The Painful Parsha Of Returns Of Online Shopping

amother

Tue, Sep 01 2020, 6:59 pm

Anyone else have a stack of returns but not getting to tackle it? I shop online a lot but if something needs to be returned I’m just a lost cause. I’m not on top it quickly enough. It doesn’t help that I don’t have a printer at home for the labels or a UPS drop off nearby. Things end up wasting away at home and I very often just stay with the unneeded item. Anyone else so return disabled?

amother

Tue, Sep 01 2020, 7:07 pm

amother [ Bronze ] wrote:

1. Get a printer
2. If you don't return the stuff you don't need than you shouldn't online shop.

I’ll start with your first suggestion because online shopping is a necessity for me. I don’t get to stores between work and home life.
Which printer is good and affordable and how do I know which works with my Apple iPad?

mig100

Tue, Sep 01 2020, 7:09 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Yes. Me. I have a pile of things. I must return. Let's have a contest who tackles the pile first

amother

Tue, Sep 01 2020, 7:11 pm

mig100 wrote:

Yes. Me. I have a pile of things. I must return. Let's have a contest who tackles the pile first

The contest has to be fair. Do you have a printer? Help me buy one. I’d buy one online but how will I print a return label if the printer is no good?

Chew21

Tue, Sep 01 2020, 7:13 pm

I have a wireless printer and can print from my phone. Makes it much simpler. Chances are the printer costs less or just as much as your unreturned clothes. I try to do returns as soon as I try something on and know it won't work.

mig100

Tue, Sep 01 2020, 7:14 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

The contest has to be fair. Do you have a printer? Help me buy one. I’d buy one online but how will I print a return label if the printer is no good?

One that's( temporarily )out of service. So yes it's fair Very Happy

amother

Jade

Tue, Sep 01 2020, 7:39 pm

When you buy the printer, buy some sticker shipping labels along with it. It makes things much easier.

Wondering, though, is online shopping at all time-saving if you need to order 3 diff pairs of shoes?

Games, toys, supplies, etc. are all fine online. But clothes and shoes? You can take your kid to a local store and outfit them from head to toe, all in two hours, twice a year. Voila, forget the returns.

And if you want to argue prices, I've done both ways. If you're expert online shopper, you can pull it off. But for me, one dress that I order online that just doesn't fit right and I end up replacing after being unhappy in it for a while ends up costing the difference in savings from the online vs. in store options.

amother

Tue, Sep 01 2020, 7:48 pm

amother [ Jade ] wrote:

By me it’s a matter of getting to stores that I don’t manage.
Thanks so much for the idea of stickers.

amother

Tue, Sep 01 2020, 7:48 pm

Chew21 wrote:

A link pretty please?

amother

Yellow

Tue, Sep 01 2020, 7:52 pm

I manage to get the item back in the box, the label printed... and never get the box to the post office. I think I'm a lost cause.

I never returned the sneakers I bought for my 9 yo (now 11) which were too small... thankfully they now fit my current 8 yo! That one at least has a happy ending!

amother

Tue, Sep 01 2020, 7:54 pm

amother [ Yellow ] wrote:

You just made my night. Laugh

Miri1

Tue, Sep 01 2020, 7:59 pm

There are certain returns that don't even require a printer!
Amazon allows you bring it to UPS and they will scan straight from your phone.
I once had such a thing at the post office too, I can't remember which store - possibly gap?

seeker

Tue, Sep 01 2020, 8:30 pm

I have a printer and I have both ups and USPS on my block so I do pretty well with online shopping BUT I have still managed to miss return dates sometimes and I've had to make a firm rule of no online shopping from places that don't have ups returns because even if it seems like returning to the store will be no big deal... my storage closet reveals the truth.

We should start a new forum to resell or swap to each other all the things we are stuck with.

amother

Sapphire

Tue, Sep 01 2020, 8:48 pm

My favorite department store to shop at sends orders WITH a return label just in case you decide to return. One of the reasons I prefer shopping from their site. It's a prepaid label so you can drop it off at the post office without waiting on line (unless you want a receipt).

Zehava

Tue, Sep 01 2020, 9:04 pm

Over time I learned what’s pretty much foolproof to order (pjs, pants, tops) from the same companies, and what needs to be bought in person

amother

Natural

Tue, Sep 01 2020, 10:03 pm

Kohl’s!! The best place for amazon returns. You done even need to package item. They just scan the code and do everything. For free

seeker

Tue, Sep 01 2020, 11:48 pm

Well yeah, if you're near Kohls. For me that's way more inconvenient than even the nearest UPS store (I have a printer and a dropoff spot closer, but if I didn't UPS is still closer than Kohls!)

amother

Burgundy

Wed, Sep 02 2020, 1:40 am

I also don't have a printer and ups is a pain to shlep to. Firstly I only order online from stores that have easy returns like Amazon and Walmart.
Secondly I pretty much know what I'm getting when I order.
Also Amazon will send you a printed label for $1 which is what I resort to sometimes and I cram a bunch of returns into that return package.
Also sometimes Amazon will give you a free UPS pickup and the UPS guy will take away all your returns. Or sometimes I'll pay the $6 to have him come with a label.
Lastly, if I have a bunch of returns ready to go and I can catch the UPS guy, often he is happy to take it with him anyway.
Good luck!