Ordered an item through Amazon, shipped direct from China...but with "free returns". How does that work?

[alarmguy]

I ordered a $15 item off of Amazon. I had the feeling that it would be coming directly from China, with its stated 20-40 day shipping time, and by the unpronounceable name of the seller. But, the listing also showed "free returns". Hmmmm... How exactly do free returns work here?

So, my suspicions were correct. It shipped directly from China, via Yanwen Shipping. Once it started moving, it arrived in Chicagoland in 3.5 days from China.

It was ordered Jan 2nd. It shows that Yanwen Shipping picked it up on the 11th. It left China on the morning of the 15th. It then arrived in Chicagoland on the evening of the 18th, and was delivered to me today. Since I do have a background in warehouse management with about 10 years experience in worldwide shipping of high dollar software, I do find this part of logistics to be interesting.

I was a bit surprised to see that the package had been relabeled at some point in time, to have a domestic USPS label, with a return address somewhere in Inglewood CA, placed over the top of the China shipping label. But I'm not sure who did it or where in the process that happened, as the tracking never mentioned that it was ever in California. I would assume that label was applied in Chicagoland.

So, then I got curious if the "free returns" would be to that same California address. If so, if I ordered from this vendor again, which would be likely, that wouldn't be a bad thing. It would sure beat trying to ship it back to China with any sort of luck (I wouldn't even try). I started processing an Amazon return, just to see if it would indeed tell me to return to that California address... even through I really didn't need to return it. With Amazon, you can always process a return, but then not use it if you change your mind, forget, whatever... the return will automatically expire whenever the return window closes.

As I was processing the return, this screen popped up. I've never seen this one before. So, I guess I'll never figure out if it would have been returned to the California address listed on the USPS mailing label, as the seller clearly don't want the item back... California, China or anywhere. LOL.

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Its quite common that Amazon doesnt want certain items back even in this country, Walmart to some degree as well.
I suspect in some cases it also depends on your account history of returns and lost cost items are not worth handling for a return, it's built into the price you pay.
We have many times been told that no need to return something and most stuff we order is USA based but not all.

We even ordered furniture from WayFair and recently one came in with a slightly defective glass door, wife contacted the company for one new door that I could have fixed pretty good but since it was new I should not have too, ( I mean its supposed to be new) they do not handle individual parts so sent out a new furniture at no cost and told us to keep the other. So I have one in the office now too. This also builds good will for future business. We never hesitate to order online because of the service we have received. Bottom line is, there is no fear to order from WayFair either.

Now have two of these cabinets, one is in my office.

 

[John Galt]

Amazon boxes up most overseas sourced returns and sells them as a bulk pallet. I’m told mostly it is clothing, kitchen gadgets and Iphone cases.

Do a search on YouTube for “Amazon return pallets”