Returns | International customer returns
Introduction
Your international customers can now send items back as easily as your domestic and European customers — and without customs duties and taxes being charged again when the goods come home*.
International returns are a new category in the Bigblue return portal you already use.
Why offer international returns?
- Avoid re-import duties and taxes: returned goods are declared as a return of goods, so they re-enter the EU without new duties and taxes*.
- No new tool: everything happens in your existing Bigblue return portal and settings.
- Sell more cross-border: a clear returns policy is a key purchase driver for international shoppers. You can open markets where you currently don't accept returns.
💡 International returns are available to merchants using the Bigblue return portal. Contact your Bigblue point of contact to check your eligibility.
*Charges may apply if the original order was not shipped with FedEx, or if customs inspects the parcel or rejects the return-of-goods treatment. In these cases, the charges may remain your responsibility.
Coverage
International returns cover parcels shipped from a Bigblue warehouse to a country outside the EU, and returned by the Customer to that same warehouse through customs.
|
|
Covered |
|---|---|
| Return to | Bigblue warehouses in France and Spain |
| Return from | Countries outside the European Union covered by FedEx - see FAQ |
| Carrier | FedEx |
| Type of flow | Customer returns |
Eligibility requirements
To benefit from duty-free re-import, three conditions must be met:
- You use the Bigblue return portal. https://help.bigblue.co/article/147-how-to-setup-the-return-potal
- The original order was shipped with FedEx. Customs can only recognize the parcel as a return of goods if the same carrier handled both the outbound shipment and the return.
- You use the DDP service for your international shipments. See About DDP services.
⚠️ The most important rule: return carrier = outbound carrier. If you accept returns from a country where your orders were not shipped with FedEx, the return will be cleared as a new import and duties and taxes will be charged. To avoid this, enable international returns only for the countries where your orders already ship with FedEx.
If you change your carrier mix later, remember to review your international returns countries too. Your Bigblue point of contact can help you check which of your destinations ship with FedEx before you activate the service.
How to activate international returns
- Contact your Bigblue point of contact to confirm your eligibility and check which of your destinations ship with FedEx.
- Sign the international returns addendum to your Bigblue contract. It sets out the return rates per country, the billing terms and the split of responsibilities.
- Open Returns settings in the Bigblue app and enable the new International returns category. The options are the same as for domestic and European returns.
- Select the countries you want to accept returns from. Only countries covered by FedEx are shown.
- Choose who pays for the return (you or your buyer), just as you do for your other return geographies.
💡 If a buyer requests a return from a country that you haven't enabled, or that isn't covered, nothing breaks: they simply get the default experience where they are told to ship the return by their own means.
What the experience looks like for your buyers
The first steps in the return portal are the same as today. After the label is generated, the buyer chooses how to hand over the parcel:
|
|
Home collection | Drop-off |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | A FedEx driver picks up the parcel at the buyer's address | The buyer drops the parcel at a FedEx location (find a location) |
| Availability | Most covered countries | A limited number of countries, where the FedEx network allows it |
| Scheduling |
Buyer organize collection for D+1. It can be D+2 depending on local cutoff times. Only available Monday through Friday. |
Any time after the label is generated |
Labels and customs documents
In all cases, the buyer must print the label and stick it on the package.
- Paperless countries: the buyer only prints the shipping label. Customs documents are sent electronically.
- Countries requiring printed documents (e.g. Brazil, Argentina): the buyer prints the label and the customs invoice, provided in the same PDF. The invoice goes outside the package in a document pouch, supplied by the FedEx driver or at the drop-off location.
If plans change
- Buyer chose home collection but prefers to drop off / Buyer chose drop off but prefers home collection: the label is not the same, they need to create a new return request in the return portal.
- Buyer wants to reschedule, missed the driver, or the driver didn't come: they should contact FedEx customer service.
- Buyer didn't drop off the parcel in time: the return request is valid for 2 year. However, the return window (how long the buyer has to send the parcel back) depends on your returns policy.
FAQ
- Can I still be charged duties and taxes on a return? Duty-free re-import is the expected outcome, but it can't be guaranteed in every case. Charges may apply if the original order was not shipped with FedEx, or if customs inspects the parcel or rejects the return-of-goods treatment. In these cases, the charges may remain your responsibility.
- Are exchanges also free of duties and taxes? No. The return itself re-enters the EU duty-free, but the replacement item sent to the buyer is a new export, so duties and taxes apply to it as for any international order.
- My order was shipped DAP, not DDP. Can it still be returned? Contact your Bigblue point of contact. The international returns offer is designed for merchants using the DDP service.
- Can my buyers return any type of product? No. Standard customs and carrier restrictions apply. Dangerous goods are not accepted. Cosmetics and perfumes are generally accepted but may be inspected by customs and require extra documents. Other regulated goods (e.g. alcohol, food, medicines, aerosols, batteries) must be checked in advance.
- What happens if a buyer returns from a country I haven't enabled? They get your current buyer-paid return experience. No error is shown.
- Which countries are covered?
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🇫🇷 International Returns to our French warehouse Europe (outside EU)
Faroe Islands, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom
North America
Bermuda, Canada, Greenland, Mexico, United States
Central America & Caribbean
Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean Netherlands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba), Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Maarten, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, US Virgin Islands
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela
Middle East
Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
North Africa
Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia
Sub-Saharan Africa
Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Réunion, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Caucasus & Central Asia
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
South Asia
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
East Asia
China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macao, Mongolia, South Korea, Taiwan
Southeast Asia
Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam
Oceania
American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna
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🇪🇸 International Returns to our Spanish warehouse Europe (outside EU)
Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom
North America
Bermuda, Canada, Mexico, United States
Central America & Caribbean
Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean Netherlands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba), Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Maarten, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, US Virgin Islands
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela
Middle East
Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates
North Africa
Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia
Sub-Saharan Africa
Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Réunion, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Caucasus & Central Asia
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan
South Asia
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
East Asia
China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macao, Mongolia, South Korea, Taiwan
Southeast Asia
Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam
Oceania
American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna
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Glossary
👉 International return: a return sent by a buyer from a country outside the EU, which must go through customs to re-enter the EU.
👉 Return of goods (duty-free re-import): customs treatment that lets goods previously exported re-enter without new duties and taxes, provided the return can be matched to the original export.
👉 DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): Incoterm where the merchant pays duties and taxes before delivery. See About DDP services.
👉 DAP (Delivered At Place): Incoterm where the buyer pays duties and taxes at delivery.
👉 Paperless country: a country where customs documents are transmitted electronically, so the buyer only prints the label.
💡 If you have any questions about your eligibility or pricing for international returns, please reach out to your Bigblue point of contact.