The Top 10 Reasons for Returns (& How to Avoid Them)

Most reasons for return come down to a few fixable problems: poor fit, inaccurate product pages, damage in transit, fulfillment errors, and late delivery. Shoppers were expected to return $849.9 billion in merchandise in 2025, and an estimated 19.3% of online sales get sent back, according to the National Retail Federation. That makes returns one of the biggest drains on ecommerce revenue.

Returns happen for different reasons. Some are genuine and some are fraudulent. Some come from a merchant’s error, some from a customer’s mistake, and some from the delivery service. To lower your return rate, find the root cause first, then apply the fix that matches it.

The 10 Most Common Reasons for Returns

Each reason below comes with steps you can take to stop it from happening in the first place.

1. The Product Doesn’t Fit

Poor fit is the most common reason customers return an item. It comes up most with fashion products like clothing, shoes, and jewelry. Home furnishings such as furniture, rugs, and mattresses can have fit problems too.

How to Prevent Fit-Related Returns

Add an accurate size chart. Since the root cause is the wrong size, include a detailed size chart in the product description. Add clear instructions for taking measurements so customers don’t make mistakes on their end.

• For clothing and shoes, list bust, waist, and hip measurements, heel height, footbed shape, the brand’s own size guidance, and any international size standards.
• For other items, list length, width, height, circumference, and any other key measurements.

Offer exchanges or replacements. Every refund is lost revenue. An exchange or replacement policy keeps that revenue in your store. Letting customers swap an item that doesn’t fit for one that does shows you stand behind your products. It also gives them a reason to keep shopping with you.

2. The Product Doesn’t Match the Description

This is one return reason you can’t blame on the customer. It happens when the product that arrives doesn’t match the one you advertised. It’s common with clothing, bags, accessories, electronics, and cosmetics. The usual cause is a vague product description that leaves out or exaggerates size, color, pattern, or quality.

Online shoppers rely on product images and descriptions to decide, so accuracy matters. Accurate product pages reduce returns and keep customers trusting your brand.

How to Prevent “Not as Described” Returns

• Use high-quality images with detailed descriptions
• Never use fake or misleading product photos
• Show the product from different angles: 360-degree shots, close-ups, and mannequin or lifestyle images
• Stick to the facts and avoid exaggeration
• Use accurate color names for products that come in several colors
• If texture matters, describe it so customers can picture how the material feels
• Mention any warnings, drawbacks, or details that could lead a customer to return the item

3. The Product Doesn’t Work as Expected

Customers often request a return when a product doesn’t live up to their expectations. This happens most with clothing, health products, and cosmetics.

Makeup like foundation, concealer, and lipstick comes in many shades for different skin tones, and a shade that looks right in a photo may not suit every customer. Clothing is similar: the size may be right, but the cut may not flatter every body type.

How to Prevent “Didn’t Meet Expectations” Returns

• Offer trial or sample sizes for cosmetics
• Add virtual try-on technology
• Describe every feature and specification in the product description
• Add a reviews section so customers can learn from each other’s experiences
• Add an FAQ section that answers the most common product questions

4. The Product Was Damaged or Defective

A damaged or defective product is another valid reason for a return. Most shipping damage happens to delicate and fragile goods, and it can be partial or total. Customers who pay for a product will almost always return a damaged one for a refund rather than keep it.

Shipping isn’t always to blame, though. Customers can also receive malfunctioning or expired products when items aren’t inspected before shipping or are packed poorly.

How to Prevent Damage-Related Returns

• Use sturdy, water-resistant boxes
• Choose boxes slightly larger than the product so there’s room for cushioning like bubble wrap, foam sheets, or paper padding
• Inspect items before shipping to confirm they work
• Check your inventory regularly and remove broken or expired items
• Control storage temperature and humidity so products stay in good condition
• Work with a reputable shipping carrier
• Protect yourself against loss with shipping protection, such as CWILL Shipping Protection, which covers lost, damaged, and stolen orders

5. The Merchant Shipped the Wrong Item

Picture this: you order a cocktail dress for a special event and open the package to find sleepwear. You’d be upset, and you’d likely send it back right away.

Wrong items are a common reason for returns, even on major marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and AliExpress. Pick-and-pack errors happen when warehouses are overloaded (especially during the holidays), short-staffed, or careless. Products with similar colors or patterns raise the odds of a mix-up.

How to Prevent Wrong-Item Returns

• Double-check the order list while packing
• Train your fulfillment staff well
• Make returns easy for customers when mistakes happen
• Provide responsive customer service
• Offer both refund and replacement options
• Outsource fulfillment to a reliable third-party logistics (3PL) provider
• Use a reliable print-on-demand platform like Podbase to reduce order errors

6. The Customer Doesn’t Like the Item

Customers often return products they don’t like once they have them in hand. The cause may be an impulse purchase or a product that fell short on quality.

How people judge quality is partly personal. But if this reason shows up often, review your product descriptions so customers don’t expect more than the product delivers.

How to Prevent “Didn’t Like It” Returns

• Use real photos of the product
• Be upfront about product quality
• Write clear, concise product descriptions
• Keep reviews turned on so customers can learn from other buyers
• Add product videos that show the item from different angles and set realistic expectations
• Present products so customers know exactly what they’re buying
• State your return policy clearly, including which reasons for return you accept

7. The Customer Bought the Wrong Item

Buying the wrong item is a common return reason when customers buy in bulk. With a long cart full of products with similar names or packaging, it’s easy to pick the wrong one without noticing.

It also happens with gifts, when the recipient doesn’t like or need the item.

How to Prevent “Ordered by Mistake” Returns

• Write precise product descriptions and make product titles easy to tell apart
• Show high-quality images from several angles so each product looks distinct
• Add an order review step before customers place their order
• Offer replacements alongside returns
• Offer live customer support so shoppers can get answers or cancel mistaken orders before they ship
• State your return policy clearly, including the time frame for returns
• Offer gift cards as an alternative to physical gifts

8. The Customer Changed Their Mind

Some customers shop on impulse. A persuasive ad convinces them to buy, but by the time the product arrives, they no longer need it or simply don’t want it.

Customers also change their minds when they find something they like better. For example, a customer orders a hot pink outfit, finds the color darker than expected, and decides they’d prefer baby pink.

How to Reduce “Changed My Mind” Returns

You can’t stop customers from changing their minds, but you can cut down on these returns.

Give clear product information. Write detailed descriptions that include materials, size, dimensions, color name, and color code. For textures, use comparisons that help customers imagine how the item feels. Your visuals and descriptions should give customers everything they need to know what they’re buying.

Publish detailed return guidelines. Write a clear return policy that spells out the conditions for returns, any restocking fee, and the time frame for returns. Many customers don’t read policies on their own, so have them acknowledge your return guidelines before they confirm their order.

9. The Customer Was Wardrobing

Wardrobing is a type of return fraud: a customer buys a product, uses it once or for a short time, and then returns it. It’s common with items people need only briefly, like special-occasion clothing, shoes, bags, electronics, kitchen equipment, and medical devices.

How to Prevent Wardrobing

• Attach tags that customers have to remove before using the item
• State clearly in your return policy that items must be unused and returned in their original packaging
• Offer store credit instead of refunds

For customers who return a high volume of items, you can track them and add them to a blocklist with CWILL Returns & Exchanges. Shopify merchants can also set a return request limit, so customers can only return a set number of products per order.

10. The Delivery Arrived Too Late

Late delivery is a common reason for returns, especially for items ordered for a specific occasion. If someone orders something for a birthday, anniversary, or Christmas and it arrives after the event, they no longer need it.

These customers return the item because they don’t need it anymore or they’ve already bought it somewhere else. Some delays can’t be avoided. Others come from an unreliable delivery service.

How to Prevent Late-Delivery Returns

• Display the estimated delivery date on each product page so customers know when to expect their order
• Offer fast, reliable shipping with tracking. A tool like CWILL Order Tracking shows Shopify customers where their order is in real time, so they always know the status of their shipment.

Manage Returns With CWILL Returns & Exchanges

Managing returns gets harder as volume grows. CWILL Returns & Exchanges is a Shopify app that makes returns and exchanges easier for merchants and their customers. Hike Footwear used it to keep 56% of its return revenue.

Key features include:

• A self-serve returns portal
• Return reason collection and analysis
• Return rules that help prevent fraud
• Incentives that steer refunds toward exchanges and store credit

With CWILL Returns & Exchanges, Shopify merchants can set up a return page where customers submit return requests and track their progress 24/7. Merchants stay in full control: they can set return eligibility rules, add multiple return addresses, and connect with carriers like USPS, UPS, and FedEx for return labels. Blocklists and return request limits help prevent fraud.

CWILL Returns & Exchanges is part of the CWILL Post-Purchase suite. It’s built to work alongside CWILL Order Tracking, which tracks shipments from over 1,100 carriers worldwide.

Try CWILL Returns & Exchanges free.