Writing a returns policy that actually holds
You have real freedom in how you word it — and no freedom at all to remove a right the consumer has under UAE law.
Start from what the law already gives the customer
Under the UAE's e-commerce framework (Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2023) and the consumer protection framework (Federal Law No. 15 of 2020), a consumer whose goods are defective, unsafe, or materially different from how they were described is entitled to a remedy — repair, replacement or refund depending on the circumstances.
Goods must also arrive within the time you stated at the point of sale, and a significant delay gives the consumer a right to cancel and be refunded.
Critically: a term in your policy that tries to remove a right the consumer has under UAE law has no effect. Writing "no returns under any circumstances" does not make it so — it just makes your policy look like it was copied from somewhere else.
What you genuinely get to decide
- The window for change-of-mind returns, which is separate from faulty-goods rights.
- The condition you require — unused, original packaging, tags attached.
- Who pays return shipping on a change-of-mind return.
- Exclusions for goods that genuinely cannot be resold: perishables, personalised items, and hygiene-sensitive products once opened.
Say the exclusions on the product page, not only in the policy
If a product cannot be returned once opened, that belongs on the product page where the decision is made. A customer who discovers it in the policy afterwards has a complaint, and they are not wrong.
This is also what a payment gateway looks for when reviewing your site — clear, findable terms are part of what gets an application approved.
Refunds go back the way they came
Refunds should be made within a reasonable time and, where applicable, through the original payment method. That is both the expectation under the e-commerce law and what customers assume.
Operationally there are two things to get right: the tax has to reverse proportionally on a partial refund, and a credit note has to be raised against the original tax invoice. How refunds affect your VAT →
Exchanges are often what the customer actually wants
Particularly in clothing. A size exchange keeps the sale and keeps the customer; a refund loses both. A returns flow that only knows how to refund turns a solvable problem into a lost order.
A plain-language summary of published UAE consumer and e-commerce law at the time of writing, not legal advice. Have your own policy reviewed if anything about your category is unusual.
Other guides
When you are ready to open the shop
Fourteen days with your own products in it, no card, and a person who sets it up with you.
14 days free · No card needed · 0% of your sales, ever