Customer Returns Item You Shipped Free - Can You Get Your Shipping Back?
So you sold something with free shipping and the customer returned the item. How do you handle a return with free shipping? Do you subtract the shipping from reimbursement? The fast and easy answer to that is no. Free shipping is just that, free. Even though you had to pay for shipping, you can't charge them shipping later (when they return) because it was offered to them free.
The only way to recoup some of your shipping charge is to charge a restocking fee on the item. I do this on my parts items but not on my clothing items - yet. I have recently gotten into the clothing business and I'm still learning my way around that. I don't want to deter buyers as I'm still building up my feedback so I have yet to charge a restocking fee. If I start having lots of returns, I will certainly go the restocking fee route. Also, depending on what the item is and how heavy it is, I use calculated shipping. Lighter items go Free Shipping because I can ship them First Class. If it's an item I have had for awhile and I want to get rid of it, I might offer Free Shipping no matter how much it weighs.
How do you handle returns that were originally shipped with free shipping?
