Your returns policy as a selling point

The legal floor

Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, most goods bought at a distance come with a 14-day cancellation period. For goods, regulation 30 says the period ends 14 days after the day the goods come into the consumer's physical possession, with different rules where an order arrives in several deliveries.

That is the minimum, and every compliant rival offers it. So the cancellation period alone is not a selling point. What you do above it, and how clearly you say it, can be.

Write 'a 14-day cancellation period from the day your order arrives' rather than vague wording, and check that your terms and your product pages say the same thing.

What to compare with rivals

Pick three rivals you lose sales to and record, from their public pages only:

• Length. Do they offer longer than the legal minimum, and do they say so prominently?
• Cost. Who pays for return postage, and whether a prepaid label is included.
• Method. Drop-off points, courier collection, in-store returns, or post only?
• Exceptions. Which products are excluded, and how clearly is that explained?
• Placement. Is the returns promise on the product page, in the basket, near the checkout button, or only in the footer?

Placement is often where the biggest gap is. Two shops with identical policies can look very different if one shows a short returns line next to the add-to-basket button and the other makes you hunt for it.

Turning the policy into copy

Once you know where you stand, write one plain sentence that a shopper can take in at a glance. Hypothetical examples:

• 'Free returns from any drop-off point, with a 14-day cancellation period from the day it arrives.'
• 'Changed your mind? Send it back free, no questions asked, for an extended returns period beyond the legal minimum.'

Put that sentence on product pages and in the basket as well as on the policy page. Then make sure the full policy says exactly the same thing. A promise that is bigger on the product page than in the terms will cause problems with customers and with regulators.

The cost side

A more generous policy is not free. Before extending it, look at your own data: your current return rate by product category, the average cost of processing a return, and which categories are most often returned for fit or expectation reasons.

Some categories (furniture, large items) make free returns expensive. Others (small, light, low return rate) make it cheap. You do not need one policy for everything, as long as the differences are explained clearly on the product page.

Better product pages also reduce returns. Clear sizing, dimensions, photos and accurate descriptions mean fewer surprises. Our product page checklist covers this side.

Service businesses have a version of this too

A landscaper, clinic or accountant does not take returns, but the same question applies: what happens if this is not right? A clear complaints process, a satisfaction promise you can stand behind, or a free initial call does the same job as a returns line. The more expensive or unfamiliar the service, the more that reassurance matters to someone choosing between firms they have never used before. Look at how rival firms answer that question on their sites, and how prominently.

Check the policy is consistent everywhere

A returns promise is only a selling point if it is the same wherever a customer meets it. Inconsistency is easy to miss, because different people edit different pages. Check these places say the same thing:

• Product pages and any delivery and returns tabs on them.
• The basket and checkout.
• The dedicated returns page and your terms and conditions.
• Order confirmation and dispatch emails.
• Marketplace listings, if you also sell on marketplaces.
• Answers your customer service team gives by email or phone.

If the product page says one thing and the terms say another, customers will quote whichever suits them, and they will be right to. Pick one wording, put it everywhere, and give one person the job of updating all of it when the policy changes. It is also worth re-reading rivals' policies after their seasonal sales, since some extend returns over Christmas and say so prominently.

Next step

An Intel loop scores product pages and trust signals against up to three rivals you choose, with quoted evidence, so you can see whether your returns promise is visible where it counts. If delivery cost is part of the picture, try our free shipping threshold tool. Our recipe for watching delivery and returns policy changes shows how to keep the comparison current.