Ecommerce returns warehouse

davidmason77

Hi all.
Maybe the wrong forum, but i know you’re all an intelligent and resourceful bunch so thought I’d try my luck.
I’m starting an online store selling larger items, but am struggling to find a viable returns solution. At a basic level, I need somewhere that can receive and store customer returns. There are a few about but none that seem to handle larger products, e.g. armchairs. 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks

martindow

Why can't returns come back to wherever you are storing your stock?

davidmason77

martindow said:

Why can't returns come back to wherever you are storing your stock?

It’s online only with no warehousing/stock, i.e. upon purchasing from me products will be delivered to the customer straight from the suppliers. Because the supplier is providing the goods business to business they are not obliged to have a change of mind returns policy.

tripled

Self-store?

davidmason77

tripled said:

Self-store?

A residential address for returns doesn’t look particularly professional, plus I don’t have the space.

martindow

It sounds as if the best bet would be to discuss this with your supplier, even if it would involve them disposing of returns and possibly charging you to do so.  This is going to be a cost of doing business that you will have to factor into your business model.

For small items, I sometimes refund and ask customers to give them awayto a friend or charity shop rather than posting them back as it makes no sense financially.  Not a reasonable request with large furniture of course.

Edit: Maybe there are charities who would pick up furniture, at least saving the return carriage cost.

Potbellypig

In my opinion, stay clear of drop shipping. 

martindow

Potbellypig said:

In my opinion, stay clear of drop shipping. 

I tend to agree with this as you are very dependent on the supplier and if there are delays or problems with delivery it reflects on you.

Maybe though the OP is ordering bespoke items so there would be a lead time while the furniture is made and this would be less of a problem.

davidmason77

Potbellypig said:

In my opinion, stay clear of drop shipping. 

I tend to agree too, but relatively risk free so giving it a shot. Yes, reliant on the suppliers, but finding the good ones (or more likely weeding out the bad) will mitigate to a certain extent. Returns will always be a problem, particularly with larger items, so where i can i will probably take a hit on the silly supplier re-stocking fees. There will also be some bespoke options, so that will help.

If dropshipping (not a word i like to use) works for Wayfair it can work for me

bris

Returns will bankrupt you in the end, the drop shipping business is high risk in this day and age because people know their rights and can and do return a high percentage of goods. Not only do you refund but you also lose your shipping costs to the customer.

Wayfair did start as a drop shipper but that was 20 years ago, the new CCR's have killed that stone dead.

davidmason77

martindow said:

It sounds as if the best bet would be to discuss this with your supplier, even if it would involve them disposing of returns and possibly charging you to do so.  This is going to be a cost of doing business that you will have to factor into your business model.

For small items, I sometimes refund and ask customers to give them awayto a friend or charity shop rather than posting them back as it makes no sense financially.  Not a reasonable request with large furniture of course.

Edit: Maybe there are charities who would pick up furniture, at least saving the return carriage cost.

Thanks for the input. Interesting idea re. charitiy shops, but that would leave me considerably out of pocket, whereas returning to the supplier (where they allow this) would likely mean i just about break even. Not the end of the world