What happens with returned lenses.

From time to time someone pops a message here bragging how he ordered several lenses with the only purpose to cherry pick one. Such people make me sick. This is nothing less than stealing, really. But my question is what happens to the returns ? Canon specifically designs the packaging to be easy resealed, so I suspect the lens goes back on the shelf instead being passed for refurbishing service. The downside is that a legitimally defective item also goes the same route i.e. to the next unsuspecting customer.

It is so easy to prevent an open box item from being resold as new. The only thing they need is to shrinkwrap the package but I guess neither Canon nor the store are interested in that. I really like the stores that impose restocking fees, makes me more confident to buy something but unfortunately no many retailers do that.

It varies.

Refresh Image wrote in post #11996231
The only thing they need is to shrinkwrap the package

This is a repeatable process.

just use some red tape that has canon on it to seal the edges of the package.
it would be as simple as that really.

pol024 wrote in post #11996405
This is a repeatable process.

Unless it is done at the factory with UPS codes printed on the wrap.

I just hope they don't get resold to me upon my next order!

My experience ... purchased a lens from Norman Camera a few years back and you could plainly make out where someone had attached a sticky note saying: Sell as new.

If you return an item to Home Depot or Target, take a gander at what the clerk does with the item once you hand it over. You will notice that they have a bunch of carts labelled by department and they will place your return in the correct one (unless you tell them you are returning it because it is defective).

After hours, other workers will take those carts back to their home departments and put all the returned items on the shelf!

Seriously - what do you people all think stores do with returned items? Throw it all in a dumpster?

If stores could not re-sell returned items as new, return policies would be a lot different and I bet a lot of stores would simply require that you deal with the manufacturer on all defective items instead of returning it.

JeffreyG wrote in post #11997216
After hours, other workers will take those carts back to their home departments and put all the returned items on the shelf!

Sad but true.

KY707 wrote in post #11997315
Sad but true.

Would you prefer it if the stores had a strict 'no returns' policy and required all defective products to be sent to the manufacturer? This would be the result if we all insisted that returns could not be restocked.

I guess I'm just surprised that so many people think that returned merchandise is just scrapped. Order a new EF 600/4L IS II from B&H tomorrow and then return it. Do you think B&H will pitch that $12,000 into a dumpster? Ir mark it as 'refurbished' and lose $1500 on your whim? Un-uh.

Quizzical_Squirrel wrote in post #11997339
How is it stealing?

If I order two pretty frocks, one pink and one blue but the pink one makes me look like a hippopotamus so I return it ... am I a frock thief?

Perhaps, but are you a knicker nicker?

I think the OP's position is predicated on the assumption that the item has lost more value than the retailer is prepared to accept in the implementation of such a return policy. I would consider this unlikely,.

Quizzical_Squirrel wrote in post #11997339
How is it stealing?

If I order two pretty frocks, one pink and one blue but the pink one makes me look like a hippopotamus so I return it ... am I a frock thief?

My mother in law is Lex Luther and The Joker then all rolled into one. She'll shop the sales for her grandkids and buy all kinds of stuff on sale. Anything that doesn't fit or the kids hate she takes back and returns.

Without a generous return policy (which most stores have) she could only shop with each child present. This would make surprising anyone on the Birthday or for Christmas kind of tough.

And some people do abuse generous return policies. My sister once worked retail and was disgusted by ladies who would return fancy evening dresses with sweat stained pits. Those dresses could not be restocked, so the customers were in effect stealing.

Lots of folks take advantage of Amazons lenient "No Questions Asked Return Policy" because there too cheap or dont want to rent a lens or multiple lenses for a trial run first.

This has been going on for years and a simple $10 or $15 dollar restocking fee would probably help curb it a little but maybe not since it still costs $50.00 plus to rent most any lens.

I have never done what is described here but on the other hand i definitely wont buy from any vendor that charges a 15% restocking fee either.

Salesman at BB told me a few weeks back they have ceased any restocking fees since their sales have plummeted in the last year.

Regards,

If this minor ramble is actually irrelevant, please excuse me.

I recently set out to buy a BD player with media player functionality and went to a few shops armed with a set of questions and a disc with various formats of file that I'd like be able to play. Few shops had every model in stock configured for such a test, and no attendant could answer my questions authoritatively. The usual stance was: "We have a 14 day no questions asked return policy. Take one home and find out for yourself if it does what you need."
At the end of the day, even with returns, this may prove cheaper to the store than having to have more floor space, higher staff skill/knowledge levels, and less active "selling" time due to assistants being tied up with pre-purchase enquiries.

Not sure I would call it "stealing".

If I were spending a couple thousand on a lens, I would want one that worked correctly out of box.

If I were a "pro" I would not have time to go through process of getting RMA and then waiting for new lens. I would probably order three lens, pick the one that works correctly and eat the return postage.

I am not a pro and money worth more then my time so I buy one and if there is a problem deal with it as I go along - luckily no problems so far