Payment, Shipping, Returns, Contact Templates!

Although it may seem very simple to some people, this is a topic I receive a LOT of questions about, which is very understandable – after all your payment, shipping, and returns information are all extremely important and can help ensure you don’t get any disgruntled buyers (and negative feedback!).

The key here is to be clear and concise – you want buyers to actually read this information so making it ten pages long is no good. At the same time, you also need to present all the needed information.

So you need to strike a good balance, while also trying to use this space to add a little personality that sets you apart from the competition.

So what I’ve decided to do is give you a template for:

• Payment Information
• Shipping Information
• Returns Information
• Contact Information

That way you can simply take these and adjust/tweak them for your own business.

One important point to note is that you should also try to emphasise some of the benefits of buying from you in these sections.

For example, if you offer FREE shipping, then say that under shipping information. If you offer same-day dispatch, then mention that. If you offer extended returns of 30 days (instead of the 14 required by UK law), then tell your buyers.

I think you get the point here!

Alright, so let’s get to it.

Payment Information

We accept payment by any of the following methods:

• PayPal
• Bank Transfer
• Cheque

Please pay as soon as possible after winning an auction, as that will allow us to post your item to you sooner!

The key things here are to state exactly what payment methods you accept and to also try and get buyers to pay for their item as soon as possible (if your BIN listings are not “Immediate Payment Required” then simply edit that into the text above).

Although it of course won’t make a huge difference, it’s also a good idea to mention the fact that the sooner they pay for the item, the sooner they will receive it.

That way, you’re giving them a benefit to paying right now.

Also, the psychological wording of “winning” and “your item” should also help cut back on non-paying buyers.

Shipping Information

We offer FREE shipping on all orders!

Your order will be dispatched within 1 working day of receiving payment (Monday-Friday) and you should expect to receive it one or two days after dispatch (for orders sent RM 1st Class).

In the very unlikely event that your item is lost or damaged during post, then WE are responsible and will issue either a full refund or replacement.

So here the main points we have to mention are: shipping costs (it’s always a good idea to recap this, especially if you offer free shipping as that’s a big selling point), dispatch time, delivery time and compensation for lost post.

Under-Promise and Over-Deliver

It’s always best to be slightly conservative and then over-deliver on your claims. So instead of saying “we post all items the same day and you will receive them within one working day”, be a little less ambitious as that gives you more room for error, plus when you do post orders the same day, your customers will be ecstatic as you’ve over-delivered and beat their expectations.

Lastly, some of you may be worried about the last line that mentions who is responsible if the order is lost or damaged during shipping, but, the fact of the matter is that – YOU ARE.

It doesn’t matter what you put here, you are responsible (by law) to get the items to your buyer so why not take the opportunity to make yourself look better than your competitors?

Returns Information

If you are not happy with your item, then you are entitled to a full refund (including the original postage cost) if it is returned within 14 days.

If you have simply changed your mind, then you have to cover return shipping costs (we suggest using a trackable method).

However; if the item is damaged faulty or in any way not as described, then you will not be responsible for the return postage.

This is pretty basic and I’ve covered it all before in previous articles: Distance Selling Regulations for eBay Sellers & An Update to DSRs.

So if you’re confused about anything here, please head over to those links where your responsibilities as an online seller are explained in detail.

IMPORTANT – the template above is based on the minimum requirements, so if you do offer something more, make sure you emphasise that.

For example, if you offer 30 day returns (instead of 14), say something like:

Unlike the majority of eBay sellers who impose a strict return deadline, we want you to be 100% delighted with your purchase and that’s why we offer a 30-day, hassle free return period.

So, if for any reason at all you are not delighted with your order, you can return it to us for a full refund…etc.

Last but not least, we have –

Contact Information

If you require any help with your order, please don’t hesitate to contact us by any of the below methods.

If you send an email or eBay message, you will get an answer back from us the same day, guaranteed!

Email: help@yourcompany.co.uk

Phone: 0121 123 4567

Joe Bloggs / Your Company Ltd.
Address Line 1
Address Line 2
Postcode
Country

Again, this is all pretty self-explanatory… but a nice little extra touch is to give your customers an idea of how long it will take for you to reply to an email or eBay message.

There’s nothing more annoying that sending an urgent email and then getting a reply 3 days later so this is another great way to separate yourself from the crowd.

And for your address, if you’re a sole trader, you have to include your name (again, this is according to UK law, so please don’t ignore it).

You can still put your business/trading name, as long as your own name is present as well.

So, for example:

• Joe Bloggs – Joe’s Party Supplies

If you’re a registered company, then you don’t have to include your name so simply Joe’s Party Supplies Ltd would be fine.

And that’s it! This is all very simple and basic stuff, but it’s still very important you get it right.

These policies and how they’re written reflect your business as a whole and they can actually have a very big effect on the conversion rate for your listing, which in turn can help boost your search rankings on eBay!

So just use the basic templates I’ve provided you with here and customise them for your own business, and you’re good to go!

If you do have any questions or need my help making some tweaks to add any extra information, then feel free to post below in the comments box and I’ll get back to you personally.

Otherwise, until next time!

All the best,
Andrew