Flipkart has followed Amazon India and revised its return policy under which users will only be able to claim refunds within 10 days from the date of purchase.
Prior to the new policy, Flipkart allowed customers to return a product in within 30 days of purchase. The revised policy is applicable on top-selling categories on Flipkart like mobile phones, electronics and books. However, the old 30-days policy will still be applicable for footwear, eyewear, jewellery, clothing, watches, fashion accessories, and large appliances. In addition, sellers on Flipkart will also have to pay higher commissions for product exchange starting June 20. This change can lead to an increase in prices of products by up to 9 per cent.
A Flipkart spokesperson told ET,
The revised structure across shipping, commission and returns will enable sellers to have predictability and better manage their online business.The standardisation has been designed to encourage sellers who offer superior customer experience, and is thus a win-win for both our customers as well as our customer oriented sellers. Our commission and fee structure remains competitive and in many categories better than other marketplaces. Flipkart is closely working with all our sellers to ensure a smooth transition.
The move to reducing the length of the return period for goods comes from Flipkart with an aim to attract more sellers on to the platform. Going forward, Flipkart has also discontinued its Zero+ Commission Policy where it stopped charging commission for certain sellers, instead asking them to advertise on the platform by paying a certain amount of fee. The new revised policy will now allow sellers to pass on the shipping costs to their customers.