PayPal , the leading global e-commerce services company, launches PayPal Refunded Returns and reveals the latest data on new consumer standards in the e-commerce market in Central and Eastern Europe.
PayPal has announced the launch of the PayPal Refunded Returns service in 15 countries in Central and Eastern Europe, following the corresponding launch in other European Union countries, while the results of a recent survey conducted by Gemius on behalf of PayPal confirm that consumers in this region also consider free returns of items as a key driver of e-commerce and equally important when it comes to making the decision on whether or not to purchase a product online
Now, regardless of the reason for the return, users who have ordered a product and already paid for it through PayPal can return it and get all shipping costs back, thus enjoying an even more convenient and secure shopping experience when purchasing products from domestic or foreign merchants around the world. In addition, in this way, PayPal extends buyer protection and ensures consumers from the time of purchase until the return.
PayPal Refunded Returns, which facilitates the process of shopping without worries, has already proven to be the right solution in countries such as France, Spain, Italy or Sweden, where the service effectively encourages consumers to fully enjoy the possibilities offered by e-commerce. Therefore, from today, this service is also provided in 15 countries in Central and Eastern Europe, including Greece.
The online consumer in 2014
Consumers in our region are increasingly buying and are considered conscious customers: while almost 37% of us buy online approximately 1-2 times per quarter, there is also a not insignificant share of consumers who make purchases more than once a month (18%). It is worth mentioning that for most people in our region, online shopping is no longer a mystery – consumers not only dare to do it, but also know how to exploit it in every possible way. Therefore, it is not surprising that consumers expect the standards and benefits that apply internationally. At the same time, the growth potential of e-commerce is still particularly high, since, as the research points out, consumers would be willing to make even more purchases, having overcome the fear of online shopping, if they were not worried about whether or not they would be able to return the products they purchased. Changing this particular approach and giving customers greater buying confidence is the cornerstone of PayPal's buyer protection, which now extends to PayPal Refunded Returns.
As shipping costs are a key factor in online shopping (40% of customers seriously consider not making a purchase when they have to pay shipping costs), 75% of respondents would consider buying more items online if shipping costs for returned products were free. In addition, 74% of online shoppers pay attention to whether online shopping offers free returns , while 21% of respondents actually bought items online in the past year precisely because a free return policy was in place without shipping costs. While almost 57% of respondents consider it good to offer free returns for online shopping, only 6% of customers say it is not necessary or not at all important.
“It is no longer surprising that consumers, since they can buy almost everything from their home or office, have become much more demanding of consumer goods, services and the entire shopping process than ever before,” says Damien Perillat,Managing Director of PayPal in the Central and Eastern Europe. “With e-commerce becoming more local but also global, especially in the European Union markets, easy solutions such as PayPal Refunded Returns are almost automatically the new norm.
Recognizing and implementing these valuable online methods is not only a matter of competitiveness, but also a new way for consumers to gain more trust and consumer protection, aiming to develop e-commerce in our region, Central and Eastern Europe, too,” adds Damien Perillat.
Not the right type? No problem
PayPal Refunded Returns allows merchants to meet the needs of their customers, who want to enjoy the best possible shopping experience. Users who ordered a product and paid for it via PayPal can return it and be fully reimbursed for shipping costs, up to 30 euros per shipment. Their only concern regarding financial compensation is to keep the receipts of the postal charges. Then, the three easy steps to receive a refund are as follows:
1. Download the special form and fill in your details.
2. Add the purchase receipts and the postal shipping receipts.
3. Email the form and proof package to PayPal .
Thanks to this new feature, once you complete this short process, the refund amount will appear in your PayPalwithin 10 days. This way, even if productssuch as clothing and accessories continue to be returned primarily due to incorrect sizing or other issues, this issue will no longer be a concern for consumers or merchants. During the initial trial period, PayPal Refunded Returns will be active until December 31, 2014.
More information about the PayPal Refunded Returns in Greece and the rest of Europe on the website https://www.paypal.eu/returns/
