Home Based e-commerce Businesses/ Returns address for the customers

[Clon]

Hello all,
We have a small brick-mortar shop selling childrenswear and footwear complemented by an online shop.
We are going to close our brick-mortar shop but would like to continue with the online shop, running it from home.

My question is: since we are running it from home, we do not want returns to be posted to the residential address.

Can anyone recommend postal mailbox services or similar, suitable for small family run businesses?

 

[Picture Bute]

If you're running an ecommerce website that is capable of making sales it is mandatory that you have your business address and a landline phone number on your website. Using a mail drop doesn't absolve you of your mandatory responsibilities.

 

[Clon]

Thank you for your reply.

We do comply with all the mandatory responsibilities running the e-commerce website and have our trading address, telephone number, company number and VAT number on our website.

Are you able to help with the question I asked?

 

[Newchodge]

Thank you for your reply.

We do comply with all the mandatory responsibilities running the e-commerce website and have our trading address, telephone number, company number and VAT number on our website.

Are you able to help with the question I asked?

If I were a customer and were required to send returns to an address different from the trading address, I would assume a scam.

 

[Clon]

Once we close down the shop in January 23, we will change our trading address to our registered office address (our accountant's company address).
We hope to continue serving our existing customers and of course to acquire new ones.
I can't imagine we are the only business in the UK, moving to online only operation.

 

[StevensOnln1]

Unless you're going to be trading out of your accountant's office then it won't be your trading address. You're required to disclose the real location that you trade from, not just a contact address.

For the return address, have you checked whether there are any self storage units in your area that will accept parcel deliveries and hold them for you to collect?

 

[fisicx]

Or you pay a fulfilment centre to process the returns for you. But that means a different address to the one on your website. People check these things before buying and will be put off when they check addresses on Google maps.

Just use your home address. After all, that’s where you will be processing orders so it makes sense.