Retail returns and exchanges are always dicey because companies have to walk the fine line between keeping customers happy and maintaining a healthy bottom line. When it comes to designer sunglasses, retailers have the additional challenge of handling products that customers may have already worn – like any other piece of clothing, by the way.
We can't tell you how to handle returns and exchanges as an eyewear seller. But we can recommend some things to think about as you develop new, or modify existing, return and exchange policies.
Time Limits
One of the first things to consider is a time limit. A general rule in retail is 30 days. A consumer would have 30 days from the date of purchase to return a pair of sunglasses he or she was unhappy with.
We know of eyewear sellers with time limits of 60-90 days. There are also some companies that have a shorter time limit for in-store purchases but a longer limit for their online counterparts. Regardless, it's important to have a hard-and-fast time limit in place. Dealing with returns and exchanges six months down the road just isn't reasonable.
Item Condition
Considering a policy for item condition is also a smart move. With the exception of defective products that end up breaking, it's typical for eyewear retailers to require that returned items be in their original condition and in original packaging.
An item condition policy protects a retailer against both fraud and abuse. In the event a customer wants to return a damaged product, the return might be covered under a manufacturer's warranty instead.
How Customers Will Be Compensated
How will you compensate customers for returned sunglasses? You might prefer a policy that says only exchanges are allowed. Customers can exchange an unwanted pair of sunglasses for another pair of similar value. You might prefer to offer a cash refund. In the event of a defective product, your policy might be to replace it with an exact duplicate.
Product Shipping
Offering returns and exchanges in a brick-and-mortar location is pretty straightforward. Customers bring the product directly to the store and that's that. But if you're dealing with online sales, shipping has to be accounted for.
Who pays for shipping? If you're going to pay for it as the retailer, will you insist that your customers use a specific shipper? Be sure to consider shipping carefully as it adds yet another layer of complexity to returns and exchanges.
The Process
Let's close this post by briefly discussing the process by which returns and exchanges are accomplished. In most cases, customers are required to initiate the process by contacting the retailer and voicing their dissatisfaction. But where things go from there is up for grabs.
Both retailers and wholesalers have the option of instituting a returned merchandise authorization (RMA) system whereby a company representative determines whether or not a product can be returned. If so, the representative issues an RMA number the customer is required to utilize for the transaction.
There is no single process a company has to follow to handle exchanges and returns. As a wholesale provider of bulk sunglasses, we have a process that may differ significantly from that of our competitors. Your process might be different still. The main point is that you establish return and exchange policies that lay things out clearly.
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