--- title: Retailers are telling customers to keep items instead of returning them. Here’s why - The Hustle description: Big retailers are letting customers keep items they want to return to avoid paying for shipping. image: https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/128834109-News-Brief_2021-12-02T003828.331Z.webp --- # Retailers are telling customers to keep items instead of returning them. Here’s why ![Rob Litterst](https://thehustle.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Rob-Litterst-pic.png?width=48&height=48&name=Rob-Litterst-pic.png) [Rob Litterst](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/author/rob-litterst) [Rob Litterst Twitter profile ](https://twitter.com/robbylit) Published: December 02, 2021 Updated: October 11, 2023 Free returns are great, but know what’s even better? Free stuff. ![Retailers are telling customers to keep items instead of returning them. Here’s why](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/128834109-News-Brief_2021-12-02T003828.331Z.webp?width=595&height=400&name=128834109-News-Brief_2021-12-02T003828.331Z.webp) Retailers like Amazon, Target, and Walmart have left customers pleasantly surprised by [letting](https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-walmart-and-target-let-customers-keep-some-returns-2021-1?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202021-11-30%20Retail%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:38300%5D&utm_term=Retail%20Dive) them keep refunded merchandise instead of returning it, per *Business Insider*. #### **Why are they doing this?** Free shipping has long been table stakes for consumers, but it turns out retailers don’t want to pay for shipping either, especially for an item coming back. Due to the pandemic and global logistics challenges, the shipping burden has increasingly fallen on their shoulders: 1. Online returns rose **70%** in 2020 as consumers were less willing to drive to stores for returns. 2. Retailers have been stuck with the bill for processing returned items (at a cost of [$10-$20)](https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-walmart-tell-consumers-to-skip-returns-of-unwanted-items-11610274600) and covering freight, which can run as high as **15%-20%** of the cost of the products. #### **Before you go plotting your next big haul…** … there are some rules — not *everything* or *everyone* is eligible for freebies. The new return giveaway policy is restricted to customers who have a purchase history with the retailer, and items that qualify are typically: - Unlikely to be resold - Cheap enough that the cost for the retailer to process the return isn’t worth it So if you had visions of copping a new flat-screen out of the deal, think more along the price point of fidget spinners. And don’t go too crazy, or you may get [banned](https://www.yahoo.com/now/could-banned-amazon-doing-common-050829467.html) from Amazon for filing too many returns. Topics: [Amazon](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/amazon) [Ecommerce And Retail](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/ecommerce-and-retail) [Logistics](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/logistics) ## Follow us on social media prev next - ![No, we do not want Amazon Music Unlimited](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/405441452-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-amazon_20230912220603.webp) ### No, we do not want Amazon Music Unlimited - ![Excited about Bed Bath & Beyond’s return? You may feel pretty lonely](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1248390843-19-News-Brief_2023-08-20T225804.606Z.webp) ### Excited about Bed Bath & Beyond’s return? You may feel pretty lonely - ![Is the ‘Big One’ about to drop on Amazon?](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/662561061-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-ftc-vs-amazon_20230813234521.webp) ### Is the ‘Big One’ about to drop on Amazon? - ![What can be done about shoplifting — and how bad is it, actually?](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1983757125-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-shoplifting-man_20230606222634.webp) ### What can be done about shoplifting — and how bad is it, actually? - ![People love stealing stuff from Target](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/921948562-19-News-Brief_2023-05-22T002028.532Z.webp) ### People love stealing stuff from Target - ![Kiss your free returns goodbye](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/88609367-httpsthe-hustle.hubspot.comhubfsDaily20Newsletter20ImagesMay2011202023Returns.webp) ### Kiss your free returns goodbye - ![The company that turns rain into drinking water](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1783708216-19-News-Brief_2023-04-17T234232.437Z.webp) ### The company that turns rain into drinking water - ![The supply chain is fine, but inflation is not](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1321399645-HS-News-Brief_2023-02-28T003320.109Z.webp) ### The supply chain is fine, but inflation is not - ![Fadeaway: Nike’s latest pivot is bad for brick-and- mortar retail](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/139434517-News-Brief_2020-09-01T005347.846Z.webp) ### Fadeaway: Nike’s latest pivot is bad for brick-and- mortar retail - ![Bowling balls, nipple clamps, rubber chickens: Essential or not, you can get ‘em on Amazon](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/202924809-2020-News-Brief_2020-04-09T012738.687Z.webp) ### Bowling balls, nipple clamps, rubber chickens: Essential or not, you can get ‘em on Amazon Pop up for Subscribe to The Hustle Daily Newsletter Subscribe to The Hustle Daily Newsletter Get the 5-minute news brief keeping 2.5M+ innovators in the loop. Always free. 100% fresh. No bullsh*t. JOIN FREE ### 100% Free CRM Nurture and grow your business with customer relationship management software. Signup for a free account Close modal ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Rob Litterst", "url" : "https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/author/rob-litterst" }, "datePublished" : "2021-12-02T08:49:27.000Z", "headline" : "Retailers are telling customers to keep items instead of returning them. 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