You can’t go around using fancy words with us Spaniards. Surely, in Jeff Bezos’ mind, “Amazon Warehouse” sounded spectacular, but in Spain, we’ve already had to learn the meanings of “Usuario Prime” (Prime User), “Prime Video Original,” or “Amazon Music Unlimited,” among many other things. And apparently, it was showing: the service for pre-owned (and undamaged) products from the global giant was not performing as well as expected. That’s why they have decided to make a strong move: a name change.
I know firsthand
Amazon itself has acknowledged it in the email sent to Prime users: “We realized that the name of our brand was not clear.” The possibilities were many: Amazon Usado (Used), Amazon Almacén (Amazén), Amazon Pobres (Poor)… And in the end, they decided to go with Amazon Segunda Mano (Second Hand), pretending not to know that there has been a website for years (with a very catchy jingle, by the way) called Segundamano. These things happen.
Actually, this is the only change that has been made to the service, which is essentially the same as before. We assume they wanted to test if the issue was the name or the concept itself: offering very cheap prices on pre-owned products that can be categorized as like new, very good, used, or acceptable. If I may give you a piece of advice, stay away from the “Acceptable” category as much as possible. It’s usually not very acceptable.
That being said, the discounts are worth it. For example, you’ll find the cheapest ‘Tears of the Kingdom’ (at 55 euros) or a Xiaomi Redmi C10 for around 138 euros. Yes, it’s possible that the box may arrive dented as if it had been used in a baseball game, but what’s important is what’s inside, after all, right? Before making a purchase, in addition to the usual steps on Amazon, you’ll have to add an extra one: pay close attention to the product’s specifications.
This is where you can find out what’s wrong with the product and why it can’t be sold on the main website. Sometimes it’s as simple as a missing instruction manual or a damaged box, but other times there are aesthetic flaws, scratches, or even dents that can turn the deal of the century into a nightmare worthy of the worst Wallapop transactions.
Don’t worry, it generally works well, as long as you’re aware that “Segunda Mano” (Second Hand) already gives you a clue about the origin of what you’ve bought. So, complaining afterwards won’t be valid. However, if you need to save some money but don’t want to miss out on any luxuries, this is the place for you. And at least you won’t have to learn English words anymore. No, you don’t have to lie about that C2 level you never achieved: it’s perfectly fine if “Warehouse” sounded like Mandarin Chinese to you.
