[cool_dude85]

>Amazon cannot take the customer’s word on return condition.

Why not? Doing so prevents this exact scenario. I'm curious if you think this is appropriate in other circumstances too: a customer at the grocery store returns a bag of candy. Do you want the cashier to check it and decide to put it back on the shelf for you to buy?

>This is good enough since someone buying the used copy can also return it if they disagree.

But not good enough for the author, who loses a royalty payment.

[Judson]

This is almost exactly how it _does_ work in big box grocery except there are blanket policies re: disposal for food items. Fwiw, Amazon also has near identical policies for food items.

[cool_dude85]

I worked for years in a grocery store and never saw a returned item go back on the shelf. Hope I never shop at the places you're talking about.

[xboxnolifes]

> Why not? Doing so prevents this exact scenario.

And creates other scenarios.

[cool_dude85]

Well, like what? The book gets thrown away?

[Judson]

Maybe it’s more apparent in the opposite case. Customers who say the item is totally fine, but have shipped back a box of rocks.