What happens to items you bought then returned? They could end up for sale in Phoenix

PHOENIX - Ever wondered what happens when you return an item to the store you maybe didn't like?

Here's one place it may end up.

A new warehouse has opened in Phoenix, reselling returned goods from major retailers to consumers through an online auction.

Who doesn’t love to save a buck or two? Or maybe get lucky and save hundreds.

These days with how expensive things are, imagine huge discounts on all you can think of. "We have toys, tools, tires, coolers, really anything that we can imagine that's sold at retail," said Jeff Rechtziegel, vice president and general manager of Liquidity Services. 

They have facilities around the country, but about a month ago, the marketplace platform opened an 85,000-square foot warehouse in Phoenix called "AllSurplus Deals." It’s their first facility selling returned products straight to consumers.

"Some of the largest retailers in the world have return facilities right here in Phoenix. Those facilities send truckloads of products to us where we then break them down and then resell them to consumers one at a time," Rechtziegel said.

According to the National Retail Federation, online sales accounted for 14% of total U.S. retail sales in 2020 – that’s about $565 billion. Around $100 billion of those online purchases were returned.

"If you think about the reasons you return something, it's usually not because it's broken, or it's not functional, it's because it didn't fit, or you didn't like it," Rechtziegel said. Meaning, what doesn’t work for one person just may work for someone else.

500 items are uploaded to the website each day and bids start at $5.

Visit AllSurplus Deals online here.

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