Returning an item: how to package your parcel when sending it back to a webshop
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
6 min reading time
Returning something to an online store starts with proper packaging. Here's how to choose a box or envelope, seal it securely, and keep proof of shipment.
The jacket is smaller than it appears in the photo, the shoes pinch, and the box it came in is now flat in the recycling. So, it's going back. Filling out the return form takes two minutes; preparing the package itself often turns out to be the hardest part. Especially in autumn, when more is ordered at home and thus more needs to be returned.
A return that arrives damaged or half-open gives the seller a reason to be difficult. You can prevent that with a little attention to the box, tape, and proof.
First: how much time do you actually have?
For an online purchase in the Netherlands, you generally have a 14-day cooling-off period, calculated from the moment you receive the product. If you notify within that period that you are canceling the purchase, you then have another 14 days to actually return the product. In practice, this means: you don't have to rush to the package point the same day, but waiting until next month is also not an option.
Two things are good to know. The costs of returning are yours if the seller has been clear about it beforehand—not just hidden in the general terms and conditions. And not everything falls under the cooling-off period: sealed articles whose seal you have broken, custom-made products, and perishable goods are excluded. The full explanation is available at ACM ConsuWijzer; if in doubt, that is the source to consult, not the webshop itself.
Keep the box it came in
The simplest rule: only throw away the shipping packaging when you are certain you are keeping the product. For clothes and shoes, that means patience for a week or two. The box in which something was shipped is by definition the exact fit, is already folded to size, and has survived the journey once.
Can you reuse the box? Look at three things: are the corners still sharp, has the cardboard not been damp, and is there still enough clean surface to stick new tape on? Corrugated cardboard that has been soaked is weakened, even if it feels dry again. Remove old labels and barcodes or make them illegible with a thick marker, for example from a set of Markers (4 pieces) for €4.00. If one old label remains, the scanner at the depot can still send your package in the wrong direction.
No box left? How to choose a replacement
You don't have to use the same packaging, but an equivalent one. Choose based on what you are returning:
Tape the box using the H-method: one strip over the central seam, and then at both ends a strip perpendicular to that over the short seams. Let each strip extend about five centimeters over the side. Leave out staples, string, and paperclips—they get caught in sorting machines and damage other packages.
If there's play in the box, fill it. Newspapers or the packing material your order came in usually suffice. Those who ship regularly will find it easier to work with a roll of bubble wrap 500 mm wide for €12.95. Rule of thumb: if you shake the box and something moves, there's not enough filling.
Make sure you can prove what you've done
For a return, you bear the risk until the package reaches the seller. That makes proof valuable, and it takes two minutes:
Take a photo of the product before it goes into the box, and one of the sealed box with the label on it.
Put the return form or a note with your order number in the box, even if the webshop says it's not necessary.
Keep the proof of postage from the package point until the money is in your account.
If you are sending something valuable, stick a VOID security seal (60 pieces, €9.95) over the seam. If the box is opened en route, this will be visible.
A handy tool for unpacking and re-sealing: a utility knife from the warehouse knife set of 8 pieces for €4.95. Cut shallowly, so you don't hit the contents and the box remains intact for reuse.
The most common mistakes
A box that's too big. The product will shift and arrive dented.
Leaving the old label on. Two barcodes on one box lead to incorrect sorting.
Only taping the top. The bottom will open, not the lid.
Not including an order number. The seller won't know who the package is from.
Using the product's own packaging as a shipping box. For shoes, the shoebox usually must not be damaged; put it in a second box.
Shipping or selling something yourself?
Anyone who regularly sends packages—via Vinted, as a small webshop, or just to family—will find it cheaper to have a small stock of standard sizes in the cupboard. All boxes, envelopes, and tape can be found in Packaging & Shipping, the flat sizes under Letterbox Packaging, and the rolls under Tape. If you don't know which size fits your products, feel free to email info@verpakkingdeals.nl—we'll help you figure out the box sizes you'll need most often.
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