E-commerce
A clear returns policy that complies
Fourteen days to withdraw, fourteen to refund, return postage on the customer only if you say so: the policy in three articles, at 0.60 euro per order.
Key points
- Article 52 of the Consumer Code gives 14 days from delivery to withdraw without a reason; Article 56 requires the refund within 14 days.
- Return postage sits with the consumer only if the trader stated it before the purchase (Article 57).
- On 1,000 orders with 8% returns, a 7.45 euro return costs 596 euro in total, which is 0.60 euro per order.
- Without a withdrawal notice the term is not 14 days but 12 months (Article 53 of the Consumer Code).
A compliant returns policy states three things before the purchase: 14 days to withdraw from delivery (Article 52 of the Consumer Code), a refund within 14 days of the notice (Article 56), and who pays return postage (Article 57). Everything else is commercial courtesy, useful but not required.
What the law requires, in three lines
Directive 2011/83/EU of 25 October 2011, Articles 9, 13 and 14, transposed into the Consumer Code by Articles 52, 56 and 57, sets withdrawal in distance contracts. The consumer has 14 days from delivery to withdraw without giving a reason; the trader refunds within 14 days of the withdrawal notice and may hold the refund until the goods arrive or proof of return is shown (Article 56(3)). Return postage may sit with the consumer only if it was stated clearly before the purchase.
The exceptions nobody writes down
Article 59 of the Consumer Code lists contracts without a right of withdrawal: goods made to measure or personalised, sealed goods unsealed after delivery for hygiene reasons, perishable goods or goods close to expiry, sealed audio, video and software once opened, newspapers and periodicals, services already performed with express consent. If you sell clothing, cosmetics or food, these exceptions do not cover most orders: withdrawal stays the rule, and it has to be designed into the flow rather than treated as an edge case.
Who pays what
| Item | Who pays | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Outbound delivery | Trader, unless the consumer picks a costlier method | Article 56(2) |
| Return delivery | Consumer, only if stated before purchase | Article 57(1) |
| Price refund | Trader, within 14 days of the notice | Article 56(1) |
| Standard delivery refund | Trader, within 14 days | Article 56(2) |
| Missing withdrawal notice | Term extended to 12 months | Article 53 |
The last row is the expensive one: if the withdrawal notice is missing, the term is not 14 days but 12 months after the ordinary term ends, and late notice still gives the consumer 14 days from receipt. A "returns" link at the bottom of the page, without the form and without the term, counts as a missing notice in many assessments.
How to write the page
node -e "const orders=1000,rate=0.08,ship=5.9,pack=1.2,fee=0.35;const per=ship+pack+fee;console.log('per reso',per.toFixed(2),'euro','totale',(orders*rate*per).toFixed(2),'euro','per ordine',(orders*rate*per/orders).toFixed(2),'euro')"The cost that stays off the page
Free returns raise conversion and raise the return rate: the two cancel out only if margin per order grows net. The sum is margin per order minus 0.60 euro per point of returns: at 8% returns and 22 euro margin, one extra point costs 1.3% of margin. If free returns bring half a point of conversion, they pay; if they bring a quarter, they do not, and no dashboard tells you that on its own.
The limitation
The sum uses a stated return rate and assumes the payment fee is not reversed, which holds for many acquirers but not all. It leaves out the cost of goods coming back to the warehouse devalued, which in clothing can be worth more than the transport. And a returns policy is not legal text to copy: the clauses have to be checked for your case, because they change with category, market and sales channel.
Where to start
Frequently asked questions
How long does a customer have to withdraw?
Fourteen days from delivery, with no reason required, under Article 52 of the Consumer Code. If you never supplied the withdrawal notice, the term extends to 12 months after the ordinary term ends (Article 53).
Who pays return postage?
The consumer, but only if you said so before the purchase. Article 57 of the Consumer Code puts return costs on the consumer on condition that the trader informed them. If you do not write it, you pay.
How fast must I refund?
Within 14 days of the withdrawal notice, using the same payment method and including standard delivery costs (Article 56). You may hold the refund until the goods arrive or the return is proved.
Can I refuse a return of an opened product?
It depends on the category. Sealed goods unsealed for hygiene or health protection are excluded by Article 59, so opened cosmetics and underwear are out. A garment worn once and sent back is still covered, unless it is damaged beyond handling needed to inspect it.
What does handling returns cost?
At 7.45 euro per return across courier, repackaging and an unreversed payment fee, with 8% returns on 1,000 orders, the cost is 596 euro, or 0.60 euro per order. The number to watch is cost per point of returns against margin per order.