How to Return When Shopping Online

At present, online shopping is very convenient and has become the daily consumption mode of most people. Sitting at home, moving your finger and the mouse, you can place an order by just 1 click, and then you can wait for the goods to be delivered to your door, which is so fast and easy. In addition, Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday are coming, and it will be another peak period for online shopping.

However, when buying items online, everyone can only see the pictures displayed by the merchants, and they cannot touch them, nor can they try them on in advance. When the goods are delivered to the door, they find that they are inconsistent with their expectations. Sometimes the defective product is received and cannot be used; sometimes the size of the clothes and bags are not suitable; the difference between the actual color of the cosmetics and the picture is too much; it may also be an impulse purchase, and now you regret it.

Source: fulfilmentmatters.co.uk

When this happens, if you don’t want to accumulate a pile of useless garbage at home, then you need to return it to reduce losses. For the US return policy, what to pay attention to and how to put it into practice, here are some suggestions:

1. Merchants usually have certain requirements for returns, such as requiring a receipt, and limiting the return period; most merchants allow returns within 30 to 90 days after purchase, etc. In addition, most merchants may also have certain requirements for the returned product conditions. For example, general merchandise needs to keep the packaging and all accessories; clothing needs to keep the tag and has not been washed; electronic products cannot be opened and used; fresh ingredients generally cannot be returned.

2. Online shopping returns generally need to apply for a return online first, and then send the goods back. If it is a brick-and-mortar store, customers are generally allowed to return directly to the store. If you have an account on the website and place an order after logging in. You need to log in to your account, find the order that needs to be returned, and you will find a return and exchange option. Then just follow the instructions in order. If you did not place an order with an account, you can find out the order email the merchant sent you. This email is usually accompanied by a click link for returns. If you can’t find it, you can directly contact customer service to return it.

3. Generally speaking, there are two ways for merchants to refund money, one is to refund money directly, and the other is to refund store credit or gift cards. As long as you apply for a return on time, most e-commerce companies will refund you according to the original payment method after receiving your return and confirming that the condition of the product is correct. For example, if you used a credit card to pay for the purchase, refunds will get back to your credit card within a certain period of time.

4. Here is a summary of the return policies of some famous online e-commerce companies:

• Amazon, most of its self-operated products can be returned in full within 30 days after arrival, and some products have special terms. Such as: food, fresh products, pet food, live plants, insects, etc., cannot be returned, but can apply for a refund. Computers, electronic products, TVs, etc., can only be returned in full if they have not been opened or used, or if there is a problem with the product. The money can be returned to the gift card balance of the Amazon account, or directly to the original credit card. The Amazon Dropoff and UPS Store Drop Off options in the return method do not need to prepare packaging materials by yourself, as long as you bring the returned product and show the QR code on your mobile phone, the merchant will help to pack it for free.

• Walmart, most of the products purchased on Walmart can be fully returned or replaced within 90 days, but the original packaging and all accessories are required, and some products are required to be unopened. Walmart accepts returns without receipts, but registration ID is required, and there are more review procedures. Some products have special regulations, such as: 30-day return period for electronic products like computers, tablets, stereos, cameras, printers, game consoles, drones, GPS, etc.; fresh ingredients cannot be returned, but if it is a quality problem, you can refund; 14-day return period for mobile phones; 30-day return period for air conditioners, dehumidifiers, etc., must have a receipt. The self-operated products sold by Walmart.com can enjoy free return service. Just log in to the account, select the returnable product, print the prepaid mailing label and affix it to the package and send it. Returns need to keep all original packaging and accessories. Customers can also choose to return their items to a Walmart store, which is quicker and easier to use the Walmart app.

• Kohl’s return policy is also very friendly, most of Kohl’s products allow full returns within 180 days after purchase. If there is no receipt, Kohl’s can also check the records by payment credit card, etc., but if the record cannot be found, the return needs to register the ID, and the refund will be made in the form of an in-store credit voucher. Premium electronics need to be returned within 30 days of purchase with original packaging and receipt. Advanced electronics include products such as headsets and speakers, gaming, fitness, printers, computers and tablets, cameras, GPS, TVs and home theater/entertainment, electronic accessories, hoverboards, drones, and VR.

The peak shopping season at the end of the year is coming, but data from a US coupon site, CouponBirds, shows that merchants are increasingly inclined to end free returns. So it is recommended that you should consider the products you want to buy before placing an order, and compare them in multiple ways. Avoid excessive returns and waste of time.

While U.S. merchants are generally very consumer-friendly, they may offer satisfaction guarantees or money-back guarantee terms, and as long as the customer is dissatisfied with the product or service, the merchant can issue a full refund. Nevertheless, refunds are also conditional. Consumers cannot return goods at will, and different merchants have different specific terms for returns. Only by being able to understand the relevant regulations of major merchants on returns before shopping can you make your consumer rights more secure.