HighTrustMeasured

Return promise that doesn’t match the refund policy

The product page promises one return window, such as “30-day returns”, and your refund policy states a different one, so shoppers buy on a promise the policy doesn’t make.

Checked on: product pages · Zolvio’s check: “Return promise doesn't match the refund policy”

Why it costs you sales

Shoppers who aren’t sure about a product read the return promise next to the buy button and buy on it. Your refund policy is what you apply when they ask to send it back.

When the two disagree, a shopper who returns within the window the product page promised can be turned down under the policy, and one who reads the policy first has to guess which to believe.

How Zolvio detects it

Zolvio reads the text a shopper can see in the product area, the section around the product’s own add-to-cart form: the main product section’s, else the first one outside the header, menus, search results, the cart drawer and other products’ cards, measured in a real browser (hidden text, text only screen readers get, and scripts don’t count; image and icon labels do), and looks for a return window: a number of days, nights, weeks, months or years, in figures or in words, tied to returns, refunds, exchanges, a money-back guarantee or a trial in the same phrase, such as “30-day returns”, “100-night trial” or “Returns accepted within 14 days”. A guarantee counts only in days or nights (in years it’s a warranty), and days for shipping, delivery or processing, a subscription’s free trial and a trial-size pack don’t count.

When a product page promises one, Zolvio reads your refund policy once, as Shopify serves it at /policies/refund-policy. The page is flagged when the policy states a return window of its own and doesn’t mention the promised number of days anywhere. A month or a year in the policy matches a promise within 5 days of 30 or 365 days. Nothing is claimed when the policy states no return window, or can’t be read. The finding quotes both texts and links the policy.

Members-only pages aren’t judged: a page without an add-to-cart form that shows a password or verification form in its content, such as a lock app’s (Easy Lockdown, Locksmith) or a VIP sign-in in the theme. A sign-in box in the header, the footer, a pop-up or a drawer doesn’t count, since it’s on every page. Neither is a product page used for a consultation or a quote: one without an add-to-cart form whose main content asks the shopper to request a quote, talk to a specialist or book a consultation. An ask your buyable product pages show too, such as a banner on every page, doesn’t count.

This is a direct measurement, so it’s reported on every plan, including Free and audits with AI turned off. With AI review on, the AI agent also checks it against the audit’s evidence before it reaches your issue list.

How to fix it

  1. Decide which return window is right for the product: the one on the product page or the one in your policy.
  2. Change the promise where it’s shown, usually a text or icon block in the product template (Online Store → Themes → Customize) or the product’s description in Shopify admin, or change your refund policy in Settings → Policies, so both say the same.
  3. If different products have different windows, say so in the refund policy, naming the products or collections.

This is usually a change in Settings → Policies, the theme editor or the product’s description, not to theme code.

In Zolvio: on paid plans with AI turned on, the guided fix writes these steps for your own store and theme: where to click in Shopify admin or the theme editor, or which file to open, the line to find and the code to add. Each file opens in Shopify’s code editor. Zolvio never edits your theme: you make the change, then Verify fix checks your published theme for code changes (or you mark it fixed), and later audits confirm the problem is gone.

Common questions

Why does “Return promise that doesn’t match the refund policy” cost a Shopify store sales?

Shoppers who aren’t sure about a product read the return promise next to the buy button and buy on it. Your refund policy is what you apply when they ask to send it back. When the two disagree, a shopper who returns within the window the product page promised can be turned down under the policy, and one who reads the policy first has to guess which to believe.

How does Zolvio detect “Return promise that doesn’t match the refund policy”?

Zolvio reads the text a shopper can see in the product area, the section around the product’s own add-to-cart form: the main product section’s, else the first one outside the header, menus, search results, the cart drawer and other products’ cards, measured in a real browser (hidden text, text only screen readers get, and scripts don’t count; image and icon labels do), and looks for a return window: a number of days, nights, weeks, months or years, in figures or in words, tied to returns, refunds, exchanges, a money-back guarantee or a trial in the same phrase, such as “30-day returns”, “100-night trial” or “Returns accepted within 14 days”. A guarantee counts only in days or nights (in years it’s a warranty), and days for shipping, delivery or processing, a subscription’s free trial and a trial-size pack don’t count. When a product page promises one, Zolvio reads your refund policy once, as Shopify serves it at /policies/refund-policy. The page is flagged when the policy states a return window of its own and doesn’t mention the promised number of days anywhere. A month or a year in the policy matches a promise within 5 days of 30 or 365 days. Nothing is claimed when the policy states no return window, or can’t be read. The finding quotes both texts and links the policy. Members-only pages aren’t judged: a page without an add-to-cart form that shows a password or verification form in its content, such as a lock app’s (Easy Lockdown, Locksmith) or a VIP sign-in in the theme. A sign-in box in the header, the footer, a pop-up or a drawer doesn’t count, since it’s on every page. Neither is a product page used for a consultation or a quote: one without an add-to-cart form whose main content asks the shopper to request a quote, talk to a specialist or book a consultation. An ask your buyable product pages show too, such as a banner on every page, doesn’t count.

How do I fix “Return promise that doesn’t match the refund policy” on Shopify?

Decide which return window is right for the product: the one on the product page or the one in your policy. Change the promise where it’s shown, usually a text or icon block in the product template (Online Store → Themes → Customize) or the product’s description in Shopify admin, or change your refund policy in Settings → Policies, so both say the same. If different products have different windows, say so in the refund policy, naming the products or collections.

Related

Documentation

  • How audits work — What an audit scans and how findings become issues.
  • Guided fixes — Step-by-step fixes written for your theme, with links into the code editor.
  • Surveys — Ask shoppers what’s holding them back.