How could Amazon sold used product as new?

[hajime]

Hi, I ordered a brand new product sold by a manufacturer and shipped from Amazon. When I opened the Amazon box, I found two "amazon warehousedeals inspected" stickers on the top of the product retail box. There are two barcodes and some other labels. At the bottom, the box barcode was crossed out and some more labels (looks like address label for one) was partially removed. Obviously it was shipped to another customer without an Amazon packaging and got returned and sold to me as new. How could this happen? The one I ordered was the last one in stock.

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

This is something I would ask amazon, not Mac rumours forums

 

[hajime]

I want to know if other members also have such experience.

 

[HDFan]

Nope. There are millions of Amazon sellers so unfortunate that you got a bad one. I would check on reviews of products from this seller to see if this is their standard practice or a fluke. Amazon in this case is just the shipper so aren't primarily to blame. They are responsible to drop the seller if it regularly uses deceptive practices and to refund you as you didn't receive what you ordered.

My once bad experience with a seller was when I ordered a very expensive knife. When I saw that it showed as having been delivered checked the tracking label and it went to an entirely different address so the seller was a scammer. Contacted Amazon and they refunded my purchase.

 

[ChrisA]

Was Amazon actually the seller? There are many people who sell through the Amazon website and Amazon never sees or touches the merchandise. I did this myself. I had a book I did not need and listed it on Amazon then when it sold Amazon notified me and I shipped it using US Postal Service.

Many times when you buy from Amazon it is Amazon who is the seller and the shipper. This might be the most common case but there are many deals Amazon makes with sellers.

So you have to check, who really sold it, who shipped it? Did Amazon make a mistake or is this the doing of the third party?

 

[laptech]

What has been described tends to be laziness on the sellers part if they have a large stock of the item. The 'new' items get sold off but there will always be returns. These returns are then separated depending on their condition (box and packaging as well). Sometimes a buyer makes a mistake and returns the item untouched. Such an item can be relisted as 'new' because it has not been tampered with but if the box has been opened then it should be re-listed as 'used', even if the item was never removed from the box because as soon as the tape on the box is broken, it automatically becomes 'used'. Now when the stock levels start to get low and only the returns are left in stock the seller should change the listing from new to 'used' or 'refurbished' and mention so in the listing description.

Labels all over the book implies to me that the item is a return, it was sent out, got returned for whatever reason, put back into stock and then shipped out again when sold. If the item was the last one in stock and it was a 'return', the seller should have changed the listing to 'used' and should have mentioned that fact in the sale listing. If the seller did not do this and left the listing as 'new' then the seller has broken not only Amazon listing/selling practices but probably the countries selling laws.

I've had similar happen to me BUT in my case, even though the listing said 'new', in the listing description it stated that stock was down to the last few which were 'returns' and even though the product had been fully tested, the box/packaging would show signs of previous use. The price was also reduced because in many countries it is against the law to sell something at 'new' price when in fact it has been 'used' because 'used' commands a lower price.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Yeah, I got a coffee grinder that was OBVIOUSLY used (like, still had coffee residue in it). Probably got stuck on the wrong shelf after a return, dunno. Amazon replaced it promptly.

 

[hajime]

What has been described tends to be laziness on the sellers part if they have a large stock of the item. The 'new' items get sold off but there will always be returns. These returns are then separated depending on their condition (box and packaging as well). Sometimes a buyer makes a mistake and returns the item untouched. Such an item can be relisted as 'new' because it has not been tampered with but if the box has been opened then it should be re-listed as 'used', even if the item was never removed from the box because as soon as the tape on the box is broken, it automatically becomes 'used'. Now when the stock levels start to get low and only the returns are left in stock the seller should change the listing from new to 'used' or 'refurbished' and mention so in the listing description.

Labels all over the book implies to me that the item is a return, it was sent out, got returned for whatever reason, put back into stock and then shipped out again when sold. If the item was the last one in stock and it was a 'return', the seller should have changed the listing to 'used' and should have mentioned that fact in the sale listing. If the seller did not do this and left the listing as 'new' then the seller has broken not only Amazon listing/selling practices but probably the countries selling laws.

I've had similar happen to me BUT in my case, even though the listing said 'new', in the listing description it stated that stock was down to the last few which were 'returns' and even though the product had been fully tested, the box/packaging would show signs of previous use. The price was also reduced because in many countries it is against the law to sell something at 'new' price when in fact it has been 'used' because 'used' commands a lower price.

This might be related. When I ordered it, it was the last one in stock. After placing the order, delivery became a month later at the same price.

 

[Silencio]

Caveat emptor rules on Amazon. Since heavily SEO-driven third party resellers with names like HJMIGEN have taken over their listings, I can't trust a single thing I'm looking for there, and subsequently I've mostly taken my business elsewhere. A once very useful, all-encompassing e-commerce site is now a wasteland of cheap, knockoff junk.

 

[laptech]

This might be related. When I ordered it, it was the last one in stock. After placing the order, delivery became a month later at the same price.

Basically you need to go back and look at the sale listing and read the listing description precisely for any indication that the item was a 'return' or in a 'used' condition regardless of what the title header of the sale item says. If none of those words are in the item description then initiate a return with Amazon because you will have no way of knowing what the actual worthiness of the item is. Was it returned due to not being wanted, was it returned due to failing, was it returned due to having damage but was repaired. Do not take the risk, get it sent back for a refund regardless of how much you may want or need the item being that it was the last one.

 

[hajime]

I bought several items from the same manufacturer-seller in the past without issue.

Amazon accepted the return yesterday. Both Amazon and the manufacturer-seller said they would investigate the case.

If I recall correctly, I bought a few "last in stock" items from Amazon and Costco in the past and they also had some sort of issues. What is wrong with such "last in stock"?

 

[Jamo12]

I want to know if other members also have such experience.

I used to work at an Amazon return’s facility as a trainer and manager.

Before I talk about the return process, there is a little knowledge you need to know about how Amazon works with vendors.

Vendors have a choice as to how something gets returned. They can choose to have Amazon:

• Ship back all of their returns to them
• Throw their returns away
• Assess the damage, if any, and sell them as used.
• ‘Liquidate’ them (essentially sell them as damaged)
• Or, if it meets Amazon’s standard, they can sell a returned item as new. For example, if it the item hasn’t been open and the box is in good condition, it can be sold as new.

When an item goes through a returns, the Amazon employee has a questionnaire they need to fill out about the item. It will ask about item damage, if it looks like it was opened, is it missing parts, does it have security closures, etc. Depending on the vendors desire and how the questions are answered, the system will tell them to send the item wherever it needs to go. Every single item that goes through the return process will receive an LPN sticker, no matter what happens to it, even if the questionnaire calls the item ‘new’.

If it gets sent back to a vendor, it will get a sticker with a light-green outline. If it is sold as an Amazon Warehouse Deal it should get a sticker that says that. These items are supposed to be considered ‘used’.

What some shady vendors will do is buy Amazon deals and resell them as new. Other vendors within take returns that were returned to them and resell them as new as well. I assume that the former happened to you.

Some vendors will list the item as new in the listing(where Amazon doesn’t see it as used), but put something like ‘renewed’ or ‘refurbished’ in the title/description. This may have happened as well.

 

[laptech]

I bought several items from the same manufacturer-seller in the past without issue.

Amazon accepted the return yesterday. Both Amazon and the manufacturer-seller said they would investigate the case.

If I recall correctly, I bought a few "last in stock" items from Amazon and Costco in the past and they also had some sort of issues. What is wrong with such "last in stock"?

'Last in stock' depends entirely on how the seller operates their store/business. a seller can have brand new items in stock and only brand new items and thus 'last in stock' means it is the last of the brand new items in stock'. On the other hand, if the seller restocks returns, in that they check the item to make sure it functions and when passing all checks is put back on the stock shelf, the 'last in stock' could actually mean that everything from brand new to refurbished has been sold and it is just the undesirable stuff that is left, basically meaning the item is supposed to be fully working but some of the internal packaging might be missing or damaged or that the outer box may be damaged. If the sellers business operates in this manner then when the stock gets to 'last in stock' the seller should change the listing to reflect that the item is a 'returned' item and the internal packaging/outer box may not appear to be in good condition.

I've had 'last in stock' items delivered that have had numerous labels over the box which has indicated to me that the item was actually a return but the item has worked perfectly fine but on the other hand I have also had 'last in stock' items that have worked for a few days then stopped working. In my experience how good an item is coming from 'last in stock' is purely dependent on how good the reputation of the seller is.

 

[InvertedGoldfish]

Amazon is becoming like eBay

I see more used stuff and knock offs than I used to, plus items where their shipping origin is hidden best they can, nothing like ordering some wire and having it take a month to get here, shipped from china

 

[jazz1]

Was Amazon actually the seller? There are many people who sell through the Amazon website and Amazon never sees or touches the merchandise. I did this myself. I had a book I did not need and listed it on Amazon then when it sold Amazon notified me and I shipped it using US Postal Service.

Many times when you buy from Amazon it is Amazon who is the seller and the shipper. This might be the most common case but there are many deals Amazon makes with sellers.

So you have to check, who really sold it, who shipped it? Did Amazon make a mistake or is this the doing of the third party?

I rarely buy expensive products from third parties via Amazon. Although I will admit Amazon did fix an issue I had with a third party (I can't remember what the product was) when that third party was unresponsive. BTW I occasionally sell items on Amazon. Keeping good reviews is very important.

 

[hajime]

'Last in stock' depends entirely on how the seller operates their store/business. a seller can have brand new items in stock and only brand new items and thus 'last in stock' means it is the last of the brand new items in stock'. On the other hand, if the seller restocks returns, in that they check the item to make sure it functions and when passing all checks is put back on the stock shelf, the 'last in stock' could actually mean that everything from brand new to refurbished has been sold and it is just the undesirable stuff that is left, basically meaning the item is supposed to be fully working but some of the internal packaging might be missing or damaged or that the outer box may be damaged. If the sellers business operates in this manner then when the stock gets to 'last in stock' the seller should change the listing to reflect that the item is a 'returned' item and the internal packaging/outer box may not appear to be in good condition.

I've had 'last in stock' items delivered that have had numerous labels over the box which has indicated to me that the item was actually a return but the item has worked perfectly fine but on the other hand I have also had 'last in stock' items that have worked for a few days then stopped working. In my experience how good an item is coming from 'last in stock' is purely dependent on how good the reputation of the seller is.

The manufacturer-seller asked me to send them photos. After seeing those photos, they replied:

"We are very sorry to see this! We do see that this appears to be a used product shipped however this order was fulfilled by Amazon and therefore shipped from one of Amazon's warehouses directly rather than ours. In this case, you would need to reach out to Amazon directly to let them know and they can assist you further with a refund for replacement of this item."

 

[ovbacon]

As someone who lives out in the boonies far from civilization I use Amazon a LOT. Over the years I have received broken, used and/or incorrect items multiple times and I simply put in a return/money back request and I have never had issues with it.

I think I have only had to actually call with Amazon once or twice with an issue but after that it would be resolved without a problem.

I have a lot of issues with how Amazon conducts its business and or treatment of workers but as any decent store is at least an hour away I find myself needing them often. If I can I will gravitate towards ordering directly from a business and so I always buy my Apple products from Apple and I've learned that, as jazz1 indicated, it is better to buy more expensive items from a company themselves like Bose etc.

 

[laptech]

The manufacturer-seller asked me to send them photos. After seeing those photos, they replied:

"We are very sorry to see this! We do see that this appears to be a used product shipped however this order was fulfilled by Amazon and therefore shipped from one of Amazon's warehouses directly rather than ours. In this case, you would need to reach out to Amazon directly to let them know and they can assist you further with a refund for replacement of this item."

Deleted due to reading up on the issue

Edit: What I found is this, check the listing and in the right hand side of the screen look where it says 'Dispatched from' and 'Sold by'. If 'Sold by' say's Amazon then Amazon is the seller. What this means is Amazon purchases products directly from manufacturers and sells them through their warehouses. If 'Sold by' says Amazon then you need to raise a case with Amazon BUT if 'Sold by' has another name then that is who the seller is and it is them who you escalate the issue with.

 

[iStorm]

Deleted due to reading up on the issue

Edit: What I found is this, check the listing and in the right hand side of the screen look where it says 'Dispatched from' and 'Sold by'. If 'Sold by' say's Amazon then Amazon is the seller. What this means is Amazon purchases products directly from manufacturers and sells them through their warehouses. If 'Sold by' says Amazon then you need to raise a case with Amazon BUT if 'Sold by' has another name then that is who the seller is and it is them who you escalate the issue with.

This. Also to add, you can't go by the store that usually shows up at the top of the page either.

Here's an example:

• Some may think they're buying from Dyson because it says "Visit the Dyson Store" at the top of the page, or came from there.
• Others may think they're buying from Amazon because they're shopping on Amazon.com and/or see that it ships from Amazon.
• In this case, they're actually buying from MallStop, as seen in the "Sold by" section.

OP, you should be able to go into your Order Details and see if the "Sold by" is Amazon or some other 3rd party, and its condition. At least in my experience, it always says "Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC" whether I bought from Amazon.com (New) or from Amazon Warehouse (Used). Here's an example of one of my orders I specifically selected from an Amazon Warehouse deal. I'm curious if yours says "New" or "Used".

 

[KaliYoni]

If 'Sold by' say's Amazon then Amazon is the seller. What this means is Amazon purchases products directly from manufacturers and sells them through their warehouses.

Yes, with the addition that for products offered by both Amazon itself and by Marketplace sellers, Amazon commingles its own inventory with Marketplace seller inventory in its warehouses, at least in the US. In other words, Amazon treats the combined inventory as a single pool of products for ordering and shipping purposes. This means that it is possible to receive an item that was actually sourced by a non-Amazon seller even though the order is listed as sold and fulfilled by Amazon.

 

[dmr727]

There are a lot of terrible sellers out there, and Amazon doesn't make it easy to know who you're actually buying from. I bought a pack of electric razor self-cleaning pods, and while the description was on point and the reviews all looked great, I didn't dig deep enough to see who would actually be completing the order. So I end up with a bunch of used pods that have merely been refilled with alcohol. It's my fault - I didn't pay enough attention.

Treat Amazon like an online flea-market. Spend a little extra time to make sure you're not getting screwed.

 

[hajime]

I complained to the manufacturer-seller (V-I-V-O). They did not want to take any responsibility. They just told me to contact Amazon.

Now there is another case. This time is from BestBuy (Sold and shipped by Best Buy). I wanted to order a monitor which is on sale. The system indicated that it was in backorder with an availability 3 weeks later. When I checked on the next day, the system indicated that they had a new one in stock so I ordered it. Upon delivery by a courier, I found shipping label of another courier and a partially cross-out address. There was also another small label with the address of another person. Using the tracking number, I found that it was shipped to another customer about a month ago. Most likely that customer returned the product and it was shipped to me as new.

I am not sure if this is due to bad luck. Is this kind of thing happening more and more often? Why?

 

[iStorm]

I complained to the manufacturer-seller (V-I-V-O). They did not want to take any responsibility. They just told me to contact Amazon.

Ah, VIVO... I bought a monitor arm desk mount from them through walmart.com a couple years ago. I thought an "optional" part that I specifically needed for my use case was missing, so I contacted them and they told me it was no longer included and wanted me to pay for it! Turns out they had changed what they included in their product, but the site wasn't updated yet. Luckily I convinced them that I specifically bought it because of what was shown on the site, so they agreed to ship it free of charge.

Is this kind of thing happening more and more often? Why?

Unfortunately, I think so as e-commerce continues to grow. This happens to physical retailers too. If something looks unopened or unused, they typically put it back on the shelves. At least in the store we can see the boxes and pick the one we want. Can't do that when shopping online, and I'm sure they're not just going to automatically toss all returns into a "discounted" pile. If it looks unopened or unused, they are probably going to sell it as new, just as they would in a store.

 

[hajime]

An annoying thing is that most monitors sold by BestBuy are not available in store. Moreover, whenever there is a sale, sale items are gone very quickly and then show up under Marketplace Sellers.

 

[max2]

I noticed the same thing but never had to happen to me.