If you are selling anything online, you will eventually have to deal with the idea of refunds and PayPal disputes. It’s not a glorious part of the business, but it’s a necessary evil that comes with the territory.
JVZoo doesn’t require you to offer a refund on your products. As the vendor, you are free to set up your own refund policies and guarantees for each product you sell through the platform. You can see more about our refund policies here: https://www.jvzoo.com/refunds
However, we do require vendors to adhere to the FTC guidelines when it comes to claiming a product is backed by a 100% guarantee. If you are going to offer such a guarantee, you should honor it in the event of a disgruntled customer.
Failing to honor a refund for a product could turn into a PayPal dispute. PayPal frowns upon these disputes, and your account could be frozen or shut down completely if you receive too many. Needless to say, that could be extremely detrimental to your business.
In order to prevent PayPal disputes, there are a few things you can do.
Always disclose the guarantee or refund policy on your sales page. A good place to do so is toward the bottom, before the buy button. That way, it’s one of the last things your buyer sees before he clicks to make a purchase.
If you do choose to have your refund policy on a separate page of your website, make the link easily found. You cannot expect your customers to know your stated limitations if they cannot find your refund policy in the first place.
When writing your guarantee, be thorough and honest. Note the time of the refund period, and even how they can receive a refund if needed. Be sure that if you have any limitations, they are explained fully and are easily understood. You can direct them to your support desk or a dedicated email address for refunds, so you don’t miss them if they come in.
Handle refunds in a timely manner. If your customer is within the refund period, there’s no need to give him the runaround in order to get his money back. Simply give the customer a refund within 24 hours of the request and move on. It stings to lose out on the money, but your reputation is at stake when you don’t honor your guarantees.
Know that JVZoo takes fraud seriously. We work hard to keep serial refunders out of the system. On the other hand, if you are asked for a refund, don’t immediately assume the worst. It could just be someone that wasn’t happy with your product, not necessarily someone who is trying to get all of your products for free.
Hopefully, you don’t have the misfortune of dealing with many refunds on your products. If you do, always be courteous and promptly give your customer his or her money back if their request is within the guidelines of your guarantee and refund policy.
Ultimately, the choice of how to deal with refund requests, PayPal disputes, etc. is up to you. But, keep in mind that word of mouth is the quickest way to make or break your business. A refund request handled well could end up leading to a customer for life, while one handled badly could lead to a staggering loss of income.
