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Shopping online involves a leap of faith. When you buy from an online retailer, you believe that what you think you’re going to get is what you’re actually going to get. You may review product images, descriptions, and reviews. You may believe you’re making a five-star, top-reviewed purchase.
But when the item arrives, you could be disappointed. The product may not be nearly as great as it seemed. If you’re disappointed enough, you may even return the item for a refund.
Returned items are a hassle for the buyer and seller. And no matter how carefully you shop, you still may have to return an item that just isn’t what you want.
About Amazon’s New “Frequently Returned Products” Label
Amazon is now testing a new label that may help buyers make more informed buying decisions and help them avoid returns. Recently, Amazon began testing a new label that shows when an item is frequently returned.
The new warning label states: “Frequently returned item. Check the product details and customer reviews to learn more about this item.” The label appears below the About this item section.
So far, the label is being tested and is only available to some customers. You must be in the U.S., be logged into your Amazon account, and be part of the test group to see this new label.
The frequently returned label was spotted by The Information on Amazon listings for these three items:
An item may look enticing because it’s highly rated and gets lots of positive reviews. But if you see Amazon’s label that says the item is frequently returned, then you may want to examine the listing more closely before you buy.
What Else You Need to Know
Amazon’s new warning label could be a helpful tool in you deciding whether to purchase an item. If you see the label, you may want to read the reviews carefully and research the product more. There’s a big difference between items returned for poor quality versus items exchanged for a different size.
So far, Amazon’s frequently returned label does not seem to differentiate between returns versus exchanges. If you’re looking at an item of clothing to buy and see the frequently returned label on the listing, you may want to read the reviews closely to make sure you get the best size for you.
Amazon may be testing this new label to help battle against fake reviews and counterfeit products. As reviews and product ratings get harder to trust, this new label may be an important tool to help shoppers make their best online purchase decisions.
If Amazon rolls out this new label to all its customers worldwide, it may help give its customers more faith in their purchasing decisions.
Your Thoughts
Do you like the idea of Amazon’s new “frequently returned” label? Do you have access to this new label that Amazon is testing? Would you be less likely to purchase a product if you saw the frequently returned label in the listing?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!
*Online Shopping cart image from Shutterstock via PicMonkey Pro
Yes, this is a great idea for the consumer! I would pay attention to this. (I’m not sure if the sellers will love it.)
Hi Lois, You’re right, this is great for buyers. I think it may be great for sellers too. Returns don’t help anyone, including the sellers. Maybe they need to change the description of their product or adjust the sizing. If the sellers can get a lower return rate, that will help them too. And with this new label, sellers will have an even greater incentive to lower their return rate.
Returned frequently label is fantastic! I read reviews before I purchase. This would be an additional level of fewer returns although I have very very few items ever returned. Good for all concerned!
Hi Pearl, Excellent point. If people see this label, there might be fewer sales of the product and fewer returns. So then does the product listing lose the label because it isn’t being sold as much and therefore returned as much?
I can see why Amazon is testing this feature before they make it available to everyone.
Great piece of information Carolyn, thanks for sharing!
Hi Dan, You’re very welcome. Yes, this is exciting news and I hope Amazon brings this tool to all of its customers worldwide. This can be helpful information for shoppers to know about.
Great idea!
Keeps you up to speed on junk products so you don’t waste time and money ordering them.
I think shoppers would really appreciate this.
Hi Garry, Yes, if you know that a product has been returned frequently, you can search for similar products that don’t have that problem. This new feature could make online shopping more successful.
Hello all,
I think this idea is great, because so the buyer is again additionally signaled that there may be problems, be it in the function or with the quality.
I find this especially helpful because returned products often do not receive a corresponding rating or review of the item. Positive recessions are often more, real constructive feedback rather rare.
Many greetings,
Stefan
Hi Stefan, Great point. Most buyers don’t bother to leave a review so we can’t totally rely on reviews to gauge whether a product will match its description. The frequently returned label can give us important information for our purchase decisions.
Hi Carolyn
I heard about this in one of the groups I belong to for Amazon Influencers. This is also helpful for us to decide if we want to promote a product and how we might want to create content for it. For example if there is a common complaint mentioned in the reviews we can address the issue when we create a shoppable video for the product. Thanks for posting this, it’s very helpful.
Good point, Ileane. This new tool can be helpful for influencers too. If you personally like a product but then see that it’s frequently returned, you may want to find out what’s going on and rethink your endorsement of the product.
Hi Carolyn,
I agree that this is a positive development for buyers and sellers. If an item has been more likely to be returned, it’s better to be transparent about it. Amazon highlighting the About This Item section and telling people to read more of the details should help consumers be more in the know about potential problems. Also, there’s a lot of counterfeit items and this should help cut down on that. As an owner of a site that sells products, I’d like to lessen unnecessary returns, so I can totally get behind this.
Thanks for the well-written article!
-Gary
Hi Gary, It’s good to hear that sellers like this new feature too. You’re right, this label could cut down on the sale of counterfeit items and help sellers who offer legitimate products for sale on Amazon.
Thanks for sharing your seller’s perspective with us, Gary!