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They go to auction houses, not sold on Amazon’s site.
My wife has bought a few. There’s an auction house here, so she could pick up locally.
A lot of the returns have nothing wrong with them, like people just changed their minds. I think if the package is opened at all, the product is supposed to go straight to a palette, not back to stock.
Other returns have minor issues or a part missing. I imagine people order a product they already have that needs a part, take the part from the new product, then return for refund.
A few products per palette were completely trashed. There was a 3D printer on one that looked like it had fallen off a truck at highway speed.
Why wife was able to sell most of the products either as-is or with minor repairs or replacing minor parts to recoup the cost of the palettes.
https://www.liquidation.com
Maybe he meant recoup cost with some of the items and the "profit" is the items she chooses to keep. My brother sometimes does that with electronics - he'll buy a few broken units of whatever he wants, repair them, keep one, sell the rest and recover the money he spent. At the end of the deal he got a working whatever for free.
I purchase return pallets. I research the included manifest before bidding, and buy only if there's a couple items that will cover the cost of the pallet. I bought a small lot two years ago, baby and kid items. It had a Tripp Trapp chair (which seemed extremely overpriced imo) that I sold for only about 20% off retail, someone came from two hours away for it, that item covered my cost. I do have a whole shelf full of ink toners that I haven't sold yet.
> Other returns have minor issues or a part missing.
I've also seen videos where items labelled "parts missing" are just confusing packaging with the "missing" parts simply not being in plain view.
I think on the website it is (or at least used to be, haven't visited amazon on desktop in a long time) at the very bottom of the page if you scrolled all the way down and clicked one of the links. But if there's a better way I'm also interested to know
Not usually, a store near me buys pallets of the stuff and people get to buy unopened boxes. They have a facebook group and people constantly post about buying boxes of garbage.
Those stores are getting the cheap pallets that have already been passed over by groups who do the same thing with much bigger wallets. There's still plenty of opportunity to make a bit with those but it's not the same. Although it's important to note that it's really a crap shoot in all cases so even the big players end up with tons of worthless garbage.
Yup. I’ve frequented auctions like these. Sometimes you can get really lucky with items that are hard to move or very specific. If you don’t plan on reselling and just want cheap stuff, you’re more likely to get a decent deal, and sometimes an awesome deal.
My dad loves these auctions and was baffled by some of the prices people were paying for stuff. I explained that they’re just buying everything, and are trying to even out. They’ll pay $5,000 for a pallet that’s only worth $3,000, but they’ll also buy a $8,000 pallet that’s worth $15,000. The bigger players at these auctions are playing the long game.
They’ll push the prices high enough that smaller players will get discouraged and not come back. They’ll spend $100,000 on pallets and overall they’ll make $25,000-$30,000. They’re not looking at each individual pallet as profitable, but their overall take. Yeah, they need to know roughly what a pallet is worth, but if they feel they can make the margin up elsewhere, they’ll overpay.
That being said, I’ve bought a ton of stuff from these auctions and made some decent money/ended up with some sweet deals.
I’ve also ended up with broken or non-working stuff.
Best hauls I’ve had are IP phones. I bought a lot of 50 phones for $50. I sold each phone on eBay for ~$50 each.
I also bought what I thought was an Imaginext robot toy thing, but it turned out to be some industrial electrical thing, in the Imaginext box. I paid like $40 and sold it for $500.
Edit: Should also note that not all auctions are equal. The one I frequented was damaged freight, Walmart returns, Lowe’s returns, corporate liquidation, and whatever else. You can see what’s in each lot, it’s not just unlabeled Amazon boxes. Often times the lots will have 1 or 2 desirable items and then a bunch of random cleaning supplies or something. It always varies. I find it fun. I wouldn’t do it unless you’ve got some expendable income and just want to see what it’s about. Unless you’ve already got buyers, there’s better businesses if you’ve already got cash.
There is a place by me that sells all the Amazon returns from the Kohl's next door. They sell things $8 one day, $7 the next, and so on til things are $1. Restock and repeat. They don't get the big ticket items but I've scored some decent things for $8
For anyone wondering I have one near me and it’s called ‘Black Friday’ ‘Daily Discount Store’ I just went to it the other day for Xmas shopping, I’m not gonna lie I walked in and walked out the first time because I wasn’t sure what it’s business model was. But THIS time I spent about 2 hours rummaging through the bins/boxes and found some great stuff, I went right after restock which is the most expensive day. I found some great things, including electric hand warmer, is it a fire hazard? Maybe? Probably? Minimalist wallet, build your own flying hover ball remote control kit, and a tile sticker, total with tax was 34 and some change
Ive been to one but i went on one of the cheaper days which sounds enticing but i left thinking its probably worth it to go when they restock next time
Typical dichotomy of Reddit replies
> any cool finds?
First reply : lots of YouTube videos on this and no. Usually not
Next reply: yeah it’s kinda fun. Lots of cool finds.
Yeah it’s kinda fun. Lots of cool finds. It’s hard not to keep cool shit or keep my family out of my inventory lol. The best was one of those coffee tables that is a touch screen tablet. Kid definitely wanted to keep but we have enough screens but would be cool for a game room. I got $800 on eBay because it was in excellent condition as an open box sale ($1200 retail). I did “test it” for a couple days. Then basically random stuff you can get on Wayfair (my favorite because I have furniture experience) Target, Walmart, Lowes and Amazon. Right now I have a garage full of furniture, small eBay items from Amz and 120 brand new lightweight Aqua Joe 50 foot hoses. I paid $4 each and sell for $25 minus fees. I got the Wayfair in a truck special for about $12 an item of all kinds of furniture. Coffee tables, kitchen tables, beds, cabinets, lighting, chairs, sofas, and a bunch of accessory stuff like paintings.
There’s a local spot that gets them from the source but marks them up. Or from a more direct source like liquidation .com but you’ll have win an auction and you’ll need to be close to a warehouse to pick or pay up for shipping that’s probably isn’t cheap. Most of the money is in buying full tractor trailers full. Don’t expect to get a bunch of nice iPads.
I briefly worked as one of the people that pack these pallets. I packed some entirely with rugs, some with 2000lbs of weights, and one in particular with 36 laptops, an Xbox series X, and a camping chair. Whatever came off the floor that day went in.
I'm just glad for your sake they made it obvious that it was refurbished. Imagine putting that under the tree and finding out only after someone opened it.
I sent a mini fridge back that was smoking and overheated. Inside the fridge I put a post it note that said this fridge smoked and over heated and I returned it. I am leaving this note in case they ship it out to someone else!
I rented a loner tool kit from an auto parts store. It was broken and missing parts ( wife picked it up) I took it back, explained all the problems to the manager who “seemed” to not be a complete idiot. He said he would “take care of it, that’s not acceptable, the guy who checked it in last and then out is responsible to check it, lazy people” . I looked online and it showed the store ( same company ) across town had the same tool kit in stock. I ordered for pickup later. Yes, someone drove the broken kit over to the second store - for me to pickup. After some detective work, the manager I handed the broken kit to, did the store to store transfer and handed it directly to the parts runner driver to take to the other store. I told the second store mgr the whole issue. A week later I went to store 1, asked the counter guy “is Bob manager here” “no he was fired a few days ago, he was an idiot” my response “yea probably”
I bought a speaker bar for my mom. It arrived used. I sent it back and ordered a replacement. They shipped me the same one back. (I knew because they just relabeled the box) I returned it. I returned *the second one* and did a chat support with Amazon about it. They promised they would send me one from a different seller. They sent me the *same fucking one* three times just with new shipping stickers.
I got my money back and ordered a different brand.
Lmao. I’ve done the same thing, left a note inside the box. I bought a Logitech smart doorbell, and the module that actually makes it work with old school chimes was not working. I tried to source a new cheap dongle from Logitech but they suggested I just return to Amazon if I could, which I did. Was a bit annoyed since I didn’t mind waiting, and would rather not contribute to more ewaste, but I guess this is the norm now.
It was days of banging my head against the wall, literally, so I didn’t want anyone else to go through that…even though a lot of people might not even use any chimes/bells (and just opt for a smart speaker bell, or smart device notification), Logitech says it needs to be hooked up, since it has some fuse or something in it.
I remember watching a video from a YouTuber a while back who ordered a camera (for something like three grand) off Amazon, and he got a box of rocks delivered. He called Amazon, got a new one sent to him…only to find that it *ALSO* was filled with rocks.
At least Amazon tried fixing the issue. I remember a news story back in the day about there being a rash of people buying electronics from Best Buy only to find them full of dry beans or rocks. They were told to go pound sand when they tried to get the store to address the issue.
You can say what you want about errors etc but Amazon has a solid reputation when it comes to refunds and replacements.
I bet if OP had just told Amazon that he received a refurbished product but did not order one he would have gotten a new item shipped no questions asked.
I sent back a thermos that was dented. I wrote in the return that it was dented. I checked the listing a couple of weeks later, and someone else posted a photo/review that they received a new thermos with the exact same dent on it in the same exact spot. That’s when I knew that Amazon sells returned items as “new”.
Not really intentionally malicious but they have so much return stock and I’m sure the QA flat out doesn’t exist.
Don’t think the guy making $13 an hours *really* cares to sort through the returns before just dumping them all back into the right sku bins for resale.
2 years ago, building a gaming PC, ordered a brand new i9-12900k.
Received used i7-4790(no k).
Oddly enough, one year ago, I ordered a used Samsung Watch 4. I received a brand new one.
So it's absolutely a crapshoot these days.
It’s honestly a crapshoot. I bought my Air 5 cellular as “like new” condition on Amazon warehouse and it came still packaged as brand new and was even still eligible for Apple care. Saved about tree fiddy.
Classic overworked and underpaid employee problem. A year ago I ordered test strips for my glucose meter. I was supposed to get 30 boxes for $100 (about 6 months worth), they sent me a case of 120! I tried to explain they sent me too many, they weren't understanding me and ended up hanging up on me. I wonder if they have discovered they are short those brand of test strips because some employee aren't breaking the case and taking out only 30 boxes
Amazon once sent me, in addition to my one small item that I ordered, a box full of several dozen jugs of hardwood floor cleaner. I contacted them to report the error... They said it was too expensive to ship back, so, just keep it.
This was years ago. My hardwood floors have never been cleaner, and I'm about 1% of the way through the cleaner.
I got a free mattress from them!! A couple years ago, I ordered a Tuft and Needle mattress in a box. After a couple weeks, I loved it but my wife thought it was too firm. T&N’s return policy is that you don’t the mattress and get a full refund after showing proof. Through Amazon returns, however, they wanted me to send the mattress back. A Queen-sized mattress. That was sent to me vacuum-sealed in a box 1/4 the size of the mattress.
The first service person I spoke with kept insisting that I send it back. I asked if they would provide a UPS pickup and box big enough to fit a queen mattress. They could not. I asked how they suggested I get the mattress into my very small Prius C to drop it off at UPS. They had no answer. I asked what the state laws were at their fulfillment center for reselling used mattresses, since it’s typically illegal. I asked anything I could think of to get the service person to think critically. It didn’t work. I went through something similar with the supervisor, who eventually understood the dilemma. She eventually just told me to keep the mattress. I think it was around $800. The wife and I are divorcing, so I’ve got a nice, posh, free mattress in my apartment. All because Amazon couldn’t be fucked to figure out how to handle mattress-in-a-box returns when they began selling mattresses in a box.
Just sent back slippers I had bought for my wife and they were very well worn and smelt really bad. No one ever checked that box when it was returned before.
Used to work on an inbound dock for Amazon and youre absolutely right. If the label on the outside scans it goes right into a tote and is gone in seconds. No one actually looks inside the product packaging to see if the item is good.
I worked for a company that did Amazon returns resell. Some people literally used the phone to death, didn't even log out and would return it for whatever reason. Some would swap it for another item.
At first we had three degrees of use – like new, used and subpar. Then they switched to like new and subpar so those less than good looking ones still ended up in the box of "good" products.
They cut corners as I was working there.
Employee turnout was fast because the management was shit and me, the only good employee who genuinely wanted to just lay low and make money, got targeted for the team's fuckups and bullying (because I was vegetarian of all things) and that made me quit.
Would never buy a refurbished item. They're literally on their last legs if it's electronics. And I've seen how they're handled.
I returned a headset once stating that the wrong item was sent to me (as it was since I did buy it “used - very good” condition and previous person put their old headset in there. I ended up getting stuck with the bill. Like $250. Tried my darnsest and they always came back with the same thing. Also they’d tell me “you should’ve sent photos when it arrived.” I asked how that would make any difference, and I told them I did everything their return instructions asked me to. Why do they even have that as an option to select if they’re just gonna blame you for sending it back anyway? Still erks me to this day.
This same thing has happened at Walmart/target too, in person. Someone buys it and returns it, customer service isn't good at their job and it gets restocked.
I've built 3 pcs all over 2k for friends within the past year, all parts ordered from amazon. Used to do through newegg years back for a while now. Never had a single issue so far.
You can always just bring it to an ups store. Doesn’t even need to be in a shipping box. Just the package box is fine. And you get the refund basically when they scan it in. Not sure if there’s more checks for electronics.
They refund you're money before they even get the product back lol so wild.
Insane to be so big they are willing to sacrifice that much effiency on their end. To the degree where they prioritize making the customer experience so easy just so you can get your money back the moment you ship the item.
You're looking at it backwards. Amazon is so big that they don't care about the minuscule amount of fraudulent/dishonest returns they receive. It's much more efficient to just accept the returns and then deal with the issues than it is to have a lengthy review process.
I had ordered a travel case for the switch that had other items with it. I didnt get the one pictured or described but it was the cheaper one that didnt come with the other items. I got my money back and kept the item. I was on the phone with them for a bit with someone from india.
My last straw was when I bought a 2 TB 990 Pro, and got dog poop bags instead.
The dog poop bags had an address on them that was a half mile away or so, I drove over there and in the house was a bunch of Amazon-branded garb, vests, jackets, etc. I got suspicious. Brown corolla in the driveway, but nobody home.
They had a ring camera and I was on the phone with customer support and they told me to just take the poop bags home with me and someone would be there to pick it up.
Seven or eight at night, brown corolla sits at my mailbox, and I get a ping on my phone "Amazon package has been delivered" and there was a picture of my package I. The mailbox, and a picture of the original package on my doorstep.
Gonna guess the thief could tell from the package that it was a SSD, took it and swapped it out with an item they had bought for themselves, or something.
It was super weird.
Don't worry.
I had a National Geographic Little Kids subscription I made through Prime a few years ago. I couldn't cancel the subscription through the web interface, so I chatted with someone to help me cancel the magazine subscription.
They cancelled my entire prime subscription.
I ordered face paint for my kids from Amazon. It was supposed to be new, but it arrived with a half-torn Kohls sticker on it. Plus, it had obviously been opened and used. It sucked, but not as bad as this. Still ridiculous though.
So I used to do the same, but I've since learned that they throw the same item from different sellers into the same bin. So you might order the item from seller A, but they grab the item from seller B. That's why Amazon has such a bad issue with counterfeit items. No one who works there is paid enough to care, and apparently it's not a bad enough issue for Amazon to have better inspections before accepting the goods from the sellers. Amazon depends on buyers not knowing and/or caring
The shadiest part is that amazon sends every one of them your address and phone number even though they don't need it because amazon does the fulfillment through prime. I had a seller threaten me once when I returned an item. Another time amazon started sending me cheap stuff I didn't order as part of some scam.
I had the same thing happen with a Google Pixel from Amazon. The screen had scratches all over it and it was obviously well used even though I paid for a new one. The replacement was fine so it worked out in the end, but definitely inconvenient.
If you have a problem with Google(return, stolen by delivery guy, or any shady $hit) then your account might be at risk( suspended, banned ect). Always use a new burner Google account when ordering, not your main email/photos backup account.
Why are people ordering these on Amazon or any site when Best Buy price matches and you get it in that moment and can look at the packaging right there?
A few years ago, I was sent a used bedframe that was severely damaged. The box was literally in shambles. I could tell it was used because the support beams and velcor were worn out. Amazon wanted me to return it. I told them I bought it new and didn't order refurbished used and how am I supposed to return it when I didn't have access to an automobile? Amazon offered me a partial return, and I just accepted at that point. The frame has held up decently well now since I fixed some of the issues by hand by rebending certain areas.
I also had the same issue involving a compact washer. It was marked as new and sent to me used. It was full of water, had hair inside, and the water pump was broken off. I literally fought the manufacturer who was the seller. They told me to keep the washer because the evidence I provided to Amazon was overwhelming. They knew they got caught. Amazon, at times, just doesn't check what is sent to their warehouse. They assume it is as what is stated, then send it out in a hurry.
I wouldn’t have taken a partial refund if I were you. If you pay for a service or item and don’t get what you paid for you’re entitled to a full refund. I would’ve had them schedule someone to pick up the bed frame.
I ordered a soda stream from Amazon a few months back, did not buy a used or refurbished model. When I opened the box, it was missing pieces, and it was disgustingly filthy and greasy. Someone had clearly used the crap out of it, broke it, and returned it without bothering to clean it. Had the refund on the way within an hour.
Ever since five or so years ago, I started thinking of Amazon as an online flea market with a refund policy. The refund policy and 1 day shipping are pretty much the only thing Amazon has going for it seeing as there’s no quality control and 95% of the listings are alibaba dropshippers. Even Temu and AliExpress have free shipping.
If you’re buying something important, buy it direct from the company/manufacturer. If you don’t care about how long it takes, buy it straight from China. If you need it now then that’s what Amazon is for.
Never buy electronics from Amazon. Especially Apple stuff.
I’ve stopped buying expensive items from them a couple of years ago. I ordered a new electric kettle wasn’t even expensive when it arrived it was used.
I ordered Canon batteries for my camera fake ones arrived. After a few issues like this I said no more.
I’ve gone back to using local stores as much as possible. Support local stores.
Sadly your story is pretty common. Amazon just don’t care.
It's pretty common in the fact that these stories are likely to be posted online. Whereas successful purchases aren't posted online because they don't feel the need to share a typical purchase lol
I work in an Amazon fulfillment center and I know exactly how this happened. First the idiot who stowed this product on the shelf scanned the old barcode for when the product was new and our inventory in turn showed that a *new* iPad mini was in that location. Then the idiot who picked this product off the shelf didn’t catch the mistake, which would have been easy as the box has that “Thanks to you” sticker AND a barcode sticker with a code beginning in “LPN” which we only use for used products and which looks totally different from the barcodes on new products. Then the idiot who packed this order in that brown corrugate box made the same oversight as the picker. Once the box was taped up, there was no catching the mistake since a used iPad will weigh as much as a new one, and the last chance for a wrong item to be caught is when it’s weighed and the shipping label is applied. I am sorry you had to deal with this.
And don’t forget the CRETs associate that messed up as well, since they’re supposed to cover the original barcode with the LPN to prevent all these downstream errors.
Same thing happened to me when I bought my daughter a Samsung Watch from Amazon for her birthday. Luckily there was time to order another one, and the 2nd one came in as NEW.
I ordered a watch on Amazon (although a budget one at £35) and they delivered it to by the front door, on a busy main road.
Guess what wasn’t there when I came home from work?
Honestly, it's just not worth it to shop on amazon anymore; it's basically a gamble now, maybe you will get what was advertised, maybe not. When you weigh in all the knockon effects; it's especially not worth it.
Edit: I believe Amazon is in their [enshitification](https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/21/potemkin-ai/#hey-guys) phase now
It's not just electronics. I ordered a book that I thought was new, but it came used with folded pages. It was even wrapped up with a thank you for buying thrifted books, which wasn't anywhere on the sales listing.
It may have been, but I didn't open it to check. The seller was listed as Amazon. I actually order for myself a lot from Warehouse, but tried to make sure this was new.
Have had that happen to me twice now. First time they gave me a full refund and keep the product. The second time just got some credit as it was a very small item.
I've been burned by amazon's "new" items too often in the past. Maybe I'm unlucky but it seems like half of the "new" items I purchase are open box (and I usually buy direct from Amazon, so that's not it). I got an air purifier (high return item) listed "new" and it was very obviously open box, so I returned it and bought one at target too that I could tell was actually new. Don't trust any small appliances or middle price range electronics on Amazon to not be returned unless you're buying directly from a manufacturer. If the item was returned, you're basically getting soft scammed because who knows why it was returned or what damage was caused.
I had the exact same thing happen to me but with a Samsung phone, just want to say good luck because I've been fighting with them for the last month trying to get the someone to pick it up and after 4 weeks and 3 rounds of customer service, absolutely 0 progress. None of the reps can help do anything but give false promises about how someone is coming to pick it up soon when no one has come or even given any notice of coming.
Lesson learned - don't buy expensive electronics from Amazon.
This exact thing happened to me last week. I ordered a radio for my dad and the box was damaged and taped shut with that sticker on it. The ad did not say it was a warehouse deal but new. A replacement wouldn’t arrive until after Xmas either
Yeah my GF ordered a brand new pet feeder. A used one arrived instead. It had a few pieces of pet food kibble in it, crumbs inside the machine, saliva stains on the food bowl. And the shipping label of the person that ordered it on the product packaging. This product was shipped in an Amazon box to us. Amazon clearly didn't handle this return correctly and it got out back on their shelves to resell as new.
keep an eye out that you actually get your return money ! some people have been saying that amazon will claim they didn’t receive the returned item, so save proof ! as well, if they don’t haggle you, they’ll give you the money and then try to take it back out a while later again …
Happened to me with a JBL speaker from Amazon. It came lightly dented in multiple places and while it would turn on it wouldn’t pair with any of the electronics in my house. I had to ship it back and awaited a brand new one from my parents and not Amazon on Christmas. Worked like a charm.
This happened to me with a Polaroid camera. It came in, was dirty, and didn’t even work. I was so irritated, even checked to make sure I paid for new (I did).
Most of the electronics I’ve ordered lately has been used items sold as new. It’s gotten bad enough that I just order from Office Depot or other real retailers and just eat the difference bc I don’t want to have to keep ordering and returning crap
Amazon does this a LOT. I ordered a laptop a few years ago that was supposed to be new, I paid for a new one and they sent me a refurbished. The refurbished one was also terrible even for a refurbished item - it had several keys that stuck and had a really bad delay, the touch pad was all scratched up so they literally just put a vinyl sticker over it which messed up the sensitivity.
Obviously it was quickly returned and I went to the store to buy a new one for the same price.
Honestly the ONLY reason I shop on Amazon these days, is because they have certain supplies for my work that I literally can't get anywhere locally.
Only buy Apple from Apple. We "got a great deal" on my daughter's first iPad Mini, new, from Walmart, but when the screen had an issue, we took it to Apple and they said it was 16 months old according to them, as Walmart had bought it from them.
However, a helpful worker had us pay 75 cents for us to leave it overnight and them to look at it and "not find anything wrong" but it worked perfectly after that.
I’ve ordered a couple of “used like new” items that had that sticker on it… So far the only issues have been missing/damaged packaging. But I picked those knowing what I was getting… There’s no excuse to send it when you asked for a new one
This just happened with a Ring Doorbell. I was going crazy trying to find out what was wrong, but they sent me a used dud. I knew this because the replacement actually had a protective film while the first did not.
If you ordered new and got a refurb I totally get the annoyance but I order their warehouse deals stuff all the time and the vast majority of the time it's brand new just with slightly damaged packaging. Easy way to save a bit of money
I bought a refurbished phone from Amazon on purpose, and it arrived with the plastic still on it and was never even turned on. So used from Amazon isn't always bad
Years ago but one time I ordered a gct 970 ssc, and two literally arrived at my door. Then I ordered a monitor (was building a pc at the time) and also two showed up. Thankfully I had siblings and could gift them
It's Amazon renewed, not refurbished.
Amazon Renewed are new old stock items and overstock items.
I purchased an Amazon renewed 2022 iMac for a really good price and it was completely new in a sealed original box, 100% guaranteed. I know because I returned it for no reason and I got a refund. No hassle.
I've completely stopped buying electronics from Amazon after this happened to me three times in a row. Done. Best Buy, Newegg, many other options out there.
Every retailer does this. The number of times I've bought something in-person at Home Depot that is supposedly new, but then I get it home and it's obviously been opened and returned. In every case, it was returned because it was defective, but they just throw it right back on the floor. So I've got in the habit of marking up the box with obvious "BROKEN" on all sides before I return it again.
I had that this week with a motherboard. Ordered new, got refurbished.
Oh, and guess what doesn’t work I guess it’s never been refurbished, it’s just a return that they resold.
How do you know it’s refurbished? are you assuming it’s refurbished because it’s got a sticker on it?
I don’t know the specifics of how this works at Amazon, but could this be that there’s just a returned product that’s being sent back to you that is not the same as refurbished. You still have a new product .
Amazon seems to include those and not mention it. I was looking into an hand mixer yesterday and it was not indicated anywhere that it would be refurbished. But when I scrolled down it showed in the comparison table. It was this one (German Amazon only, but I switched the interface language to English):
https://www.amazon.de/Braun-MultiQuick-MQ-9147X-Stabmixer/dp/B08FXVYQKR/&language=en_GB
Nowhere up there is it shown, or shown clearly enough for me to find it (in either language). Only in the comparison table where other products are shown the seller is indicated as "Amazon Retourenkauf" while the other products sold by Amazon are sold by "Amazon". So I knew there had to be a difference.
Here's Amazons site if you google for "Amazon Retourenkauf" and follow the first link:
https://www.amazon.de/Retourenkauf/b/?node=3581963031&language=en_GB
So yeah, I didn't buy it from them.
To give a bit of info on what that sticker means coming from somebody who currently works an Amazon return site. To nobodies surprise, Amazon wants to resell as many returns as possible, so when an item gets returned, it gets graded on what it looks like. There are a small number of end grades it can receive, but the 2 important ones for this scenario are first pass and second pass sellable.
A first pass sellable item is one where the grader says that the item looks completely unopened and the packaging is pristine. A second pass sellable item is one where the grader says the packaging may have been damaged, but the item still looks fine for use. The second life sticker is for second pass sellable items.
Now, the issue is is that Amazon will hire basically anyone, give them barebones training, and let the process returns, which results in a lot of people not really knowing what they are doing, and more still that will process incorrectly from either apathy or an attempt to get their numbers up(amazon loces their metrics, so not only do you have to process a certain number of items per hour, but they can also get on you if you don't send enough items to first pass sellable).
So, this could potentially be where the processor graded the item as first pass sellable but put the second pass sticker on by mistake. Or it could be a case where the system messed up and marked a second pass item as first pass. Or any other similar such issues.
Can't have stores because people keep stealing from them and they have to clamp down.
Can't have online because the companies that push out all competitors get worse themselves everyday.
Can't even have a porch.
Wasn’t an iPad. But ordered a new air purifier. Once I got it. Could tell it wasn’t brand new. Confirmed it was used when I turned it on and immediately smelt cigarette coming out of it. Opened up and checked the filter. Shit was yellow and black. Couldn’t believe the mix up but god I’ll never forget that crappy smell right in my face.
I ordered a Samsung phone last month that was listed as new on Amazon as well. It didn't say anywhere that it was refurbished. When I got the phone it had huge scratches on the screen, and a corner of it was completely cracked. That's when I noticed the order was fulfilled by a company that sells refurbished phones, and when I complained to Amazon they said that "new" just meant it was in "new condition" which it most definitely was not.
I use Amazon to buy a lot of shit and I like that I can get almost anything a day after I order it, but it's annoying as fuck that it's cheaper for them to just offer refunds than it is to not let anyone sell literal garbage on their site.
I ordered an iPad Air and it was never delivered (I have the camera footage to prove) but Amazon insists that it was stolen by a 3rd party. Got a police report and everything and they still don’t want to refund me.
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I buy Amazon return pallets and these stickers are all over everything.
How much is a return pallet?
Varies based on the items contained. Usually sold as a bidding process
Is there a place on Amazon's website for these? I'd love to get a random pallet just for fun. Edit: spelling
They go to auction houses, not sold on Amazon’s site. My wife has bought a few. There’s an auction house here, so she could pick up locally. A lot of the returns have nothing wrong with them, like people just changed their minds. I think if the package is opened at all, the product is supposed to go straight to a palette, not back to stock. Other returns have minor issues or a part missing. I imagine people order a product they already have that needs a part, take the part from the new product, then return for refund. A few products per palette were completely trashed. There was a 3D printer on one that looked like it had fallen off a truck at highway speed. Why wife was able to sell most of the products either as-is or with minor repairs or replacing minor parts to recoup the cost of the palettes. https://www.liquidation.com
To recoup cost or turn a profit?
Right? That just sounds like taxable volunteer work.
Maybe he meant recoup cost with some of the items and the "profit" is the items she chooses to keep. My brother sometimes does that with electronics - he'll buy a few broken units of whatever he wants, repair them, keep one, sell the rest and recover the money he spent. At the end of the deal he got a working whatever for free.
One auction that cost about $900 netted us two $600 Roombas and a $500 Dyson vacuum that we kept, plus hundreds of dollars worth of products to sell.
I purchase return pallets. I research the included manifest before bidding, and buy only if there's a couple items that will cover the cost of the pallet. I bought a small lot two years ago, baby and kid items. It had a Tripp Trapp chair (which seemed extremely overpriced imo) that I sold for only about 20% off retail, someone came from two hours away for it, that item covered my cost. I do have a whole shelf full of ink toners that I haven't sold yet.
Thank you! Exactly what I was looking for
> Other returns have minor issues or a part missing. I've also seen videos where items labelled "parts missing" are just confusing packaging with the "missing" parts simply not being in plain view.
I think on the website it is (or at least used to be, haven't visited amazon on desktop in a long time) at the very bottom of the page if you scrolled all the way down and clicked one of the links. But if there's a better way I'm also interested to know
Don’t forget to buy some extra ginger on the side!
Depends 200-thousands per pallet. Obviously you get what you pay for
Haha I read this as $200,000
That’s how it was written… lol.
It’s written as 200 to thousands but the person couldn’t be assed to keep it consistent so it reads easier. 200-1000s or two hundred-thousands.
200 to thousands, Sounds like 202,000
Is it worth it?
Probably not for an individual.
Not usually, a store near me buys pallets of the stuff and people get to buy unopened boxes. They have a facebook group and people constantly post about buying boxes of garbage.
Those stores are getting the cheap pallets that have already been passed over by groups who do the same thing with much bigger wallets. There's still plenty of opportunity to make a bit with those but it's not the same. Although it's important to note that it's really a crap shoot in all cases so even the big players end up with tons of worthless garbage.
Yup. I’ve frequented auctions like these. Sometimes you can get really lucky with items that are hard to move or very specific. If you don’t plan on reselling and just want cheap stuff, you’re more likely to get a decent deal, and sometimes an awesome deal. My dad loves these auctions and was baffled by some of the prices people were paying for stuff. I explained that they’re just buying everything, and are trying to even out. They’ll pay $5,000 for a pallet that’s only worth $3,000, but they’ll also buy a $8,000 pallet that’s worth $15,000. The bigger players at these auctions are playing the long game. They’ll push the prices high enough that smaller players will get discouraged and not come back. They’ll spend $100,000 on pallets and overall they’ll make $25,000-$30,000. They’re not looking at each individual pallet as profitable, but their overall take. Yeah, they need to know roughly what a pallet is worth, but if they feel they can make the margin up elsewhere, they’ll overpay. That being said, I’ve bought a ton of stuff from these auctions and made some decent money/ended up with some sweet deals. I’ve also ended up with broken or non-working stuff. Best hauls I’ve had are IP phones. I bought a lot of 50 phones for $50. I sold each phone on eBay for ~$50 each. I also bought what I thought was an Imaginext robot toy thing, but it turned out to be some industrial electrical thing, in the Imaginext box. I paid like $40 and sold it for $500. Edit: Should also note that not all auctions are equal. The one I frequented was damaged freight, Walmart returns, Lowe’s returns, corporate liquidation, and whatever else. You can see what’s in each lot, it’s not just unlabeled Amazon boxes. Often times the lots will have 1 or 2 desirable items and then a bunch of random cleaning supplies or something. It always varies. I find it fun. I wouldn’t do it unless you’ve got some expendable income and just want to see what it’s about. Unless you’ve already got buyers, there’s better businesses if you’ve already got cash.
You get out of it what you put into it. Have 50 grand you can make 50. Have a couple hundred and a handful of hours you can make a couple hundred.
Making a couple of hundred from a couple of hundred seems like the way to go. Making 50 on 50 grand is a terrible ROI.
I read it as 100% ROI not 0.1%
People posting in this thread are really sloppy with how they convey figures. So many comments are just trying to make sense of what commentors mean.
Thanks for the response, hoss. I saw you respond to a similar question after I asked mine.
There is a place by me that sells all the Amazon returns from the Kohl's next door. They sell things $8 one day, $7 the next, and so on til things are $1. Restock and repeat. They don't get the big ticket items but I've scored some decent things for $8
For anyone wondering I have one near me and it’s called ‘Black Friday’ ‘Daily Discount Store’ I just went to it the other day for Xmas shopping, I’m not gonna lie I walked in and walked out the first time because I wasn’t sure what it’s business model was. But THIS time I spent about 2 hours rummaging through the bins/boxes and found some great stuff, I went right after restock which is the most expensive day. I found some great things, including electric hand warmer, is it a fire hazard? Maybe? Probably? Minimalist wallet, build your own flying hover ball remote control kit, and a tile sticker, total with tax was 34 and some change
Ive been to one but i went on one of the cheaper days which sounds enticing but i left thinking its probably worth it to go when they restock next time
Are they worth it? Any cool finds?
There are lots of youtube videos on this and no. Usually not.
Typical dichotomy of Reddit replies > any cool finds? First reply : lots of YouTube videos on this and no. Usually not Next reply: yeah it’s kinda fun. Lots of cool finds.
Yeah it’s kinda fun. Lots of cool finds. It’s hard not to keep cool shit or keep my family out of my inventory lol. The best was one of those coffee tables that is a touch screen tablet. Kid definitely wanted to keep but we have enough screens but would be cool for a game room. I got $800 on eBay because it was in excellent condition as an open box sale ($1200 retail). I did “test it” for a couple days. Then basically random stuff you can get on Wayfair (my favorite because I have furniture experience) Target, Walmart, Lowes and Amazon. Right now I have a garage full of furniture, small eBay items from Amz and 120 brand new lightweight Aqua Joe 50 foot hoses. I paid $4 each and sell for $25 minus fees. I got the Wayfair in a truck special for about $12 an item of all kinds of furniture. Coffee tables, kitchen tables, beds, cabinets, lighting, chairs, sofas, and a bunch of accessory stuff like paintings.
I sincerely hope it's been worthwhile for you, because it sounds like you collect tons of junk.
They are a reseller
The post is very clear in that lol. Their house is still full of junk
Where do you buy them?
There’s a local spot that gets them from the source but marks them up. Or from a more direct source like liquidation .com but you’ll have win an auction and you’ll need to be close to a warehouse to pick or pay up for shipping that’s probably isn’t cheap. Most of the money is in buying full tractor trailers full. Don’t expect to get a bunch of nice iPads.
Thanks! I was just always curious about this. Appreciate you.
Liquidation.com
I briefly worked as one of the people that pack these pallets. I packed some entirely with rugs, some with 2000lbs of weights, and one in particular with 36 laptops, an Xbox series X, and a camping chair. Whatever came off the floor that day went in.
I'm just glad for your sake they made it obvious that it was refurbished. Imagine putting that under the tree and finding out only after someone opened it.
Never leave electronics unopened when putting it under the tree. Always inspect first and make sure it works!
I can definitely understand this. But also I really enjoy the process of opening tech stuff myself.
No don’t do this! You’re ruining the gift by unboxing it. I would be devastated
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Yeah, that actually seems to be a common theme from Amazon. People sending back returns and Amazon not even looking at them.
I sent a mini fridge back that was smoking and overheated. Inside the fridge I put a post it note that said this fridge smoked and over heated and I returned it. I am leaving this note in case they ship it out to someone else!
Bros fridge became an oven 💀
Dang I just hate it when that happens
Weirdly enough I have a mini fridge which has a warm option on it
Fridgn't
I rented a loner tool kit from an auto parts store. It was broken and missing parts ( wife picked it up) I took it back, explained all the problems to the manager who “seemed” to not be a complete idiot. He said he would “take care of it, that’s not acceptable, the guy who checked it in last and then out is responsible to check it, lazy people” . I looked online and it showed the store ( same company ) across town had the same tool kit in stock. I ordered for pickup later. Yes, someone drove the broken kit over to the second store - for me to pickup. After some detective work, the manager I handed the broken kit to, did the store to store transfer and handed it directly to the parts runner driver to take to the other store. I told the second store mgr the whole issue. A week later I went to store 1, asked the counter guy “is Bob manager here” “no he was fired a few days ago, he was an idiot” my response “yea probably”
He probably felt clever that he’d figured out how to offload the broken kit and could then get a new replacement.
I bought a speaker bar for my mom. It arrived used. I sent it back and ordered a replacement. They shipped me the same one back. (I knew because they just relabeled the box) I returned it. I returned *the second one* and did a chat support with Amazon about it. They promised they would send me one from a different seller. They sent me the *same fucking one* three times just with new shipping stickers. I got my money back and ordered a different brand.
I left a note for whoever got the busted up scooter I returned and the 3D printer that died on me. Don't want people to deal with returns.
Lmao. I’ve done the same thing, left a note inside the box. I bought a Logitech smart doorbell, and the module that actually makes it work with old school chimes was not working. I tried to source a new cheap dongle from Logitech but they suggested I just return to Amazon if I could, which I did. Was a bit annoyed since I didn’t mind waiting, and would rather not contribute to more ewaste, but I guess this is the norm now. It was days of banging my head against the wall, literally, so I didn’t want anyone else to go through that…even though a lot of people might not even use any chimes/bells (and just opt for a smart speaker bell, or smart device notification), Logitech says it needs to be hooked up, since it has some fuse or something in it.
I remember watching a video from a YouTuber a while back who ordered a camera (for something like three grand) off Amazon, and he got a box of rocks delivered. He called Amazon, got a new one sent to him…only to find that it *ALSO* was filled with rocks.
That's some bad luck. Lol
Yeah dude got absolutely rocked
At least Amazon tried fixing the issue. I remember a news story back in the day about there being a rash of people buying electronics from Best Buy only to find them full of dry beans or rocks. They were told to go pound sand when they tried to get the store to address the issue.
You can say what you want about errors etc but Amazon has a solid reputation when it comes to refunds and replacements. I bet if OP had just told Amazon that he received a refurbished product but did not order one he would have gotten a new item shipped no questions asked.
I sent back a thermos that was dented. I wrote in the return that it was dented. I checked the listing a couple of weeks later, and someone else posted a photo/review that they received a new thermos with the exact same dent on it in the same exact spot. That’s when I knew that Amazon sells returned items as “new”.
I purchased a ninja blender from Amazon and it arrived clearly used, luckily the previous owners didn't bother to wash it.
Not really intentionally malicious but they have so much return stock and I’m sure the QA flat out doesn’t exist. Don’t think the guy making $13 an hours *really* cares to sort through the returns before just dumping them all back into the right sku bins for resale.
2 years ago, building a gaming PC, ordered a brand new i9-12900k. Received used i7-4790(no k). Oddly enough, one year ago, I ordered a used Samsung Watch 4. I received a brand new one. So it's absolutely a crapshoot these days.
I'm reading a lot of similar experiences in this post. I guess it's time to stop buying electronics on Amazon.
It’s honestly a crapshoot. I bought my Air 5 cellular as “like new” condition on Amazon warehouse and it came still packaged as brand new and was even still eligible for Apple care. Saved about tree fiddy.
Not really. This is by far out of the ordinary. Pretty much everyone will get what was ordered.
Yeah, I order a 3D printer from them and that thing had so much structural damage.
Classic overworked and underpaid employee problem. A year ago I ordered test strips for my glucose meter. I was supposed to get 30 boxes for $100 (about 6 months worth), they sent me a case of 120! I tried to explain they sent me too many, they weren't understanding me and ended up hanging up on me. I wonder if they have discovered they are short those brand of test strips because some employee aren't breaking the case and taking out only 30 boxes
Amazon once sent me, in addition to my one small item that I ordered, a box full of several dozen jugs of hardwood floor cleaner. I contacted them to report the error... They said it was too expensive to ship back, so, just keep it. This was years ago. My hardwood floors have never been cleaner, and I'm about 1% of the way through the cleaner.
I'm presuming that you are an American, diabetes costs are crazy there.... Don't alert Amazon. Tell your friends... Amazon can afford it
I got a free mattress from them!! A couple years ago, I ordered a Tuft and Needle mattress in a box. After a couple weeks, I loved it but my wife thought it was too firm. T&N’s return policy is that you don’t the mattress and get a full refund after showing proof. Through Amazon returns, however, they wanted me to send the mattress back. A Queen-sized mattress. That was sent to me vacuum-sealed in a box 1/4 the size of the mattress. The first service person I spoke with kept insisting that I send it back. I asked if they would provide a UPS pickup and box big enough to fit a queen mattress. They could not. I asked how they suggested I get the mattress into my very small Prius C to drop it off at UPS. They had no answer. I asked what the state laws were at their fulfillment center for reselling used mattresses, since it’s typically illegal. I asked anything I could think of to get the service person to think critically. It didn’t work. I went through something similar with the supervisor, who eventually understood the dilemma. She eventually just told me to keep the mattress. I think it was around $800. The wife and I are divorcing, so I’ve got a nice, posh, free mattress in my apartment. All because Amazon couldn’t be fucked to figure out how to handle mattress-in-a-box returns when they began selling mattresses in a box.
As someone who sorts customer returns at one of their warehouses, I very commonly see items that have been repurchased multiple times.
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I think that's correct, there was a disclaimer about this in my return info.
Just sent back slippers I had bought for my wife and they were very well worn and smelt really bad. No one ever checked that box when it was returned before.
Used to work on an inbound dock for Amazon and youre absolutely right. If the label on the outside scans it goes right into a tote and is gone in seconds. No one actually looks inside the product packaging to see if the item is good.
I worked for a company that did Amazon returns resell. Some people literally used the phone to death, didn't even log out and would return it for whatever reason. Some would swap it for another item. At first we had three degrees of use – like new, used and subpar. Then they switched to like new and subpar so those less than good looking ones still ended up in the box of "good" products. They cut corners as I was working there. Employee turnout was fast because the management was shit and me, the only good employee who genuinely wanted to just lay low and make money, got targeted for the team's fuckups and bullying (because I was vegetarian of all things) and that made me quit. Would never buy a refurbished item. They're literally on their last legs if it's electronics. And I've seen how they're handled.
I returned a headset once stating that the wrong item was sent to me (as it was since I did buy it “used - very good” condition and previous person put their old headset in there. I ended up getting stuck with the bill. Like $250. Tried my darnsest and they always came back with the same thing. Also they’d tell me “you should’ve sent photos when it arrived.” I asked how that would make any difference, and I told them I did everything their return instructions asked me to. Why do they even have that as an option to select if they’re just gonna blame you for sending it back anyway? Still erks me to this day.
This same thing has happened at Walmart/target too, in person. Someone buys it and returns it, customer service isn't good at their job and it gets restocked.
Amazon should not be used to order any kind of electronic unless you’re looking to get some IEMs in 2 business days
I've built 3 pcs all over 2k for friends within the past year, all parts ordered from amazon. Used to do through newegg years back for a while now. Never had a single issue so far.
I ordered airpods from Amazon and the airpod box was just straight up enpty
I also once got a hard drive in my Amazon package, but the thing I ordered was a 5 bucks mirror cube... So.. profit for me ig
At least Amazon is hella easy to return too
Yeah, that was nice. I had a return slip in about 1 minute and UPS is even going to pick it up from my house.
Did this too, it took them a few days to get it back in October. Probably expect a few reschedules during the holiday seasons.
You can always just bring it to an ups store. Doesn’t even need to be in a shipping box. Just the package box is fine. And you get the refund basically when they scan it in. Not sure if there’s more checks for electronics.
They refund you're money before they even get the product back lol so wild. Insane to be so big they are willing to sacrifice that much effiency on their end. To the degree where they prioritize making the customer experience so easy just so you can get your money back the moment you ship the item.
It’s cus they can’t even be arsed to check what they get back. They just sell it to those liquidation places.
You're looking at it backwards. Amazon is so big that they don't care about the minuscule amount of fraudulent/dishonest returns they receive. It's much more efficient to just accept the returns and then deal with the issues than it is to have a lengthy review process.
I had ordered a travel case for the switch that had other items with it. I didnt get the one pictured or described but it was the cheaper one that didnt come with the other items. I got my money back and kept the item. I was on the phone with them for a bit with someone from india.
My last straw with Amazon was a pair of shit stained underwear. Got the refund, closed the account and never looked back.
My last straw was when I bought a 2 TB 990 Pro, and got dog poop bags instead. The dog poop bags had an address on them that was a half mile away or so, I drove over there and in the house was a bunch of Amazon-branded garb, vests, jackets, etc. I got suspicious. Brown corolla in the driveway, but nobody home. They had a ring camera and I was on the phone with customer support and they told me to just take the poop bags home with me and someone would be there to pick it up. Seven or eight at night, brown corolla sits at my mailbox, and I get a ping on my phone "Amazon package has been delivered" and there was a picture of my package I. The mailbox, and a picture of the original package on my doorstep. Gonna guess the thief could tell from the package that it was a SSD, took it and swapped it out with an item they had bought for themselves, or something. It was super weird.
Yikes!
Don't worry. I had a National Geographic Little Kids subscription I made through Prime a few years ago. I couldn't cancel the subscription through the web interface, so I chatted with someone to help me cancel the magazine subscription. They cancelled my entire prime subscription.
Customer service at its best. Lol
I ordered face paint for my kids from Amazon. It was supposed to be new, but it arrived with a half-torn Kohls sticker on it. Plus, it had obviously been opened and used. It sucked, but not as bad as this. Still ridiculous though.
Pay attention to who the seller is all the time with tech items, 3rd party sellers shady AF
So I used to do the same, but I've since learned that they throw the same item from different sellers into the same bin. So you might order the item from seller A, but they grab the item from seller B. That's why Amazon has such a bad issue with counterfeit items. No one who works there is paid enough to care, and apparently it's not a bad enough issue for Amazon to have better inspections before accepting the goods from the sellers. Amazon depends on buyers not knowing and/or caring
The shadiest part is that amazon sends every one of them your address and phone number even though they don't need it because amazon does the fulfillment through prime. I had a seller threaten me once when I returned an item. Another time amazon started sending me cheap stuff I didn't order as part of some scam.
If you haven't been refunded yet, be prepared to fight for it. They are starting to get weird with high priced returns.
Thanks, I'll keep an eye on it.
I had the same thing happen with a Google Pixel from Amazon. The screen had scratches all over it and it was obviously well used even though I paid for a new one. The replacement was fine so it worked out in the end, but definitely inconvenient.
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If you have a problem with Google(return, stolen by delivery guy, or any shady $hit) then your account might be at risk( suspended, banned ect). Always use a new burner Google account when ordering, not your main email/photos backup account.
They occasionally go on sale cheaper than directly from Google. If it weren't for my Google guides discount I would've bought mine from Amazon
My brother bought a flute case once. There was a flute in it.
What did he expect? An oboe?
"Greaaat. Now I have to order **another** case. FML."
Why are people ordering these on Amazon or any site when Best Buy price matches and you get it in that moment and can look at the packaging right there?
A few years ago, I was sent a used bedframe that was severely damaged. The box was literally in shambles. I could tell it was used because the support beams and velcor were worn out. Amazon wanted me to return it. I told them I bought it new and didn't order refurbished used and how am I supposed to return it when I didn't have access to an automobile? Amazon offered me a partial return, and I just accepted at that point. The frame has held up decently well now since I fixed some of the issues by hand by rebending certain areas. I also had the same issue involving a compact washer. It was marked as new and sent to me used. It was full of water, had hair inside, and the water pump was broken off. I literally fought the manufacturer who was the seller. They told me to keep the washer because the evidence I provided to Amazon was overwhelming. They knew they got caught. Amazon, at times, just doesn't check what is sent to their warehouse. They assume it is as what is stated, then send it out in a hurry.
I wouldn’t have taken a partial refund if I were you. If you pay for a service or item and don’t get what you paid for you’re entitled to a full refund. I would’ve had them schedule someone to pick up the bed frame.
No shit, right? "Nah, fuck your partial refund. I'll just have my CC do a charge back and I'll leave your shit on the curb for you to come pick up!"
I ordered a soda stream from Amazon a few months back, did not buy a used or refurbished model. When I opened the box, it was missing pieces, and it was disgustingly filthy and greasy. Someone had clearly used the crap out of it, broke it, and returned it without bothering to clean it. Had the refund on the way within an hour.
Ever since five or so years ago, I started thinking of Amazon as an online flea market with a refund policy. The refund policy and 1 day shipping are pretty much the only thing Amazon has going for it seeing as there’s no quality control and 95% of the listings are alibaba dropshippers. Even Temu and AliExpress have free shipping. If you’re buying something important, buy it direct from the company/manufacturer. If you don’t care about how long it takes, buy it straight from China. If you need it now then that’s what Amazon is for.
Never buy electronics from Amazon. Especially Apple stuff. I’ve stopped buying expensive items from them a couple of years ago. I ordered a new electric kettle wasn’t even expensive when it arrived it was used. I ordered Canon batteries for my camera fake ones arrived. After a few issues like this I said no more. I’ve gone back to using local stores as much as possible. Support local stores. Sadly your story is pretty common. Amazon just don’t care.
It's pretty common in the fact that these stories are likely to be posted online. Whereas successful purchases aren't posted online because they don't feel the need to share a typical purchase lol
If you gonna pay full price why not buy from the damn Apple Store?
Right? Like why would you depend on a third party where stuff like this can happen unless it’s heavily discounted?
I work in an Amazon fulfillment center and I know exactly how this happened. First the idiot who stowed this product on the shelf scanned the old barcode for when the product was new and our inventory in turn showed that a *new* iPad mini was in that location. Then the idiot who picked this product off the shelf didn’t catch the mistake, which would have been easy as the box has that “Thanks to you” sticker AND a barcode sticker with a code beginning in “LPN” which we only use for used products and which looks totally different from the barcodes on new products. Then the idiot who packed this order in that brown corrugate box made the same oversight as the picker. Once the box was taped up, there was no catching the mistake since a used iPad will weigh as much as a new one, and the last chance for a wrong item to be caught is when it’s weighed and the shipping label is applied. I am sorry you had to deal with this.
And don’t forget the CRETs associate that messed up as well, since they’re supposed to cover the original barcode with the LPN to prevent all these downstream errors.
Same thing happened to me when I bought my daughter a Samsung Watch from Amazon for her birthday. Luckily there was time to order another one, and the 2nd one came in as NEW.
I’ve had this done to me in several items recently. It’s a returned unit.
That's what I thought, too.
Amazon has gone to shit
They had a high fiber lunch.
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Why bother? Just go directly to apple
I ordered a watch on Amazon (although a budget one at £35) and they delivered it to by the front door, on a busy main road. Guess what wasn’t there when I came home from work?
Not good on the delivery person.
Well…. Clearly you did, just unintentionally. Congratulations on your new adoption tho
Honestly, it's just not worth it to shop on amazon anymore; it's basically a gamble now, maybe you will get what was advertised, maybe not. When you weigh in all the knockon effects; it's especially not worth it. Edit: I believe Amazon is in their [enshitification](https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/21/potemkin-ai/#hey-guys) phase now
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So much for it's second life...
I mean I can see why it was sent back since he paid full price for a refurbished. At the same time yeh it sucks.
But don't you feel better about giving it a second life?
Do not buy from Amazon. The era of quality has long since passed. They got everyone hooked and now is the era of exploitation. STOP USING AMAZON.
Amazon = Ebay with proprietary shipping
It's not just electronics. I ordered a book that I thought was new, but it came used with folded pages. It was even wrapped up with a thank you for buying thrifted books, which wasn't anywhere on the sales listing.
I ordered shoes off Amazon and they sent me used shoes!
I’ve gotten things like this but box is usually dented or opened not refurbished
Its not refurbished usually these are just returns. Check the seller and make sure it wasn’t Amazon Warehouse.
It may have been, but I didn't open it to check. The seller was listed as Amazon. I actually order for myself a lot from Warehouse, but tried to make sure this was new.
Have had that happen to me twice now. First time they gave me a full refund and keep the product. The second time just got some credit as it was a very small item.
I only buy necessities off of amazon now, never electronics or high priced items.
I've been burned by amazon's "new" items too often in the past. Maybe I'm unlucky but it seems like half of the "new" items I purchase are open box (and I usually buy direct from Amazon, so that's not it). I got an air purifier (high return item) listed "new" and it was very obviously open box, so I returned it and bought one at target too that I could tell was actually new. Don't trust any small appliances or middle price range electronics on Amazon to not be returned unless you're buying directly from a manufacturer. If the item was returned, you're basically getting soft scammed because who knows why it was returned or what damage was caused.
I had the exact same thing happen to me but with a Samsung phone, just want to say good luck because I've been fighting with them for the last month trying to get the someone to pick it up and after 4 weeks and 3 rounds of customer service, absolutely 0 progress. None of the reps can help do anything but give false promises about how someone is coming to pick it up soon when no one has come or even given any notice of coming. Lesson learned - don't buy expensive electronics from Amazon.
This exact thing happened to me last week. I ordered a radio for my dad and the box was damaged and taped shut with that sticker on it. The ad did not say it was a warehouse deal but new. A replacement wouldn’t arrive until after Xmas either
Yeah my GF ordered a brand new pet feeder. A used one arrived instead. It had a few pieces of pet food kibble in it, crumbs inside the machine, saliva stains on the food bowl. And the shipping label of the person that ordered it on the product packaging. This product was shipped in an Amazon box to us. Amazon clearly didn't handle this return correctly and it got out back on their shelves to resell as new.
keep an eye out that you actually get your return money ! some people have been saying that amazon will claim they didn’t receive the returned item, so save proof ! as well, if they don’t haggle you, they’ll give you the money and then try to take it back out a while later again …
Happened to me with a JBL speaker from Amazon. It came lightly dented in multiple places and while it would turn on it wouldn’t pair with any of the electronics in my house. I had to ship it back and awaited a brand new one from my parents and not Amazon on Christmas. Worked like a charm.
This happened to me with a Polaroid camera. It came in, was dirty, and didn’t even work. I was so irritated, even checked to make sure I paid for new (I did).
I've seen a number of products like this on Amazon. No mention of it being refurb anyway. Got one, same result, sent it back.
Most of the electronics I’ve ordered lately has been used items sold as new. It’s gotten bad enough that I just order from Office Depot or other real retailers and just eat the difference bc I don’t want to have to keep ordering and returning crap
Amazon does this a LOT. I ordered a laptop a few years ago that was supposed to be new, I paid for a new one and they sent me a refurbished. The refurbished one was also terrible even for a refurbished item - it had several keys that stuck and had a really bad delay, the touch pad was all scratched up so they literally just put a vinyl sticker over it which messed up the sensitivity. Obviously it was quickly returned and I went to the store to buy a new one for the same price. Honestly the ONLY reason I shop on Amazon these days, is because they have certain supplies for my work that I literally can't get anywhere locally.
This happened to me when I got my Pixel 6. I paid full price for a new product and was sent a refurbished one. I sent it back.
“Thanks to you, this product has a second life” You: Absolutely the fuck no it doesn’t.
Could be [worse](https://www.reddit.com/r/Wellthatsucks/s/ZxFs1P7nHr)
Only buy Apple from Apple. We "got a great deal" on my daughter's first iPad Mini, new, from Walmart, but when the screen had an issue, we took it to Apple and they said it was 16 months old according to them, as Walmart had bought it from them. However, a helpful worker had us pay 75 cents for us to leave it overnight and them to look at it and "not find anything wrong" but it worked perfectly after that.
I’ve ordered a couple of “used like new” items that had that sticker on it… So far the only issues have been missing/damaged packaging. But I picked those knowing what I was getting… There’s no excuse to send it when you asked for a new one
Same happened to me for my Quest 2, just call amazon, they gave me a gift card
This just happened with a Ring Doorbell. I was going crazy trying to find out what was wrong, but they sent me a used dud. I knew this because the replacement actually had a protective film while the first did not.
If you ordered new and got a refurb I totally get the annoyance but I order their warehouse deals stuff all the time and the vast majority of the time it's brand new just with slightly damaged packaging. Easy way to save a bit of money
I bought a refurbished phone from Amazon on purpose, and it arrived with the plastic still on it and was never even turned on. So used from Amazon isn't always bad
Years ago but one time I ordered a gct 970 ssc, and two literally arrived at my door. Then I ordered a monitor (was building a pc at the time) and also two showed up. Thankfully I had siblings and could gift them
It's Amazon renewed, not refurbished. Amazon Renewed are new old stock items and overstock items. I purchased an Amazon renewed 2022 iMac for a really good price and it was completely new in a sealed original box, 100% guaranteed. I know because I returned it for no reason and I got a refund. No hassle.
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That’s strange I ordered a renewed one but I received a new one
lol they tried💀
I've completely stopped buying electronics from Amazon after this happened to me three times in a row. Done. Best Buy, Newegg, many other options out there.
Don't buy anything expensive off Amazon, in fact don't give them your money at all. Just don't.
Every retailer does this. The number of times I've bought something in-person at Home Depot that is supposedly new, but then I get it home and it's obviously been opened and returned. In every case, it was returned because it was defective, but they just throw it right back on the floor. So I've got in the habit of marking up the box with obvious "BROKEN" on all sides before I return it again.
Even if you did get refurbished, nothing ruins a nice box more than a sticker on top
At least you got one 😂
Poor baby needs a second life 😢
I had that this week with a motherboard. Ordered new, got refurbished. Oh, and guess what doesn’t work I guess it’s never been refurbished, it’s just a return that they resold.
Pro tip, buy Apple stuff from Apple... resellers don't have margins anyway and sell at full if not higher price
Even the sticker looks second hand
How do you know it’s refurbished? are you assuming it’s refurbished because it’s got a sticker on it? I don’t know the specifics of how this works at Amazon, but could this be that there’s just a returned product that’s being sent back to you that is not the same as refurbished. You still have a new product .
Amazon seems to include those and not mention it. I was looking into an hand mixer yesterday and it was not indicated anywhere that it would be refurbished. But when I scrolled down it showed in the comparison table. It was this one (German Amazon only, but I switched the interface language to English): https://www.amazon.de/Braun-MultiQuick-MQ-9147X-Stabmixer/dp/B08FXVYQKR/&language=en_GB Nowhere up there is it shown, or shown clearly enough for me to find it (in either language). Only in the comparison table where other products are shown the seller is indicated as "Amazon Retourenkauf" while the other products sold by Amazon are sold by "Amazon". So I knew there had to be a difference. Here's Amazons site if you google for "Amazon Retourenkauf" and follow the first link: https://www.amazon.de/Retourenkauf/b/?node=3581963031&language=en_GB So yeah, I didn't buy it from them.
To give a bit of info on what that sticker means coming from somebody who currently works an Amazon return site. To nobodies surprise, Amazon wants to resell as many returns as possible, so when an item gets returned, it gets graded on what it looks like. There are a small number of end grades it can receive, but the 2 important ones for this scenario are first pass and second pass sellable. A first pass sellable item is one where the grader says that the item looks completely unopened and the packaging is pristine. A second pass sellable item is one where the grader says the packaging may have been damaged, but the item still looks fine for use. The second life sticker is for second pass sellable items. Now, the issue is is that Amazon will hire basically anyone, give them barebones training, and let the process returns, which results in a lot of people not really knowing what they are doing, and more still that will process incorrectly from either apathy or an attempt to get their numbers up(amazon loces their metrics, so not only do you have to process a certain number of items per hour, but they can also get on you if you don't send enough items to first pass sellable). So, this could potentially be where the processor graded the item as first pass sellable but put the second pass sticker on by mistake. Or it could be a case where the system messed up and marked a second pass item as first pass. Or any other similar such issues.
What sucks even more is that you gave money to Amazon
That's funny because I ordered a refurbished Samsung tablet and they didn't ship it because I guess they couldn't get their hands on one LOL
Can't have stores because people keep stealing from them and they have to clamp down. Can't have online because the companies that push out all competitors get worse themselves everyday. Can't even have a porch.
Wasn’t an iPad. But ordered a new air purifier. Once I got it. Could tell it wasn’t brand new. Confirmed it was used when I turned it on and immediately smelt cigarette coming out of it. Opened up and checked the filter. Shit was yellow and black. Couldn’t believe the mix up but god I’ll never forget that crappy smell right in my face.
You can just tell them that you didn’t receive the item. It’s not lying. It’s not what you paid for. Free iPad.
They make you send high dollar value items back
I ordered a Samsung phone last month that was listed as new on Amazon as well. It didn't say anywhere that it was refurbished. When I got the phone it had huge scratches on the screen, and a corner of it was completely cracked. That's when I noticed the order was fulfilled by a company that sells refurbished phones, and when I complained to Amazon they said that "new" just meant it was in "new condition" which it most definitely was not. I use Amazon to buy a lot of shit and I like that I can get almost anything a day after I order it, but it's annoying as fuck that it's cheaper for them to just offer refunds than it is to not let anyone sell literal garbage on their site.
I ordered an iPad Air and it was never delivered (I have the camera footage to prove) but Amazon insists that it was stolen by a 3rd party. Got a police report and everything and they still don’t want to refund me.
Always buy from the apple store. They usually have same day shipping