We had a very productive conversation with one of Walmart’s reps yesterday and we’re thinking about testing a few items on their platform.
One thing that is a potential concern is INR claims. Our ASP is relatively high, and as we all know on Amazon there are buyers who file false INR claims. Between using Amazon’s Buy Shipping and judicious application of signature requirements, we feel like we have an adequate safety net on Amazon when this happens, but Walmart seems to put the onus back on the seller and carrier.
For those selling on Walmart, what has been your experience with INR claims?
Are they common? Will a successful delivery scan or signature requirement be sufficient to defend against a claim?
I have had ONE INR claim in the 14 months I have sold there.
I opened a case and sent tracking and a photo that UPS had sent as proof of delivery.
I was refunded by Walmart. I will guess they do what ebay does - and Amazon is supposed to do
with proof of delivery - they absorb the cost of the claim.
My experience is there are far less false claims with Walmart.
Very few INR claims.
They don’t have an INR process the way Amazon does with AtoZ claims and auto protections that you sometimes have to appeal when it fails. Instead you have to open a case about the order, which requires you to pay enough attention to know that you need to.
Appealing the INR’s was easy enough and successful with proof, but my sample size is pretty small.
Walmart has also rolled out their own buy shipping similar to Amazon’s, but I don’t use it so I’m not sure if that adds any protections for INRs.
Customer makes claim (Lost In Transit) - they just refund - no way to dispute - Those are orders that tracking never says delivered.
BUT! it down the road if tracking shows delivered, they pay you back.
Lost After Delivery - They refund, but you have the ability to dispute the charge.
Return To Sender - They refund, but you have the ability to dispute the charge.
etc, etc.
One a month I go through them & see which ones have been refunded and the return tracking status doesn’t say DELIVERED. I then dispute the charge(refund)
I do notice that when the customer claims “Incorrect Item” they are fully refunded and Walmart doesn’t give them a return label. They are allowed to KEEP IT. However you can dispute the refund.
I’m seeing returns @ %3.86. Lots’ of “No longer wanted”. I guess Walmart just’s gives full refunds and a return label for customer’s using that claim type.
Also a bunch of “Can’t be Delivered” - I guess people don’t know their own addresses
We haven’t had an INR claim, but I will say, that every other claim we have gotten (no longer needed, bought by mistake…) Walmart is set up to screw the seller (not unlike Amazon), but there is no reasoning with Walmart about returns (for instance, return shipping always falls on the seller, regardless of the reason). There is no safe-t claim like avenue and no matter what the buyer says, it’s always seller faulted.