Satisfaction Gear-anteed: The Best Return Policies
Nov 08, 2008 · 12:43 PM · permalink
Last week I bought a few items from Backcountry.com and, knowing that they might not fit or be what I want, I checked their return policy. Here it is:
Unconditional 100% Guarantee: We guarantee complete satisfaction and an unlimited lifetime warranty. If at any time -- now, next month, in 30 years -- you're not 100% satisfied, send your gear back for a full refund. No questions asked
That's what I call a good return policy: it's simple, brief, and unequivocal. I admire that and it guarantees I'll buy lots more stuff from Backcountry.com.
Other retailers may have good return policies, but who can tell when they're buried in five paragraphs of obfuscation? Still others try to make it sound like they have unconditional guarantees, but use equivocations to give themselves outs.
Here are a few other outstanding return policies I dug up:
- REI: “If you're ever dissatisfied with an item, you may return or exchange your REI.com purchases at any REI store or through mail order.”
- Sierra Trading Post: “If you are not happy with your purchase for any reason, please return it to us for a full refund or exchange. This guarantee never expires!”
- EMS: “Our first priority is your complete satisfaction with your Eastern Mountain Sports® purchase. If you are dissatisfied for any reason and have your original store receipt or web invoice, we will exchange or repair the item in question or provide a full refund.”
- Title Nine: “If, for any reason, or no reason, you are not completely happy with your purchase, you may return it to us for an exchange or a full product refund. No questions asked, ever.”
Who else has an outstanding return policy? Does it factor in to your purchasing decision, or are other factors more important to you?
Comments
It’s one of the top reasons I choose where to shop. I’m willing to pay a slightly higher price at a store if I know that I can change my mind down the road. It makes a big difference to me that a company hold their customers in high esteem…a great return policy is a good way to demonstrate that.
I shop at REI a lot, and I’m willing to pay a little more there if I need to because they have such a great return policy. I feel like they actually care about whether or not you like the gear they sell, and that’s hugely important to me. Sometimes you can’t know how well you like a piece of gear until you get to use it a few times.
I’ve bought a number of things from SteepAndCheap.com (backcountry.com) and can vouch for their easy, no hassle returns. I don’t hesitate to shop there for things that I haven’t been able to check out in person.
I personally feel that the guarantee at Eddie Bauer speaks volumes:
Every item we sell will give you complete satisfaction or you may return it for a full refund.
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