Their Mission
Hot Taco, Inc. is a family-run game company based in Seattle, best known for creating Taco vs. Burrito—a wildly popular card game invented by 7-year-old Alex Pearson. Since launching in 2018, the company has sold over a million copies, earned 25,000+ five-star reviews, and expanded its reach with multiple play modes and add-ons. With a small but passionate team, Hot Taco focuses on creating screen-free, imaginative games that bring families together through fun, fast-paced strategy.
Problem: A Growing Pile of Returns and a Mounting Brand Risk
For Hot Taco, Inc.—the company behind the wildly popular Taco vs. Burrito card game—managing Amazon returns used to be a logistical nightmare. With over one million games sold and a broad customer base that spans families and game-lovers of all ages, returns were an inevitable part of the game’s runaway success. Unfortunately, the team at Hot Taco was unprepared for the reality of what returns on 7-figure sales look like.
“We had a warehouse that we just threw boxes in,” said Leslie Pearson, president of Hot Taco, Inc. “It was a very small space. We just put returns there. It got so full, at one point we couldn’t step into the room; we had to stand at the door and hurl the returns on top of the pile.”
Because opened card games couldn’t be resold—“Who knows if a card’s missing?”—Hot Taco’s team had to sort and dispose of every returned item themselves. Amazon doesn’t consolidate returns, meaning every product comes back in its own individual box.
“It took a small group a month to go through every returned box and sort them,” Leslie explained. “For a year’s worth of stuff, it was a month’s worth of effort. This person leading the project had another role with us, and they were dealing with sorting returns on top of their normal duties. It was a ridiculous cost in terms of time spent, considering it was on inventory we weren’t going to resell.”
Disposal through Amazon wasn’t a good option either. “The problem is, when Amazon ‘disposes’ of a product, they can sometimes sell it to third-party sellers that can then resell it on places like eBay,” said Leslie. “Not only is that a bad look for our brand, but Amazon does digital price matching, which means we might have to match the price of a bargain-basement third-party seller on an auction site.”
Hot Taco needed a solution that was simple, trustworthy, and protected the integrity of their brand.
Partnership: Finding a Better Way Through WIN Warehouse
The turning point came through a personal recommendation. “A friend of mine referred us to WIN to help solve the problem,” Leslie said. “Our product is very easy to donate, since lots of family organizations love getting games. Our biggest concern, though, was getting the right partner. We did not want someone who would turn around and simply sell the product themselves.”
That’s where WIN Warehouse stood out.
WIN offers corporate donors like Hot Taco a streamlined returns and donation solution that supports nonprofits — without reselling or compromising inventory integrity. Their model helps companies preserve brand value, earn tax deductions, and reduce waste.
“WIN’s process helps preserve the integrity of our brand and product line,” said Leslie. “The peace of mind is worth it—knowing our games are going to a good cause.”
Travis from WIN echoed that commitment: “We deal with a lot of organizations that have return fees up to their eyeballs. We’re glad to offer a service that removes that issue.”
Solution: A Simple, Seamless Returns Process—Set Up in a Single Day
Getting started with WIN was fast and remarkably easy. “I was surprised how fast and easy the setup was. I literally never think about our returns now,” said Leslie. “This is the cleanest, simplest setup we’ve ever had with a vendor. It’s amazing.”
Here’s how it worked:
- Hot Taco contacted WIN.
- Travis from WIN said yes—“No contract or agreement was necessary,” Leslie noted.
- WIN provided an address labeled with Hot Taco’s name.
- Hot Taco updated their Amazon settings.
- The partnership was fully operational within a day.
Now, instead of returns being routed back to Hot Taco’s warehouse, Amazon sends them directly to WIN Warehouse. From there, WIN sorts and distributes eligible items to vetted nonprofit partners — particularly family-focused organizations who benefit from donated games.
“We’ve provided Taco vs. Burrito to several family-oriented nonprofits and have heard great things,” said Travis.
And the partnership didn’t just save time—it eliminated costs. “We don’t pay anything. No fees. It’s not even on our books,” Leslie said.
Even reporting, often a headache in third-party logistics partnerships, has been seamless. “The reporting is great. We match it against our Amazon data—it’s always right.”
Everyone wins.
For Hot Taco, Inc., the partnership with WIN Warehouse transformed a costly, time-consuming burden into a brand-positive, mission-aligned solution.
“Our customers are more important than anything to us,” said Leslie. Thanks to WIN, Taco vs. Burrito can focus on serving them — without worrying about what happens after the return.