Of course, if you buy something that doesn’t fit, you’re glad you can exchange it for a different size. The same goes for the color; sometimes it just doesn’t suit you. So there are definitely good reasons to return an item. The question is, of course, could you have prevented it?
If there’s a clear size chart on the product page, can you really claim with a straight face that you’re surprised by the length (or lack thereof) of the garment? And do you actually need the item you just impulsively ordered, or are you going to return it without even unpacking it?
At first, it might seem smart to order several sizes and return half of them after trying them on. However, what you’re choosing at that moment is the certainty of a return shipment. If you pick the most logical size after checking the size chart, there’s a good chance you won’t have to return anything at all.
The NOS recently calculated that the cost to a webshop for handling a return is €12.50. This amount only covers the handling and doesn’t include the fact that returned clothing often needs to be cleaned, repaired, or in the worst case, thrown away as unusable.
You could say that’s the webshop’s problem. But imagine if the webshop didn’t have these costs and could offer the clothing at a lower price instead.
The environment
Handling return packages has a major impact on the environment, such as CO2 emissions from transport and the cleaning of returned clothing. What could you do to prevent this? Here are a few tips:
- Avoid impulse buys; check if you really need it.
- Check the size chart first to make sure you’re ordering the right size.
- Don’t buy multiple sizes just to send back what you don’t need.
- If it’s not quite what you wanted, consider giving it to a family member or friend as a gift.
These tips might take a little more time, of course, but think of the time you’ll save by not having to go to the post office to drop off your return.
See here for the segment Arjen Lubach made about returns.
Do you have any good tips of your own to reduce returns? Let us know!