B&H selling returned products: Question for Mr. Henry Posner

My policy would be no returns if the item isn't defective.  Depending on the business climate and purchase demographic, I may incorporate a restocking fee.

No, I'm saying that just like when a woman buys a dress and returns it brand new with the tags still on it, it means nothing... because too many people return items that they've used with the tags re-affixed (very common for expensive dresses), or in the case of electronics, repackaged (plastic heat sealed) as if the item was new.  That has been going on for decades both in clothing retail and electronics and is a large reason dress boutiques have an "all sales are final" policy... and any return is on a case-by-case basis other than defective items.

I firmly do not subscribe to buyers remorse.  That comes under the "too bad" heading as far as I'm concerned unless you want to return it to buy an item that's far more expensive- that gives me wiggle room to work with the next guy who wants to buy the return.  I would not sell a return as a "new" item as my returns would be extremely limited to begin with.

First of all, I don't know if you've opened the box or not.  It's common knowledge in retail that many people reseal boxes or reaffix price/brand tags. I won't take your word for it.

I'd sell it as a "returned item" and offer a discount like many businesses have been doing for decades.  I would not allow returns w/out a hefty restock fee unless the item is defective.  That allows me to offer % discount to the buyer of the returned item.

I understand what you are saying but as most retailers know, people return items that they've used, resealed in plastic, tags re-attached, etc..  I won't take your word for it being "new" unless the manufacturer incorporates a seal of sorts that can't readily be resealed by dishonest members of the general public.

Obviously you don't buy clothing.  In business it isn't always about whether something is new.  It's about whether it can potentially be used, and repackaged as new.  It is also common knowledge in electronics that many electronic items are returned "as new", but the customer actually removed some parts that go undetected by laymen.  On board graphics, ram, etc.. used to be popular items to steal. Ram was easy to spot missing if you were inclined to look, but Suzy Q. accepting the returned item wouldn't know whether the on-board graphics/sound/math chip was removed or not.

I understand what you are saying because the concept is simple, but you seemingly fail to understand that many successful businesses do not allow unopened returns because of fraud.

I knew that was coming.  Not even close to being the same thing because the expectation is not the same in the mind of the consumer.  People expect cars to be test driven.  People expect that a new pair of shoes may have been tried on by others in the store.  People do not expect to pay for a $13,000 800mm lens that is sold as new, though it's been shipped across the U.S. (back and forth) whether it's been used or not.

Many dealers also have dedicated cars that they use for test drives, and those cars are often sold at a discount.

Same goes for aircraft, medium format digital cameras, and many other items that are often (not always) sold at a discount after x many customers have had their mitts on them.

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Teila K. Day
http://teiladay.com