Planet-friendly alternatives for returned and overstock FBA items
We recently introduced two new Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) programmes to make it easier for you to resell customer-returned or overstock inventory while also giving more products a second life.
- FBA Grade and Resell lets you offer customer-returned items for sale as used items on Amazon. The programme is now available in the UK and will be available in the US by the end of the year. We will offer the programme in Germany, France, Italy and Spain by early 2022.
- FBA Liquidations lets you recover value on customer-returned and overstock inventory by liquidating eligible items through Amazon’s liquidation partners. The programme is now available in the US, the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
These programmes are part of our commitment to sellers like you, and to the planet. They provide an alternative to having inventory returned to you, while also helping to reduce product waste.
‘Customer returns are a fact of life for all retailers, and what to do with those products is an industry-wide challenge,’ said Libby Johnson McKee, director of Amazon WW Returns, ReCommerce and Sustainability. ‘These new programmes are examples of the steps we’re taking to ensure that products sold on Amazon go to good use and don’t become waste. Along with existing programmes like FBA Donations, we hope these help build a circular economy, maximise reuse and reduce our impact on the planet.
‘We’re excited that these programmes will also help you to reduce costs and grow your businesses – it’s a win for our partners, customers and communities.’
Donating unsold inventory
FBA Donations, which started in the US and the UK in 2019 and in France in 2020, is an easy, automatic way to donate returned or overstock inventory. Since we introduced the programme, more than 67 million items, such as household and school supplies, have been donated to recipients through our charity partners, including Good360, Age UK and Secours populaire français.
For more information, refer to FBA Donations programme.
7 replies
Seller_Yja9oH7DLHk2I
I am not prepared to use the grade and resell unless you guarantee to remove negative feedback received as a result of an incorrect grading,
I already spend far too long dealing with used sold as new complaints where FBA have clearly sent out an opened item.
Seller_VHHjXRfBGam7u
“Customer returns are a fact of life for all retailers”
You could also tweak your return policy so that you don’t actively encourage wasteful and ambiguous, silly returns, that in itself would be far more Planet-friendly.
How many sellers get as many returns from other Marketplaces or own websites as they do on Amazon - I’d guess few if any sellers do.
Seller_VZVuCgPssUR1K
Only making this announcement because of bad press recently. If nothing was said publically then they would have carried on as usual.
Seller_Yja9oH7DLHk2I
I frequently have to destroy stock because Amazon removes the listing for various reasons. I am then left to appeal to try to get it reinstated. When this fails which it usually does (mainly because invoices are over the magical 365 days old) I usually have to destroy the stock.
Amazon simply doesn’t understand that it is their policies that create a lot of the problems.
Seller_DJwE1RXTpAHPh
Translation:
This is our way of boosting our public profile at no cost to us. We make no money on returning inventory to you anyway, so why don’t we donate it for you in our name - at least we can benefit in some way from that. Thanks, sellers!
I just wish they would stop talking to us like we are gullible idiots!
Seller_jYRs5j79vUnYP
If you want to help environment how about you start with your outrageously wasteful packaging until then I dint need a lecture. A return order of 500 items came back to me in 200 odd boxes cartons and envelops. Took 2 hours to open them all. Just disgusting waste. One 8cm by 3 cm item was in huge box with reams of filler paper wrap.
