Yesterday I shared with you the best-ever 3 things you should ALWAYS buy USED from Amazon. But today I wanted to tell you that not every Used item is a good deal on Prime.  So let's take a look at the DO NOT BUY USED ON AMAZON List:

1. Fragile items - glass sculptures, fragile ceramic decor, etc. Most of these are chipped or cracked. Most likely because it became damaged during the shipping process, therefore the original buyer sent it back to Amazon. I advise not purchasing any of this type of stuff unless you don’t mind being innovative and trying to hide damage.

2. Items with a MOTOR - For example, I have purchased two high end aquarium filters ($300+ each). Both arrived non-working. So either the person who bought them ruined them by running them dry or it was a factory defect. Either way, a total waste of time and energy on my end.

3. Stuff with super important pieces - Ugh. These have been very bad experiences for me. People buy these items from Amazon then steal the important parts and return the rest. I sincerely think they buy them just to take certain pieces and they have every intention of returning it. For example, they steal the brackets off the curtain rod or the wall shelf. I have even had the curtain rod ends (the fancy pieces) stolen. I have also seen them steal the hanging hardware from the photo frames. This becomes a source of frustration. My rule of thumb is; if it has a million pieces, chances are the important hardware is gone, but you won’t know until you assemble it. My husband has been pissed off many nights because he spent 2 hours assembling the fancy Amazon Prime table set just to learn its 5 mandatory pieces short…. so HARD PASS on this type of stuff.

4. Food - This is just sketchy as a whole. It seems the main reason for return is buyer remorse. Perhaps last Friday they had too many margaritas and thought ordering $70 in Prime potato chips seemed like a good idea, but come Monday, when it arrives they are filled with regret. Either way, food that has been in someone elses hands is just weird. Hell, even Halloween Candy for my kids creeps me out. I grew up in the 80’s and remember the “Razorblades in Apples!” scare. Eek.

5. Body Care / Cosmetics - This is another “buyer beware”. Are they “USED”? No. Not really. But they usually were opened. Body Care and Cosmetics usually have an “after opened” expiration date that looks like one of these images, hiding somewhere on the products label:

The problem is, if someone opened the body care to smell it, they have already started the clock on how long it is “good” for. Nobody truly knows how long it takes for items to be returned to the Amazon Prime Warehouse, then relisted as Used, then re-sold then re-shipped. One thing we know for a fact is that you have at least 30 days to return the item to Amazon if you’re unhappy with it. Let’s assume it takes only 3 weeks to sort, process and re-list it. Combine that with another 3 months for the item to sell again as “Used” = 4+ MONTHS it has sat. So if this specific item has the “3M” jar label on the exterior packaging:

This specific item may have already reached the point of losing:

• Scent
• Consistency
• Color
• Active Ingredients Usability
• And more

So basically, it’s no different than buying a past-expiration foundation off of the clearance rack at Walgreens. Is it going to be “bad” - not necessarily. But is it worth saving $2? Probably not.

IN CLOSING

Remember that even if the Used Prime item is bad, you CAN still return it!   Make sure you check out yesterdays list of things you absolutely must buy Used on Amazon!