GoTRG's 2023 Return Report highlights that 59% of surveyed retailers have a "keep it" policy for items not worth the shipping costs back, primarily for products priced up to $20. "Returnless refunds," a policy where customers receive a refund without having to return the purchased item, are typically used for low-value items where the cost of processing the return exceeds the item's value. The National Retail Federation estimated that $816 billion in merchandise would be returned in 2022, with many items potentially ending up in landfills. To address this, retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Shopify sellers are adopting "keep it" or returnless refund policies. Amazon initiated this in 2017, with policies varying based on sellers. However, consumers are advised not to abuse these policies as they're not guaranteed and depend on specific circumstances.
