What do you do with your returned products

[wayzel]

Some customers return products. How do you deal with the returned inventory. Do you sell it on your website? On ebay as used goods? If you set up a clearance section on your website, do you feel it waters down your brand image? As a shopper, do you think bad things when you see customer returns openly being sold on a specific page, such as "if all these customers have returned products, should I even buy from this company?"

[dpd1]

It depends on how many you have I guess. It probably wouldn't be good to put a ton of them up. I either refurbish our products to new, or I post them as a demo at a discount. Many people actually like that... The demos always go fast. But we don't have many returns.

[MrHard]

Have had some success selling off non-resellable as new merchandise on Craigslist.

But, it does require a lot of time, phone, email chatter and flakey buyers then I have ever encountered anywhere. So it's something you do in between other tasks.

There is a huge number of people looking on there, I can tell you that. Almost anything will sell if the price is right.

Also, you need a warehouse that's open anyhow for people to come see the items, it's all local, shipping does not work and scams abound.

[haiwin]

resell it on my site

[dickbaker]

If there's no sign of the item having been used and the packaging is also as new, I sell it as new.

If there's any question about it, I'll sell the item on Ebay or an online forum at cost.

I hate it, though, when people obviously use a product, want to return it, but refuse to even pay a restocking fee.

[tangor]

I don't take returns these days for soft goods and specify same in the purchase contract. Hard goods have a 20% restocking fee. I'd rather scare the 'fraidy cats away than deal with the hassle on the back end. Then must admit that I have taken 3 items in return in 10 years in the spirit of maintaining REALLY GOOD CUSTOMERS. Two of the items I later sold as "open box" items after confirming product and having all documentation. The third item I bought for myself at cost/loss and still use it (stereo amp).

[dpd1]

Yeah, I've only had a few returns in about the same time as well. But if anybody asks, I tell them flat out that the only way I would take a return is if it's broke and can't be fixed with a new part. Because with our stuff, if somebody tries it, then it is instantly used. There's no hiding that. And I also figure that if somebody asks if they can return it, then they most likely ARE going to return it. Which is a game I don't play. I also try to talk to people if they sound like they don't know what they're doing and will actually talk people out of certain things sometimes... Some people would just take advantage and go for the sale, but it's not worth the headache.