Free return promo ends tonight...what will you do?

[banana*shoe*boutique]

I think tonight ends the free return promo.  They will cover it for 30 days still, but IMO the actual listing of free returns is over tonight since they have 30 days to return.

So my questions are:

1 - Did you take advantage of this promo?

2 - Did your return rate go up?  If so, how much?

3 - Do you feel you got more sales for having this "feature" and if so, did the extra returns (if any) offset this enough?

4 - Will you continue with free returns?

[theshoppingmom2]

I did not get the invitation   ... I am in the process of evaluating which items I will offer free return shipping. I am not going to offer it on all my items just a few and test the waters before I jump in

[dhbookds]

I've had free returns for about 2-3 years......so will continue

[banana*shoe*boutique]

@dhbookds

Do you get many returns?

[vintagemoth12]

bananashoe,

How would it affect you to have to ship shoes back free? That would get expensive and wouldn't some people use it as an opportunity to just try new styles and see if certain brands fit? Maybe people still go to the B and M stores to do that. 

I am a very small seller of just my things so if I did that I might as well give it away because I don't have much profit anyway.  

One thing I like is that you wouldn't have to worry about people filing SNAD. 

[swenson8781]

Man, I never got the 'invite' for the free returns, either that or I missed it, which is possible.  

I did start 'free returns' on my account on 3/2, as a test run for my own info, and am running until 4/2, so see if my rate increases and if so, by how much.  Still not completely to the end of my test time, but I've had one return request, and that has changed my return rate from 1.28% up to 1.29%.  

Do I feel I got more sales? Eh, who knows, probably not.

Will I continue with free returns? Yes, probably for awhile, until/if I start getting a whole bunch of returns, then it will just frustrate me and I'll stop offering it.  As long as that doesn't happen, then it stays.

[slippinjimmy]

I will continue to offer free returns just as I have since 2012.

Spoiler

I've had ONE remorse return in that time

[dhbookds]

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@banana*shoe*boutiquewrote:

@dhbookds

Do you get many returns?

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I've had 4 in last year and 1 the year before that I think.......2 buyers insisted on paying for the return as their error, (PP me after they realized I paid for the label), 1 was a scam wherein the buyer kept part, 1 was my fault. 

Have to say one thing that it's relieved me of is the anxiety of what to do/how to handle.  I kicked the wall on the scammer who said I didn't include something, but after that,  it was just over.......

[banana*shoe*boutique]

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@vintagemoth12wrote:

bananashoe,

How would it affect you to have to ship shoes back free? That would get expensive and wouldn't some people use it as an opportunity to just try new styles and see if certain brands fit? Maybe people still go to the B and M stores to do that. 

I am a very small seller of just my things so if I did that I might as well give it away because I don't have much profit anyway.  

One thing I like is that you wouldn't have to worry about people filing SNAD. 

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@vintagemoth12

Shoes are pricey to ship.  And yes, I do believe it turns into people trying on stuff.

I still ended up with 2 false SNADs (2 in one month.....that's how many I had in the last year) because they realized they wouldn't get refunded original shipping unless they did it that way.

I did actually have a few customers who asked to PAY for return shipping because they felt bad but I declined.

In one month, I had over $200 in return shipping costs 😞

Luckily almost all of that *should* get covered by the promo, but I'll have to watch for the credits.

[banana*shoe*boutique]

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@swenson8781wrote:

Man, I never got the 'invite' for the free returns, either that or I missed it, which is possible.  

I did start 'free returns' on my account on 3/2, as a test run for my own info, and am running until 4/2, so see if my rate increases and if so, by how much.  Still not completely to the end of my test time, but I've had one return request, and that has changed my return rate from 1.28% up to 1.29%.  

Do I feel I got more sales? Eh, who knows, probably not.

Will I continue with free returns? Yes, probably for awhile, until/if I start getting a whole bunch of returns, then it will just frustrate me and I'll stop offering it.  As long as that doesn't happen, then it stays.

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The invite came around 2/26 and the title said something like "try free returns".  You may have just ignored it like I did at first.

How has your return rate since you started it?

I think mine is way higher...maybe doubled.

[banana*shoe*boutique]

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@dhbookdswrote:

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@banana*shoe*boutiquewrote:

@dhbookds

Do you get many returns?

---

I've had 4 in last year and 1 the year before that I think.......2 buyers insisted on paying for the return as their error, (PP me after they realized I paid for the label), 1 was a scam wherein the buyer kept part, 1 was my fault. 

Have to say one thing that it's relieved me of is the anxiety of what to do/how to handle.  I kicked the wall on the scammer who said I didn't include something, but after that,  it was just over.......

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@dhbookds

I get more returns than that in a week!  eek

I think my monthly total is over 25 now 

[dhbookds]

I think my monthly total is over 25 now 

That I couldn't deal with.........

what's the main reason?  fit?

[banana*shoe*boutique]

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@dhbookdswrote:

I think my monthly total is over 25 now 

That I couldn't deal with.........

what's the main reason?  fit?

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@dhbookds

Fit, comfort, don't like, it was a gift and didn't fit, didn't read decription, unfamiliar with brand, or my all time fav was a man who ordered women's shoes and SNAD for them being "too feminine"

[vintagemoth12]

$200 in one month! That is a lot of money! Thank you for filling me in on this. I was wondering what it might be like for sellers. I hope you have great success with your shoe sellings! Nice shoes, you have! 

[swenson8781]

@banana*shoe*boutique

My return rate was only 1.28% when I started it, and thank you for the info, if it was back in Feb I'm sure I totally missed it! lol

I'm not surprised that your return rate is higher overall though   Two things factor into the reason for that... first, shoes are much less forgiving than clothing (which is what I sell).  Clothing can be 'okay' if it's slightly tight or slightly loose, shoes, not quite as much.  Second, your price point, you are selling nice, quality shoes, and the clothing I sell is much less expensive (used, and not huge name brand), so people are less likely to return if it's not perfect.  

You have great inventory though, and if I were you I wouldn't even consider switching your items at all to lower that return rate.  I'm sure that major retail shoes stores have a higher return rate than clothing stores also, that's just how the ball bounces   If your return rate is under 3%, I think that's pretty decent, considering your higher likelihood of returns overall.