Shoppers can try on clothes at their local mall but can’t do so on e-commerce sites like Amazon. But that has changed.
Whether you’re an Amazon clothing seller who wants fewer returns for a higher income or a fashionista seeking to buy online without having to return items, it’s good to know that there is the so-called Amazon Prime Try Before You Buy.
Read on to learn more about this unique feature and other related ideas to help you maximize your online shopping or selling experience:
- How Try Before You Buy works
- The cost of this feature
- Clothing and accessory items that are eligible for Try Before You Buy
- The pros and cons of this feature
- Steps to avail Try Before You Buy
- Procedure for returning items under this feature
- The benefits of subscribing to Prime Personal Shopper in combination with Try Before You Buy
Are you ready to stroll leisurely into the fashionable side of Amazon Prime?
If you are, let’s walk down the catwalk of discovery and learn more about this e-commerce feature.
How Does Prime Try Before You Buy Work?
You can get started with Amazon Try Before You Buy and follow the steps.
Before we delve deeper, let’s get into the basics of Try Before You Buy. The feature works like this:
- Amazon Prime subscribers can select up to six clothing items (and related accessories).
- Once buyers receive their items from Amazon, these customers can try the items from the comfort of their own home, and have up to seven days to decide whether they want to keep their goods or return the items.
- Customers choose which items to keep (and pay for) and which ones to ship back to Amazon.
It’s clear from what is discussed above that customers can benefit a lot from an Amazon Prime subscription.
Sellers could take advantage of Prime as well. If you’re a seller who has not yet explored Prime as a source of income, we have a comprehensive article on how to sell on Amazon Prime.
Amazon Prime Try Before You Buy Cost
Though a famous economist said “there is no free lunch,” Amazon Prime members have something that comes pretty close.
If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you don’t have to pay a fee for this Prime service!
The Try Before You Buy feature is included in the Prime membership subscription fee, which is currently $14.99 per month or $139 yearly.
However, if you’re outside the Prime subscription umbrella, you won’t be able to access the Amazon Try Before You Buy feature when you shop.
Also take note that free service doesn’t mean free clothes. Fashion still comes at a price since you have to pay for the clothes you’re buying on Prime.
Eligible Items
Among the many wardrobe items, clothing and fashion products that Prime customers can return within the 7-day trial period include:
- Dresses
- Baby clothing
- Tops
- Pants
- Sweaters
- Shoes
- Exercise clothes
- Watches
As of the writing of this article, Amazon Prime includes big brands like UGG, Adidas, Levi’s, and New Balance in this unique purchasing scheme.
Local and regional fashion industry houses may also have their products covered by the Try Before You Buy feature.
This means that regardless of the size of your fashion business, you also have a shot at offering customers this convenient trial feature.
The Pros and Cons of the Former Prime Wardrobe Feature
Before Try Before You Buy, there was Amazon Prime Wardrobe.
Weighing the advantages and disadvantages of Try Before You Buy is like conducting a Prime Wardrobe review since both the older and newer versions of this Prime feature share many characteristics. The only difference is that Prime Wardrobe was a pay-as-you-go service while Try Before You Buy comes as a freebie for Prime members.
Without further ado, let’s discuss the good stuff about Try Before You Buy first.
Pros of Try Before You Buy
Here are the advantages of availing of the new feature Try Before You Buy:
- Shoppers can select items even for limited budgets since Try Before You Buy covers even small regional fashion brands.
- Buyers can order multiple sizes since the return policy allows customers to ship back products that don’t fit them.
- Sellers who enjoy this trial privilege can effectively increase sales by letting customers try and buy clothes that match the season or holidays.
- Merchants can save for rainy days by using their Prime Wardrobe listings to direct traffic to their other Amazon product listings.
Speaking of product listings, we have a guide for sellers who want to make their listings more visible to more potential buyers.
Now that you know the positive side of Try Before You Buy, it’s time to go to the flipside for a more balanced view.
Cons of Try Before You Buy
Though it’s great to be able to try on clothes before you buy online, this perk has its downsides. These include:
- On sale items under this online shopping service could be limited. Therefore, good bargain-hunting skills are a must.
- Many sizes are not available for all the items.
- Although most item comes in a resealable box with a prepaid shipping label, some of them don’t come in resealable boxes, making returning products slightly inconvenient.
Speaking of returned products, we have an article on Amazon’s return policy and how it affects sellers on the platform.
If you have decided that the pros beat the cons, here’s a basic guide on how to take advantage of Try Before You Buy.
How to Use Prime Try Before You Buy
To quickly find fashion items that you can try before purchasing, do the following:
1 – As you browse online, go to Amazon.com or open the Amazon app on your smartphone.
2 – Search for items like you usually would.
3 – If you’re using a laptop or desktop, check out the left side of your browser as indicated below. Click the box beside Try Before You Buy filter to see only the eligible items before purchasing clothing.
4 – If you’re using the Amazon smartphone app, tap Filters at the top of the listings and select Prime Try Before You Buy eligible to see only the items you can try before purchasing (see the screenshots below).
5 – Choose up to six items and add them to your cart.
6 – Check out the items.
After you follow these steps and receive your items from Amazon, you might want to return a piece of clothing or a fashion accessory. The following section will deal with that issue.
How to Return Amazon Try Before You Buy Items
The return method for this particular Amazon feature is pretty simple. Follow these steps to have a smooth return process.
- Log in to your Amazon account.
- Proceed to the Your Orders page before the end of the seven-day trial period.
- Check off what you’re keeping and indicate what you’re returning (you might have to pay the total value of your order if you don’t accomplish this step on the last day of your trial period, by 11:59 PM local time).
- Put the items you wish to return back in the resealable box or any original packaging provided by Amazon upon delivery.
- Ensure the enclosed prepaid return label is on the box before closing the package.
- Postmark and drop the package off at your desired UPS location.
- Wait for an email confirmation from Amazon that the e-commerce company received all your return items. To track your return package, go to Your Orders.
Try More Fashion Products Through the Prime Personal Shopper Service
Do you want to buy more than six items through the Prime Try Before You Buy feature?
Availing of the add-on service Prime Personal Shopper allows you to add more to your shopping cart while getting good fashion advice.
If you avail of this extra service, you can order up to eight items that Amazon stylists personally handpick to suit your style and budget.
Amazon Prime’s Personal Shopper comes at an extra cost of $4.99 per styling as of the writing of this article. Subscribers may choose to pay for one, two, or three months.
Now that you know more about Try Before You Buy and Prime Personal Shopper, it’s time to answer the most common questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
When Does the Seven-Day Trial Period Begin?
According to Amazon’s current guidelines, the try-on period starts when the last item in your order arrives at your doorstep.
Can I Still Return What I Bought Even After the Seven-Day Try On Period?
It’s good to know that, as of the current Amazon Try Before You Buy return policy, you may still return your items beyond the seven-day trial period through a standard return procedure.
Items returned after the trial are still eligible for Amazon Fashion’s 30-day free return policy.
How Long Do Items Arrive?
It usually takes between four to six business days before your purchased clothing or accessories reach your door.
Can I Wear the Items I Bought Under the Prime Try Before You Buy Feature, Outdoors?
No. You can only try out the clothes you bought inside the house if you haven’t decided to buy them yet.
Only when you have decided to purchase an item can you wear it outside.
Otherwise, you may have trouble returning the product you wore outside, especially if there are telltale signs of use like stains or tears.
Sell More or Buy Smart through Try Before You Buy
Amazon Prime is a good marketplace for both buyers and sellers alike, with its subscription, by the way, being at a discount for seniors.
The Amazon Prime Try Before You Buy feature is a good way to save time and money while getting the clothes that you’re most comfortable with. You can even share the Amazon cart with someone else so that they can benefit from this amazing feature too.
If you’re a seller, this feature is a good way to increase sales through additional marketing channels and enhance customer experience by ensuring buyers wear something they really like.
Now that you know the pros and cons of Try Before You Buy, its nitty-gritty, and how to take advantage of it, it’s time to wear your best smile and conveniently try out something to wear or find profitable markets to sell your wonderful fashion creations.
