There’s a good chance that the next time you buy something from a third-party seller on Amazon and you’re not happy with your purchase, the company will tell you “Nevermind, just keep it” instead of asking you to return it.
In a recent post on Amazon’s SellerCentral, the mega-retailer appears to be offering “Fulfillment by Amazon” users – those that have an Amazon store and ship their products – to avoid fees by simply having customers keep items.
“We’ve launched FBA Returnless Resolutions, a new program that helps you streamline returns by offering customers a full refund without having to return the item,” the company wrote.
“Amazon is one of many companies rolling out ‘keep it' returns options that cut out the often-expensive reverse logistics process entirely,” RetailDive’s Max Garland said. "This tactic is particularly common for lower-value items.”
Is there a catch?
This all sounds well and good, but not all products qualify. Dangerous goods, heavy items, and those priced over $75 are ineligible. But, with around 60% of all goods sold on Amazon coming from third-party sellers, the odds are pretty good.
Garland also said that sellers and customers tapping into Returnless Resolutions have to be in good standing with Amazon. So, if you’re someone who’s abused Amazon’s lenient return system, you might be offered this option.
How can you tell who is a third-party seller and who’s not?
You can identify if an item on Amazon is from a third-party seller by looking for the "Sold by" information on the product page.
If it says "Sold by Amazon.com", then the item is being sold directly by Amazon.
If it says "Sold by [company name]" (where the company name is not Amazon), then it's from a third-party seller.
Sometimes, an item might be "Sold by [company name] and Fulfilled by Amazon." This means a third-party seller is responsible for the product, but Amazon handles the storage and shipping.