Many happy returns: How to delight customers with your returns policy
We are a nation of online shoppers. In September 2025, 37.6% of non-food purchases in the UK were made via the internet, according to the British Retail Consortium.[1]
That’s great news for ecommerce retailers, who will be hoping to see goods fly out the door in the run-up to Christmas. But it’s important to give some thought to your returns policy too.
As we move through the busiest part of the year for many online retailers, here’s why you should prioritise your ecommerce returns fulfilment this Golden Quarter.
What are online shoppers’ return rights in the UK?
UK consumers are given several protections when ordering online, by mail or by telephone. These are grouped together under the UK rules on distance selling.[4]
Some of the key rules on accepting returns and giving refunds include:
- Consumers have a right to cancel their order even if the product is not faulty
- They can cancel at any time within 14 days of receiving their goods
- They have a further 14 days to return the goods to you
- You then have 14 days to issue a refund
- Exceptions include personalised and perishable products
Customers do not have to give a reason for returning the product and it is important to have an ecommerce returns policy in place to make sure you meet the 14-day deadlines.
What are the benefits of a good returns policy?
Taking a pragmatic and proactive approach to ecommerce returns fulfilment is an opportunity to delight your customers in an area that can give you a clear competitive edge.
In the UK, 86% of consumers say an easy returns policy is an important factor when deciding whether or not to make a purchase.[5]
That’s the fourth-highest in a YouGov survey of 17 countries, and higher than the global average of 83%.
Just 9% of UK consumers said that they don’t think an easy returns policy is important when shopping. That’s the joint-second lowest result on the survey, against a global average of 13%.
It’s clear from the research that UK consumers are more likely to consider a company’s returns policy when choosing whether to buy from them.
Are consumers happy with current return processes?
In short, no. A separate YouGov survey found that 55% of European consumers believe businesses deliberately make it difficult to return unwanted purchases.[6]
This leads to half of customers keeping items they don’t want, because it would be too difficult to return them.
Interestingly, this rate is higher among younger customers: 61% of 18 to 24-year-olds said they have kept items due to a challenging return process, compared with just 42% of over-55s.
As a result, offering a clear and simple ecommerce returns process could help brands to gain a competitive advantage with younger consumers in particular.
What are consumers’ experiences of ecommerce returns?
A recent survey by Attest found that over four out of five (82%) UK consumers have returned an item they bought online in the past year.[7]
More than a quarter (26%) said that the return process was “an OK experience, but could have been better” while 4.4% said their experience was “bad”. That’s a total of more than 30% of consumers whose perceptions could be improved.[8]
Despite the 14-day deadline on issuing refunds, the most disappointing aspect of returning items was waiting to get money back, which 38.6% of the survey’s respondents cited.
Other unwelcome elements in ecommerce return policies included the need to print a shipping label (28.1%), paying for return shipping (23.5%) and taking the parcel to an inconvenient drop-off point (21.6%).
More than one in five people surveyed (20.9%) simply cited a “complicated returns process” as one of their bugbears, based on their most recent experience of returning an item.
Consumers want options when returning unwanted purchases
A standout insight from the Attest survey is the diversity of opinion when it comes to the method of returning unwanted items purchased online.
Given all of the main options, consumers were remarkably evenly split in terms of which choice they would prefer:
- Post Office (27.6%)
- Drop-off counter (24.8%)
- Home collection (20.8%)
- In-store (19.4%)
- Locker (7.4%)
However, they were not split when asked for the single most important factor in an online retailer’s returns policy, with 59.5% citing free returns, 15% wanting fast refunds and 7.2% wanting to return items without printing a shipping label at home.
How your returns policy can boost your brand perception
It’s not just post-purchase retail regret that pivots on a pragmatic returns policy. Research by Trustpilot reveals the broader impact that your policy can have on your overall brand perception.
The ratings and reviews website found that the majority (58%) of UK online shoppers will not buy from a retailer who charges for returns. That compares with a minority (49%) of consumers in the USA.[9]
And it’s not just about the money. Two thirds (67%) of Brits said they take an ecommerce site’s returns policy into account when deciding how much they trust the website overall.
One in seven (14%) Gen Z respondents to the survey described themselves as a “serial returner” who tends to buy a lot and then return much of what they buy.
An example of this could be to buy different sizes or colours of clothing and shoes, before returning the unwanted options and keeping the product that offers the best fit.
Flexible returns policies matter
Carolyn Jameson, chief consumer and trust officer for Trustpilot, said: “The findings are clear – a flexible returns policy is one of the most important factors in consumer decision-making when it comes to online shopping.
“To win the loyalty of customers, it’s clear that businesses need to be thinking about ways they can show flexibility whilst also doing what they can to mitigate the number of returns coming back their way.”
“One thing both consumers and businesses are likely to agree on is that returns are inconvenient for everyone, so responsible retailers should be placing a priority on finding a solution, particularly in the run-up to the busiest shopping period of the year – because the reality is, those that don’t heed these warnings may risk being left behind.”[10]
What to prioritise in an ecommerce returns policy
Trustpilot’s research echoed Attest’s findings, with 71% of respondents citing free returns as one of the most important factors when judging an ecommerce retailer’s policy.
The three next-highest policy features to make the list highlight the importance of consumer convenience in ecommerce returns fulfilment:
- No quibble returns (48%)
- Convenient return locations (47%)
- 28-30 days return period (27%)
As it happens, many of these desires do not go far beyond the statutory requirements when distance selling, yet they are an opportunity to delight customers if advertised prominently.
How MRM can help with ecommerce returns fulfilment
MRM can help you to set up a streamlined returns policy with full API integration (if needed) so you can track your returns data. We perform any necessary quality checks on returned items and can issue prompt refunds to customers in line with statutory rules.
Our service is seamless – your customers will not be aware that a third party is handling their return. The result is simple and convenient for consumers, to leave them delighted with the level of customer service they receive on your behalf.
To find out more about our returns management and handling service, speak to a member of our team today.
[3] https://www.askattest.com/blog/research/charging-for-returns-will-damage-customer-satisfaction
[4] https://www.gov.uk/accepting-returns-and-giving-refunds
[7] https://www.askattest.com/blog/research/charging-for-returns-will-damage-customer-satisfaction
[8] https://dashboard.askattest.com/survey/T74TUE7KD5TG6G/results/overview
[9] https://uk.trustpilot.com/blog/buy-with-confidence/a-guide-to-smooth-returns