Do you offer “Free Returns”?

[kath.layn]

I’ve been selling for several years, mostly vintage housewares, and shipping charges often add another 50% or more onto the total.  Also, I live in Oregon so anything that has to go east of the Rockies can also be quite expensive to ship.  I’ve recently started offering returns, buyer pays return shipping.  Those of you who offer “free returns”, does that mean you pay for the item to be returned to you?  I can’t see how that can possibly work out, financially, unless you’re selling post cards or something with very low shipping.  I’m interested in hearing how you do it.  Thanks.

[luckythewinner]

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@kath.layn wrote:

 I can’t see how that can possibly work out, financially

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If you never get returns, it does not cost you anything. 

That aside ... 

If a seller offer free returns, buyers return things and the seller has to pay. 

If a seller does not offer free returns, buyers file bogus "not as described" disputes, and the seller has to pay anyway 🙂 

[kath.layn]

Thank you all for taking time to reply.  Interesting, answers all over the map…always, never, sometimes.  Good that we  can tailor some of the choices to our liking.  Best of luck out there!

[nuclearomen]

I do, and to answer, yes, you pay for the return postage back to you. In 3 years, I had 2 sales returned...so results will vary, but in general offering the free returns may increase your sales with buyers. 

[vintagecraze50]

Yep, we do it but we factor that free shipping into the prices of our items, and the liability of the free returns when the customer sends the stuff back. You gotta do the math.

[femmefan1946]

Also, I live in Oregon so anything that has to go east of the Rockies can also be quite expensive to ship.

Yes, I live in British Columbia, so I have the same situation on things that require parcel rates.

So most of what I sell goes LetterPost which does not have the destination differential.

Which allows me to offer Free Shipping to Canada and the USA by putting the cost of shipping into the asking price.

But.

I use Calculated Shipping for high value or bulky shipments.

And.

The buyer is paying for shipping so it is not my cost.

Like others, I rarely have Disputes (less than one a year) but I do insist on returns before refunding if the claim is damage or Not As Described.

[lepke1979]

The real butt clincher is 60 day returns. I've heard it's not that bad. Normally the return should happen within the first few weeks. But I'm just not ready for that yet.

[chapeau-noir]

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@luckythewinner wrote:

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@kath.layn wrote:

 I can’t see how that can possibly work out, financially

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If you never get returns, it does not cost you anything. 

That aside ... 

If a seller offer free returns, buyers return things and the seller has to pay. 

If a seller does not offer free returns, buyers file bogus "not as described" disputes, and the seller has to pay anyway 🙂 

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A bit broad brush, that.