There are many joys and costs of operating a small business owner. Today I'd like to share one of the most frustrations of doing business today: no-questions-asked returns.
Since I purchased the Genius Babies business just over a year ago, I've noticed one of my products having a disproportionate high rate of return relative to its sales. It's this one featured in the photo: The High Contrast Play Gym and Activity Mat. While I understand that this product can't meet customer satisfaction 100% of the time, it still seemed odd to me that it would be returned more frequently. Which is when I started paying more attention to the returned play gyms themselves. And what I saw shocked, disappointed and, at times, grossed me out.
Some customers returned the play gym claiming they no longer wanted the item or that it was defective. But in reality, the item had already been used by the buyer and was being returned because they simply decided they didn't want it anymore and wanted a full refund (this is coincidentally the highest priced item in my catalog).
I noticed the mat being sent back with baby spit up (if you have ever had a baby, you will NEVER forget the smell of stale, dried spit up), spots of what looked like blood, patches of dog hair, dried bug larvae, toys and arches with parts missing. I mean you name it.
How were these items returned like this? It's because some of my items are sold on marketplaces that have a no-questions-asked return policy. Great for customers, bad for small businesses because 99% of the items, returned items are not checked. Customers claim they just changed their mind, which means returned items are sent back to warehouses and restocked, ready to be sold to the next customer. While at the same time, small business owners are paying for items to be fulfilled by marketplaces, not given a refund of marketplace referral fees and being contacted by irate customers who want to know why they received a "bad" product from you.
Unfortunately I don't see hassleless returns going away. But I ask of customers like yourselves and of myself, to please don't be the 1% of customers who are bad actors who return things after using them. It hurts small business, other customers and only benefits marketplaces who are already the 800-pound gorilla in the room.