Amazon is introducing a new warning badge on its website to help improve the customer experience.
The Seattle-based e-commerce giant is bringing the badge to its platform to address the issue of frequently returned items. It reads, “Frequently returned item: Check the product details and customer reviews to learn more about this item,” next to products that customers often return, as shared by The Information. The badge is intended to help customers make more informed purchase decisions and prompt sellers to modify their listings or products.
The move follows a surge in e-commerce returns during pandemic lockdowns, which has led to rising costs for retailers. On Amazon, customers can return an unused item within 30 days from the date of purchase. Further, these returns are generally free for the customer, which means Amazon pays to have the product shipped back. Considering the added costs of returns that Amazon has to incur, it makes sense for the company to crack down on returns.
It’s worth noting that the warning has already started appearing on products like certain record players and dresses, though the warning tag isn’t visible to all users yet. Also worth noting is that the products with the warning tag are those from third-party vendors fulfilled by Amazon. Some sellers say that their customers return items at a higher rate on Amazon than when bought from other outlets, a discrepancy they say is due to Amazon’s easy checkout process and fast Prime shipping.
“We’re currently showing return rate information on some product detail pages to help our customers make more informed purchase decisions,” said Amazon spokesperson Betsy Harden in a statement given to The Information.
Amazon’s new warning badge is a step towards addressing the issue of frequent returns, with the hope that it will help customers make more informed decisions. It remains to be seen how effective the new badge will be in helping Amazon cut costs on frequent returns. We are also uncertain as to when the badge will roll out widely, and if it will be available for Amazon Canada users.
Image credit: The Verge
Source: The Information
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