Why a Universal Policy Approach is Best for Your Store
When it comes to policies in my store, I prefer not to have individual policies based on brands. Discrepancies in terms can cause a lot of confusion, not to mention the strict requirements of Google Merchant Center. When it comes to Shipping, Cancellations, and Returns, we are juggling four essential things:
- Supplier's Policies
- Customer's expectations
- Our tolerance for risk
Because of all this, I strongly favor a universal policy approach.
Keeping one policy makes it easier to make changes when necessary. You'd be surprised how easy it is to forget about an obscure page on your website after some years of running a store.
Best suppliers have similar policies that are competitive in the current e-commerce environment. Exceptions are rare and usually come from my least favorite suppliers.
For example, in one of our stores with 35 suppliers, only one charges restocking fees of 25%. I decided not to change my policies because of this one supplier. So I advertise "no restocking fees." In the past seven years, we had one return on that brand. My VA was indignant but I ended up paying for that one restocking fee.
Suppliers with extreme terms, such as no remorse returns whatsoever or a 14-day window instead of the standard 30-day window, should be considered carefully. In this case, you can make a simple note in the published policy with a short paragraph or bullet point. If you do this, make sure to mirror the exception on your Google Merchant account.
In one extreme case, I worked with a disorganized supplier with poor shipping, damage, and return terms. I listed their products to boost my store’s offerings but canceled any orders and excluded them from Google Merchant Center to avoid risks. I treated them as demo products until we had enough brands to remove them completely.
When it comes to more nuanced shipping issues, like shipping to Canada or Hawaii/Alaska, it is very typical to have a wide variety of conditions across suppliers. In these cases, the best way to go about satisfying everyone is to have a "contact us" language. Here is an example:
"Please get in touch with us at info@mystore.com if you are looking to ship to Canada. We can ship some of our brands to Canada for an additional fee. This fee will be calculated based on the item's size and the shipping address. Please remember you will be responsible for paying all duties and tariffs on Canadian shipments in addition to any shipping fee."
In my templates, you’ll find “contact us” language included in many terms. This anticipates various scenarios and directs customers to reach out, allowing us to handle each order on a case-by-case basis and offer personalized solutions.
In the end, a universal policy helps you manage risk, meet customer expectations, and maintain compliance with Google. It simplifies your operations and keeps your store attractive and easy to navigate—without sacrificing flexibility where it matters most.