I’m an avid online shopper; I pretty much never go into a real store anymore. It’s just easier, faster, and you have a much bigger selection when shopping online. As a result, I also do a fair amount of online shopping returns. I’m pretty picky, and I keep a close eye on my spending- so it follows that I’m going to return something that I don’t absolutely love. I’ve got a few tips and tricks for those of you who may not be quite as experienced in the world of online shopping returns.
Lesson 1: Stores really don’t want you to return your purchases
It’s good to start with what’s in the mind of the retailers you are shopping from. In brief, they really, really don’t want you to return anything. Alas, competition compels retailers to offer returns, but it’s important to understand the ways they are subtly (and not so subtly!) adding a little friction into the process of returning…
- Adding a charge to return something. Despite the proliferation of “free returns”, more and more retailers seem to be getting into this practice. J. Crew is most notable ($12.95 to return something), but Zara charged $6, and the RealReal charges to deliver AND return.
- More items are “final sale”. And sometimes you won’t notice that until you get it home. Retailers aren’t going to broadcast that something is final sale- but it’s there if you look closely. I don’t buy certain things that are final sale- like pants/ denim or shoes. It’s just not worth the risk of something not fitting with typically difficult products.
- Sneaky little things that make it just a little harder to return. Athleta, I’m looking at you…making me re-enter my email address when I want to do a return. Other stores default to refunding with a store credit, unless you change the refund method. Some have very tight return windows- e.g. 14 days after shipping. And Amazon is really tricky- depending on who is actually selling the product (third parties vs. Amazon) and what the product is (no returns on food!) the return policy can differ wildly. And I swear Amazon would love it if I just didn’t notice that I never got my return back on my credit card.
- “Just keep it!” More retailers are telling customers to keep low value returns. It’s simply not worth the money to ship it back and deal with the “reverse logistics” of restocking those jeans you bought. This has only happened to me a few times- probably due to my “customer return score” (see below!)
Lesson 2: Try to prevent the need to return items in the first place
No one loves returning items- despite how easy retailers have made it. I’d much rather buy exactly what I love and be done with it. Retailers are trying to make that dream a reality. That’s why I highly recommend starting a TrueFit profile and adding as much info as you can. TrueFit is being used by more and more retailers- and it really does help guide size selection, based on items in your closet that you know will fit. Log into your profile at retailers that use it, and I guarantee that your online shopping returns due to sizing issues will decrease.
I also make notes on certain retailers’ sizing and “code words”- for example, if an item from Cos is listed as “relaxed”, I know that I’m going to need a medium. “Oversized” means a small.
And of course, reading the reviews from your fellow shoppers can be an invaluable source of information. I frequently sort by the reviews with the lowest rating; it helps pinpoint where I might have issues.
Lesson 3: Make it easy to process and package your returns
So you’ve decided you are going to return something. Actually, let’s back a bit.
When you receive the item
- Save the box and the receipt/shipping label- even if you love the item
- Invest in a packing tape gun (it’s so much easier!) along with a few extra rolls of packing tape (Costco has good prices)
- And I’ve read that it’s best to NOT put the item in your closet or drawer before you are absolutely sure you want to keep it (it’s the endowment effect in action)
- And of course, keep those tags on, original packaging, etc.
When it’s time to pack up the return
- Most retailers require you to request a return online, so don’t just pack it up and send it back. Some retailers, like Net-a-Porter, require a return authorization number before they will accept the item
- Don’t linger on processing the return and dropping it off… returns can take up to an month to process by the retailer- and the return window may close while you are dilly dallying
And that brings me to my fourth lesson… a very important one…
Lesson 4: Keep an online shopping return log and all the backup information
I have a log in Excel to keep track of my purchases and returns. This includes exactly what the item is, the dates of ordering, delivery and return shipment. I also keep all the communications from the retailers related to the return, including when the retailer sends you the mailing label (useful for shipment tracking.) Nordstrom has started sending an email to let me know something is on its way back to them- that’s a nice touch.
I hate to say it, but this information has been necessary numerous times this year when a return isn’t processed by the retailer after 3-4 weeks. I’ve had to do all of the following recently:
- Send the retailer the UPS confirmation to prove that they indeed received the item (Amazon).
- Ask a retailer to credit me for all the items in the box (The RealReal).
- Ask a store if they lost my return (Banana Republic.)
So it might be worth it to you to be a bit detail-crazy about the paperwork- I know it has been for me.
Lesson 5: Your online shopping returns are being tracked
I’m pretty sure that we all have some sort of “online shopping returns score” as customers. (and I’m sure my score is pretty high!) But it’s good to keep in mind that there may be some consequences for doing a lot of returns. I get it- it’s expensive and a big hassle to deal with all our returns. And frankly, most of what we return probably does not end up back on the shelves for another shopper.
It’s not clear how my relatively high rate of “unshopping” is impacting me, but I am mindful of it. It will be interesting to see how it plays out!
Retailer Hall of Fame
I’ve called out a few retailers who aren’t particularly online shopping return friendly. But I want to end this post with a list of retailers that I love shopping with- knowing that they have my back. They communicate frequently and process returns quickly and efficiently. Returns are always free. As a result, I never hesitate to shop with them!
- Nordstrom
- Zappos (strangely- owned by Amazon, which is NOT a favorite)
- COS
- Matches Fashion
Would you add any retailers to this list? Let me know in the comments!
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