Reversing the Flow of Packages

While I have received a number of packages from Amazon and other retailers (i.e. Allen Edmonds) lately, I have also been sending a lot of packages out as well. In fact, I have been sending out more packages and items overall than I have been receiving. In addition to the returns process (which has been pretty good despite what some have said about Amazon customer service) because of clothes being absurdly smaller than that which is stated on the tag and overall descriptions not quite matching up with what I received, I have also been collecting the unused items, unwatched DVDs, and unplayed video games from around the house and selling them to Amazon for credit.

At this point I think we have gotten rid of about five or six moving boxes worth of stuff that, in the future, I won’t have to haul from place to place, store here or there, and open and close trying to find that one misplaced item. Putting in the time and selling these items now is saving us a lot of time in the future and putting a little bit of credit in our account as well. Of course, that credit did lead to some of the aforementioned returns so really it is just a vicious cycle. But at least shipping is free across the board.

That credit has also served to help us get a head start on buying some of the Hanukkah gifts for our son. Nothing big but some toys that we have been eyeing since we either saw them in a store or at someone else’s home. However, while we have gotten a bit of a jumpstart on our holiday buying (definitely not the first time we have been in this situation) it has also introduced another issue. Remember that vicious cycle I mentioned earlier. Well, we may have gotten rid of a lot of stuff but we also have a lot of stuff coming in which is currently stacked in a few boxes along the back wall of my office.

It is actually a pretty eclectic pile as there are toys, home upgrades, gifts for family members, shoes, and a completely overhauled wardrobe. And those are just the things that I can remember or see when I glance over. Thankfully, the pile is a bit deceiving as the packaging takes up a bulk of the space, the clothes are replacing ones that I have already donated, and the gifts will be handed out in about a month so it really isn’t that bad and we are still saving space. Of course, I don’t expect this to last and I am sure I will find myself writing about this again like I am doing now and I have done in the past. But, until then, we will certainly enjoy a little extra space.

Packages And Returns

It seems as though there is one package or another that arrives at the office on a daily basis. All different shapes, sizes, and weights. Some business and others personal (especially around the holidays). Also a common sights is the occasional box that is put aside to be picked up and returned to where it came from. I have heard all the reasons for send something back even though I rarely do so myself from wrong size or color to poor quality, wrong item all together, or arriving too late and everything in between.

Every time I see one of those packages heading out the door I can’t help but think about the cost of those returns and how the “free returns” policy isn’t really a free service as those anticipated costs are factored into the price of the object. When I looked into the data behind returns (focusing on the online side of things) I was taken aback by the percentage… in 2013, The Wall Street Journal found that nearly a third (33%) of all online purchases were returned for one reason or another. That is a lot of money spend on “free returns”.

Beyond the money it just seems like a pain in the what to have to go through that process and I tried finding some more information on what impact it has on the retailer. From a recent survey I found the following statistics:

• 54% of respondents stated that the reason for returning an item purchased online or by phone is because the item is the incorrect size or color
• 97% of respondents stated that the return process is important to their future intentions to shop with a retailer
• 73% of respondents who receive an incorrect item after already returning it once stated that they are much less likely to shop with that retailer online or by phone again for future purchases
• 45% of respondents who have experienced continuous return process issues with particular retailers stated that they have limited shopping with that retailer altogether (both online and in-store)
• 26% of respondents expect the correct item to be shipped to them within one to two days after returning the incorrect item

While I rely more on the end cost of the item and tend to put up with these errors, it seems as though I am among the minority. But it makes me think more about the disconnect that many people have from the products they buy while maintaining the “I see it now and I want it now” mentality. While I prefer going into a store and buying the items that I want or need, online is an inexpensive alternative to get the same thing at a much better price. I wonder how many of those in the above survey could have avoided the return had they seen the color in person and determined if something ran large or small while trying it on in the store.

We have to remember that while online shopping is convenience and cheaper, the in-store experience is sometimes worth the ten minutes out of your day and ten cents out of your pocket. Heck, sometimes it is cheaper to buy in the store if you simply talk to the sales person, manager, or owner. That little bit of time can end up saving you a lot of aggravation if not money and if people stop returning so much stuff online it might even drive down some of those “low prices” even further.

Date Night

About halfway through the day I had enough and needed to take a break from the work, the cleaning, and sitting around the apartment in general. While I was being productive and getting plenty of things done, some long overdue, I was feeling a little bit of Jack Nicholson rattling around in there. Once I found a good place to stop I knew it was time for us to get up and out. There were a few things we had to get done, a few last minute gifts to pick up, and a few items to return so there was a productive motive to our trip but that was by no means the major motivator.

First stop… Wal-Mart. I know, such an exciting and exotic place to visit. After returning a few purchases from our Black Friday trip (we picked up/out too many DVD’s) we walked around store and picked up a few essentials (windshield wiper blades) and a gift. We were going to pick up a second gift at the ammo counter but there are two major problems in trying to do that. First, ammo is still in limited supply and, second, no one is ever at the ammo counter to help and employees seem to get lost on their way there when you request assistance (a third common problem is the fact that no one at Wal-Mart knows what you’re talking about beyond pointing at specific boxes).

Second Stop… Staples. I know, calm down, don’t be jealous of our exciting life. While we found an extra gift in the clearance section, along with a few other items, the main objective was to pick up ink for our photo printer (we’re only about two months behind in picking this up). The nice thing with Staples which I have mentioned before, I can utilize coupons and other discounts. After handing in all the coupons and taking off a little bit with some rewards dollars, the total cost was the equivalent of us simply coming in and buying the ink cartridge as full price. Not a bad trip.

With the handful of errands now completed, it was time to just be together and have a little bit of a date night so we headed off to do something that we haven’t done in a long time (probably about a year and a half), we went to watch a movie at the AMC in Plymouth Meeting. It was an optimal time to head to the movies as many factors were working in our favor: we had a Fandango gift card to cover the tickets, we both needed to take a break, there was a movie out we could agree on, and we have been long overdue for a date night. Sodas and popcorn in hand, we climbed the stairs and got settled in for the next two plus hours.
 

While “The Book Thief” is an excellent movie and I highly recommend watching, be prepared to be a little depressed. There is a deep sadness throughout the film (no surprise for a story that takes place in Nazi Germany) which can catch you off guard at times. Wonderful performances all around and a pace that is perfect for the subject matter and the mood of the film. It is a movie that you should allow yourself to get lost in and a story that should be wrapped around you like a new and slightly uncomfortable and unfamiliar blanket. It is for these reasons that I will not go into the details of the film and let you explore it for yourself.

 

After the afternoon movie, we stopped by the mall for a quick sit down dinner (a lighter meal after all the popcorn and soda) and soon after headed back to the apartment and back to work. Now that I have gotten a few more things taken care of I am now sitting down, talking to you, and drinking some fresh tea in an infuser cup I gave to my wife at the beginning of the day. Nothing like fresh, loose tea to end the day and calm you down from a work filled weekend. Time to head off to bed to rest up for a short work week but hectic week overall.