An Post has launched ReturnPal, a new, easy-to-use service to return unwanted goods to any online retailer in Ireland or the UK.
Like most places, the burden of returning goods to retailers remains an issue for Irish shoppers, with just one in four Irish adults (24%) saying they will always return goods that they are not 100% satisfied with.
In response, An Post has launched the ReturnPal app, which is now available on the Apple Store and Google Play Store, and offers a hassle-free way for consumers in Ireland to return unwanted or unsuitable online purchases.
According to An Post’s research, 48% of adults in Ireland say they shop online at least once a month. However, when it comes to returning unsuitable goods, one third (32%) of respondents failed to return unsuitable goods bought online because of difficulty getting them back to the retailer.
An additional one in five (20%) say the decision to return goods or not is dependent on the perceived difficultly of getting goods back to the retailer of origin, while 28% would weigh up whether the value of goods is worth the effort to return.
With ReturnPal, online shoppers can then have their unsuitable or unwanted goods collected by An Post from an address of their choosing and returned directly to the retailer from which the goods came.
There’s no need to be at home when the delivery worker calls to pick up a return just fill in the details through the app. Return parcels can be left in a safe place such as the customer’s porch or their windowsill. There is no need to print a label as An Post will supply the return label from the details provided through the app.
If the online retailer offers free returns through ReturnPal, the service is free to customers. Otherwise, customers pay a fee, with a standard charge of 4.50 (US$5.30) within Ireland.
Returns can be booked up to midnight for following day collection, via the ReturnPal app. Customers placing the return order will receive confirmation of the collection and can track their item all the way back to the retailer.
Alternatively, customers can pay online, download a barcode and drop the parcel into any post office and onward delivery will be taken care of by An Post.
Garrett Bridgeman, managing director, mails and parcels, An Post, said, “ReturnPal is a new and innovative product from An Post, which does not exist elsewhere in the market. Our research shows that there is a clear need and demand for this handy, secure service in Ireland and that demand will only increase as online spending grows among Irish consumers. We have been able to match what An Post does best to a very real demand from the growing online shopping market.”
October 17, 2017