Returns and Exchange Policy for Your Online Store: A Ready-Made Template and the Legal Points to Know

Many customers open the returns policy page before they finish an order, especially when the product is clothing, perfume or a gift. If they can't find it, or they find a single vague sentence, there's a good chance they'll go back to a store they already know.

And during sales seasons, the Ministry of Commerce already requires you to disclose your exchange and returns policy clearly. So the policy isn't a filler page. It's part of the customer's trust in you and part of your legal obligations.

In this article we'll go through what Saudi Arabia's E-Commerce Law says in brief, what your policy needs to include, and then give you a ready-made template to adapt.

Note: this article is general information to help you get started, not legal advice. Regulations get updated, so check the official text of the E-Commerce Law and its Implementing Regulations, or consult a specialist if your store has special circumstances.

What does the law say, in brief?

Saudi Arabia's E-Commerce Law and its Implementing Regulations set the minimum rights a customer has. These are the main points that affect your policy:

• Seven days from delivery: the customer has the right to cancel the contract and return the product within seven days of receiving it, provided they haven't used it or benefited from it.
• Return costs: if the customer returns a product because they changed their mind, they normally bear the return costs, unless you agreed otherwise. But if the product is defective, doesn't match its description or advertisement, or the wrong product was delivered, the customer can return it without bearing any costs.
• Excluded cases: the Regulations exclude some products from the right to cancel, such as perishable goods, products that can't be returned for hygiene reasons once opened, and products made to the customer's specifications. Check the full list in the Regulations and decide which ones apply to your products.
• How refunds are paid: the amount is refunded using the same payment method the customer used, unless they explicitly agree to another, and with no extra fees charged to them.
• Late delivery: if your delivery is more than fifteen days late compared to the agreed date or the order date, the customer has the right to cancel the contract.

The policy you write can give the customer more than this minimum, such as 14 days instead of 7, but it can't give them less.

What does your policy need to include?

Before the template, here are the points customers look for. If your policy answers all of them, you're in great shape:

1. Time window: how many days the customer has to return or exchange, and when the count starts.
2. Product condition: does it need to be in its original packaging? Unused? With the invoice?
3. Excluded products: which products can't be returned, and why. Spell them out instead of letting the customer discover them after ordering.
4. Steps: how does the customer request a return? From their store account, via WhatsApp, or by email?
5. Shipping: who pays for return shipping in each case, and whether a courier collects it or the customer sends it.
6. Refunds: how many days it takes, and which method it's refunded to.
7. Exchanges: can they exchange for a different size or colour, and what happens if the size they want is sold out?
8. Damaged or wrong items: what the customer should do if they receive a defective product or something other than what they ordered, and within how many days they should tell you.
9. Contact: a clear phone number or email for questions and complaints.

Returns and exchange policy template

Copy the template and edit the parts in square brackets [ ] to fit your store. We've written it in clear, slightly formal language, because this kind of page needs precision more than personality.

Returns and Exchange Policy for [Store name]

At [Store name], we want your orders to arrive just as you expected. If you need to return or exchange a product, this policy explains the conditions and the steps.

1. Return and exchange period

You may request a return or exchange within [7] days of receiving the product.

2. Conditions for accepting a return

• The product must be unused and in the condition you received it.
• It must be in its original packaging with all accessories.
• The order number or invoice must be provided.

3. Non-returnable products

The following products cannot be returned unless they are defective or not what you ordered:

• [Perishable products, such as food and flowers].
• [Personal care products and perfumes once the seal is opened].
• [Products made or customised to your order].

4. How to request a return

1. Contact us via [WhatsApp / email / your orders page] with your order number and the reason for the return.
2. We will confirm your request and how to send the product within [two business days].
3. Once the product arrives and is inspected, we will refund the amount or send the replacement.

5. Shipping costs

• If the product is defective, differs from its description, or you received a product other than the one you ordered, we cover all shipping costs.
• In all other cases, the customer pays the return shipping cost [of SAR ... / according to the shipping company].

6. Refunds

We refund the amount to the same payment method you used within [number] days of receiving and inspecting the returned product. The time it takes to appear in your account may vary depending on your bank or payment provider.

7. Exchanges

You can exchange the product for another size or colour, subject to stock availability. If the replacement is not available, we will refund you.

8. Damaged or incorrect products

If you receive a damaged product or one other than what you ordered, contact us within [number] days of delivery with photos showing the problem, and we will resolve it at our expense.

9. Late delivery

If your order is delivered more than [15] days after the scheduled date, you have the right to cancel the order and receive a full refund.

Contact us

[Mobile or WhatsApp number] — [Email] — Response hours: [from ... to ...]

Common mistakes in store policies

• "Goods sold are non-returnable and non-exchangeable." This line contradicts the customer's legal rights, and it scares customers off more than it protects you.
• Excluding discounted products without a reason. The law doesn't exclude a product just because it's on sale. If you want different terms during offers, check what the law allows first.
• Vague timeframes. "We'll refund you as soon as possible" reassures nobody. Write a realistic number you can stick to.
• A hidden policy. If customers can only find it after searching, it may as well not exist. Put a link to it in the footer of every store page, and point to it on the checkout page.
• Copying another store's policy. A perfume store's policy doesn't suit a furniture store. Shipping and exclusions differ a lot.

The best way to reduce returns

Most returns don't happen because the customer changed their mind. They happen because the product "isn't what I expected". The size is smaller, the colour is different, the material isn't the same, or there's a piece that wasn't mentioned. All of these are things a clear product description solves before the order is placed.

If you want to tidy up your product descriptions, there are ready-made product description templates for every category, and if your descriptions are copied from the supplier, see how to turn them into a description that's yours without losing the specs. And if you have a lot of products, Wasef drafts descriptions from each product's own data, without inventing specs that aren't there, and you review them before publishing.

And if you're heading into White Friday (the region's name for Black Friday), get the policy ready before you launch your offers, and check out these White Friday offer ideas that sell without burning your margin.

Sources

• E-Commerce Law, Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers (Arabic)
• Implementing Regulations of the E-Commerce Law, Ministry of Commerce (Arabic PDF)
• Consumer Protection Association: the right to cancel and return within seven days (Arabic)