You Take That Back

The gifting season has come to an end. That means the action is just beginning for the liquidators who handle the millions of products you return because of defects, disappointments, or because, upon reflection, you didn’t actually need anything new. In general, those who sold the product don’t want it back, in part because, as one liquidator explains: “You don’t know where the product went after it left your store, so you can’t put it back on your shelf.” Wired’s Davey Alba takes you inside the hidden world that handles your holiday returns. Thankfully, during this segment of the gift buying cycle, no one gets trampled to death.