KUALA LUMPUR: Easy returns have become part of the online shopping experience, with consumers increasingly able to send back goods that do not fit, match expectations or arrive in good condition.
This convenience helps reduce the risk of buying products they cannot physically see, feel or try firsthand.
For housewife Hadarini Kanda, 49, online shopping has become a regular part of household spending, although she usually waits for attractive offers.
“I spend around RM400 to RM500 a month on online shopping, but I usually only shop when there are good offers or discounts,” she said.
Hadarini said she did not frequently return purchases, mainly doing so only when items arrived damaged or differed from what she ordered.
“Nowadays, we can arrange for the item to be collected or return it through a courier.
“Previously, if there was a problem with something we bought, we had to physically go back to the shop. Now, the process is much more convenient,” she said.
She noted that sellers sometimes failed to pack goods properly, resulting in broken items upon delivery.
For lawyer Sarah Foong, 40, convenience and lower prices are the main reasons she shops online, spending about RM800 a month.
She said easy returns did not encourage her to make unnecessary purchases, although she had occasionally ordered similar or multiple models by mistake.
“If I realise the mistake before the seller ships the goods, I will cancel the order immediately.
“But if the goods have already been shipped, I will generally receive them and then arrange for a return,” she said.
Foong had occasionally requested refunds after realising she had bought the wrong size, but rarely returned something simply because she had changed her mind.
Interestingly, she had encountered cases where an online platform automatically issued a refund without requiring the product to be returned.
“I felt uncomfortable about this because I feel bad for the seller. I have even paid the courier fees myself to return the goods to the seller, even though the platform said I didn’t have to.
“If the item is still usable, I would rather give it to someone who needs it instead of simply discarding it,” she added.
For sellers, the convenience comes with another layer of work.
Stephanie Mok, an administrator and packer for a fashion and sports clothing company selling on major e-commerce platforms, said customers sometimes bought different sizes or colours before returning those that did not fit or suit them.
She said this is understandable for apparel because online shoppers could only estimate the fit based on measurements provided by sellers.
“There is no choice. We just have to accept it as part of the cost of doing business online,” she said.
Mok said sellers had to factor in packaging, logistics and return processing, although she noted that return shipping costs did not always fall on sellers and depended on the reason for the return and the platform’s policy.
The company normally handles between 50 and 150 parcels a day, depending on the period, season and weather, with sales and returns increasing during festive periods.
“Returns can average 10% to 25%,” she added.
Fitness coach and online trader Adam S. said platform safeguards had helped filter unreasonable refund and return requests.
He said customers generally had to provide photographs or videos showing damage or tampering, while he photographed parcels before shipping them to protect himself against disputes.
“Returns generally takes up time and resources to process, so I try to minimise that as best as I can,” he said.
