CINCINNATI — Amazon is making it even easier to make a return this year by recently adding Staples stores as a free return center, along with Kohl's and Whole Foods.
But there could be a downside to free "boxless" returns, as one Cincinnati man just learned when his package disappeared.
Return was easy, getting a refund was not
Bill Middendorf, of Western Hills, was thrilled to hear that his nearby Staples store will now take his Amazon returns at no charge.
So, he decided to return a dog hair remover that he felt didn't do the job.
"I did the return," he said, "and saw them put it in a plastic bag, and then throw it in a big box that was sitting next to me."
But Middendorf noticed something different at Staples.
"I got a receipt," he said, "but it has no tracking information on it whatsoever."
That soon became a problem.
"About 10 days passed, and I got nothing from Amazon," he said. "Typically I get a refund in a day or two at most. So, I came back to the store and asked if they had any tracking information on this order."
But his receipt from Staples just had a reference number on it, no tracking number, and he says no one with the store could find where his package was.
"There's nothing they can do in their system to pull it up and see where it is," he said.
The good news is that Middendorf's item cost only $10, so it wasn't a big deal that it was lost.
The big advantage of using UPS
Amazon says it may now charge a $1 fee for a return at a UPS store, if you have a Staples, Kohl's, or Whole Foods drop off location closer to your home.
However, you get a UPS tracking number, and can follow your package and find out if and when it was returned to Amazon's warehouse.
The consumer advocacy group The Elliott Report found this is not the only complaint of Amazon returns missing.
It reported on a woman who returned a Keurig coffee maker at a Whole Foods store for a similar free, boxless return, but had to get the consumer group involved to receive her $63 refund after the coffee maker disappeared.
And Boston TV station WCVB reported on another Amazon return disappearing after it was dropped of at a Staples store, and the customer having to fight to get a $29 refund for a nightgown lost in transit.
How you can protect yourself
The Elliot Report suggests you:
- Save any receipt you get
- Take photos of your return at the drop-off counter
- Use the UPS store instead of free drop-off centers if the item is expensive
The Elliott Report found that Amazon addresses missing returns on a "case by case" basis, and may issue a goodwill refund.
Amazon tells us it has now refunded Middendorf's money, and given him an extra gift card, for the inconvenience.
Middendorf, though, says he is going to the UPS store, and possibly paying a $1 fee, next time.
"That way you know where it's at," he said.
And that way you don't waste your money.
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