Have you ever been browsing on Amazon for something that you want, but is just out of your budget? Or have you ever considered the idea that the Air Fryer you’re eyeing could be much less expensive if you bought one with an open box? This is what you get with Amazon Warehouse. According to Amazon, “Amazon Warehouse resells millions of like-new, open-box, and pre-owned items that have been returned by customers at a great discount.” Common products include books, small kitchen appliances, electronics, furniture, and more.
When a used product is listed on Amazon Warehouse, it will go through a rigorous inspection process so shoppers can have peace of mind knowing that they’ll get a good product. However, it’s important to know the details behind Amazon Warehouse before you start buying or selling there.
Here’s what we’ll discuss in this article:
- Amazon Warehouse overview
- Who owns Amazon Warehouse Deals?
- How does it work?
- How do you detail conditions for Amazon Warehouse listings?
- What does it mean when a listing says Open Box?
- What you need to know about Amazon Warehouse
- What are the shipping and return policies?
- What about the buy box?
- Risks vs. benefit of shopping Amazon Warehouse
Table of Contents
Amazon Warehouse Overview
As mentioned above, Amazon Warehouse is basically a place where shoppers can purchase lightly used items at a lower cost than brand new. Sellers can list products with varying levels of wear and tear, and they are responsible for letting buyers know whether the product is renewed, used-like new, used-very good, used-good, or used-acceptable. We’ll discuss this in more depth later in this article.
These items don’t come with a manufacturer’s warranty, but they do fall under Amazon’s standard 30-day return policy, and renewed items get a 90-day return policy.
Who Owns Amazon Warehouse?
Since Amazon Warehouse is an extension of Amazon, it’s owned by Amazon. They are able to make all of the decisions regarding which products can be sold and the product’s condition.
How Does It Work?
Most of the time, items sold on Amazon Warehouse have been returned or have damaged packaging. They go through a 20-point inspection where Amazon decides whether the product is fit to be re-sold, then if it passes the inspection, it gets listed on Amazon Warehouse.
As a shopper, you can then browse through all of the Amazon Warehouse Deals to find discounted products.
How Do You Detail Conditions for Amazon Warehouse Listings?
When you’re shopping Amazon Warehouse Deals, you’ll see a listing condition on the product. It will say renewed, used – like new, used – very good, used – good, or used – acceptable. Here’s what you can expect with each one:
- Renewed
These products look like new, work like new, and come with everything a brand new product would include. It might be repackaged, but you’ll most likely be very happy with your order if you choose to get a renewed product. Plus, they have a 90-day return policy and the “Amazon Renewed Guarantee.”
- Used – Like New
Used – Like New products are typically in perfect condition, but the packaging is damaged enough that it can’t be sold as a “new” product.
- Used – Very Good
These items could have cosmetic blemishes, be slightly-used, have unnecessary parts missing, or have replaced packaging.
- Used – Good
If you get a product in this category, there might be some significant cosmetic damage or missing parts. These products also might have different packaging.
- Used – Acceptable
These items still work, but they could have scratches or dents, missing pieces, or third-party attachments.
What Does It Mean When A Listing Says Open Box?
Open-box is fairly self explanatory – it basically means that the item has been opened and maybe removed from the box, but other than that, it’s practically new.
What You Need To Know About Amazon Warehouse
As a seller, it’s important to know that only Amazon can list items on Amazon Warehouse and it isn’t available to Amazon sellers. This means that the items do qualify for Prime Shipping, free second day shipping, or free Super Saver shipping, but they do not ship internationally. The items also fall under the traditional Amazon 30-day return policy. However, Amazon will only refund buyers if the issues with the product are because of an error on Amazon’s part.
If your package is lost or damaged while in Amazon’s care…
They’ll do one of two things:
- Replace the item
- Refund the buyer the value of the product, but not FBA or other fees
What does replacement value mean?
When Amazon is deciding what a product is worth, they’ll consider:
- Average FBA price on Amazon
- Your sales history
- The ASIN sales history
The replacement value is determined by a number of factors, but it will never exceed $5,000. Amazon recommends purchasing third-party insurance if you order something over that amount.
What does the policy cover?
- Items that have been damaged in a fulfillment center
- Items that have been lost in a fulfillment center
- Items that have gone missing in a fulfillment center for 30 consecutive days
- Items that have been lost or damaged by carriers and/or distributors
- Items that have been lost or damaged on their way to a fulfillment center using Amazon carriers
What does the policy not cover?
- Items prohibited by FBA
- Items that don’t meet FBA requirements
- Restricted items that have been lost or damaged during removal order processing
- Defective items lost or damaged by customers, distributors, or sellers
- Expired products
- Items that arrive at the fulfillment center damaged
- Small parcel items that are damaged in transit by Amazon partnered carriers due to improper packaging
You can see more information regarding Amazon Warehouse returns in your account.
What about the Buy Box?
Unfortunately, Amazon Warehouse items cannot win the Buy Box.
Risks vs. Benefits of Shopping Amazon Warehouse
The number one question people ask when it comes to shopping Amazon Warehouse deals is, “is it worth it?” It’s hard to know exactly what you’re going to get when you’re buying a used item, even if it’s “like new.” There are also many factors that contribute to customer satisfaction. How fast did it ship? What condition was the item in? How was the customer service? As of now, the Amazon Warehouse seller rating is nearly 80% positive, which is great considering the products are not all brand new.
There are third-party sellers with similar names to Amazon Warehouse Deals that you need to watch out for. They have gained a reputation for being scams.
Overall, shopping Amazon Warehouse Deals is a great way to save money while getting quality products. And if you’re not satisfied, you can always take advantage of that 30-day return policy Amazon offers.
If you have any other questions about Amazon Warehouse Deals, the experts at Laser Sight Digital are here to help.
