This is a big part of the success of Prime. They exceeded expectations on the returns process for long enough that people got used to it and came to expect it. Waiting for the inevitable rug pull...
I don't think it's inevitable. If it hasn't happened by now, it likely won't happen. An entire industry has sprung up around Prime returns. E.g., HOTBINS.
Well, it's not a rug pull, but the slide towards uncurated garbage makes prime less useful than it once was. When I find myself shopping at Walmart to get the value of their curation, I have to wonder about how Amazon has changed.
I don't think it's inevitable. If it hasn't happened by now, it likely won't happen. An entire industry has sprung up around Prime returns. E.g., HOTBINS.