Outside of going to an audiophile store (which there are none nearby me), it seems many on this sub are often purchasing headphones with the intent to just try them. They'll give em a good critical listen, and if they dont like em, ship em back. Amazon seems to be popular for this.
But I dont get how this works. I dont trust Amazon's "free returns" policy as they've screwed me numerous times in the past (non headphone related). Furthermore, free returns are often not free at all, and I see tons of fine print about restocking fees, return fees, etc etc. So how are you guys managing to test so many headphones before buying them?
I know headphones.com has a 365d return policy, but at least they're transparent and tell you upfront that there are restocking fees (as opposed to Amazon which is the exact opposite). So at least you can budget and act accordingly. But again, I ask - how are you guys doing this? Is Amazon really being that good to you guys and I just have the worst luck in the world? Help!
I totally share that mindset!
I guess, this is a generational and cultural thing, though.
Wasteful consumerism is something that was born in the United States (watch my comment disappear in downvotes) and chinese manufacturers quickly latched on to that to maximise profits. (Wish, Shein, etc.)
In Europe, free returns haven't been a thing for most of my life. You ordered clothes, you better hope they'd fit, because sending them back was 10-20 bucks. That was fine, because driving to a store and standing in line in front of the changing rooms took time, too. (and time and gas is money!)
Then, certain brands came on to the market and offered free returns. People started to go crazy, because receiving parcels somehow releases endorphins (they reported about a woman ordering a 500kg europalette full of Zalando boxes!). These stores only wrote red numbers at first, because the cost of taking back opened boxes, folding clothes and wrapping them up again, was so high. But in the end, they all but completely eradicated all the "traditional" online stores that refused to implement the same "free returns" strategy. And they started making money. A saddening number of those clothes end up being incinerated, because it's just too expensive to pack them up again for re-sale..
consumers? ignorant.. don't care.. don't know?
This sickening behaviour has spread across Europe like a plague in the last 10 years. Of all the things, I've ever ordered, I maybe returned 0.01% (unless it was a warranty case, of course), but that's my upbringing, my culture.. and my awareness for the ecological impact of returning goods that don't stand a chance of being re-sold.
When I buy electronics, I want to test them, hands-on.. I travel to a city where I can do so.. I meet with people that own them, so I can try it for myself, etc.
Maybe this is the time where Millennials are "the boomers"... but the hypocrisy of Gen Z people pointing fingers at big companies for damaging the environment, polluting the oceans, etc. all the while enabling them through their consumerism.. it annoys me like hell!
Electronic stores usually sell "refurbished" products also (meaning returned products in good condition). So, I see no harm in buying "refurbished" items and return them if you are not satisfied.
I also pay for a subscription (like Amazon Prime) to a store that allows 60 days returns and this gives me more confidence in trying and buying new things.