Ordering "Used-Like New" from Amazon

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

Let me be clear-

The first three times, I ordered a set of 10" Knipex Diagonal cutters, "Used-Like New". First time I got a pair of Cobra 250 Pliers. Ordered the diagonal cutters again, Used-Like New, got a pair of Cobra Extra Slim 250 Pliers. Third time (and second time chatting about it), the CS rep ordered them for me, said he put a note on the order for a supervisor to ensure I was getting the correct item. I did.

Second time - Ordered a Klein 10" tool tote, again, Used-Like New. Received the Klein Backpack, obviously not used, was in original bag, sealed box, etc. They refunded the price plus some extra. I ordered the NEW item, was $3 more, got it.

Third time - Ordered a pair of Knipex 10" Linesman pliers, Used-Like New, received my second pair of Cobra Extra Slim 250 pliers. They refunded my money.

 

[HangFire]

Amazon does some amazing things. For example, you can make 2 separate orders a day apart, and they'll combine them (or parts of them) into one shipment. This is the Holy Grail of online retail, that only very small (same person handles both orders) or very large, well funded and managed organizations can accomplish. Most of them are bound to their outdated systems that lock in the relationship between one order and a shipment, or series of shipments.

On the tail end, Warehouse items represent a real challenge of making money out of something that most very large retailers just consider a total loss- returns. There are some real challenges here. For example, if an item is returned because Amazon originally shipped the wrong item, there is a large chance that it will be resold on Warehouse again as the original listing's (incorrect) labeling, especially if it looks "close enough". Consumers, either by fraud, accidentally clicking the wrong item, or mere confusion while packing a return, will return the wrong item, and it comes in associated with another listing... again, a large chance it will be sold again as that other listing.

The dichotomy between the amazing and the erroneous is easy to understand, shipping and warehousing of new items is pre-categorized and very highly automated and thus have a low error rate, while Warehouse items require human time and intervention to properly categorize, and thus suffer more errors.

I've had mixed luck with Warehouse. I got some New/Return HDD's that had huge hours on them (returned no problem), and other New/Refurb HDD's that just didn't work right (these are huge SAS enterprise grade HDD's). The latter were probably returned for being broken because they were broken, but many electronics are returned because they are perceived broken, while the real incompatibility lies elsewhere. Other times I've gotten great deals on tools and such. You gotta roll your dice and take your chances.

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

Whut

 

[mrsilv04]

I just did this for the first time. I pulled up an item that was regularly $68.00, but had an option for "Like New" for $13.23.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CEXK9FM

So... for $13.23, why not.

What I received was a return that had been opened, but had clearly never been used. Fine with me for an 81% discount, for an item that really can't ever be used and then sent back.