How do bol's return rules work for sellers?
Lars HurkmansCo-founder7 July 2023Reading time 5 minutes
Customers may register a return within 14 days of receipt and then have another 14 days to send it back. As a seller you handle every return yourself: you receive, check and refund, or you exchange, repair or refuse. bol covers part of the return costs.
What are bol's return rules?
Customers have the right to return an order within 14 days of receipt. After registering the return, customers have another 14 days to actually return the product. As a seller on bol it's your responsibility to handle these returns correctly. Anyone who understands how the return process works can offer better service to their customers and prevent problems.
Which return service do you choose: bol's or your own?
As a seller you have two options for handling returns: bol's return service and your own return service.
With bol's return service, the return process is fully handled by bol. That means bol receives and processes customers' return shipments. If you choose your own return service, you're responsible yourself for receiving and processing return shipments. That gives you more control over the process, but you also arrange the logistics yourself.
How does the return process work on bol?
A customer registers the return through bol's platform, you receive a notification and handle the return. The process is designed to be as simple as possible for both the customer and the seller.
When a customer wants to return an order, they do so through bol's platform. As a seller you then receive a notification of the return request. Handle those requests as quickly as possible: receive the return shipment, check it and process it. If the return shipment is in good condition, you refund the customer.
What options do you have as a seller with a return?
You have five options when you receive a return: accept the return, exchange the item, repair the item, refuse the return, or the customer keeps the item after all.
- Accept the return: bol refunds the customer. If you'd already been paid out for the sale, this amount is settled on the next invoice.
- Exchange the item: you exchange the returned item for a new one. The customer doesn't get money back but receives a new item, and you're simply paid out for the sale. Note: you arrange your own shipping label for the new item.
- Repair the item: if the returned item is faulty and you can repair it, you can choose this option. The customer doesn't get money back and you're simply paid out.
- Item doesn't meet the return conditions: if an item comes back damaged, used or incomplete, you can refuse the return. First contact the customer to determine how to handle the situation. Depending on the situation, a full or partial refund, or the customer keeping the item, can be reasonable.
- Customer keeps the item after all: if the customer decides to keep the item after all, you're simply paid out and the customer doesn't get money back.
How does bol compensate for damaged or lost returns?
bol offers a compensation scheme for sellers in the case of damaged or lost return shipments, and also reimburses part of the return costs.
If a return parcel gets damaged or lost during shipping, bol takes filing the claim off your hands. If your claim meets the conditions for a lost parcel, you receive a reimbursement of 25% of the sale value excluding VAT. This reimbursement is a goodwill gesture and not obligatory: bol chooses whether or not to pay it out.
On top of that, bol partly reimburses the return costs. Customers can always return items they buy through bol for free. You buy return labels from a courier selected by bol at a favourable rate, of which bol covers part. Return costs are therefore a cost item that puts pressure on your margin. In which costs determine your profitability on bol you can read how returns, alongside commission, advertising and storage, factor into what you keep net.
Return shipment damaged or lost: what now?
Contact bol to discuss the situation. It can happen that a return shipment gets damaged or lost, and contacting bol is the first step.
The platform has procedures for handling such situations and guides you through the next steps.
How do you reduce the number of returns?
With clear product descriptions, good customer service and resolving problems quickly. Returns are part of running an online shop, but you can limit the number with a few steps.
Make sure you have clear, accurate product descriptions so customers get what they expect, offer good customer service and resolve problems quickly. Reviews tell you what customers stumble on; you use those signals to sharpen your listing and the expectations you set. If a new product meanwhile isn't selling, the listing and the expectations often play a role there too, as we discuss in why your new product isn't selling.
Summary: what to watch out for
- Return period: customers register within 14 days of receipt and then have another 14 days to send it back.
- Two return services: bol's return service handles everything, or you arrange your own return logistics for more control.
- Five handling options: accept (bol refunds the customer), exchange, repair, refuse if it doesn't meet the conditions, or the customer keeps the item.
- Compensation: for a lost return parcel, bol can, as a goodwill gesture, reimburse 25% of the sale value excluding VAT, and bol covers part of the return label rate.
- Limiting returns: clear product descriptions, good customer service and resolving problems quickly.