When you dropship, the supplier sends the parcel, but your customer bought it from you. That means the law treats you as the seller, and the UK's rules on returns and refunds apply to you in the same way as to any other online shop.
Your customers can change their mind
When someone buys online, they have the right to cancel their order even if there is nothing wrong with it. You have to tell your customers that they can cancel up to 14 days after their order arrives. Once they have told you they want to cancel, they then have another 14 days to send the item back.
If you do not tell your customers about their right to cancel, the time they have to cancel can be extended by up to 12 months.
If something is faulty
If a product is faulty, is not as described or does not do what it is supposed to, your customer is owed a full refund.
Delivery times
You have to deliver your customer's order within 30 days, unless you have agreed a longer time with them. You also have to send them a copy of their order, by email or in another form they can keep, by the time it arrives.
What this means for your dropshipping shop
- Decide where returns will go before you start selling. Your supplier may be in another country, so you need an address where your customers can send things back.
- Put real delivery times on your website. Use the time your own sample took to arrive, not the supplier's best guess.
- Write a clear returns page. Tell your customers about the 14 days to cancel, and link to the page from every product and from your order emails.
- Allow for refunds in your prices. On a refunded sale, you have usually already paid the supplier and the card fee.
Work out your profit on each sale → Why you should order a sample first →
