A return is an item that is sent back to the supplier. There can be many reasons for this. A return can be made if the item was delivered incorrectly, is damaged, or does not meet the buyer's expectations. Even if an item is returned because a repair is necessary, it is considered a return. In mail order, returns have become completely commonplace. You are surely aware of the advantages that the possibility of a return brings. In times of online shopping, many items are returned because they do not meet the customers' expectations. A return that is sent back because the customer did not like it can be put back on sale after checking for possible damage. Nevertheless, return management involves a lot of effort and high costs for sellers.

Returns Become a Matter of Course

Nowadays, many people prefer shopping online. Unlike in a store, you can order many items online and try them on at home in peace. You can look at and test the products without stress. For the buyer, this option is convenient and comfortable, but for the seller, it is often a major annoyance. Many customers order a large number of items with the intention of not keeping everything. According to a study, about 40 percent of surveyed customers already know when ordering that they will not keep all the items. In the clothing sector, about 25 percent of ordered items are returned. This amount of returns means a lot of additional work and high costs for sellers. In a store, you would never buy so many items to return them later. Therefore, when shopping online, think of the seller and act conscientiously. Bulk orders are not appropriate. The return is a service that most sellers offer free of charge as a gesture of goodwill, and you as a buyer should appreciate it. 

Returns are Often Free of Charge

The right of return is mostly free for customers. Only since 2014 can fees be charged for returns with a value over 40 euros. However, most large mail-order companies still offer their customers returns as a free service. Many customers therefore have no hesitation in ordering items and returning them via return. No special reason is needed for a return. The item can be returned over a certain period, which is usually at least 14 days. A reason for the return could be that you do not like the item. For clothing, you can also state that the item does not fit or the quality does not meet your expectations. Of course, you can also return the item if you have ordered several variants of an article and only want to keep one of them. A return is therefore always possible with these reasons, whether in media shipping, pallet shipping, or even with simple parcel shipments.

Returns Made Easy for the Customer

Carrying out a return is child's play for the customer. Usually, there is already a pre-made return slip in the package or box. This shows that most sellers already expect a return. If you do not find a return slip in your package, you can often obtain it from the seller's customer service or download it from the internet. The return slip contains a label with the seller's address. You stick this label on the package. You must fill out the return slip. Usually, you have to indicate the items you want to return and the reason why you do not want to keep them. The reasons can be very diverse. Item is defective or damaged, item is not liked, item does not fit – these are just some of the many possibilities. It is also possible to return items that were delivered too late. You simply put the filled-out return slip with the items in the package – and you can send off your return.

High Risk Due to the Possibility of Returns

If the items are ordered by the buyer on account and thus not paid for in advance, the sale becomes an unpredictable business for the seller. He does not know how much of the items the buyer will take. If you order items for a certain value and return half of them for free, the seller has a lot of work with the return. He can only be sure that a sale will take place in the case of payment. It often happens that orders are completely returned. For you as a buyer, the return is of course a tempting offer, but for the seller, it means an immense risk and a lot of work. For this reason, many sellers only offer the prepayment method. In the case of a return, the amount to be refunded will be transferred back to you.

As Few Returns as Possible in the Interest of Sellers

Customers plan returns even before ordering. Therefore, returns cannot be avoided, especially in the clothing industry. Through comprehensive product descriptions, many detailed images, and even videos, many retailers try to depict their products as realistically as possible for the buyer to avoid bulk orders. Many companies now even offer live chats in their online shops, where customers are advised in parallel to shopping. There is even the possibility to upload pictures and apply the products to the body to get an impression of how the clothing will look. But not only the ordering process should be changed. Through standardized scanning processes, return management should be simplified so that costs and work processes can also be saved for the seller in this way. Nevertheless, as a buyer, you should not only think about the great service for you as a customer when planning an order but also about the seller.