A sofa cannot go back in a mailer bag. With furniture and other large items, the cost of getting the product back can be a large share of what the customer paid, and the item may be assembled by the time they change their mind. This guide covers what a return policy for bulky goods has to settle, with illustrative wording.
Start with who pays for the trip back
Return freight is the clause customers of large items care about, so put it near the top and state the amount or how it is worked out.
- Change of mind: "You can return this item within 14 days of delivery. A collection fee of [amount] is deducted from your refund."
- Original delivery: Say whether the outbound delivery charge is refunded
- Our mistake: "If the item is damaged, faulty or not what you ordered, we collect it at no cost to you."
- Booking: Say whether you arrange the collection or the customer does
Damage on delivery: give a deadline and a method
Large items can be damaged in freight, and you may need evidence to claim against the carrier. Tell the customer exactly what to do on the day.
- Inspect: Ask them to check the item while the driver is there where possible
- Note it: Ask them to write any damage on the delivery paperwork before signing
- Report it: Give a clear window for reporting, and say you need photos of the item, the damage and the packaging
- Keep the packaging: Ask them to hold on to it until the claim is resolved
Assembled, used and made-to-order items
These are the hard cases. Decide them before a customer asks.
| Situation | What to state |
|---|---|
| Assembled flat-pack | Whether you accept it, and whether it must be taken apart for collection |
| Mattresses and upholstery | Whether a home trial applies, and what condition counts as returnable |
| Made to order: custom fabric, size or finish | Whether it is final sale, apart from faults |
| Missing or damaged part | That you send a replacement part first, before a full return |
Prevent the return before the order ships
Many furniture returns come from the item not fitting the room or the route into it. A policy cannot fix that, but the product page and order emails can.
- Access: State packed dimensions, and remind customers to measure doorways, stairs and lifts
- Delivery level: Say whether delivery is kerbside, to the room of choice, or includes assembly
- Cancellation: Say when an order can still be cancelled for free, and what applies once it has left the warehouse
Check the law before you publish
Rules on returns, cancellation rights, faulty goods and who bears return costs vary by country and state. Some of them apply whatever your policy says, so have the wording checked for the places you sell to. For the overall structure, see how to write a Shopify return policy and refund, exchange or store credit.
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. It does not create labels or book collections. See ReturnSage.