Sold by Amazon vs shipped by third party vendor?
Sold by Amazon vs shipped by third party vendor?
Many items I purchase online cover a wide range of categories, from hygiene goods to electronics. Often, these products appear as if they’re sold and dispatched by Amazon, which indicates they come from an Amazon warehouse. However, some items are sourced from third-party sellers, while others are shipped directly from a different location. In certain cases, a product purchased from a third-party seller and then sent by Amazon originates from a separate area than the one where it was initially sold by Amazon.
If you consider ten distinct vendors offering the same item, Amazon may still source it from another vendor altogether. This raises questions about whether products sold through third parties and shipped by Amazon are truly distinct from those sold directly by Amazon.
For electronics, choosing Amazon-sold items generally offers more reliability compared to third-party options. Certain products might be flagged as potentially fake or questionable when purchased via a third-party seller but delivered by Amazon. It seems that many electronics are now clearly separated, ensuring you won’t receive a product from another vendor after it’s been handled by Amazon.
Whether it’s wise to prioritize Amazon-sourced items over third-party ones depends on your needs. If authenticity and reliability matter most, opting for Amazon-sold goods is often preferable.
I haven't seen confirmation that they stopped comingling, can you link to the thread?
You're questioning whether the same products appear across different third-party sellers and Amazon. It seems like information about this has changed over time—some sources mentioned everything was mixed, while others noted it wasn't. I’m trying to understand if vendors actually keep separate sections for each supplier or if they blend them together in a single area. It’s confusing how they handle returns too, especially when multiple sellers offer the same item.
Comingling refers to the practice of labeling your own products with the same UPC barcode, which is necessary for them to be treated as identical. Additional criteria must also be met for proper listing. When using Amazon fulfillment, they manage returns and refunds internally. Online sources suggest there’s typically no formal return process—items are either sent back to your stock, you receive a refund (such as for damage during shipping), or you may need to accept the full amount if you’re found at fault.