topic Re: Banned from Amazon: The Shoppers Who Make Too Many Returns in Community Chat

Banned from Amazon: The Shoppers Who Make Too Many Returns

JJsMom — Tue, 22 May 2018 18:27:27 GMT

I found this article interesting, especially the behaviors that would cause your account to be flagged.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/banned-from-amazon-the-shoppers-who-make-too-many-returns-1526981401

EDIT: I'm sorry. I didn't realize you had to be a subscriber to see the article. Try this one:

http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-bans-people-too-many-returns-2018-5

It references the WSJ article.

Re: Banned from Amazon: The Shoppers Who Make Too Many Returns

FrostyBabe1 — Tue, 22 May 2018 18:09:31 GMT

Unfortunately, we can't read it unless we're subscribers and sign in.

Re: Banned from Amazon: The Shoppers Who Make Too Many Returns

mackie — Tue, 22 May 2018 18:11:36 GMT

I wonder how many items? I buy alot ftom Amazon, have returned two items.

Re: Banned from Amazon: The Shoppers Who Make Too Many Returns

Mj12 — Tue, 22 May 2018 18:16:24 GMT

It's an interesting article, thanks @JJsMom. I think they should have some sort of notification system - like, "you're in danger of having your account canceled due to excessive returns," but otherwise I can't say I have a problem with it. Many people abuse generous retailers. Many people get refunds on things they know they should not. It ends up costing everyone more. So if Amazon chooses to crack down, good for them.

Re: Banned from Amazon: The Shoppers Who Make Too Many Returns

JJsMom — Tue, 22 May 2018 18:28:03 GMT

@FrostyBabe1 wrote:
Unfortunately, we can't read it unless we're subscribers and sign in.

I provided another link that references the WSJ article. Sorry about that.

Re: Banned from Amazon: The Shoppers Who Make Too Many Returns

JJsMom — Tue, 22 May 2018 18:30:00 GMT

@Mj12 wrote:
It's an interesting article, thanks @JJsMom. I think they should have some sort of notification system - like, "you're in danger of having your account canceled due to excessive returns," but otherwise I can't say I have a problem with it. Many people abuse generous retailers. Many people get refunds on things they know they should not. It ends up costing everyone more. So if Amazon chooses to crack down, good for them.

Yes, it would be nice to get a warning. I'd be lost without Amazon! lol

I rarely return mail order items (I'm too lazy), so I don't think I'm in danger of receiving the notice, but the article says you can be flagged for choosing an unusual reason for a return too.

Re: Banned from Amazon: The Shoppers Who Make Too Many Returns

NickNack — Tue, 22 May 2018 18:32:02 GMT

I don't return things to Amazon very often, although I order from them every week. I have worried about getting banned from ordering from Loft. I always order two sizes and return one. I wear two sizes in their clothes and usually can't even tell from the reviews which size I should order. I wonder if all retailers have a policy like this.

Re: Banned from Amazon: The Shoppers Who Make Too Many Returns

chrystaltree — Tue, 22 May 2018 18:49:56 GMT

I didn't read the article but it makes sense. It's the Looy Lou's who make constant habit of buying things and then returning them. They buy on impulse and then they return most of what they buy. I'm a huge Amazon shopper and I think I've returned 3 things in the past 3 years. I'm careful about what I buy and who I buy it from.

Re: Banned from Amazon: The Shoppers Who Make Too Many Returns

gidgetgh — Tue, 22 May 2018 19:19:21 GMT

I’ve been shopping at Amazon for years and years. I order from them all the time. Tons of orders.

I think I’ve only ever returned two items in all those years. One was a purse just a few months ago. It had a huge scratch across the bag.

Re: Banned from Amazon: The Shoppers Who Make Too Many Returns

Trinity11 — Tue, 22 May 2018 19:21:30 GMT

The only thing I have ever had to return to Amazon was from a third party seller, which often times is hit or miss. I ordered a pair of shoes that obviously were a return and looked previously worn.

Re: Banned from Amazon: The Shoppers Who Make Too Many Returns

Marp — Tue, 22 May 2018 19:27:38 GMT

@NickNack wrote:
I don't return things to Amazon very often, although I order from them every week. I have worried about getting banned from ordering from Loft. I always order two sizes and return one. I wear two sizes in their clothes and usually can't even tell from the reviews which size I should order. I wonder if all retailers have a policy like this.

Although it doesn't answer your question about "all retailers" this excerpt from the linked article might give you some insight:

The Wall Street Journal previously reported that chains such as Best Buy Co. and J.C. Penney Inc., have hired a third-party firm called Retail Equation to develop a “risk score” on each customer for the purpose of policing returns.

Re: Banned from Amazon: The Shoppers Who Make Too Many Returns

GCR18 — Tue, 22 May 2018 19:31:35 GMT

The shoppers referenced in the article must have known they were doing something shady. Especially the ones who bought just to be able to leave a review. I think banning isn't such a bad idea because extra costs end up being spread across all customers.

Re: Banned from Amazon: The Shoppers Who Make Too Many Returns

skuggles — Tue, 22 May 2018 20:15:18 GMT

I'm so sick and tired of the dishonesty and fraud going on everywhere that I'm glad they've started doing this. Problem is, some of the stuff they sell is junk and should be returned, and the only way you'd know is to get it home. Maybe if they weed out all those false reviews they can concentrate on that. I use fakespot.com all the time and most often the items are a D or F, meaning reviews are false determined by some algorithm. A lot of the third party sellers are defrauding the customer by selling knock offs and watered down personal hygiene and beauty products with both glowing and terrible reviews. I'm not buying their clothing until they iron out all the wrinkles. LOL

Re: Banned from Amazon: The Shoppers Who Make Too Many Returns

suzyQ3 — Tue, 22 May 2018 21:11:26 GMT

The second link is one that requires that I turn off my ad-blocker. Is this info available anywhere else, or could someone c/p it?

Re: Banned from Amazon: The Shoppers Who Make Too Many Returns

NickNack — Tue, 22 May 2018 21:16:20 GMT

@suzyQ3 wrote:
The second link is one that requires that I turn off my ad-blocker. Is this info available anywhere else, or could someone c/p it?

@suzyQ3 Here it is.

Amazon is said to be punishing customers for making what the company considers to be too many returns. AP

Amazon is barring customers the company thinks make too many returns, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Amazon kicked hundreds of customers off the site in late March and early April in a wave of bans apparently related to concerns over review fraud.
Best Buy, Home Depot, Victoria's Secret, and other retailers are also tracking how often shoppers return purchases and, in some cases, punishing people who are suspected of abusing return policies.

Amazon is said to be barring customers the company thinks have returned too many items.

The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday documented complaints that the e-commerce giant had barred customers who had returned items. Amazon apparently failed to alert the customers that they had returned too many items before the bans.

The Journal spoke with two people and cited dozens more online who said they had been barred from Amazon, as well as others who received emails from the company after returning some items.

—Steve Lookner (@lookner) February 5, 2018

The two people who spoke with The Journal seem to be part of a wave of hundreds of people who were barred from Amazon in late March and early April, as previously reported by Business Insider.

Some people in private Facebook groups who were barred from Amazon admitted to violating policies through activities like leaving good reviews in exchange for a reward, such as gift cards. Some said they may have committed acts, such as reviewing products they received free or at a discount, that they did not realize were not allowed. And others said they had no recollection of violating the company's policies.

Returns can create issues for retailers. In addition to costing the company money, some Amazon customers may also be purchasing items and then returning them in exchange for payment or rewards, falsely inflating the reviews of third-party sellers.

"We want everyone to be able to use Amazon, but there are rare occasions where someone abuses our service over an extended period of time," an Amazon spokesman told The Journal. "We never take these decisions lightly, but with over 300 million customers around the world, we take action when appropriate to protect the experience for all our customers."

Amazon is not alone in this. Best Buy, Home Depot, Victoria's Secret, and a host of other retailers are discreetly tracking how often shoppers return purchases and, in some cases, punishing people who are suspected of abusing their return policies.

Fraud costs retailers up to $17 billion annually in the US, according to The Retail Equation.

"Rather than forcing retailers to impose stricter return policies such as 'no receipt, no return' or 14-day limits on returns, the system actually allows retailers to offer the other 99 percent of consumers more lenient and flexible return policies," the company says on its website.

Re: Banned from Amazon: The Shoppers Who Make Too Many Returns

sunshine45 — Tue, 22 May 2018 21:19:11 GMT

here you go.......for those having problems accessing the information.

Amazon is said to be barring customers the company thinks have returned too many items.

The Journal spoke with two people and cited dozens more online who said they had been barred from Amazon, as well as others who received emails from the company after returning some items.

—Steve Lookner (@lookner) February 5, 2018

—Claire Bochner (@cmbochner) April 17, 2018

The two people who spoke with The Journal seem to be part of a wave of hundreds of people who were barred from Amazon in late March and early April, as previously reported by Business Insider.

The wave of account closings were apparently linked to concerns regarding review fraud.

In March, The Journal reported that the third-party company The Retail Equation keeps "return activity reports" on customers dating back several years. If The Retail Equation notices activity it considers fraudulent, customers can be punished.

Fraud costs retailers up to $17 billion annually in the US, according to The Retail Equation.

- via the business insider

http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-bans-people-too-many-returns-2018-5

Re: Banned from Amazon: The Shoppers Who Make Too Many Returns

Spurt — Tue, 22 May 2018 22:13:27 GMT

This has been going on for years.....a relative was a Dept Store Manager and she told how customers bought dresses for proms, weddings, New Year's Eve parties etc and of course returned them the day after the event....some even had food stains on them....... Several families bought their kids school clothes and right before the next school year they were returned stating "they didnt wear well"...... Corporate Headquarters told her she had to take them back even though she knew people were ripping the store off..............

Let's see- Amazon's Prime is going up in price, they play pricing games with thousands of items to offset sales at other stores, meanwhile they raise prices on others and since people think Amazon is always the lowest and dont comparison shop, they get those sales too, they expanded into technology, and then the grocery game....And word has it that they want to expand into banking and medical insurance.....

Now we hear that big mighty Amazon can't take a few returns back after the billions they make..Hmmm sounds like Amazon is getting a tad greedy.....I find it amusing that some customers tried to take advantage of Amazon.......Could it be "karma" because Amazon has taken advantage of customers and driving other retailers out of business along with lost jobs................

I returned an item because one of their third party vendors didnt send me the named brand item he had pictured and included in the descriptin of the item....I got a piece of cheap junk instead, a credit card hacked, and they ARE NOT always the cheapest........Never shopped with Amazon again!!!

Re: Banned from Amazon: The Shoppers Who Make Too Many Returns

suzyQ3 — Tue, 22 May 2018 22:28:02 GMT

@NickNack @sunshine45, thank you both.

@Spurt, your prerogative, of course. Personally, I always comparison shop, and almost always, Amazon wins. I also have always received stellar CS. I've had any occasional problem fixed almost immediately.

And I don't blame them, no how big they are, for wanting to drop those who have become a liability, although I hope that after this article, they will give people a warning.

Re: Banned from Amazon: The Shoppers Who Make Too Many Returns

Kachina624 — Wed, 23 May 2018 00:05:48 GMT

People get all bent out of shape when they get THE LETTER from QVC shutting off shopping privileges due to too many returns. Apparently they don't realize all merchants have their eyes on customer returns.