What to Check in an Online Store's Return Policy Before You Buy

Trying to judge whether an unfamiliar online store's return policy works for you before completing purchase? It takes just 90 seconds.

The two most important things to check are the return window and who pays the return shipping. Start by looking for a separate page called or in the footer of the home page, or in the account/help menus after adding an item to the cart. Read that page to quickly answer three questions:

1. Does the return window start from the date of delivery, or earlier?
2. Does the store pay return shipping, or does the customer (that's you)?
3. What form does the refund actually take: cash back to the original payment method, or gift card only?

But don't stop there. Read on for the rules and the exceptions you can't afford to miss.

What is a normal return window? For EU consumers, most stores follow the rules set by the European Union Consumer Rights Directive, which gives a 14-day right to withdraw from a purchase. That 14-day clock starts ticking on the date of delivery, not the date of purchase or order confirmation. So, if you need 16 days to decide, you're too late.

In the UK, online shoppers get 14 days to cancel from the date of delivery, with 14 more days to actually send the item back. That 28-day total can close out your window on delivery day, though, so report the return immediately after opening the package.

China shoppers get 7 days from delivery to return an item, but you must send it back within 7 days of informing the seller. Unlike US and many EU stores, the clock in this case starts from the delivery date, not the receipt of your return message.

Which countries get the EU, UK, or China return rules? The EU return rights apply to consumers within the European Economic Area. For online purchases, that EEA shopper can live in one EU country and the seller in another and still get the EU return rights.

The UK consumer-rights rules apply to purchases made and delivered within the United Kingdom. Since Brexit, UK retailers no longer have to provide a 14-day cooling-off period to EU customers; so, an EU shopper buying from a UK store must find the store's explicit return policy, possibly in store terms.

China's consumer-protection guidelines for e-commerce don't necessarily apply if the buyer is not located in China when buying, or the purchase was not made from a China-trading website. The jurisdiction may depend on the seller location, the buyer location, or the jurisdiction in the price quote, so check store terms for specifics.

Who pays the shipping when I return an item? In the EU, consumers bear the direct costs of returning items, unless the trader agrees to refund the cost of return.

The UK leaves it to the store if they want to refund return costs, but records a normal transit time for carrier to return the refund. Look for a confirmation page or return-address label at checkout or in account settings to get started on your return.

What if the store doesn't refund, just credits to the store? In some cases, you may have to return your item to get a voucher in the amount of the purchase rather than a cash refund to your credit card.

Are there items I can't return at all? The EU excludes certain digital media and entertainment services from the 14-day return because consumers see or use them upon purchase.

China's consumer guidelines exclude foods, medicine, chemicals and other hazardous products.

What about items I open, use, or have removed from packaging? It depends.

China's standard is that the returned product be intact, undamaged, and returned in the original packaging.

What items generally take more time to return? Items with shipping restrictions, duty-paid goods, and items that need to be taken to a warehouse may not be able to be returned by a simple post package. For technical equipment that a buyer takes home to assemble, the store refund rules may apply to technical products; check store terms.

Remember that shipping times apply in the return window, so small items may have shorter transit times than large ones.

What if I bought from a store in a different country?

Use this checklist to confirm a store's return policy on two minutes or less

1. Find the return policy: look in the footer or account menu under Returns Policy, Returns, or Terms. Preview products to confirm the return window and refund process.

1. Check the return window: see if you qualify for a 14- or 7-day refund by following the starting day in the rules. Call out specifics if the return depends on when order was placed, item sent, item received, or when the return was submitted.

1. Check who pays the return shipping: premium members, or customers in the US/Canada may pay less for return labels, and customer may be able to request a label from a store first before shipping.

1. Check the type of refund: some stores may give store credit, the product's initial price, or the price when the customer returned the item, after a restocking fee.

1. Check the exceptions to returns: stores exclude some items from returns, like custom items, hygiene products, and opened items, unless faulty, as a general matter, so any specific product restrictions might be on the product page.

1. Check store border rules: stores can set up their own rules about returns, and the consumer to customer provider rule is not the only rule, so the physical jurisdiction and the buyer's city can matter. If buying outside the seller's headquarter country, check if the international return has special rules.