All those returns, where do they go?

I notice in the US some people seem to buy a camera and then change their mind and I get the impression you can just return the camera, even after you've had it for a while and used it. I'm not sure how long that is but reading some threads here, it seems fairly lenient. Certainly we cannot do the same thing in Australia.
I'm wondering what happens to those cameras that are returned. Would they be resold as new or would they be classed as refurbs or just 2nd hand?

In the US, fairly certain they'll end up as refurbs or perhaps CPS loaners.

How can the retailer afford it. I assume they must give back a full refund and they then have the cost of getting the camera refurbed and sold at a lower price. I'm wondering how it all works. There's no way a retailer would do that here, the only time we are entitled to a refund here is if the product is faulty, or not fit for the intended purpose. If it's perfectly fine and we've just changed our mind, we are not entitled to a refund.

I believe it is the manufacturer who issues a refund to the retailer. Then the manufacturer sells it as a refurbished unit, or as stated above, uses it as a loaner. Two years ago I bought a 60D refurb with 17 shots on it. How else would one explain that?

Many retailers have a restocking charge and if a constant user performs this stunt too often they get flagged in the retailers computer system. I have a neighbor that "bought" a new camera every year just prior to a vacation. He took good care of it and then returned it 2-3 weeks later. For awhile there wasn't a restocking fee, then the stores started charging a 10% restocking fee. Now he is told to do his camera shopping elsewhere.

Having worked in retail..

When there is a return, you check the item to make sure it is still in new condition and all parts/accessories are there. If the product was defective, it gets returned to the manufactuer and often then they will fix it and sell it on the refurb market. If the customer simply didn't like the item, it gets put back on the shelf as an "open box" item with a certain amount off of the price of a sealed new. The store still has a margin built into the price and makes a profit. Customers who appear to be renting gear by buying it, taking it for a right up until the return, and then bringing it back, are flagged and their return can be denied. Also some items have shorter return periods or restocking fees to discourage that behavior.

Best Buy if you are premier silver is VERY lenient on returns, 60 days to return or price match now on anything you buy.

Ever wonder how much the generous return policies contribute to inflated prices ? I think, in the end, we all pay for the losses that manufacturers and vendors suffer- thru higher prices...

I'm a great one for customer service.
I think if a product is faulty in ANY WAY it should be immediately swapped for a new one, and if the 2nd is faulty swapped again. If the 3rd was faulty then one should be given the option replace again or a complete refund.

I personally disagree with this crazy idea that the customer can just change his mind!
Get real - in the end; we the normal customers pay for this - in the form of inflated camera prices or when manufacturers try and make us go through the repair loop.
Mind you in the UK at least if you have a brain slightly higher than ESN [educationally subbnormal] our darling Goods and Sevices Act and the Sale of Goods Act means it's pretty easy to force a manufacturer to comply.

Submariner wrote in post #15265752
Mind you in the UK at least if you have a brain slightly higher than ESN [educationally subbnormal] our darling Goods and Sevices Act and the Sale of Goods Act means it's pretty easy to force a manufacturer to comply.

Bit of a technicality, but as the contract is with the retailer, it's very rare in the UK that the manufacturer can be forced to do anything - the shop bears all of the responsibility for warranty claims. Problems can arise with certain larger retailers, who distance themselves from their responsibilities under the contract by enforcing a warranty direct with the manufacturer.

Ironically, European "distance selling" regulations give online and mail-order purchasers more rights to return goods than those who buy on the high street.