,eller?? Även med Biltema, Stadium ? Aldrig har provat, jag tar grejer direkt till butik. Om det är sant jag vill gärna stoppa köra att bära retur.grejerna.
Aldrig köpt från dessa butiker. Om du har köpt i butik så antar jag att retur sker i butik. Annars skulle jag tro att de står för returen. Kolla med kundtjänst.
Yup, thats because the EU actually protects their consumers unlike the great ol' US of A
It depends. If the company dives in headfirst with anticonsumer practices in the EU, you're correct; EU institutions will regulate them out. But there's a much smarter strategy that works more often than I think you'd like to admit:
- Start said anticonsumer practice in the USA
- USA is slower to enact legislation against it
- US customers get used to it
- Inch EU customers into said practices
- When confronted, point to the USA and say that the Americans are fine with it so it must not be that bad.
- 50% of the time EU regulators respond with "oh, alright then". The news of said practice being introduced into the EU appears on The Register for a day and then everyone forgets about it. Most EU consumers don't realise it happened.
To do this in the EU would mean breaking the law, which mandates 14 days of free returns with no requirement to justify the reason whatsoever, so I'm pretty sure this wouldn't work ;-).
In the states these laws and policies vary. 14 days is a reasonable amount of time for a return free of charge. A lot of companies in the states have offered free 30 day returns and people have (as they do) taken advantage of that. Target here has banned certain individuals from returns for up to a year because they were returning items on purpose in order to buy them cheaper in store as an open box item or what have you. Amazon used to let you return just about anything regardless of the time passed. But this has led to significant waste. They sell off returned items by the pallet load and it's basically a free for all grab bag scenario. And half of it ends up in a landfill anyway.
And to be perfectly honest what is under discussion isn't free returns. It's free shipping on returns.
All it would take to work is a change in legislation. So if I were you I'd be diligent about keeping an eye on it because there's a second side to living in a country quick to enact legislation.
Yes, it would. The law says that the cost of the return can be borne by the buyer. So making customers pay for the cost of return postage would not be against the law. The company is not required to provide an absolutely free return.
When confronted, point to the USA and say that the Americans are fine with it so it must not be that bad.
Are you acquainted with the connotation of the term "American conditions"?
You guys don't drunk-order a bunch of useless shit then expect to return it for no cost once buyer's remorse sinks in?
Point is, we have laws enforcing that possibility. It's not goodwill from companies...
It's not goodwill from companies...
Nothing good for customers ever is
Why yes, yes we do
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Five years, actually, here in Norway. Technically two years, and five if the product is meant to last appreciably longer than two years. But that is true for most things except wearable electronics like earbuds.
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Most 3rd world counties have it better than the US
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First world = NATO
Second world = Warsaw Pact
Third world = non-aligned
Developed world = rich countries
Developing world = poor countries
Global south = also poor countries, but with more emphasis on Africa and South America
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In Australia our consumer protection laws have minimum warranty for most items (eg 3yrs or something for basic electronic products) but it scales with cost and quality.
It does not apply to everything as far as i know, but say you buy a $8,000 TV, you would likely get 5-6 years warranty because a TV of that cost should imply, to a reasonable consumer, it is of a quality that would be expected to last 5-6 years.2 years by law everywhere in the EU.
Two, but I don't think it applies to medical procedures
War-ranty? What is this? A guarantee of war? Sounds like apple pie to me. 🇺🇸