Skip to content
Retail Returns Policy

Before a guide goes live

Fact-checking

Return rules are easy to get slightly wrong: a window counted from the wrong day, a fee that only applies to some items. This page explains how every guide is checked so those mistakes are caught before you rely on them.

Last updated October 22, 2026Written and reviewed by Aman Singh

On this page
  1. 1Who checks a guide
  2. 2What gets checked
  3. 3Extra checks by type of guide
  4. 4Sources we rely on, in order
  5. 5How we check a guide
  6. 6After a guide is published

Who checks a guide

Retail Returns Policy is run by two people, and every guide passes through both before it is published. The person who wrote a guide is never the only one who checked it.

  • Kajal Singh, Editor

    Researches and writes every guide, checks each claim against its source while drafting, and records where every figure came from.

  • Aman Singh, Founder

    Reviews every guide before publication, re-opens the sources for the figures that matter most, and signs off.

What gets checked

  • Policy figures: windows, receipt and condition rules, fees, refund methods and exceptions, against the store's current terms.
  • Dates: that the “last checked” date is the day the figures were actually confirmed.
  • Comparisons: that every store in a ranking was checked in the same period, on the same terms.
  • Steps: that how-to instructions match the return channels the store offers today.
  • Legal claims: that each right or remedy traces to current law or official guidance.
  • Links: that every source link opens the page it claims to.

Extra checks by type of guide

Store policies

Every figure is matched to the store's policy page or help center, and the guide covers each item in our eight-point checklist.

Comparisons and rankings

Stores are compared on what their terms say, not on reputation. If one store's policy changes, the ranking is re-checked.

How-to guides

Steps, labels and drop-off options are checked against the store's current instructions, including any deadline that depends on the season.

Terms and eligibility

Definitions such as restocking fee, final sale or proof of purchase are checked for accuracy, and examples cite a real store policy.

Your rights

Each claim about the law cites the statute or official guidance it comes from, and escalation steps such as chargebacks or small claims are checked as current.

Sources we rely on, in order

  1. The manufacturer's or provider's own documentation. For store policies, the store's own written policy.
  2. Our own testing and hands-on checks.
  3. Reputable independent sources, such as government agencies, standards bodies and established publications.
  4. Forums and reader reports. We use these only as leads and confirm them before we rely on them.

How we check a guide

  1. Research. We start from the sources above, in that order.
  2. Test or verify. We try the steps ourselves or check them against the source.
  3. Write. Kajal Singh writes the guide and lists the sources used.
  4. Check every fact. Every claim, number, step, price and link is checked against its source. Steps that carry a safety risk get an extra check.
  5. Review. Aman Singh reviews the guide in a separate pass before it's published.
  6. Publish and date. We publish the guide with its “Last updated” date and add it to our review schedule.

After a guide is published

  • Regular reviews. We review every guide at least once every 12 months. If something changes in between, such as a product update, a recall, a price or policy change, or a reader report, we check the guide within 14 business days. See How We Verify Return Policies.
  • Reader reports sent through our contact page go to the writer and are checked against the same sources.
  • Mistakes are fixed under our corrections policy.