What Does Sam's Club Do With Unsold And Returned Kitchen Appliances?

Whether you're a Sam's Club first-timer or a loyal, long-standing member who knows the Sam's Club membership perks that fly under the radar, you might wonder what happens to the appliances that go unsold or get returned. While Sam's Club certainly sells a ton of appliances, the items that don't find a permanent spot in a customer's home are instead sold on massive liquidation pallets to discount retailers and resellers. Pallets are auctioned off through business to business resale platforms, where sellers can bid on truckloads of merchandise that include both unsold and returned items, including kitchen appliances.

While we aren't privy to the exact details of the process, we were able to put together some details on how liquidation seems to work at Sam's Club. Liquidators go to third-party auction sites to bid on merchandise pallets or, sometimes, full truckloads of items. From there, resellers apply for approval to receive merchandise from Sam's Club. Liquidators aren't typically allowed to see the items in-person before bidding. According to Sam's Club liquidation FAQs, liquidators are not permitted to say no to a manifest once they win the auction. Sometimes, items are shipped directly to the buyer. Other times, the buyer has to go to the club to pick items up.

If you've shopped at Sam's Club for awhile, you might remember when it offered a scratch and dent clearance section, where you could purchase out-of-box or gently damaged items at a steep discount. We weren't able to find any straight-from-the-source information on why Sam's Club got rid of this section, but there are a few theories.

Some on Reddit have hypothesized that people were purchasing expensive items, slightly damaging and returning them, then going back to the club to purchase the item at a discount. Others say the COVID-19 pandemic may have played a role in the end of the scratch and dent clearance section due to changing retail expectations on reselling returned items (some people say certain Sam's Club locations occasionally offer discounts on open-box items).

If you're looking to get a kitchen appliance at a discount that was originally at Sam's Club, you're best off looking for what you want online, or at a brick-and-mortar liquidator. While it isn't the same experience as shopping at Sam's Club, you should love it if you enjoy a thrift store environment, where you can get huge discounts on kitchen items. Happy hunting!