Clothing gets returned for reasons other products do not: fit, color in real light, and how the fabric feels. A clothing return policy has to cover try-ons, tags, worn items and sale stock. Below are illustrative examples, written for this guide and not taken from any real store, that you can adapt.
What a clothing policy has to answer
Before you copy any wording, check that your policy answers the questions clothing customers ask. Each one below needs a clear sentence in your policy.
- Window: How many days, and counted from which date
- Condition: Unworn, unwashed, tags attached
- Outcome: Refund, exchange or store credit
- Shipping: Who pays to send it back
- Exclusions: Items that cannot come back
- Faulty items: What happens when the problem is yours
Return and consumer rules vary by country and US state, so check the law where you sell before you publish any of these.
Example 1: a simple everyday policy
This suits a small store that wants few disputes and can absorb some returns.
- Window: "You can return any item within 30 days of delivery."
- Condition: "Items must be unworn, unwashed and have their original tags attached."
- Outcome: "We refund your original payment method once we receive and inspect the item."
- Faulty items: "If an item arrives damaged or faulty, contact us and we will replace or refund it."
Example 2: exchange-first
This suits stores where most returns are about size. The aim is to keep the sale by making the swap the easy path.
- Exchanges: "Wrong size? We will exchange it for another size or color, subject to stock."
- Refunds: "If you would prefer not to exchange, you can choose store credit or a refund."
- Condition: "Try items on indoors. We cannot accept items that show signs of wear."
Example 3: sale and intimate items
Clearance stock and items worn next to the skin need their own rules. Say so plainly.
- Final sale: "Items in our Clearance collection are final sale and cannot be returned or exchanged."
- Hygiene: "Underwear, swimwear and socks can only be returned unopened in their original packaging."
- Exception: "This does not affect your rights if an item is faulty or not as described."
Condition wording that prevents arguments
"Unworn" is where most clothing disputes start. Spell out what you check when the parcel arrives, so the customer knows before they send it.
| Vague | Specific |
|---|---|
| Items must be in original condition | Unworn, unwashed, tags attached, free of marks, scent and pet hair |
| Shoes must be unused | Try shoes on carpet. Soles must be clean and unmarked |
If you use Shopify's return rules, set them to match the written policy. Shopify's Help Center says its policy template does not include your return rules automatically, so the two can drift apart. Shopify's return rules also let you set a different return window for specific collections, products or variants, and mark items as final sale.
See how to write a Shopify return policy for the full structure, and refund, exchange or store credit for choosing outcomes.
Doing this at scale
ReturnSage reads your full return policy plus the order and customer context for each return request created in Shopify. It recommends approve, exchange, store credit, deny or escalate, with a confidence score, risk flags, cited policy clauses and a draft reply. You decide with one click, and every decision is logged. See ReturnSage.