Buying Wayfair EU Furniture Returns: What You Need to Know

Wayfair is a trusted online furniture retailer for millions of shoppers across the world. In fact, it has 25.4 million active customers and counting! With corporate offices in Berlin and Boston, and 18 fulfilment and 28 delivery centres across Germany, the U.K, Canada, and the U.S. it’s clear their popularity spans the globe. And for businesses and sole traders in Europe and the U.K., their liquidation inventory and furniture returns are very valuable. Wayfair has all types of furniture and in just about any style—this means you can offer countless options to your customers.

Wayfair EU Liquidation Auctions: An Overview

Liquidation furniture includes furniture for all around the home and outdoors. That means inventory like beds and sofas, large parcel, outdoor, entertainment, kitchen and dining, lighting, mattresses, textiles and bedding, bedroom, storage and organisation, and more. Basically, any inventory you see on Wayfair’s website can end up being liquidated, either because it’s a customer return, damaged, they changed their mind, or it’s been discontinued or clearance for a long enough period of time.

Registered buyers in the EU and the UK can bid on Wayfair furniture liquidation auctions and win inventory at prices far below RRP! Resellers and sole traders then acquire this inventory to introduce into the secondary market, all while offering their customers a good deal and profiting along the way.

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What makes Wayfair furniture returns so valuable?

Broadly speaking, there are a few built-in perks to shopping liquidation furniture. The higher the item’s value, the more you can earn by reselling it. So naturally, furniture inventory yields higher profits. Plus, you wouldn’t want to forget that furniture inventory is in demand year-round! Think of flatmates coming and going, renovation projects taking off, new homeowners in need of a good deal…there’s always furniture to buy!

For Wayfair specifically, these are a few other considerations that make their furniture overstock and returns worthwhile:

Breadth of inventory

Wayfair has thousands of different sellers on their EU site like Rosdorf Park, Fairmont Park, 17 Stories, and Lily Manor. And when you’re on the Wayfair EU marketplace, you’ll be able to find a little bit of everything, from cottage country kitchens to modern outdoor design! You’re able to cater to different demographics and budgets with such a wide breadth of inventory.

Warehouse clearance and ex-display inventory

You may be familiar with warehouse clearance, ex-display furniture (or “floor model” offers), ex-catalogue inventory, and clearance stock. These are all the same concept. Whether inventory has been sitting in a showroom or in a warehouse, retailers must make way for new inventory. This means you can get near-mint condition furniture for steep discounts. Along with a steady supply of inventory as the seasons and catalogues change.

Wayfair’s return policy

Return policies vary by retailers, and in many cases, can be very flexible. According to Wayfair’s return policy, “If an item isn’t the perfect match, you can return eligible items for a refund within 30 days of delivery* in the original condition and packaging.” The likelihood that a bulky or delicate piece of furniture will get a scratch or bump during the shipping and delivery process is high. When furniture returns are made, one of two things can happen: 1) they get repackaged and resold as an “Open Box” deal (like clearance), or 2) they get liquidated.

What to know when purchasing Wayfair furniture returns pallets:

VAT requirement

All buyers must be registered as a business and provide a VAT identification number. VAT stands for value-added tax and lets you buy liquidation pallets tax-free, with the expectation that you charge this tax to your customers when an item sells.

How items are sold

Just like on their sister site, Wayfair Liquidation Auctions, Wayfair overstock and returns are sold the same way in Europe. European buyers can browse auctions that interest them and place bids based on the retail value of the goods. The most important auction details will be listed in the auction title. For example, the title “Truckload of Upholstery, Bedroom, Kitchen & Dining Furniture & Mattresses, 15 Pieces, Customer Returns, Ext. Sale Price €15,162, Lich, DE” tells you the shipment type, inventory type, quantity, condition, estimated retail, and where it’s coming from. The same goes for UK buyers, who can buy from a wide range of Wayfair UK auctions that are delivered within the country.

View Wayfair EU Auctions

Use filters to help narrow your search

Filters allow you to sort through auctions that meet your criteria. You can search by Current High Bids, Condition, Currency, Country, Inventory Type, and Shipment Type. We’ll break down the importance of a few of these filters below.

Currency

Since the Wayfair EU marketplace services member countries of the EU, as well as the U.K., you will see auctions with different currencies. Be sure to select which currency applies to you in order to avoid any confusion. You may choose between:

• Euro
• Pound sterling

Listing location

Shipment size and location can be used to determine the best auction for you. The number of miles your lot has to travel to get to you directly impacts the cost of shipping. Wayfair EU uses binding shipping through SEKO Logistics. Meaning all orders will ship from SEKO facilities to buyers.

You can filter Wayfair Europe’s auctions by country, so carefully select either:

• Germany
• United Kingdom

Please note: For buyers based outside of the UK, you will only be allowed to place bids on auctions located within the member countries of the EU, unless you have a business address registered in the UK. And if you’re in the UK, you will only be able to participate in UK auctions unless you have a business address registered in an EU member country.

Shipment type

You can find truckload auctions listed on Wayfair EU Liquidation Auctions. Wayfair pallet sizes measure at 95 x 48 x 71 cm. A truckload has 24 pallets and an LTL auction (less than truckload) has a max of 11 pallets per each truckload (TL). Furniture inventory is often bulky, and some items may be on other pallets or separated. As is the nature of liquidation, you may not always have a complete set. So shop smart and consider the amount of space you will need to store furniture and home decor items.

Conditions

Conditions of Wayfair liquidation inventory vary. Here is a brief summary of inventory conditions:

• New – Brand new product in original packaging.
• Open Box – Usually returned due to buyer’s remorse and should be visually and functionally like new.
• Customer Returns – Merchandise has been returned but should still be in reasonably good condition. Items may show some signs of use or wear like dents or scratches from handling. Note: additional parts and/or accessories may be missing.
• Damaged or Incomplete – Items may be damaged with noticeable cosmetic blemishes, or contain salvage quality merchandise that is somewhat non-functional.
• Mixed Condition – There is a mixture between conditions but it is not guaranteed that you will receive a lot of new products. All items are considered uninspected.

For more detailed condition descriptions, please refer to the Wayfair EU Conditions page.

Run the numbers

With the help of the manifest, interested buyers can sort directly on the manifest page to see the most valuable items. Before you start bidding, you should take into account the number of units, RRP, and shipping costs. Fees for liftgates and residential addresses may also apply. Once you have a good formula down for how much you’re willing to bid, you’re all set!

If you’re buying on B-Stock Europe, you may want a few pointers on how to save money on shipping:

1. Consolidate your shipments by combining multiple LTL shipments into one full truckload shipment.
2. Look for warehouses close to you—remember to use those filters we mentioned!
3. Browse EU auctions with free shipping (like B-Stock Supply Europe, for example).

Start buying Wayfair furniture returns today!

Now that you know about the Wayfair EU Liquidation Auctions marketplace from top to bottom, you’re ready to register! With weekly furniture returns and overstock auctions on this marketplace, you’re sure to have all of your furniture inventory needs covered.