Wasteful Amazon

Grandad99

I returned a kettle as the lever to lift the lid was too strong for my wife's arthritic fingers

Took it to the post office and could not believe my eyes when the counter clerk ripped the parcel open, took the box with the kettle in and stuck the address label on that.

I asked what about the base and cable and was told they were not needed.

What is going on at Amazon? 

marcia_

Grandad99 said:

I returned a kettle as the lever to lift the lid was too strong for my wife's arthritic fingers

Took it to the post office and could not believe my eyes when the counter clerk ripped the parcel open, took the box with the kettle in and stuck the address label on that.

I asked what about the base and cable and was told they were not needed.

What is going on at Amazon? 

 I tried to return something the other day and was told they would refund me without sending the item back. I assume it cost more to send it back than they wanted to pay. So now I have useless boys football shorts I'm trying to give away or they will end up in the bin. I received my refund 12 hrs later 

MattMattMattUK

Grandad99 said:

I returned a kettle as the lever to lift the lid was too strong for my wife's arthritic fingers

Took it to the post office and could not believe my eyes when the counter clerk ripped the parcel open, took the box with the kettle in and stuck the address label on that.

I asked what about the base and cable and was told they were not needed.

What is going on at Amazon? 

It is the economics, the cost of the return, the cost of processing to check and resell is not worth it for a lot of low priced items. I do not return much to Amazon, maybe five things in total out of the several hundred I order, anything less than £10 they tell me to keep.

soolin

I returned a damaged item to Amazon recently and the instructions were very clear, and stated several times, do not wrap the item as it will be wrapped, if necessary at the receiving courier. 

Pollycat

marcia_ said:

Grandad99 said:

I returned a kettle as the lever to lift the lid was too strong for my wife's arthritic fingers

Took it to the post office and could not believe my eyes when the counter clerk ripped the parcel open, took the box with the kettle in and stuck the address label on that.

I asked what about the base and cable and was told they were not needed.

What is going on at Amazon? 

 I tried to return something the other day and was told they would refund me without sending the item back. I assume it cost more to send it back than they wanted to pay. So now I have useless boys football shorts I'm trying to give away or they will end up in the bin. I received my refund 12 hrs later 

I'd hope a charity shop would take them.

Grandad99

I know that they tell you to keep low value items. The kettle was £25 and they set up the return.To resell it it would need to have the base and plug so why take these out and return just the kettle?  

marcia_

Pollycat said:

marcia_ said:

Grandad99 said:

I returned a kettle as the lever to lift the lid was too strong for my wife's arthritic fingers

Took it to the post office and could not believe my eyes when the counter clerk ripped the parcel open, took the box with the kettle in and stuck the address label on that.

I asked what about the base and cable and was told they were not needed.

What is going on at Amazon? 

 I tried to return something the other day and was told they would refund me without sending the item back. I assume it cost more to send it back than they wanted to pay. So now I have useless boys football shorts I'm trying to give away or they will end up in the bin. I received my refund 12 hrs later 

I'd hope a charity shop would take them.

 Thank you, if i had a brain I'd be dangerous 

lincroft1710

Don't forget a £25 retail item may only have cost the retailer half of that amount

PHK

Grandad99 said:

I know that they tell you to keep low value items. The kettle was £25 and they set up the return.To resell it it would need to have the base and plug so why take these out and return just the kettle?  

Is it possible this (not returning the base and lead )  is a mistake by the Post Office?

Generally speaking, opened kitchen products aren't resold for hygiene reasons. 

sheramber

The cost and hassle of getting the base and flex pat tested to ensure  they still complied with regulations is probably not worth it compared to the cost of the kettle, 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Amazon's warehouse outlet seems to have a lot of kettles for sale (possible they are warehouse damaged rather than returns) but it does make you wonder if the Post Office haven't done the right thing here. 

I'd expect the kettle to go back in it's manufacturer box with the label on that, sticking a label on the outside of a kettle with no packaging or accessories at all is just odd and I really don't see the point in it even being returned, that in itself is wasteful, especially for a change of mind return. 

Makes you wonder what the Post Office did with the cord and base, there are regulations for electrical waste, although to what extent they'd cover this situation I'm not sure. 

In terms of waste 25 years ago a friend of mine worked with his dad in London, not sure exactly what but some kind of street cleaning, and he always said the stuff thrown out by shops was shocking, if you look on Youtube at dumpster diving videos it seems stores are still throwing away perfectly good stuff.