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Fri July 19 2019 10:53:58

Where Amazon Products Go to Die

By: Ina Steiner

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There's a place where you can go and browse through bin after bin of Amazon products that cost between $1 - $3 each, depending on the day of the week. It's a store in South Carolina called Bin Time, and it may give sellers who use Amazon's FBA fulfillment service nightmares.

An Amazon seller sent us a link to this news story that said many of the items have an MSRP of $100+, "including YETI thermoses, headphones, drones, high-end makeup, and more."

The article included a Youtube video showing a thrifter called "The Nauti Floridian Pinup" visiting the Bin Time store. It's stunning to see people sifting through the same kind of items you see stacked on shelves in videos of Amazon fulfillment centers.


The thrifter posted a second video showed her haul, and it was amazing to see all the loot she got for just $3 each. As you can see in her follow-up video, she's not buying to resell, she's a true bargain hunter - one with oodles of style.


While Bin Time is referred to as an Amazon store in the news story, it's operated by a South Carolina liquidation company. This shouldn't come as a surprise to readers, and in October, we reported on another way Amazon liquidates "unsellable" and overstock goods: it partnered with B-Stock to launch Amazon Liquidation Auctions, which sells bulk quantities of customer returns and overstock merchandise.

But we noted that inventory on the new auction site was purely overstock Amazon merchandise and included no FBA returns.

Sellers might not like the fact that Amazon products could end up selling to customers for pennies on the dollar, but on the other hand, Amazon has gotten grief from environmentalists for sending mountains of products to the trash pile. 

Let us know if you've seen any stores in your area that offer up Amazon rejects.



Comments (10) | Permalink

Readers Comments

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by: b86fiero This user has validated their user name.

Sat Jul 20 10:39:29 2019

At least the products are not going to landfills.
I'll make a point of visiting Bin Time on my next trip to the Carolina's.  Will be interesting to see what's available and at what price.  Haven't heard of any Amazon liquidation outlets or stores in my area.

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by: shut1968 This user has validated their user name.

Sat Jul 20 16:52:40 2019

Another retail place for Amazon to dump off all the stolen FBA merchandise from sellers.

Of course they can dump it for cheap.. they paid nothing for it.

Thieves

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by: margo This user has validated their user name.

Mon Jul 22 04:59:12 2019

There are stores in Tennessee called Gimme 5.Everything is in bins and you have to dig through it. It starts out everything in the bins s $5.00. The next day is $4.00,next $3.00 ect. until last day is .25. They restock once a week. I have only went on .25 day and found some great bargains..I bought a bunch of 1byone tv antennas one time for .25 a piece. I have another friend who her and her husband goes almost every week on .25 day and it never amazes me what she finds. I seen her today and she had the most beautiful necklace on and told me she got it there for .25.. Even though everything is picked over there are still bargains to be had.
If you want to stand in a long line on stock up day it may be worth it to you as you might find a fantastic deal. Another one of my friends found a brand new Dell laptop computer for $5.00 in the box on $5.00 day. I love these stores.

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by: Chicago48 This user has validated their user name.

Mon Jul 22 06:31:38 2019

I wonder how much Bin-time buys the overstock for; by the pound? by the piece?  And it seems that most if not all of that stuff is made in China?  So that means rather than ship it back to China or put it back on the shelf, the seller agrees to "donate" it?  It would be interesting to know what the terms are.
Almost all sites are doing something like this.  Thredup has a "rescue" bag.  There are lots of vids about the different retail sites and how to resell overstock.

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by: Chicago48 This user has validated their user name.

Mon Jul 22 06:37:59 2019

I notice none of those items are "brand" names.  ("Chinese mfrs"). On a recent marketplacepulse report, it states that 22% of the searches on AMZ are by "generic" search.  Meaning, that when buyers go to AMZ they are searching by keyword such as "mens walking shorts" vs. Ralph Lauren walking shorts.
How in the world would anyone search for and find those items she showed?
None of what she bought would interest me.

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by: Chicago48 This user has validated their user name.

Mon Jul 22 06:40:42 2019

Correction:  Only 22% of Searches on Amazon Include a Brand Name.
Meaning that the other 78% are generic searches.

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by: Flying Childers This user has validated their user name.

Mon Jul 22 06:52:47 2019

Just goes to show how totally overpriced most of this crap from China is.  Unbelievable.

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by: purpleiris This user has validated their user name.

Mon Jul 22 15:04:25 2019

Okay, wait a minute. These are products that sellers sent to Amazon for their FBA service? Who decides when something gets tossed and at what cost to sellers?

I agree it's better than ending up in a landfill, but I question Amazon's practice and whether or not this is something done without a seller's approval. I do not sell on Amazon and never have, so am not familiar with how it all works.

Why would someone want to use their FBA service if they stand the chance of losing their products? Do they get compensated for it somehow?

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by: BargainzBabylon This user has validated their user name.

Tue Jul 23 02:11:41 2019

This country has entirely too much crap.  

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by: purpleiris This user has validated their user name.

Tue Jul 23 08:59:49 2019

I agree, Bargainz. Especially after reading the article I just did about the extent of the plastics problem and how the big plastics companies are fighting to keep polluting our planet while pretending to be concerned about the environment. Of course, the petroleum industry is the main player behind it all.

They don't want to stop relying on fossil fuels because it's easy money. It costs money to develop more eco-friendly, sustainable and renewable energy. They're not rich enough for all that, you see.

Anywho, back to your regularly scheduled programming....LOL



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