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Everything you need for great customer service — in one platform
A clear return policy is not just a legal requirement — it's one of the most important factors in a customer's purchase decision. Research shows that 67% of shoppers check the return policy before buying. In this article, you'll learn how to write a return policy that builds customer trust and protects your webshop.
As a webshop in the EU, you are bound by European consumer protection law. The key rules:
Customers have the right to at least 14 calendar days from the date they receive their order to return it, without giving a reason.
Once you receive the return (or proof that the customer has sent it back), you must refund within 14 days. This includes the original shipping costs.
As a webshop, you can charge the customer for return shipping costs, but this must be clearly stated in your return policy before purchase.
Not all products fall under the right of withdrawal. Exceptions include:
A complete return policy includes at least:
Here is a basic return policy you can adapt for your webshop:
You have the right to return your order within 30 days of receipt, without giving a reason.
Products must be returned unused, undamaged, and in their original packaging. Return shipping costs are at the customer's expense, unless the product is defective or incorrectly delivered.
Once we have received and inspected your return, we will refund your purchase amount within 14 days to the original payment method.
The legal minimum is 14 days, but many successful webshops offer 30 or even 60 days. A more generous policy increases trust and demonstrably leads to more purchases.
Free returns are a major selling point, but come at a cost. Consider offering free returns above a certain order amount.
Tools like Returnless make the return process easier for both customers and webshops. The customer registers their return themselves, and you get a structured overview.
Send an automatic message as soon as a return is received and processed. This prevents unnecessary "What's the status of my return?" inquiries.
Most webshops spend a large part of their customer service time on return inquiries. With a tool like Bugalou, you can:
This saves an average of 2-3 hours per day of manually answering return inquiries.
A good return policy is more than a legal obligation — it's a competitive advantage. Customers buy faster when they know that returning is easy. By automating the return process with the right tools, you save time and increase customer satisfaction at the same time.
Want to handle return inquiries automatically? Try Bugalou free for 14 days.
Founder of Bugalou and e-commerce entrepreneur. As a business owner, I noticed that customer service tools were either unaffordable or so complex you needed an IT department. That frustration led to Bugalou.