The technological age has continuously improved, especially when it comes to electronic commerce, as basically millions of people around the world stopped going to various stores to buy their products and started ordering almost everything online, especially the amazon. However, there is a weakness in this company’s relationship and that is its rather inflexible return policy, which has at times brought disaster to the customers who have taken advantage of it.
So-called “returns without returns” have become a growing trend in e-commerce United States, Where consumers can get a refund without having to return the product. This practice, although surprising, responds to companies’ economic strategies to reduce logistics costs and improve user experience.
In 2023, the total value of returned goods is reached $743 billion dollarswhich represents 14.5% of online purchases. This percentage has increased steadily in recent years 10.6% in 2020 And practically doubling as of 2019. In addition, 14% of these returns were fraudulentMore than estimated damages $100 billion dollars For merchants
This scam is especially common on low-priced products, where shipping and replacement costs are more than the cost of the item. For example, for a product that costs $10, the cost associated with returning it may be between $10 and $15. In this context, it is more cost effective to allow the customer to keep the item and return them in the process.
Taking as a reference, logistics companies such as goTRG and Optoro, which work with giants e.g Walmart Y Best Buy, They use algorithms to automate this exercise. These systems evaluate factors such as customer purchase and return history, reliability and item value to determine if a “refund” is the most viable option.
While this strategy benefits both customers and sellers, companies have implemented measures to prevent abuse, such as reducing return times or charging fees for this service. “No refunds” is an example of how e-commerce works USA Seeks to balance customer satisfaction, profitability and fraud prevention while adapting to the complexities of today’s marketplace.