🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 51 (from laksa164)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa051.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/26/business/returns-shopping-gifts-charge\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/26/business/returns-shopping-gifts-charge\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/12\/26\/business\/returns-shopping-gifts-charge","crawl_time":1775834079,"first_indexed_time":1746508701,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,cnn!www,\/2023\/12\/26\/business\/returns-shopping-gifts-charge s443","src_root_hash":"2312100192101524051","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Free returns are going away | CNN Business","meta_descriptions":["If you’re thinking of sending back a disappointing gift you just received over the holidays, the return may bring even more disappointment."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Unable to load video\nPlease try again later.\nError occurred while fetching labs\nVideo Ad Feedback\nHere's where your 'free' online returns actually end up\nHere's where your 'free' online returns actually end up\nNew York\nCNN\n — \nIf you’re thinking of sending back a disappointing gift you just received over the holidays,\nthe return may bring even more disappointment.\nAmericans have grown accustomed to free returns, but a growing number of retailers are charging fees as returns squeeze retailers’ bottom lines.\nMacy’s, Abercrombie, J. Crew, H&M and other companies have all added shipping fees for mail-in returns.\nAd Feedback\nAd Feedback\nAnd it’s not just the big mall brands, either. Eighty-one precent of merchants are now charging a fee for at least some methods of returns, according to Happy Returns, a logistics company that specializes in returns.\nAmazon has started\ncharging customers\na $1 fee if they return items to a UPS store when there is a Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh grocery store or Kohl’s closer to their delivery address. (Amazon owns Whole Foods and Fresh, and has a partnership deal with Kohl’s.)\nAmazon also recently started flagging “frequently returned” products on its website. Amazon is adding the badge to product listings on items with “significantly higher return rates for their product category,” a spokesperson said.\nReturn rates have spiked in recent years as shoppers buy more online. Shoppers are likelier to return purchases they haven’t seen or tried on in person, experts say.\nCustomers sent back nearly 17% of the total merchandise they purchased in 2022, totaling $816 billion, according to data from the National Retail Federation. That was up from 8% in 2019.\nCompanies have to cover costly shipping fees in order for customers to send their products back. Those items sometimes wind up back in retailers’ warehouses or on shelves. Stores then have to mark down returned goods to sell them, further squeezing their profit. All of that hurts companies’ profit.\nMore often, returned products can end up in\n liquidation warehouses or even landfills\n, which are an environmental threat.\nIn some cases, stores are letting customers\nkeep their returns\ninstead of sending them back – low-priced bulky items like furniture, kitchen appliances, home decor, baby chairs, walkers, strollers and other items where it’s costly for the retailer to cover the shipping cost for the return.\nAmericans increased their spending this holiday season, but at a slower pace than last year. Retail sales increased 3.1% from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24 compared with the same period a year earlier, \naccording to data released Tuesday\n from Mastercard SpendingPulse, which measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment.","attrs_markdown":"Thank You\\!\n\nYour effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much appreciated.\n\nClose\n\nAd Feedback\n\n[Business](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business)\n\n[Markets](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/markets)\n\n[Tech](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/tech)\n\n[Media](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/media)\n\n[Calculators](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/financial-calculators)\n\n[Videos](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/videos)\n\n[More]()\n\n[Markets](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/markets)   [Tech](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/tech)   [Media](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/media)   [Calculators](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/financial-calculators)   [Videos](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/videos)\n\n[Watch](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/subscription\/all-access)   [Listen](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio)\n\nSubscribe\n\nSign in\n\nMy Account\n\n- [Settings](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/account\/settings)\n- [Newsletters](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/newsletters)\n- [Topics you follow](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/follow?iid=fw_var-nav)\n- [Sign out](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/12\/26\/business\/returns-shopping-gifts-charge)\n\nYour CNN account Sign in to your CNN account\n***\nSign in\n\nMy Account\n\n- [Settings](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/account\/settings)\n- [Newsletters](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/newsletters)\n- [Topics you follow](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/follow?iid=fw_var-nav)\n- [Sign out](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/12\/26\/business\/returns-shopping-gifts-charge)\n\nYour CNN account Sign in to your CNN account\n***\n[Listen](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio)   [Watch](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/subscription\/all-access)\n***\nEdition\n\n[US](https:\/\/us.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n\n[International](https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n\n[Arabic](https:\/\/arabic.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n\n[Español](https:\/\/cnnespanol.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n\nEdition\n\n- [US](https:\/\/us.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n- [International](https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n- [Arabic](https:\/\/arabic.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n- [Español](https:\/\/cnnespanol.cnn.com\/?hpt=header_edition-picker)\n***\n[Markets](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/markets)\n\n[Tech](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/tech)\n\n[Media](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/media)\n\n[Calculators](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/financial-calculators)\n\n[Videos](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business\/videos)\n***\nFollow CNN\n\nDownload the CNN App\n***\n\n- [US](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/us)\n  - 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US-Iran peace talk set. Pentagon's latest bid to limit press access blocked.](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/04\/10\/us\/5-things-to-know-for-april-10-iran-impacts-melania-trump-pentagon-ruling-easter-message-backlash-hawaii-flood-threat)\n\nMarkets\n\nDOW 48,073.81 \\-111.99 0\\.23%\n\nS\\&P 500 6,839.63 \\+14.97 0\\.22%\n\nNASDAQ 22,988.65 \\+166.24 0\\.73%\n\nHot Stocks\n\n[NVDA](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/markets\/stocks\/NVDA)\n\nNVIDIA Corporation\n\n188\\.39\n\n\\+ 4.48\n\n2\\.44%\n\n[PLTR](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/markets\/stocks\/PLTR)\n\nPalantir Technologies Inc. Class A\n\n126\\.91\n\n\\- 3.58\n\n2\\.74%\n\n[CRWV](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/markets\/stocks\/CRWV)\n\nCoreWeave, Inc. Class A\n\n104\\.75\n\n\\+ 12.75\n\n13\\.85%\n\nFear & Greed Index\n\n39\n\n[fear is driving the US market](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/markets\/fear-and-greed?utm_source=business_ribbon)\n\nLatest Market News\n\n- [Iran war oil shock pushes US inflation to highest level in almost two years](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/04\/10\/economy\/us-cpi-inflation-march?utm_source=business_ribbon)\n- [The hottest Apple product right now isn’t what you think](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/04\/10\/tech\/apple-mac-mini-ai-openclaw?utm_source=business_ribbon)\n- [The Iran war is making life more expensive for Americans](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/04\/09\/economy\/iran-war-bonds-mortgages-loans?utm_source=business_ribbon)\n\nHot Stocks\n\n39\n\n[fear is driving the US market](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/markets\/fear-and-greed?utm_source=business_ribbon)\n\nSomething isn't loading properly. Please check back later.\n\nAd Feedback\n\n# Free returns are going away\nBy Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN\n\n2 min read\n\nUpdated 9:09 PM EST, Tue December 26, 2023\n\nLink Copied\\!\n\nFollow:\n\nTech giants\n\n[See your latest updates](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/follow?iid=follow_see_all_article&source=acq_web_experiments_follow_card-social-bar-all)\n\n**Unable to load video**\n\nPlease try again later.\n\nError occurred while fetching labs\n\nSubtitles\n\n- Off\n\nVideo Ad Feedback\n\nHere's where your 'free' online returns actually end up\n\n03:01   • Source: [CNN Business](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business)\n\nHere's where your 'free' online returns actually end up\n\n03:01  • [CNN Business](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/business)\n\nNew York\n\nCNN\n\n—\n\nIf you’re thinking of sending back a disappointing gift you just received over the holidays,the return may bring even more disappointment.\n\nAmericans have grown accustomed to free returns, but a growing number of retailers are charging fees as returns squeeze retailers’ bottom lines.\n\nMacy’s, Abercrombie, J. Crew, H\\&M and other companies have all added shipping fees for mail-in returns.\n\nAd Feedback\n\nAd Feedback\n\nAnd it’s not just the big mall brands, either. Eighty-one precent of merchants are now charging a fee for at least some methods of returns, according to Happy Returns, a logistics company that specializes in returns.\n\nAmazon has started [charging customers](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/04\/12\/business\/amazon-returns-ups-store-fee\/index.html) a \\$1 fee if they return items to a UPS store when there is a Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh grocery store or Kohl’s closer to their delivery address. (Amazon owns Whole Foods and Fresh, and has a partnership deal with Kohl’s.)\n\n[![A woman browses through what items remain on near empty shelves at a Rite Aid store in Alhambra, California, on October 18, 2023, that is due for closure next Monday. The US pharmacy chain this week filed for Chapter 11 and plans to close almost 100 stores nationwide, including 31 in California, as part of its restructuring plan after filing for bankruptcy. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN \/ AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN\/AFP via Getty Images)](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) A woman browses through what items remain on near empty shelves at a Rite Aid store in Alhambra, California, on October 18, 2023, that is due for closure next Monday. The US pharmacy chain this week filed for Chapter 11 and plans to close almost 100 stores nationwide, including 31 in California, as part of its restructuring plan after filing for bankruptcy. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN \/ AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN\/AFP via Getty Images) Frederic J. Brown\/AFP\/Getty Images Here are 7 of the well-known companies that went bankrupt in 2023](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/12\/25\/business\/here-are-the-companies-that-went-bankrupt-in-2023)\n\nAmazon also recently started flagging “frequently returned” products on its website. Amazon is adding the badge to product listings on items with “significantly higher return rates for their product category,” a spokesperson said.\n\nReturn rates have spiked in recent years as shoppers buy more online. Shoppers are likelier to return purchases they haven’t seen or tried on in person, experts say.\n\nCustomers sent back nearly 17% of the total merchandise they purchased in 2022, totaling \\$816 billion, according to data from the National Retail Federation. That was up from 8% in 2019.\n\nCompanies have to cover costly shipping fees in order for customers to send their products back. Those items sometimes wind up back in retailers’ warehouses or on shelves. Stores then have to mark down returned goods to sell them, further squeezing their profit. All of that hurts companies’ profit.\n\nMore often, returned products can end up in [liquidation warehouses or even landfills](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/01\/30\/business\/online-shopping-returns-liquidators\/index.html), which are an environmental threat.\n\nIn some cases, stores are letting customers [keep their returns](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2022\/06\/26\/business\/retail-returns\/index.html) instead of sending them back – low-priced bulky items like furniture, kitchen appliances, home decor, baby chairs, walkers, strollers and other items where it’s costly for the retailer to cover the shipping cost for the return.\n\nAmericans increased their spending this holiday season, but at a slower pace than last year. Retail sales increased 3.1% from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24 compared with the same period a year earlier, [according to data released Tuesday](https:\/\/www.mastercard.com\/news\/press\/2023\/december\/mastercard-spendingpulse-u-s-retail-sales-grew-3-1-this-holiday-season\/) from Mastercard SpendingPulse, which measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment.\n\nRelated\n\n[![]()]()\n\nAd Feedback\n\n### CNN Business Videos\n- [![Egan\\_April10.jpg](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/04\/10\/business\/video\/berman-egan-march-cpi-report-cnc)\n  [Video US inflation rises to the highest level in nearly two years 2:20 Apr 10, 2026](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/04\/10\/business\/video\/berman-egan-march-cpi-report-cnc)\n- [![linkedin.jpg](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/04\/09\/business\/video\/linkedin-roslansky-raman-ai-book-cnc-digvid)\n  [Video LinkedIn executives pen new book on how to better adjust to the age of AI 7:30 Apr 9, 2026](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/04\/09\/business\/video\/linkedin-roslansky-raman-ai-book-cnc-digvid)\n- [![Egan\\_April9.jpg](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/04\/09\/business\/video\/bolduan-egan-gas-prices-iran-ceasefire-cnc)\n  [Video The cost of oil rises once again 3:15 Apr 9, 2026](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/04\/09\/business\/video\/bolduan-egan-gas-prices-iran-ceasefire-cnc)\n- [![KLOZA.jpg](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) MS](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/04\/08\/business\/video\/iran-donald-trump-oil-hormuz-gas-price-lead-jake-tapper)\n  [Video Is more oil actually moving through the Strait of Hormuz? 0:44 Apr 8, 2026](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/04\/08\/business\/video\/iran-donald-trump-oil-hormuz-gas-price-lead-jake-tapper)\n\nAd Feedback\n\nAd Feedback\n\nSubscribe\n\nSign in\n\nMy Account\n\n- [Settings](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/account\/settings)\n- [Newsletters](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/newsletters)\n- [Topics you follow](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/follow?iid=fw_var-nav)\n- [Sign out](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/12\/26\/business\/returns-shopping-gifts-charge)\n\nYour CNN account Sign in to your CNN account\n***\n[Listen](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/audio)   [Watch](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/watch)\n***\n- [US](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/us)\n  - 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US market indices are shown in real time, except for the S\\&P 500 which is refreshed every two minutes. All times are ET. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S\\&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S\\&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor’s and S\\&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices Copyright S\\&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and\/or its affiliates. Fair value provided by IndexArb.com. Market holidays and trading hours provided by Copp Clark Limited.\n\n[Terms of Use](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/terms)   [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/privacy)  [Manage Cookies](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/12\/26\/business\/returns-shopping-gifts-charge)  [Ad Choices](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/ad-choices)   [Accessibility & CC](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/accessibility)   [About](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/about)   [Subscribe](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/subscription?source=sub_web_footerlink-link)   [Newsletters](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/newsletters)   [Transcripts](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/transcripts)   [Help Center](https:\/\/help.cnn.com\/)\n\n© 2026 Cable News Network. A Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All Rights Reserved.   \n CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.\n\n## Download the CNN app\nScan the QR code to download the CNN app on Google Play.\n\n![Scan the QR code to download the CNN app from Google Play.](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/google-play-cnn-app-qr-code.png)\n\n## Download the CNN app\nScan the QR code to download the CNN app from the Apple Store.\n\n![Scan the QR code to download the CNN app from the Apple Store.](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/app-store-cnn-app-qr-code.png)\n\n![CNN Logo](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/media\/sites\/cnn\/cnn.svg)\n\n## Legal Terms and Privacy\nBy clicking Agree, you have read and agree to the Terms of Use and agree to the collection and use of your information by cookies and similar technologies, as set forth in our Privacy Policy.\n\nBy clicking \"Agree\", you have read and agree to the [Terms of Use](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/terms) and agree to the collection and use of your information by cookies and similar technologies, as set forth in our [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/privacy).\n\n[Agree](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/12\/26\/business\/returns-shopping-gifts-charge)","attrs_readable_markdown":"**Unable to load video**\n\nPlease try again later.\n\nError occurred while fetching labs\n\nVideo Ad Feedback\n\nHere's where your 'free' online returns actually end up\n\nHere's where your 'free' online returns actually end up\n\nNew York CNN —\n\nIf you’re thinking of sending back a disappointing gift you just received over the holidays,the return may bring even more disappointment.\n\nAmericans have grown accustomed to free returns, but a growing number of retailers are charging fees as returns squeeze retailers’ bottom lines.\n\nMacy’s, Abercrombie, J. Crew, H\\&M and other companies have all added shipping fees for mail-in returns.\n\nAd Feedback\n\nAd Feedback\n\nAnd it’s not just the big mall brands, either. Eighty-one precent of merchants are now charging a fee for at least some methods of returns, according to Happy Returns, a logistics company that specializes in returns.\n\nAmazon has started [charging customers](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/04\/12\/business\/amazon-returns-ups-store-fee\/index.html) a \\$1 fee if they return items to a UPS store when there is a Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh grocery store or Kohl’s closer to their delivery address. (Amazon owns Whole Foods and Fresh, and has a partnership deal with Kohl’s.)\n\nAmazon also recently started flagging “frequently returned” products on its website. Amazon is adding the badge to product listings on items with “significantly higher return rates for their product category,” a spokesperson said.\n\nReturn rates have spiked in recent years as shoppers buy more online. Shoppers are likelier to return purchases they haven’t seen or tried on in person, experts say.\n\nCustomers sent back nearly 17% of the total merchandise they purchased in 2022, totaling \\$816 billion, according to data from the National Retail Federation. That was up from 8% in 2019.\n\nCompanies have to cover costly shipping fees in order for customers to send their products back. Those items sometimes wind up back in retailers’ warehouses or on shelves. Stores then have to mark down returned goods to sell them, further squeezing their profit. All of that hurts companies’ profit.\n\nMore often, returned products can end up in [liquidation warehouses or even landfills](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/01\/30\/business\/online-shopping-returns-liquidators\/index.html), which are an environmental threat.\n\nIn some cases, stores are letting customers [keep their returns](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2022\/06\/26\/business\/retail-returns\/index.html) instead of sending them back – low-priced bulky items like furniture, kitchen appliances, home decor, baby chairs, walkers, strollers and other items where it’s costly for the retailer to cover the shipping cost for the return.\n\nAmericans increased their spending this holiday season, but at a slower pace than last year. Retail sales increased 3.1% from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24 compared with the same period a year earlier, [according to data released Tuesday](https:\/\/www.mastercard.com\/news\/press\/2023\/december\/mastercard-spendingpulse-u-s-retail-sales-grew-3-1-this-holiday-season\/) from Mastercard SpendingPulse, which measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment.","meta_canonical":null}

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URL	https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/26/business/returns-shopping-gifts-charge
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Meta Title	Free returns are going away \| CNN Business
Meta Description	If you’re thinking of sending back a disappointing gift you just received over the holidays, the return may bring even more disappointment.
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Boilerpipe Text	Unable to load video Please try again later. Error occurred while fetching labs Video Ad Feedback Here's where your 'free' online returns actually end up Here's where your 'free' online returns actually end up New York CNN — If you’re thinking of sending back a disappointing gift you just received over the holidays, the return may bring even more disappointment. Americans have grown accustomed to free returns, but a growing number of retailers are charging fees as returns squeeze retailers’ bottom lines. Macy’s, Abercrombie, J. Crew, H&M and other companies have all added shipping fees for mail-in returns. Ad Feedback Ad Feedback And it’s not just the big mall brands, either. Eighty-one precent of merchants are now charging a fee for at least some methods of returns, according to Happy Returns, a logistics company that specializes in returns. Amazon has started charging customers a $1 fee if they return items to a UPS store when there is a Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh grocery store or Kohl’s closer to their delivery address. (Amazon owns Whole Foods and Fresh, and has a partnership deal with Kohl’s.) Amazon also recently started flagging “frequently returned” products on its website. Amazon is adding the badge to product listings on items with “significantly higher return rates for their product category,” a spokesperson said. Return rates have spiked in recent years as shoppers buy more online. Shoppers are likelier to return purchases they haven’t seen or tried on in person, experts say. Customers sent back nearly 17% of the total merchandise they purchased in 2022, totaling $816 billion, according to data from the National Retail Federation. That was up from 8% in 2019. Companies have to cover costly shipping fees in order for customers to send their products back. Those items sometimes wind up back in retailers’ warehouses or on shelves. Stores then have to mark down returned goods to sell them, further squeezing their profit. All of that hurts companies’ profit. More often, returned products can end up in liquidation warehouses or even landfills , which are an environmental threat. In some cases, stores are letting customers keep their returns instead of sending them back – low-priced bulky items like furniture, kitchen appliances, home decor, baby chairs, walkers, strollers and other items where it’s costly for the retailer to cover the shipping cost for the return. Americans increased their spending this holiday season, but at a slower pace than last year. Retail sales increased 3.1% from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24 compared with the same period a year earlier, according to data released Tuesday from Mastercard SpendingPulse, which measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment.
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Class A 104\.75 \+ 12.75 13\.85% Fear & Greed Index 39 [fear is driving the US market](https://www.cnn.com/markets/fear-and-greed?utm_source=business_ribbon) Latest Market News - [Iran war oil shock pushes US inflation to highest level in almost two years](https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/10/economy/us-cpi-inflation-march?utm_source=business_ribbon) - [The hottest Apple product right now isn’t what you think](https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/10/tech/apple-mac-mini-ai-openclaw?utm_source=business_ribbon) - [The Iran war is making life more expensive for Americans](https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/09/economy/iran-war-bonds-mortgages-loans?utm_source=business_ribbon) Hot Stocks 39 [fear is driving the US market](https://www.cnn.com/markets/fear-and-greed?utm_source=business_ribbon) Something isn't loading properly. Please check back later. Ad Feedback # Free returns are going away By Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN 2 min read Updated 9:09 PM EST, Tue December 26, 2023 Link Copied\! Follow: Tech giants [See your latest updates](https://www.cnn.com/follow?iid=follow_see_all_article&source=acq_web_experiments_follow_card-social-bar-all) Unable to load video Please try again later. Error occurred while fetching labs Subtitles - Off Video Ad Feedback Here's where your 'free' online returns actually end up 03:01 • Source: [CNN Business](https://www.cnn.com/business) Here's where your 'free' online returns actually end up 03:01 • [CNN Business](https://www.cnn.com/business) New York CNN — If you’re thinking of sending back a disappointing gift you just received over the holidays,the return may bring even more disappointment. Americans have grown accustomed to free returns, but a growing number of retailers are charging fees as returns squeeze retailers’ bottom lines. Macy’s, Abercrombie, J. Crew, H\&M and other companies have all added shipping fees for mail-in returns. Ad Feedback Ad Feedback And it’s not just the big mall brands, either. Eighty-one precent of merchants are now charging a fee for at least some methods of returns, according to Happy Returns, a logistics company that specializes in returns. Amazon has started [charging customers](https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/12/business/amazon-returns-ups-store-fee/index.html) a \$1 fee if they return items to a UPS store when there is a Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh grocery store or Kohl’s closer to their delivery address. (Amazon owns Whole Foods and Fresh, and has a partnership deal with Kohl’s.) [![A woman browses through what items remain on near empty shelves at a Rite Aid store in Alhambra, California, on October 18, 2023, that is due for closure next Monday. The US pharmacy chain this week filed for Chapter 11 and plans to close almost 100 stores nationwide, including 31 in California, as part of its restructuring plan after filing for bankruptcy. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)](https://www.cnn.com/media/sites/cnn/cnn-fallback-image.jpg) A woman browses through what items remain on near empty shelves at a Rite Aid store in Alhambra, California, on October 18, 2023, that is due for closure next Monday. The US pharmacy chain this week filed for Chapter 11 and plans to close almost 100 stores nationwide, including 31 in California, as part of its restructuring plan after filing for bankruptcy. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images Here are 7 of the well-known companies that went bankrupt in 2023](https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/25/business/here-are-the-companies-that-went-bankrupt-in-2023) Amazon also recently started flagging “frequently returned” products on its website. Amazon is adding the badge to product listings on items with “significantly higher return rates for their product category,” a spokesperson said. Return rates have spiked in recent years as shoppers buy more online. Shoppers are likelier to return purchases they haven’t seen or tried on in person, experts say. Customers sent back nearly 17% of the total merchandise they purchased in 2022, totaling \$816 billion, according to data from the National Retail Federation. That was up from 8% in 2019. Companies have to cover costly shipping fees in order for customers to send their products back. Those items sometimes wind up back in retailers’ warehouses or on shelves. Stores then have to mark down returned goods to sell them, further squeezing their profit. All of that hurts companies’ profit. More often, returned products can end up in [liquidation warehouses or even landfills](https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/30/business/online-shopping-returns-liquidators/index.html), which are an environmental threat. In some cases, stores are letting customers [keep their returns](https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/26/business/retail-returns/index.html) instead of sending them back – low-priced bulky items like furniture, kitchen appliances, home decor, baby chairs, walkers, strollers and other items where it’s costly for the retailer to cover the shipping cost for the return. Americans increased their spending this holiday season, but at a slower pace than last year. Retail sales increased 3.1% from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24 compared with the same period a year earlier, [according to data released Tuesday](https://www.mastercard.com/news/press/2023/december/mastercard-spendingpulse-u-s-retail-sales-grew-3-1-this-holiday-season/) from Mastercard SpendingPulse, which measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment. 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Readable Markdown	Unable to load video Please try again later. Error occurred while fetching labs Video Ad Feedback Here's where your 'free' online returns actually end up Here's where your 'free' online returns actually end up New York CNN — If you’re thinking of sending back a disappointing gift you just received over the holidays,the return may bring even more disappointment. Americans have grown accustomed to free returns, but a growing number of retailers are charging fees as returns squeeze retailers’ bottom lines. Macy’s, Abercrombie, J. Crew, H\&M and other companies have all added shipping fees for mail-in returns. Ad Feedback Ad Feedback And it’s not just the big mall brands, either. Eighty-one precent of merchants are now charging a fee for at least some methods of returns, according to Happy Returns, a logistics company that specializes in returns. Amazon has started [charging customers](https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/12/business/amazon-returns-ups-store-fee/index.html) a \$1 fee if they return items to a UPS store when there is a Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh grocery store or Kohl’s closer to their delivery address. (Amazon owns Whole Foods and Fresh, and has a partnership deal with Kohl’s.) Amazon also recently started flagging “frequently returned” products on its website. Amazon is adding the badge to product listings on items with “significantly higher return rates for their product category,” a spokesperson said. Return rates have spiked in recent years as shoppers buy more online. Shoppers are likelier to return purchases they haven’t seen or tried on in person, experts say. Customers sent back nearly 17% of the total merchandise they purchased in 2022, totaling \$816 billion, according to data from the National Retail Federation. That was up from 8% in 2019. Companies have to cover costly shipping fees in order for customers to send their products back. Those items sometimes wind up back in retailers’ warehouses or on shelves. Stores then have to mark down returned goods to sell them, further squeezing their profit. All of that hurts companies’ profit. More often, returned products can end up in [liquidation warehouses or even landfills](https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/30/business/online-shopping-returns-liquidators/index.html), which are an environmental threat. In some cases, stores are letting customers [keep their returns](https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/26/business/retail-returns/index.html) instead of sending them back – low-priced bulky items like furniture, kitchen appliances, home decor, baby chairs, walkers, strollers and other items where it’s costly for the retailer to cover the shipping cost for the return. Americans increased their spending this holiday season, but at a slower pace than last year. Retail sales increased 3.1% from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24 compared with the same period a year earlier, [according to data released Tuesday](https://www.mastercard.com/news/press/2023/december/mastercard-spendingpulse-u-s-retail-sales-grew-3-1-this-holiday-season/) from Mastercard SpendingPulse, which measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment.
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