Effective Date: {Effective Date}
Last Updated: {Last Updated Date}
This Return & Refund Policy explains how {Company Name} ("we", "us", or "our") handles returns, refunds, and exchanges for purchases made through {Website URL} (the "Store"). By placing an order with us, you agree to the terms of this policy.
1. Overview
We want you to be satisfied with your purchase. This policy applies to orders placed directly through the Store. Purchases made through a third-party marketplace or reseller are governed by that platform's return policy, not this one. This is our voluntary return policy: where the law gives you a cancellation, refund, repair, or replacement right, those rights apply in addition to this policy and are not limited by it.
Subscription orders. For recurring or subscription orders, you can cancel future shipments at any time before the next billing or dispatch date through your account or by contacting us. Items that have already shipped follow the standard return process below. We do not refund shipments already in transit unless they are returned under this policy, are faulty, or applicable law gives you a cancellation or refund right.
Order cancellations and undelivered orders. You can cancel an order at any time before it ships by contacting us at {Email Address}; if it has not yet shipped, we will cancel it and refund you in full. If we cannot ship within the time stated at checkout (or, where no time was stated, within 30 days of your order), we will let you know and offer you the choice of a revised shipping date or a full refund. If an order is lost in transit and never delivered, contact us and we will resend it or refund you.
About this section
What's in this section
Sets the policy's scope and where it applies: orders placed directly with you, not ones made on a marketplace. It also frames the policy as accepted at purchase, which turns a posted page into part of the deal.
Why this section is here
A return policy is most defensible when the buyer agreed to it at checkout. This section establishes that link and confirms the policy does not override consumer-protection rights, which keeps the rest of it enforceable.
Common mistake
Letting the policy contradict your Terms of Service or product pages. Where they overlap on refunds or cancellation, state which document controls.
Pair this with your Terms of Service →2. Return Window
Our voluntary return window is {Return Window} from the delivery date. Requests made after this window may be declined or offered store credit at our discretion. Where the law gives you a longer or mandatory cancellation period, that period applies instead.
Your rights in the United States. There is no general federal right to cancel an order or return goods for a change of mind, so this policy governs change-of-mind returns. Several states regulate how a refund policy must be displayed: for example, California (Civil Code §1723) and New York (General Business Law §218-a) require retailers to post their refund policy conspicuously, and a retailer that fails to do so may be required to accept returns for a refund within a set period (commonly 30 days). Your rights for faulty or misdescribed goods under state law and the Uniform Commercial Code are not affected by this policy.
Right of withdrawal (EU consumers). If you are a consumer in the European Union, you have the right to withdraw from most online purchases within 14 days of receiving the goods, without giving any reason, under the Consumer Rights Directive (2011/83/EU) as implemented in your country. To withdraw, tell us your decision within 14 days using a clear statement (for example, an email to {Email Address}); you may use the model withdrawal form set out at the end of this policy, but you do not have to. Return the goods within 14 days of notifying us.
We will refund the price of the goods and the standard delivery cost within 14 days of receiving the goods back or proof that you have returned them, using the same payment method you used for the order. We may withhold the refund until we have received the goods or that proof, and we may reduce it to reflect any loss in value caused by your handling the goods beyond what is necessary to establish their nature, characteristics, and functioning. You bear the direct cost of returning the goods, because we have told you so here; we bear that cost only if we failed to give you this information before your order. This right is in addition to your remedies for faulty goods and cannot be waived. Some items are exempt, including personalized or custom-made goods, sealed goods unsealed after delivery for health or hygiene reasons, and perishable goods.
Right to cancel (UK consumers). If you are a consumer in the United Kingdom, you have the right to cancel most online purchases within 14 days of receiving the goods, without giving any reason, under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. To cancel, tell us within 14 days using a clear statement (for example, an email to {Email Address}). Return the goods within 14 days of telling us.
We will refund the price of the goods and the standard delivery cost within 14 days of receiving the goods back or proof that you have returned them, using the same payment method you used for the order. We may withhold the refund until we have received the goods or that proof, and we may reduce it to reflect any loss in value caused by your handling the goods beyond what is necessary to establish their nature, characteristics, and functioning. You bear the direct cost of returning the goods, because we have told you so here; we bear that cost only if we failed to give you this information before your order. This right is in addition to your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and cannot be waived. Some items are exempt, including personalized or custom-made goods, sealed goods unsealed after delivery for health or hygiene reasons, and perishable goods.
About this section
What's in this section
The single number customers look for: how many days they have to start a return. The rest of the policy hangs off this clock.
Why this section is here
A clear, fixed window lets you decline a late return without it looking arbitrary. Vague timing like 'a reasonable period' invites the disputes and chargebacks you will struggle to win.
Common mistake
Setting a window shorter than the law or your sales platform requires. Some states and the EU/UK set minimums you cannot undercut, and marketplaces often mandate their own.
3. Conditions for a Return
To be eligible for a return, items must be:
(a) unused and in the same condition in which you received them;
(b) in their original packaging, with any tags, labels, or seals intact; and
(c) accompanied by proof of purchase, such as your order number or receipt.
We may refuse a return, or reduce the refund, for items returned used, damaged, or incomplete beyond what is reasonably necessary to inspect them.
About this section
What's in this section
The state an item must come back in: unused, original packaging, proof of purchase. This is the gate you apply when a return arrives.
Why this section is here
Without stated conditions you have no clean basis to refuse a worn or incomplete return. Writing them down is what lets you reduce or deny a refund and point to a rule the buyer already accepted.
Common mistake
Conditions so strict that normal inspection voids the return. Customers are allowed to open and examine goods; reserve refusal for use beyond what inspection requires.
4. Non-Returnable Items
Certain items are not eligible for return or refund, except where they are faulty or where the law requires otherwise. These typically include perishable goods, custom or personalized items, intimate or hygiene products once opened, and gift cards. Additional exclusions may apply depending on the product or service, but only where permitted by law. (Edit this list to match what you actually sell, and remove any category that does not apply.)
Digital products and downloads. Because digital products are delivered immediately and cannot be returned once accessed, all sales of digital products are final once the download has begun or a license key has been issued, except where the product is faulty or the law grants a cancellation right. Where applicable law requires, we will ask for your express consent to immediate delivery and your acknowledgment that beginning the download or digital access may waive any statutory right to cancel.
Services. If you purchase a service, you may cancel before the service has been fully performed, unless we have begun performance with your consent and applicable law allows us to charge for work already done. If a service is faulty or not performed with reasonable care, your statutory remedies still apply.
About this section
What's in this section
The carve-out list: perishables, custom items, opened hygiene products, gift cards. These are the categories you will not take back for a change of mind.
Why this section is here
A final-sale category only holds if it was disclosed before purchase. Listing it here, and flagging it on the product page, is how 'no returns' holds for those items.
Common mistake
Marking faulty-goods returns as final too. You can refuse change-of-mind returns on these items, but you cannot use the list to escape liability for defects.
5. How to Start a Return
To start a return, contact us at {Email Address} with your order number and the reason for the return. We will respond with return instructions and, where applicable, a return authorization. Please do not ship items back before receiving instructions, as unauthorized returns may not be processed or refunded.
About this section
What's in this section
The process a customer follows: contact you, get instructions or an authorization, then ship. It routes every return through a step you control.
Why this section is here
Requiring authorization before shipment stops surprise packages you cannot match to an order and gives you a checkpoint to confirm eligibility. It is the step that prevents most refund disputes.
Common mistake
Telling customers to ship items back with no reference number or instruction. Unidentifiable returns are the ones that get lost and turn into chargebacks.
6. Refunds
Once we receive and inspect your returned item, we will let you know whether your refund is approved. Approved refunds are issued to your original payment method within {Refund Processing Time} of approval, less any non-refundable amounts described in this policy. Original shipping charges are non-refundable, except where the return is due to our error or a faulty item, or where applicable law requires us to refund the original delivery charge.
Restocking fee. For voluntary returns, some items may be subject to a restocking fee of {Restocking Fee}, which we deduct from your refund where permitted by law. We will disclose any applicable restocking fee before you confirm the return. We do not charge a restocking fee for items that are faulty, damaged, incorrectly supplied, not as described, or returned under a statutory cancellation right where such a fee is not permitted.
Exchanges. To exchange an item for a different size, color, or product, contact us at {Email Address}. Exchanges are subject to the same conditions and window as returns and to stock availability. Where the exchanged item differs in price, we will refund or charge the difference.
Gift returns. If an item was marked as a gift and shipped directly to you, you may return it for store credit equal to its purchase price. If the item was not marked as a gift, any refund is issued to the original purchaser.
About this section
What's in this section
How and when money goes back: original payment method, within a stated processing time, less any non-refundable charges. This is the section customers reread while chasing a refund.
Why this section is here
A concrete refund timeline sets expectations and heads off the 'where is my money' dispute. Stating that original shipping is non-refundable, where lawful, avoids an argument on every return.
Common mistake
Promising 'immediate' refunds you cannot deliver. Card refunds take days to post on the customer's side; commit to a realistic window and name it.
FTC rules on refund disclosure →7. Return Shipping
Unless the return is due to our error or a faulty item, you are responsible for return shipping costs, and those costs are non-refundable. We recommend using a trackable shipping method and keeping proof of postage, as we cannot be responsible for items lost in return transit.
International returns. For orders shipped outside {Country}, you are responsible for return shipping, duties, and any customs charges. Please mark the package clearly as a "returned item" to avoid additional import fees, which we are unable to refund.
About this section
What's in this section
Who pays to send the item back, and who bears the risk if it is lost in transit. Usually the customer pays, unless the return is your fault.
Why this section is here
Return shipping is the most common point of friction. Saying plainly who bears the cost, and that faulty-item returns are on you, removes the argument before it starts.
Common mistake
Staying silent on lost return parcels. Direct customers to a trackable method so a package that never arrives is not automatically your loss.
8. Damaged, Defective, or Incorrect Items
If your item arrives damaged, defective, or not as described, contact us at {Email Address} with your order number and photos of the issue, ideally within {Return Window} of delivery so we can resolve it quickly. We will arrange a replacement, exchange, or full refund, including original and return shipping, at no cost to you. Your legal rights for faulty or misdescribed goods may last longer than our return window and are not limited by it.
Your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (UK consumers). Goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for their purpose, and as described. If they are not, you have a 30-day right to reject them for a full refund. After 30 days, you can require us to repair or replace the goods; if that fails, you are entitled to a price reduction or to reject them for a refund. These statutory rights are free of charge and are not limited by this policy.
Legal guarantee (EU consumers). Goods we sell must conform with the contract. Under the EU legal guarantee, for at least two years from delivery you are entitled to have non-conforming goods brought into conformity free of charge, normally by repair or replacement, and to a proportionate price reduction or to end the contract if the fault is not remedied. These rights are free of charge and apply in addition to this policy.
About this section
What's in this section
The fast lane for goods that arrive broken, faulty, or wrong: a no-cost replacement or full refund, kept separate from change-of-mind returns.
Why this section is here
This is the non-waivable core of the policy. Statutory remedies for defective goods apply whatever your other rules say, so this section meets a legal duty rather than offering a courtesy.
Common mistake
Funneling defective items through the standard return process with its fees and window. Faulty goods get a full remedy at your cost, not a restocking fee.
9. Late or Missing Refunds
If you have not received an approved refund within {Refund Processing Time}, first check with your bank or card issuer, as posting times vary between providers. If you have done so and still have not received your refund, contact us at {Email Address} and we will investigate.
About this section
What's in this section
What a customer should do when an approved refund has not appeared: check with their bank first, then contact you. It deflects the support ticket before it becomes a dispute.
Why this section is here
Most 'missing' refunds are posting delays on the card issuer's side. Saying so up front reduces premature chargebacks filed against a refund that is already on its way.
Common mistake
Offering no guidance, so the customer's first move is a chargeback. A chargeback costs you fees and a dispute even when you have already refunded.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Return & Refund Policy from time to time. The version that applies to your order is the one published at the time you placed it. We will post any changes on this page and update the "Last Updated" date above.
About this section
What's in this section
Reserves the right to update the policy and fixes which version governs a given order: the one in effect when the customer bought.
Why this section is here
Tying each order to the policy version that was live at purchase stops a later edit from applying retroactively to past sales, which a customer or card network could otherwise challenge.
Common mistake
Editing the live policy and assuming it covers old orders. Keep the version a customer accepted so you can show exactly what applied to their purchase.
Re-acceptance after changes →11. Contact Us
If you have questions about a return, refund, or exchange, contact us at:
{Company Name}
{Return Address}
Email: {Email Address}
Model Withdrawal Form
(Complete and return this form only if you wish to withdraw from the contract. You are not required to use it.)
To {Company Name}, {Return Address}, {Email Address}:
I/We hereby give notice that I/We withdraw from my/our contract of sale of the following goods:
- Ordered on / received on: __________
- Order number: __________
- Name of consumer(s): __________
- Address of consumer(s): __________
- Signature of consumer(s) (only if this form is notified on paper): __________
- Date: __________
About this section
What's in this section
The channel customers use to start a return or raise a problem, and the address returns physically ship to.
Why this section is here
Returns stall when there is no clear, monitored contact point. A real return address and a monitored inbox keep a return from escalating into a chargeback.
Common mistake
Listing an unmonitored address. A return request that goes unanswered is the fastest route to a payment dispute.