Why are shop policies important?
As a shop owner, it’s up to you which policies to offer to your customers.
Shop policies create a sense of security for buyers when they’re purchasing something from you, especially since they can’t try on the product beforehand. They’ll know what to expect if something goes wrong with their order, or if the product doesn’t fit properly. Policies not only instil confidence in your buyers, but show that you’re committed to customer service. They can also be considered a unique selling point – removing all fears, uncertainties, and doubts that customers may have before making a purchase.
Your shop policies are designed to protect both the seller and the customer. They will help you sort through problems much more efficiently because you’ll have a protocol to follow — but they don’t have to be long or complicated. Simple and clear is always the best approach.
While some shops will cover more policies than others, additional policies can be included at your discretion. Not every policy makes sense for every business, so plan carefully and choose what’s realistic for your business.
Compulsory Policies for your Baphomart Shop: Returns & Refunds, Shipping & Taxes
Recommended policies: Warranties
Bonus policies: Coupons & Discounts, Size Chart
Writing Your Shop Policies
Clear and concise policies will help to erase any buyer pre-purchase fears and doubts, as well as encourage customer loyalty and satisfaction.
Returns, Refunds & Exchanges:
Returns and refunds? Returns and exchanges? No returns? Whatever you decide, make sure you have the right policy to deal with it.
Within the EU, by law, you MUST accept returns within 14 days – even if the buyer doesn’t give a reason. In these cases, the customer pays to return the order and you provide a full refund (including the original shipping that they paid) when you receive the item in resalable condition. It is against the law to not accept returns on resalable goods.
You should include a statement in this policy that declares that the customer is responsible for returning goods in perfect condition, otherwise they are responsible for any loss in value.
Here are a few best practices:
- Avoid using scary language: Phrases like “you must” and “we are not responsible for” may send customers running. You want to keep your tone friendly and approachable.
- Focus on convenience: Your customer is looking for one thing — to return their purchase and get their money back without a huge hassle. Meet their needs with an easy, convenient policy.
- Set a timeline: Don’t be ambiguous. Clearly state how many days a customer has to return their product from date of delivery. Common practice is 14-30 days.
- Stay transparent: It’s perfectly acceptable not to offer full refunds on returns. Sales merchandise is often sold under a “no returns” policy. Just ensure that it’s clearly stated.
- Be nice: If you don’t want to offer refunds and exchanges then put it politely. “[Online Store] cannot accept exchanges or returns at this time. We apologize for any inconvenience” will do the trick.
You can add your returns policy in the shipping section via your dashboard > settings > shipping.
You can also add your policy in the TOC / Terms and Conditions section of your store, by going to Settings > Store and scrolling down to the Terms and Conditions check box.
Shipping & Taxes:
The first section in your shipping policies is processing time. As standard, your policy for processing time should be to ‘check the individual listings.’
You then have the chance to add shipping estimates. You should calculate your shipping estimates as the length of time taken between the completed order leaving your hands, and arriving with the customer. Often postal estimates are country-to-country and do not account for additional distances to travel to reach the final destination, or potential delays at customs, so it’s a good idea to be generous in the time that you allow.
You might want to update your shipping estimates if you know there are going to be delays (postal strikes, extreme weather, holiday season etc.). There is a chance that customers won’t see your shipping estimates, but if any queries arise you can point them towards viewing your policies where they can read all of the information they need.
Finally, include a statement to declare that the buyer is responsible for any customs or import taxes for their order.
A few essential considerations:
- Stay domestic or go international: Before making a purchase, customers will usually look at where you ship your products. Define from the outset whether you offer international shipping or not. Also state the expected delivery timeframe for each.
- Determine shipping costs: If you’ve chosen to offer free delivery on orders over £100 — or any other perk or special offer — state it in your policy. Here, you will also include standard and international shipping costs.
- Choose a reasonable handling time: It’s customary to include handling time in the Shipping Policy. For example,“Most orders will ship out within 24 hours of ordering,” gives buyers some friendly reassurance that their order will be on its way shortly.
- Create your shipping method: Whether you’re working with a general post office or special courier, the different shipping methods you offer will affect the estimated delivery time. If you have more than one shipping method, it might be worth creating a chart.
Need an example? Check below for fairly standard shipping practices found in store policies—and exactly how you should format them so your customers don’t get confused.
Shipping Method | Estimated Delivery Time | Price |
Standard Shipping orders over £100 | 5-7 business days | FREE! |
Standard Shipping orders under £100 | 5-7 business days | £7.95 |
Express Shipping* | 2-3 business days | £10 |
Overnight Shipping* | 1-2 business days | £20 |
Explain additional costs: Don’t hide anything, if it’s up to the customer to pay for return shipping, make that very clear.
You can add your shipping policy in the shipping section via your dashboard > settings > shipping
Warranties
As well as covering your back, your shop warranty is a way to build goodwill and show excellent customer service. Warranties give unsure customers confidence to go ahead and make a purchase. Bolster that confidence with clear language and a friendly tone. Your warranty should specify:
- Which products are covered by the warranty and which products are not.
- The length of the warranty period.
- How you will respond if the goods are delivered in poor condition.
- Options for the customer to send or bring in the item for repair, replacement or refund.
A gadget company might use their warranty as a place to reinforce the high quality of their product, before moving on to their customer guarantee. Note that their tone is friendly and laid-back.
This is can be added per product you edit, and is dealt with in the RMA tab via your dashboard > settings > RMA
Here’s a simple template – You can customize these policies to fit your shop’s tone of voice, and be stricter or more liberal with refunds and returns.
SHIPPING SECTION
Processing time:
The time I need to prepare an order for dispatch varies. For details, see individual items.
OR My processing time is 1-2 weeks as most items are made to order. If you need a faster processing time, please send me a message to see if I am able to accommodate you.
Estimated delivery times:
UK: 3-5 business days
Europe: 7-14 business days
Everywhere else: 14-30 business days
I’ll do my best to meet these dispatch estimates, but can’t guarantee them. Actual delivery time will depend on the delivery method you choose.
Customs and import taxes:
Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I’m not responsible for delays due to customs.
Returns:
I gladly accept returns, exchanges and cancellations.
Please contact me within: 14 days of delivery
Dispatch items back within: 30 days of delivery
Request a cancellation within: 24 hours of purchase
Custom of personalised orders can’t be returned or exchanged because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective.
Conditions of return:
Buyers are responsible for return postage costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS SECTION
Questions about your order?
Please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
Frequently asked questions
Custom and personalized orders:
Some types of customisation are possible, message us about what you’re looking for and we’ll let you know if that’s something we do!
International Shipping:
If you are an international shopper and your country is not on our shipping list, please send us a message and we will be happy to calculate shipping prices and add you to our list!
Sizing details:
Size charts are available in each listing for shirts, tops, sweatshirts and long sleeve tees.
Care instructions:
The t-shirt manufacturer recommends machine wash warm and tumble dry medium.
Totes and tea towels should be washed on the gentle cycle, cold and air dried.
If any items need to be ironed, iron on the reverse side or turn the t-shirt/sweatshirt inside out. Since this ink is heat cured, it will melt if you place a hot iron directly on top of the image.
NOTE : You can also add all of the above to the T&C section if you want, but please remember to add your policies to the shipping / returns section too.
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