Refunds and Returns
Returns are accepted within 30 days after purchase. Simply send us an email or submit the form on the contact page with your intent to return an item. All refunds will be issued in the form of store credit. Return shipping is to be paid by the customer. Once we recieve your item we send you an email with a discount code for use in the amount of your purchase.
Payments
Your shop policies page is a great place to clarify how things work in your store. If you're required to charge sales tax, let folks know. If you think shoppers might worry about the security of submitting their credit card info, include details about the safety of your checkout.
Those customer hesitations probably look like:
Do you charge sales tax? This is a question for a certified accountant or tax attorney in your area, but you better know the right answer, and it's always a good idea to be upfront with your customers about any additional fees - even when they're not going in your pocket.
Are shipping fees extra? If you offer free shipping, that's a big selling point, so shout about it! If you have standard shipping fees, list them together in a place that's easy to find. If it depends on the item, make sure that's added to each product and clear throughout the process. Getting to checkout only to find out that shipping costs more than the item itself is no fun.
How is personal information stored and transmitted? Even though you might be a one-person show, to any one buyer you should look legit and professional - and that comes with a lot of responsibility. In the age of data breaches and ad tracking, people want to know where their personal information is going, who has access to it, and whether or not it'll remain secure along the whole ride. You know your payment processor - like Stripe or PayPal - takes steps to keep that data safe, but customers might not, so tell 'em.
What's your privacy policy? Most online shops are required by law to post privacy policies, and it's something we require for Big Cartel shops. You should check the requirements for your country and include all necessary details. We're not attorneys, so this sample is not legal advice and is not guaranteed to satisfy the laws in your country.
Your privacy matters to us. Our shop has SSL, which adds a layer of security when you enter your information at checkout. Payments are processed by [XXXXXXXX], which has a [XXXXXXXX] level of security on all transactions.
If you're in [XXXXXXXX], you'll notice a [XX]% sales tax charge at checkout. That's because we're located in the same state or country. Hey neighbor!
Shipping
We live in a world of same-day shipping with online purchases, but some indie businesses just can't keep up. That's to be expected! It's a good opportunity for you to set some expectations and brag about your small business. You'll have a number of questions to answer here, but thankfully most are straightforward answers with less room for personal discretion:
- Do you ship only on specific days of the week?
- What's your go-to shipping method?
- What's the estimated delivery speed for domestic and international shipments?
- Are there certain countries where you've decided you won't ship your products? (Sorry, Antarctica.)
- Do you offer a pickup option for locals? (Dropping a free shipping discount code here can work great if your answer is yes.)
- Is the shipping cost included in the price of your products? (Probably worth answering this again, even if you covered it in the payments section.)
- Do you email out tracking information to your customers?
- Do you offer any expedited shipping options by special request?
- Do you offer gift-wrapping or custom notes? (A great way to boost your revenue for the holidays!)
- Do you have any upcoming shipping blackout dates? (Think about vacations and holidays when you're planning to take a break. You deserve it, and customers will understand.)
This seems like a whole lot of information to settle on, but you can whittle it down to just a few sentences for your customers:
Orders ship on [XXXXXXXX] via [XXXXXXXX], and should be delivered within [XX] days. Send a message if you'd like tracking info, and place your order before [XXXXXXXX] for delivery by Christmas. Our shop will close on [XXXXXXXX] for a holiday break and reopen [XXXXXXXX].