> It’s usually cheaper if you can source it from the manufacturer even paying their shipping rate.
This is rarely the case. In fact, it's against Amazon's policies for manufacturer/third-party listings.
But I've found that even when that's the case, returns can be such a gigantic hassle it's not worth it -- getting an RMA, having to pay for return shipping, being forced to use an inconvenient shipping service of their choice, things like 15% restocking fees...
If you're buying something for the first time and then discover it doesn't work the way you expected, it's amazing how much easier and cheaper Amazon returns are.
I’m surprised it is against policy considering I make use of this technique all the time. I don’t think it is being sold by the manufacturer but one of the faceless amazon third party sellers. Sometimes amazon.com. I haven’t had a byzantine return process in a very long time. YMMV I guess.
Just in the past six months I bought an air filter and a 12" skillet directly from manufacturers instead of Amazon. The air filter was nowhere near the claimed performance, but still required a 15% restocking fee. The skillet, they sent me the wrong model. But because while the title of the listing was wrong, but the correct model name was in the description text, they refused to pay for return shipping and it cost $25 to ship it back because it was 5 lbs to the other side of the country.
Amazon is never an issue. I just drop it off at Whole Foods and it's easy. Buying direct from manufacturer is just too risky. By now I'm willing to pay even more at Amazon just for the peace of mind of returns.
Amazon’s insistence on the prices being the same, even though they take a large cut of fulfilled by Amazon, on top of their devil-may-care practices around returns, while at the same time being so big that companies feel they have to be there for the eyeballs, have put many companies in a really bad and vulnerable position.
This is why Amazon will often tell you to just keep the item you want to return. The companies lose money on returns and need to sell 2-3 more to make it up. It’s not worth it for them to even take it back. In other cases, Amazon will blindly resell the returned product and damage a company’s reputation. I saw an instance where someone returned a children’s swim suit with poop in it, then Amazon went and re-sold it to someone, poop and all. That review tanked the whole company.
This is rarely the case. In fact, it's against Amazon's policies for manufacturer/third-party listings.
But I've found that even when that's the case, returns can be such a gigantic hassle it's not worth it -- getting an RMA, having to pay for return shipping, being forced to use an inconvenient shipping service of their choice, things like 15% restocking fees...
If you're buying something for the first time and then discover it doesn't work the way you expected, it's amazing how much easier and cheaper Amazon returns are.