You must be aware that Amazon is the best e-commerce marketplace in the world right now and there is a big reason behind that as well. The experience that Amazon provides is unmatched and we don’t think any other marketplace is close to delivering it right now. The experience we are talking about is not just related to ordering the products but also the after sales service with its best-in-class customer support as well as handling the returns as well. Amazon has always had the policy of no-questions-asked returns which means that if you don’t like the product then you can return it without any costs.
However, it seems that even Amazon is feeling the pinch now as it has been reported that the company has started charging for returning products delivered by UPS and we believe that it has to do with UPS charging them for getting return parcels. An Amazon representative said that “Customers living near a free drop-off location who decide to return their package through UPS may have to pay a $1 fee” and added that “We offer convenient, easy returns to Amazon customers, with one or more options for label-free, box-free returns at no cost,”. Explaining the fee, the representative added that “We always offer a free option for customers to return their item – if a customer would prefer to return their item at a UPS Store when there is a free option closer to their delivery address, a very small amount of customers may incur a $1 fee.”
Amazon has been incurring the costs of these returns since the last few decades but it seem that the company has now had enough of it and wants to reduce losses due to returned items. Amazon has even started products as “frequently returned” on their platform which may or may not influence the buyer’s purchase decision. It is estimated that a retailer incurs a cost of about $165 million on every $1 billion worth of goods sold which is close to 16.5% of the total sales. It is great that Amazon provides such a great return policy but it seems even its days could be numbered under the new CEO.
