IF you’ve ever fancied buying a returns pallet then there are a number of things you need to watch out for.
Return pallets are packages of returned goods from shops like John Lewis, Amazon and eBay that shoppers have sent back.
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Shoppers who buy them are gambling on what is inside.
The mystery can pay off because you could end up with thousands of pounds worth of goods that can be flogged at a profit.
But you could also end up with a massive box of unusable or broken products.
You can buy them direct from wholesalers or bid in an auction.
There are a number of places you can buy them – including Amazon Liquidation Auctions.
These sites also sell pallets:
- MartHill International
- gemwholesale.co.uk
- wholesaleclearance.co.uk
- Ebay
- discounthouse.co.uk
- williamgeorge.com
- now-sale.co.uk
- hopite.co.uk
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You’ll need to read the terms and conditions before splashing out on one – because in some cases, you won’t be able to return it and get your money back.
That’s why returns pallet expert Karl Baxter and chief executive of Wholesale Clearance has revealed his top tips for making sure you get a good deal – and don’t end up out of pocket.
He has years of experience selling returns pallets – and has explained how you can make some cash.
Check out what’s on offer
There’s no guarantee you’ll be able to bag specific products in your returns pallet.
Mr Baxter says there is “no hard and fast pattern to when stock is available” – so its a matter of checking in on websites to see if a pallet is listed that you fancy bidding on.
He says online searches for return pallets are up 170%, meaning they are in higher demand.
But before you splash out, its important to do your research.
“Research the prices before buying [a pallet],” he said.
He says because of the “sheer volume” of packages on offer, you should “exercise caution” and make sure you’re paying for goods you think you can sell on.
Mr Baxter added that its a good idea to research which sites are best for buying pallets from.
Look at reviews and see what other shoppers have got in theirs via online forums or Facebook groups.
It’s not a guarantee that you’ll get a good deal – but it might help spotting the ones to avoid.
Is the price right?
The price of a pallet is often determined by tallying up the full selling price of all of the items in the pallet, says Mr Baxter.
For example, Mr Baxter says he charged £105 a pallet of 50 items of chain store clothing were worth £500 if sold in store – saving customers 80%.
The more you pay, the higher the value of the items inside – but this doesn’t guarantee that they will all be in working order.
Never spend money that you can’t afford.
Be aware of the risks
Although you could make money out of selling on items in a returns pallets, there are a number of risks you need to know about, Mr Baxter said.
“[Pallets] can include unchecked returns where some items may be damaged or incomplete,” he said.
He added another risk to be aware of is that some pallets don’t have the items inside listed.
“You do not necessarily know what you are getting, which can sometimes be disappointing,” he said.
The biggest difference between buying an item in a shop compared to getting in a returns pallet is that you won’t have the right to return it – even if it’s faulty.
Items also won’t be covered by a warranty, which means if they break you won’t be able to get them fixed for free.
One savvy saver bought a £315 returns pallet and got £1.7k worth of goodies.
For more pallet profits, this couple paid £18 for a return pallet and came away with £10k worth of goods.
And this woman revealed what she found in her Amazon beauty returns pallet.
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