Shea Simmons
No one wants to return an online purchase. After all, you were looking forward to your new electronic or outfit or home good. Finding out it’s not a fit is a bummer. Plus, online returns are a notorious hassle. There is one simple way to make it a bit easier, though.
Stop checking out as a guest when purchasing items online. Instead, make accounts at the stores where you order from most.
When you place an order online, you’ll most often get a confirmation e-mail with your order number. This number is now magic. Not only can it help you track your item as it heads your way, but if you need to make a return, you have to have this number to do it.
Unfortunately, unless you’ve got an impeccably managed inbox, those confirmation e-mails can get lost or deleted quickly. No confirmation number often means to way to make a product return via the brand’s website, and a phone call to customer service is in your future (and no one wants that).
To prevent this from happening, make an account on the site. If you need to make a return, all you’ll need to do is log in. Your order will be right there, and you can seamlessly move through the return process.
Now, I understand what you’re thinking—that you’re about to get an e-mail inbox full of spam by creating accounts. Here’s the thing, though, multiple platforms have ways to filter your inbox. In fact, How-To Geek has handy guides on setting them up for both Gmail and Outlook.
The next time you’re doing a bit of online shopping, you should consider forgoing that guest checkout.
