[pc86]

I would love an option like this. I would gladly pay 1-2% extra on items I might return (and especially on something like shoes where I might buy two pairs to see which fits better if I can't find the brand locally) and keep the discount for things I know I won't.

My only concern with a system like this would be when you get an item that truly is defective/broken, are you expected to pay a return fee in those cases?

[barbazoo]

I don't get it, sorry. What would the money do? The damage is done, isn't it? I'm assuming often the item can't be sold again so it's just discarded, no? We can't pay the environment back for the damage we do by overconsumption.

[ADifferentKyle]

You’re right; the money is meant to make people think twice about the purchase. Like many people in the article, I would buy whatever with the intent of just returning whatever I didn’t need. The extra cost made me reconsider that option. It had a lasting impact on my online buying habits, even though it’s not available to me anymore and hasn’t been in some time (another commenter helped me recall this was jet.com, which was bought out ages ago).

[open-paren]

Jet.com, before it was bought by Wal*Mart, used to do this.

[ADifferentKyle]

I think this was it! Thank you, that was bugging me.