What are your expectations? Before you review a retailer’s return policy ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I expect to have the right to return the item for any reason?
- If the item is not what I expected or doesn’t fit, do I expect a full refund?
- If I receive an incorrect item or it is broken, do I expect a replacement with no extra shipping fees?
- How much time do I have to return this item?
- Do I expect to pay a restocking fee?
After answering these questions, read the retailer’s return policy. Do your answers and their policy match up? If not, try another online store. If you decide to compromise and the worst happens at least you knew what you were getting yourself into.
A reasonable return policy should be simple to understand. You should be able to find the return policy with out too much trouble. A company proud of their return policy should have a link to it on their front page.
Read the return policy carefully. It may have item exceptions. Many online retailers have a general return policy and special policies for individual items. For example, a company has a general policy of allowing returns for any reason, but out of their 1000 products, they offer one item (let’s say a DVD) that could be easily copied. They may have a policy for that one item that does not allow you to return it if the package has been opened. Read the entire policy and if you have any questions, contact them
