Informed Webmaster

Small Business Trends has an article stating that 52% of online shoppers won't order because of a fear of difficulty of returns:

If you think a ‘free shipping’ is the only determining factor for most online shoppers, then you should look beyond. A significant number of shoppers don’t buy online fearing that it will be difficult for them to return the purchased items.

In fact, 52% of consumers have abandoned an online purchase out of fear of a difficult return process, according to a recent Splitit survey. And this number reaches 67% for millennials (ages 25-34)...

The article goes on to say:

...60% of consumers have returned an online purchase, and 48% of online shoppers have bought multiple variations of an item with an intention to keep the best one and return the rest items, as the Splitit survey finds...

52% of Shoppers Don’t Buy Online Fearing a Difficult Returns Process

That is a lot of paperwork and shipping for a small business to absorb.

How user friendly have you made your return policy?

With Amazon offering free shipping and free returns you pretty much have to do it.

In fact, 52% of consumers have abandoned an online purchase out of fear of a difficult return process,

I surely have done this.

Colbyt wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 7:03 pm I surely have done this.

In my case, I paid a little more $$ for an item at Christmas from a local CDN site, over the same from Amazon which was a little cheaper. I went with the CDN site because of a few reviews on Amazon stating they had to return said item, and it cost them the shipping fee, to either receive a new item or return the old one - I don't remember all the details, but there were some issues with returning some items. But - I figure I can drive to the brick-n-mortar version of the store (where I purchased this item online from) to return this item - if need be.

BTW - I got price match/drop refund on the item, so I didn't actually pay more in the end.

I think you have to have all staff clear on return policies also.

I had to return a faulty item to a store during the XMas season. Checked the website for return policy and it said return to any store. I went the one closest to me (not where I bought it) and got in a dispute with the customer service person over where to return it. Asked for the Manager and asked if she wanted to loose the $500 sale sitting on the cart beside me over this. I got my exchange. The person with me was embarrassed - but I won my point.

This wasn't the first time we have had a bad experience at this particular national chain store so we will be driving the extra 10-15 mins. to the branch we used to go to before moving.

Sorry for your companion but I think you did the right thing. A policy is a policy and they can do an inter-store transfer.

I have also done what LMD did, sometimes with a match and sometimes without.

Some clothes and shoes are hard to buy online and sometimes you just don't want to wait.