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> returns to online providers require paying for shipping, and the initial shipping costs aren't refunded either.

Amazon offers various kinds of free / flat-price shipping, and free return-shipping for flawed products

> Even with 'free shipping', the cost of shipping + everyone else's returns is just built in.

Delivering a package to a local retailer is customer-paid shipping, just in effort/gas/wear-and-tear, not simple cash.

> Delivering a package to a local retailer is customer-paid shipping, just in effort/gas/wear-and-tear, not simple cash.

Potentially. In the case of Home Depot, I usually take my returns when I need to go anyway to shop there. Kills two birds with one stone.

Speaking of which, I've got 3 bags of stuff to return. Hope they take it back! Not stuff I've used (like I wasn't sure what size window latch I needed, so I bought 4 different sizes, checked them on the window without opening the package, and have to return the other 3)

This kind of stuff is such a boon with kids. I don't have time for 3 trips to Home Depot in one day. But I do over the course of 3-4 weeks.

I did a return on Amazon last week where not only was there no shipping charge, but I didn't have any additional expense...box, label, time, gas, etc. They scheduled UPS for the pickup, and the UPS driver brought the label with them.

Not all returns are free with Amazon. Generally speaking, there needs to be a defect or error on the part of the seller (ex: listing has incorrect info) in order for it to be free. If you classify your return as "No longer need this item.", then the shipping amount will be deducted from your return, in my experience.

If you return a lot of items and it's repeatedly defective/incorrect info/<whatever makes return shipping free>, then you'll probably be flagged just like Home Depot is doing.

In the UK we have the Distance Selling Act;

https://www.gov.uk/online-and-distance-selling-for-businesse...

"You must tell the customer they can cancel their order up to 14 days after their order is delivered. They don’t need to give a reason for cancelling. If you don’t tell the customer about their right to cancel, they can cancel at any time in the next 12 months."

So it would be illegal for Amazon to remove the right to return items bought online.

The Tories (currently in government) seem to have added a lot of exemptions to this; like the dumb £42 limit (they really don't like poor people) but it still carries some protection, And if the government hadn't also knackered the legal aid system it could be enforced at the small claims court level too... oh well.

That's not removing the right to return items, you're misunderstanding.

They're saying you can return items, and if the reason is defect or problem, then they can (as they should) wear the cost of that.

They're also saying that you can return an item, "because I don't like it/want it", and that's no fault of theirs, so you're free to return the item, but the cost of doing so is (and should be) yours.

> This is actually one of the major advantages retail still has over online purchases: returns to online providers require paying for shipping, and the initial shipping costs aren't refunded either.

I disagree. At least here in europe, with mandatory 14-day return period, buying and returning something feels a lot easier than in a brick and mortar store.

I'm not quite sure, but I think even the shipping costs (for items above 40€, I think?) are covered by the return policy legislation. I appreciate this minimal set of standards.

The ecommerce version of some brick and mortar store likely monitor Amazon and change their prices to match. If there's an item on sale and it's cheaper on a store that have a B&M presence...I'd buy from there and ship to my house. Why? If I need to return for whatever reason I can. I don't need to pretend "Item doesn't match description".