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It depends on why the item is coming back. If the seller sent the wrong item, a damaged item, or something that does not match the listing, the seller pays. If you simply changed your mind, you usually pay, unless the store's policy or the marketplace rules say otherwise.
| Situation | Who typically pays | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong item shipped | The seller | The seller's error, not yours |
| Arrived damaged or defective | The seller | Product fault; photograph it before repacking |
| Does not match the listing | The seller | "Not as described" triggers buyer protection |
| Changed your mind, wrong size ordered | You, the buyer | Buyer's remorse is on the buyer unless the policy says otherwise |
| Gift you did not choose | Usually the buyer, via the store's gift-return process | Gift receipts often convert to store credit |
Think of it as fault-based. The party at fault covers the shipping. Sellers absorb return postage when they caused the return: mispicks, damage in transit, counterfeit or misrepresented goods. Buyers absorb it when the return is a change of mind: wrong size guessed, colour not liked in person, gift that missed the mark. The store's return policy or the marketplace's rules can override this in either direction, which is why the listing's return terms are worth reading before you buy, not after.
Marketplaces write their own rules, and they generally favour the buyer on fault-based returns. On eBay, the Money Back Guarantee means a "not as described" case puts the prepaid return label on the seller. Amazon's policy similarly covers defective or misdescribed items, though for some categories a change-of-mind return can carry a return shipping charge deducted from the refund. On Etsy, each seller sets their own return policy, so two sellers can give opposite answers and both be right. The practical move: check the policy on the listing page before you order, because after the sale the policy is the whole argument.
No, and this is the detail that stings. A "prepaid" label means you do not pay at the counter: it does not mean nobody pays. Many sellers deduct the return postage from your refund, so you effectively paid for the return. Some also charge restocking fees on opened items, which is legal where disclosed. Read the refund terms, not just the return terms: the refund tells you what actually comes back to your card. And if you are the seller generating return labels yourself, each one is a fresh label purchase, so generous return policies are a real cost of doing business that gets priced into everything else the seller charges.
Start with the marketplace dispute process if there is one: open the case, attach photos of what arrived versus what was listed, and let the platform's rules do the work. If you bought direct from a store with no marketplace involved, a calm written request citing their own return policy resolves most cases. Chargebacks are the last resort, not the first move, and they work best when you can document the seller's fault. Throughout, keep the item and the packaging until the dispute closes: sending it back without an agreed process can leave you with neither the item nor the refund.
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