MANY RETAILERS OFFER 'RETURNLESS REFUNDS.' JUST DON'T EXPECT THEM TO TALK MUCH ABOUT IT
Techlife News|November 09, 2024
It’s one of the most under-publicized policies of some of the biggest U.S. retailers: sometimes they give customers full refunds and let them keep unwanted items too.
MANY RETAILERS OFFER 'RETURNLESS REFUNDS.' JUST DON'T EXPECT THEM TO TALK MUCH ABOUT IT

Returnless refunds are a tool that more retailers are using to keep online shoppers happy and to reduce shipping fees, processing time and other ballooning costs from returned products.

Companies such as Amazon, Walmart and Target have decided some items are not worth the cost or hassle of getting back. Think a $20 T-shirt that might cost $30 in shipping and handling to recover. There are also single-use items, such as a package of plastic straws, that might be difficult to resell or medicines that could be unsafe to market again.

Analysts say the companies offering returnless refunds do it somewhat sporadically, typically reserving the option for low-cost objects or ones with limited resale value. But some online shoppers said they’ve also been allowed to keep more pricey products.

Dalya Harel, 48, received a return-free refund recently after ordering a desk from Amazon that cost roughly $300. When the desk arrived, she noticed it was missing some key pieces and would be impossible to put together, Harel said. She couldn’t request a replacement and have it within a reasonable time for the office of her New York lice detection removal service because the item was out of stock.

Harel, who routinely buys towels and other products from Amazon for her business, said her team reached out to the company’s customer service line. She was pleasantly surprised to hear she would get a refund without having to send back the desk.

“That’s one less headache to deal with,” Harel said. “It was really nice for us to not have to make an extra trip up to the post office.”

She used the desk pieces to create makeshift shelves in her office in Brooklyn.

A MYSTERIOUS PROCESS

This story is from the November 09, 2024 edition of Techlife News.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the November 09, 2024 edition of Techlife News.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM TECHLIFE NEWSView All
AUSTRALIA SHOULD DELAY SOCIAL MEDIA BAN FOR CHILDREN UNDER 16. BIG TECH SAYS
Techlife News

AUSTRALIA SHOULD DELAY SOCIAL MEDIA BAN FOR CHILDREN UNDER 16. BIG TECH SAYS

An advocate for major social media platforms told an Australian Senate committee that laws to ban children younger than 16 from the sites should be delayed until next year at least instead of being rushed through the Parliament.

time-read
2 mins  |
Techlife News #683
APPLE AND GOOGLE FACE UK INVESTIGATION INTO MOBILE BROWSER DOMINANCE
Techlife News

APPLE AND GOOGLE FACE UK INVESTIGATION INTO MOBILE BROWSER DOMINANCE

Apple and Google aren’t giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.

time-read
1 min  |
Techlife News #683
DIRECTV CALLS OFF ACQUISITION OF RIVAL DISH, POSSIBLY ENDING A YEARSLONG PURSUIT
Techlife News

DIRECTV CALLS OFF ACQUISITION OF RIVAL DISH, POSSIBLY ENDING A YEARSLONG PURSUIT

DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.

time-read
1 min  |
Techlife News #683
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF RETIREMENT INCOME: FROM SAVING TO SPENDING
Techlife News

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF RETIREMENT INCOME: FROM SAVING TO SPENDING

The narrative of a miserly, Scrooge-like figure hoarding his wealth for years instead of enjoying his retirement might seem unbelievable—but unfortunately, it isn’t relegated only to fiction. It’s a cold reality for many retirees.

time-read
2 mins  |
Techlife News #683
'BUY NOW, PAY LATER' IS MORE POPULAR THAN EVER. IT CAN COST MORE THAN YOU THINK
Techlife News

'BUY NOW, PAY LATER' IS MORE POPULAR THAN EVER. IT CAN COST MORE THAN YOU THINK

More shoppers than ever are on track to use ‘buy now, pay later’ plans this holiday season, as the ability to spread out payments looks attractive at a time when Americans still feel the lingering effect of inflation and already have record-high credit card debt.

time-read
2 mins  |
Techlife News #683
IS 'GLICKED' THE NEW 'BARBENHEIMER'? 'WICKED' AND 'GLADIATOR II' COLLIDE IN THEATERS
Techlife News

IS 'GLICKED' THE NEW 'BARBENHEIMER'? 'WICKED' AND 'GLADIATOR II' COLLIDE IN THEATERS

“Barbenheimer” was a phenomenon impossible to manufacture. But, more than a year later, that hasn’t stopped people from trying to make “Glicked” — or even “Babyratu” — happen.

time-read
4 mins  |
Techlife News #683
ELECTRIC CAR SALES ARE SLOWING IN THE US AND EUROPE AS BOTH FANS AND SKEPTICS SHARE CONCERNS
Techlife News

ELECTRIC CAR SALES ARE SLOWING IN THE US AND EUROPE AS BOTH FANS AND SKEPTICS SHARE CONCERNS

While sales of electric vehicles surge in China, adoption of more environmentally friendly vehicles is stumbling in the United States and Europe as carmakers and governments struggle to meet years-old promises about affordability and charging stations.

time-read
4 mins  |
Techlife News #683
FEDERAL PROSECUTORS SEEK RECORDS FROM COMPANY THAT DEPLOYED AI WEAPONS SCANNER ON NYC SUBWAY
Techlife News

FEDERAL PROSECUTORS SEEK RECORDS FROM COMPANY THAT DEPLOYED AI WEAPONS SCANNER ON NYC SUBWAY

Federal investigators in New York are seeking records from the manufacturer of an AI-powered weapons scanner that was briefly deployed this summer in New York City’s subway system.

time-read
1 min  |
Techlife News #683
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO LOAN $6.6B TO EV MAKER RIVIAN TO BUILD GEORGIA FACTORY THAT AUTOMAKER PAUSED
Techlife News

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO LOAN $6.6B TO EV MAKER RIVIAN TO BUILD GEORGIA FACTORY THAT AUTOMAKER PAUSED

President Joe Biden's administration announced this week that the U.S. Department of Energy will make a $6.6 billion loan to Rivian Automotive to build a factory in Georgia that had stalled as the startup electric vehicle maker struggled to become profitable.

time-read
3 mins  |
Techlife News #683
RANSOMWARE ATTACK ON SOFTWARE SUPPLIER DISRUPTS OPERATIONS FOR STARBUCKS AND OTHER RETAILERS
Techlife News

RANSOMWARE ATTACK ON SOFTWARE SUPPLIER DISRUPTS OPERATIONS FOR STARBUCKS AND OTHER RETAILERS

A ransomware attack that hit a major software provider last week caused disruptions for a handful of companies over recent days, from Starbucks to U.K. grocery giant Morrisons.

time-read
1 min  |
Techlife News #683