Returns Policy
Part of Returns portals and self-service tools
Collecting return reasons without forcing the wrong category
Design return-reason questions that preserve the customer's account, support staff review and avoid misleading categories in an Australian returns portal.
Ask what happened in words customers recognise. Give them space to explain when the choices do not fit, and keep that explanation for staff. A reason code helps route a request; it is not a diagnosis or a decision about the customer's rights.
Ask about the issue and the preferred outcome
Use two separate questions: “What happened with this item?” and “What would you like us to do?” A customer might select “too small” because the wrong size was delivered, or “damaged” because only the shipping carton was crushed. Their explanation lets staff tell those situations apart.
Ask for a reason for each affected order item. One parcel can contain both a change-of-mind item and an item reported as faulty. One category for the whole order would hide that difference.
Keep the first list short and concrete. Illustrative choices: “I ordered the wrong option”, “This is different from what I ordered”, “It arrived damaged”, “It is not working as expected” and “Something else”. Adapt them to the products sold.
Let customers add a short description, especially when they choose “Something else”. Ask a follow-up only when it helps determine the next action.
How to Collect Return Reasons Without Forcing the Wrong Category
- Ask: 'What happened with this item?'Use plain language and clear, concrete options like 'I ordered the wrong option', 'It arrived damaged', or 'It is not working as expected'.
- Ask: 'What would you like us to do?'Separate the issue from the desired outcome. This helps distinguish between change of mind and genuine product problems.
- Allow a free-text explanation for 'Something else'Give customers space to describe issues that don’t fit predefined categories, especially when reporting faults after the voluntary return period.
- Preserve the customer’s original wordsStore both the selected reason and the customer’s exact description separately. Never overwrite or discard their input.
- Support staff review with accurate contextEnsure all details are visible to staff so they can assess claims under Australian Consumer Law (ACL), including post-return-period issues.
Keep a route open for product problems
Do not make “change of mind” the only choice after the store's voluntary return period ends. Australian consumer guarantees may still apply to a product problem. A business may assess a reported problem before providing a remedy, but voluntary change-of-mind conditions cannot remove those rights.
Do not require customers to label a problem legally “major” or “minor”. Ask what happened and what result they seek. If the selected reason and written account conflict, retain both and refer the case for review.
A photo can help with some assessments. Explain why it is requested and offer a route when the customer cannot upload one. An attachment failure should not silently discard the request.
Correct vs. Misleading Return Reason Categories in Australia
- Misleading Label (Incorrect)‘Change of mind’ – may wrongly imply the customer has no rights if used to force a claim outside consumer guarantees.
- Customer Explanation RequiredWhen a product fails after the voluntary return period, allow detailed descriptions without forcing a false category.
Preserve what the customer said
Store the selected reason, the customer's exact words and any later staff classification separately. If staff change the classification, keep the original account and record why. This helps reveal whether the menu is pushing people towards inaccurate choices.
Use a stable code for each customer-facing label where the system allows it. Keep historical label meanings available when wording changes.
For unclear cases, allow “unknown” or “needs review” instead of assigning a tidy but misleading category. Read the underlying cases before treating reason totals as evidence of a product cause.
Try difficult accounts against the menu
Check whether a customer can accurately report a wrong variant, a product failure after the change-of-mind period, a possible listing measurement error or an issue whose cause they do not know. For each case, confirm that the customer can submit their own account and that staff receive enough detail to assess it. If the only path requires a false reason, change the form.
