What does "return unfree" mean?

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Especially in online trading, it often happens that shipments are returned to the sender freight collect. For the retailer, however, this process of returning the goods free of charge is annoying because it means high additional costs, which in most cases could be avoided.

Unpaid shipments are expensive and are often not accepted.
Unpaid shipments are expensive and are often not accepted.

"Return freight collect" - a service from DHL

Sometimes it is annoying because you have ordered something on the Internet and it does not fit, is defective or suddenly you no longer like it. The impulse to "send it back quickly" is very close and it shouldn't cost more money either. So many people think of DHL's "Unfrei" service.

  • "Return freight collect" means that you do not have to pay any postage costs for shipping. This takes on - rather involuntarily - the recipient.
  • However, there is one requirement: You must write a sender on the shipment. Because if the recipient refuses to accept the package, the package will come back to you with the costs.
  • You can only post this consignment at the counter of a post office. Tell the employee that you want to send the package freight collect and he will arrange everything else. Incidentally, you will not receive a confirmation in the form of a receipt or the like.
  • Remember that DHL doesn't care about the size of the shipment. There are no gradations up to 31.5 kg. A small letter that is returned without postage costs the recipient the same as a large package.
    • Shipping freight collect with DHL - this is how it works

    As a private customer, you can also take advantage of the additional service from the parcel service provider DHL ...

What does it mean for the recipient

  • The recipient of a postage unpaid shipment is notified and has to pay very expensive postage and other expenses. Each delivery costs him 15 euros (as of May 2013), which can mean that the recipient does not accept these shipments.
  • If the recipient refuses to accept the package, the package will be returned to your address and you will have to pay the costs - often with additional costs. If you also refuse, the package will be sent to a central DHL storage location after a certain period of time, which means that the content will be auctioned at some point.
  • This is why some online retailers also write in their terms and conditions that they generally do not accept such shipments. This can lead to a warning from the company because it is anti-competitive, but it is of no use to you. You must prove that you returned the package and you no longer have it if you want to exchange or cancel the purchase.

It is therefore better, when exchanging or returning goods, to pay the postage costs first and then to reclaim the value of the goods afterwards.

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