Amazon returns for refund / exchange at 12.36%

[coffee_king]

We have now been selling clothing on Amazon for about 9 months with little to some success (I'm not sure whether we'll continue to sell on this platform TBH), in that time I have noticed that a high percentage of customers return goods back to us for exchanges or refunds.

From 24/04/2010 to 27/09/2010 - 89 orders were placed.

Out of those 89 orders 11 were returned back to ourselves (so thats 12.36% returned).
6 were for refunds, and 5 were for exchanges of different sizes.

Does anyone else out there know their numbers for returns on Amazon?

Believe me I know that RETURNS are a part of business especially in the fashion industry, but 12.36% ? It is like the customer does not realise that they are actually buying from a small business and not from a huge business like Amazon, so why should they care the time and money it takes a seller to accept the return of goods when a customer has come up with a ridiculous excuse of a reason to send an item back (i.e. Not realising an item was brown even though the picture is brown and the listing states BROWN in multiple places!)
It seems to me that customers are purchasing on a whim, and then realise that they would rather have their money back and go out and spend it elsewhere.
Wer'e not talking high priced items (approx £19.99 to £44.99) and they are good quality sports brands.

I dont know...........ho-hum.....
coffee_king

 

[akirk]

It is like the customer does not realise that they are actually buying from a small business and not from a huge business like Amazon, so why should they care the time and money it takes a seller to accept the return of goods...

big mistake here...

people do think that they are dealing with Amazon, and one of the reasons that they deal with Amazon is the no hassle returns policy which means that they do not need to think it through before buying - they can impulse buy knowing that if it is a mistake it is redeemable later...

downside - high number of returns
upside - more likely to get an impulse buy = more sales ( in theory )

and no - they will not consider what size retailer you are - you will just be seen as a part of the overall Amazon scene...

if a retailer can not cope with the psychology / methoology / approach of buyers on the Amazon site, then possibly it is the wrong location to be selling...

Alasdair

 

[coffee_king]

I'm actually trialing out an INK STAMP on the invoices that go out with the goods stating something like

"This product was supplied by XXX not Amazon. Please visit blah-blah for our full product range"

Might help.

If that doesnt work I still need to get some flyers printed up to go into Amazon/Ebay sales.

 

[alanc]

I'm actually trialing out an INK STAMP on the invoices that go out with the goods stating something like

"This product was supplied by XXX not Amazon. Please visit blah-blah for our full product range"

Might help.

If that doesnt work I still need to get some flyers printed up to go into Amazon/Ebay sales.

You might want to check the Terms and Conditions for selling on Amazon before doing this. It is also very difficult to win customers away from the big A.

 

[coffee_king]

Amazon are never going to know what I put in with our goods that get dispatched, neither are eBay etc.
Now if only there was a way to obtain Amazon customers email addresses

 

[crossdaz]

Amazon are never going to know what I put in with our goods that get dispatched, neither are eBay etc.
Now if only there was a way to obtain Amazon customers email addresses

I've just emailed them

 

[deniser]

I don't think your returns are unusually high.

We also sell clothing online. Our returns rate has generally been about 10% but last week it was a shocking 20%.

Our website has all the information you need to make an informed decision but people are becoming more and more reckless than in the past. In the old days of internet shopping/Ebay, if you bought something, you knew you were stuck with it so people bought carefully and asked questions before buying.

Now if they need one garment, not only do they buy three from us from which to choose, but buy several from other companies as well, then choose one out of the 10 or so they have bought to keep.

I think this behaviour is bizarre but it is so common.

One of our employees was only just telling me what a high volume of catalogue returns her sister gets through. Companies like [deleted] encourage people to buy as much as possible making returns so easy that they hope the more the buy the more they may keep.

People don't care who they are buying from.

All you can do is try to minimise your returns as much as possible by providing the greatest possible information and best pictures. Half won't read it but not much else you can do.

Returns are only going to get worse.....

 

[Astaroth]

Many many many years ago worked for a mail order fashion company (long before online ordering) and certainly returns were well above 12%. It was routine for people to order multiple sizes to keep (as well as things like buying 2 mixed colour packs and then returning 1 because "it only had one colour in it" - ie they had taken the colours they wanted and kept them and returned the rest).

I have to say that for the majority of people, they don't care if they're buying from a small business or large enterprise when it comes to their ethics of ordering multiple sizes etc. An online business is an online business and their job is to make a profit not the customers.

A true no sale rate of 6.7% is not that bad in my mind. For returns for other sizes etc, unfortunately thats life and you need to ensure your pricing reflects the returns levels and their associated costs.

 

[coffee_king]

.....now I find out that Amazon can change your PRODUCT NAMES without informing you (well they say its some bull algorithm based on sales, volume, feedback etc etc etc).
As if it wasnt hard enough adding products using an archaic excel format.

I really dont see how Amazon/Other sellers removing/changing keywords from the title/product would benefit anyone?
Sure it may look tidier, but the more describing keywords in the title the better as this is what customers search results bring up.
Regards
coffee_king

 

[alanc]

.....now I find out that Amazon can change your PRODUCT NAMES without informing you (well they say its some bull algorithm based on sales, volume, feedback etc etc etc).
As if it wasnt hard enough adding products using an archaic excel format.

I really dont see how Amazon/Other sellers removing/changing keywords from the title/product would benefit anyone?
Sure it may look tidier, but the more describing keywords in the title the better as this is what customers search results bring up.
Regards
coffee_king

I've had a lot of grief recently with Amazon changing products and not telling me. A lot of this had happened because of traders creating a 'new' product side-by-side with an existing one, using a much longer title in order to gain some search placement advantage. Amazon detect this behaviour and automatically merge the two products. The problem is that the merge can leave the product in your listings with the other trader's setup:
- wrong quantity (from 1 to box-of-12, using the same UPC)
- wrong shipping weight
- adding International shipping when you don't offer it and Amazon just make up a shipping price. (3kg item to Germany? that'll be £2.75)

 

[BigRedOne]

Now if they need one garment, not only do they buy three from us from which to choose, but buy several from other companies as well, then choose one out of the 10 or so they have bought to keep.

I think this behaviour is bizarre but it is so common.

I don't think its that bizarre. This seemed to be the norm when printed paper catalogues were all the rage (I think people use ASOS in a similar way). I remember people i knew ordering loads of stuff from catalogues then trying it all on and sending 90% of it back. luckily you don't have to offer the pay for it a £2.50 a week like catalogues did.