Not in the example you used - people generally don't travel multiple times to the same location to purchase and return iterations of a single product.
Actually, I've made very few returns to Amazon.
I've bought a few items which were not as described and in most cases, they give you a full or partial credit and let you keep the item.
I bought an action cam and one of the many supplied camera mounts was broken. They sent me two brand new cameras (I have no idea why?). I ended up giving the cam a 4 star review and I fitted one of the spares to my daughters bike.
I could have fixed the pannier bags with some simple stitching but they didn't have any other option on their returns page apart from doing a return. Sooner or later, they will learn that it is cheaper to give a value credit or voucher than it is to pay Amazon to collect and return it.
I'm not an advocate of the online shopping world but we have to face the fact that the vast majority of our discretionary shopping will be done this way within ten years. I don't care what anyone says openly about paying more for good service and supporting local jobs. At the end of the day, it all comes down to price.
My local camera shop closed this year. I have a 1970's Praktica MTL2 SLR camera and the shop was my source for 35mm black and white film. I reckon I spent about £300 a year in there on bits and bobs.
But people were going in there to pick his brains and try out his display models. Then they'd go online and buy the camera they liked for a tenner less.
It's not fair and it's not great but it is inevitable.
