June 11, 2025, 9:42 am | Read time: 2 minutes
After returning an item to an online store, it usually takes just a few days for the customer to receive a refund once the returned goods are received. However, the urban and streetwear retailer Defshop is now making its customers wait for weeks. This seems to be not an isolated case.
Shop online, receive the package, try it on at home, return it if necessary, and get your money back. This is a process many online customers use, and it is usually completed within a few days. However, the urban and streetwear retailer Defshop is now facing criticism because customers are waiting weeks for their refunds after returning items.
Defshop’s Return Policy
“You have a 30-day return policy with us. The items must be returned in their original packaging and with tags. We cover the direct costs of the return if you use the shipping label we provide,” writes the urban and streetwear retailer Defshop on its website. At first glance, this doesn’t seem unusual and, thanks to the free return shipping, even customer-friendly.
However, the fact that customers sometimes have to wait weeks for their refund significantly tarnishes this image. This criticism has been ongoing for several weeks.
Frustrated Defshop Customers Express Their Discontent
As early as the beginning of the year, the Consumer Center of Lower Saxony reported on the issue. The consumer center had cases from customers who had been waiting four weeks or longer. Delivery receipts confirmed the return’s arrival at Defshop, and even after contacting them, customers were placated with generalized phrases.
Current cases available to STYLEBOOK show that this problem persists, with some customers waiting over five weeks for their money. On the online review platform Trustpilot, comments from frustrated customers who have had similar experiences are piling up.
An official press inquiry from STYLEBOOK remained unanswered by Defshop at the time of the article’s publication.
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What Rights Do Customers Have?
If customers adhere to the deadlines and rules for a return set by the online shop, they also have rights they can invoke.
“If the return is registered with the online retailer within the legal withdrawal period, this can generally be considered a timely withdrawal,” says legal expert Tim-Oliver Tettinger from the Consumer Center of Lower Saxony. The article further states: “After receiving the withdrawal, the retailer must refund all payments received from consumers within 14 days at the latest.” The refund can be delayed until the customer’s return is received.
The legal expert recommends that customers request in writing via registered mail that the retailer refund the money within 14 days. It is helpful to include copies of delivery receipts or tracking numbers.