Photo: Getty Images
Every day, Amazon sells 12 million products in America, and like with any retailer, a portion of those items wind up getting returned and restocked. In fact, you've probably bought things from the e-commerce giant and were unknowingly shipped something that another customer previously sent back. It turns out, there is actually a way to know if you've received an item that has been returned, and a TikToker shared what to look for.
Ryan Hamilton explained in a video that you need to check the labels on the product. He captioned the clip, "Amazon is selling used products as new" and in it, he points out that if there is a label on your item that starts with the letters LPN, it means it has been previously returned. The good news is that if you see the label and are unhappy about it, you can return the product to Amazon for a full refund.
In the comments, an Amazon worker revealed, "An LPN isn't always an item that has been returned. If you bought it at full price you should have gotten it at a reduced price. So still return it for a refund or a reduced price," while someone else added, "This isn’t always true. They put LPNs on brand new boxes of shoes for example." Another former Amazon return associate tried to put viewers' minds at ease, stating, "We have to inspect those items to make sure they’re resealable."
As for what exactly LPN means, according to a poster in Amazon's Seller forum, "LPN stands for license plate number. You might find this label on a returned item. It is a unique serial number that identifies specific items throughout the fulfillment process. LPNs help track inventory and shipments as they move through the supply chain."