Walmart Pay Return

[SWharton]

Today I had a small return to Walmart($1.97). I went to lookup the receipt on my phone and the app said I could start my return from the app. I decided to try doing the return this way. I went through the process, reached the point of putting it back on my CC, said yes and the app said I did not need to return the item, it was up to me whether I used it or donated it. Wow!!!

[sandsys]

31 minutes ago, SWharton said:

Today I had a small return to Walmart($1.97). I went to lookup the receipt on my phone and the app said I could start my return from the app. I decided to try doing the return this way. I went through the process, reached the point of putting it back on my CC, said yes and the app said I did not need to return the item, it was up to me whether I used it or donated it. Wow!!!

It probably cost them more to return it to stock. Still it was a nice event for you. We keep a donation box in our closet to throw things like that into. When it gets full we find a place to donate it.

Linda

[Carlos]

Amazon often does that also.

[SWharton]

Didn't know that but I don't return much to Amazon.

[agesilaus]

We bought a TV from SAMS Club, same company as Walmart. And it conked out right at the beginning of our long summer camping trip. When we got back it was way out of warranty but they took it back anyway. It took them an hour or so to work out how to do it but we got a full credit. Walmart/Sams, Amazon and Lowes/Home Depot all have very liberal return policies.

I buy a lot from Amazon. And not everything works or fits; I have a pair of shoes that didn't fit on their way back right now. If you trip some warning algorithm they can be more difficult from what I hear. But that's never happened to me. There are scammers out there taking advantage so they try to cut them off.

[frankgibbons]

On 10/19/2019 at 7:51 AM, SWharton said:

Today I had a small return to Walmart($1.97). I went to lookup the receipt on my phone and the app said I could start my return from the app. I decided to try doing the return this way. I went through the process, reached the point of putting it back on my CC, said yes and the app said I did not need to return the item, it was up to me whether I used it or donated it. Wow!!!

I have got something similar with the Amazon.

[Twotoes]

I have heard that 40% of everything purchased online is returned. Don’t remember where I read it, maybe online. 

[LindaH]

On ‎10‎/‎18‎/‎2019 at 6:51 PM, SWharton said:

...the app said I did not need to return the item, it was up to me whether I used it or donated it.

Chewy does the same thing; i.e., you don't have to return the item, they just ask you to donate it.

[Kirk W]

16 hours ago, Twotoes said:

I have heard that 40% of everything purchased online is returned. Don’t remember where I read it, maybe online. 

Quote

About 5 to 10 percent of in-store purchases are returned. But that rises to 15 to 40 percent for online purchases, according to David Sobie, co-founder and CEO of Happy Returns.Jan 12, 2019

 

[2gypsies]

20 hours ago, Twotoes said:

I have heard that 40% of everything purchased online is returned. Don’t remember where I read it, maybe online. 

Amazing!  Doing returns is a hassle.  I'm surprised so many do it.  We rarely buy anything online that has to be returned.

[Carlos]

Doing returns is easy, particularly with Amazon.  The ease and frequency is why I'm glad they have started rating customers based on return rates and other problems they cause, so their lazy shopping and high returns don't affect my costs.  With Amazon, and a couple others, if you have low return rates then you get free returns and instant refunds.  Those with high return rates have to pay, and don't get the instant refund.  There are also different customer support queues.

[agesilaus]

Amazon has been doing the keep it don't return it, for years. The others are just playing catch-up. And not just for cheap stuff, a pair of $130 hiking boots went missing during UPS delivery. Waited for 3 days past the scheduled delivery time and reported it to Amazon. They refunded the purchase price and  told me to keep them if they showed up. Ordered another pair and the original ones finally showed up after the second ones arrived. I gave them to my oldest son, I don't need that many boots...heh. The original pair must have got lost somewhere in the UPS delivery chain.

[SWharton]

I do so few returns that this was all new to me and surprising.

[Carlos]

It varies by product category and cost.  I've had them tell me to keep/dispose of a few things, but when an Apple Watch failed to show up, they certainly wanted the extra one back when it later showed up.

 

[agesilaus]

17 minutes ago, Carlos said:

It varies by product category and cost.  I've had them tell me to keep/dispose of a few things, but when an Apple Watch failed to show up, they certainly wanted the extra one back when it later showed up.

 

Not always true, as I mentioned about the $130 boots. But then Amazon wants a $4 item back. Price is not always what determines returns. 

We live 30 miles or more round trip from shopping areas so it's often a lot easier for me so I order a lot from Amazon and occasionally from other vendors. So I do return stuff maybe once a month or so. I have noticed that their Prime service is no longer 2 or 3rd day it often stretches out more than that lately.

Walmart is supposedly making an effort to compete with Amazon on mail order. They started with some silly idea of giving instore customers a couple bucks to drop a package off near where they live. No surprise that didn't last long. But the still do not come close to Prime delivery. I ordered a few items from them or Samsclub and opted for store pickup.

If anyone is going to break Amazon's stranglehold on this market they will have to match the Prime delivery system. I think some Chinese company made a try but had poor selection. I don't know about their delivery efforts.

I know that personally when I think about ordering something from some other company and get to the checkout to find a $10 or $20 delivery charge, that I better really want the item before I can overcome my irritation.

 

Edited December 9, 2019 by agesilaus

[Carlos]

Yes, that's what I said, it varies by product category and cost.  Hard to predict which route they will take for any item.

 

[sandsys]

I like that some companies include a return label right with the order. When contacted, others will provide a link to download a return label. In both cases they pay the postage. But, we still have to be willing to repackage the item for return so sometimes it's not worth it.

Linda

[Carlos]

You don't need to repackage the item for returns to Amazon, Kohl's, Macy's, Best Buy, and a few others.  In fact, they will charge you more if you do.

[2gypsies]

We get fast delivery from Amazon Prime but also the same time for WalMart.  I've even taken to order some bathroom supplies online for a cheaper cost for multiples than for a store item.  I absolutely hate going in stores anymore.

[Carlos]

You make a great point; Amazon is not the cheapest at all for many household staples.  Depending on what you buy and your needs, Walmart is sometimes a better deal.  I buy most of those things at Costco/Sam's, so Walmart online rarely works out for me, but I have friends who use it almost daily.

 

[sandsys]

7 hours ago, Carlos said:

You don't need to repackage the item for returns to Amazon, Kohl's, Macy's, Best Buy, and a few others.  In fact, they will charge you more if you do.

So, you send things back to Amazon with no package? How does that work? You just stick the return label right on the shirt? I usually put in back in the package it arrived in and tape it shut.

Linda

[Jaydrvr]

Sam's Club has free shipping with the upgraded membership. We find that to be very useful. We've ordered a variety of things using that method, enjoying both the great value and the fast delivery to the door. Jay

[Carlos]

8 hours ago, sandsys said:

So, you send things back to Amazon with no package? How does that work? You just stick the return label right on the shirt? I usually put in back in the package it arrived in and tape it shut.

Linda

You drop it off at a variety of places with no package, and show a QR code on your phone.  They hand you a receipt, and you're done.  I use the UPS store that's on my way to anywhere in town.  I know Kohl's takes Amazon returns, and there are others.

I too would normally just pack it up in the spare packaging we always have around, but that costs them more so they actually charge if you do that.

 

[Jaydrvr]

21 minutes ago, Carlos said:

You drop it off at a variety of places with no package, and show a QR code on your phone.  They hand you a receipt, and you're done.  I use the UPS store that's on my way to anywhere in town.  I know Kohl's takes Amazon returns, and there are others.

I too would normally just pack it up in the spare packaging we always have around, but that costs them more so they actually charge if you do that.

 

As I understand this process, all the returns from that day or time period go into one or so larger containers, so there is less waste and less time spent opening and disposing of shipping containers.

[Carlos]

Yup, they are also batched into the proper place for the specific products to be returned.  We have at least three Amazon locations in Phoenix, each handles different things.  I had a conversation about this with the people at the UPS store when they were boxing up the returns one day.