How to return a personal purchase to China
Get written return approval and the authorised address before booking. Check that the carrier accepts the actual contents, complete the customs declaration accurately and keep packing photographs, posting evidence and delivery records. For factory sourcing support, contact Cambridge China Bridge.
Get the return address authorised in writing
This guide concerns an unwanted personal purchase returned permanently from the UK. Ask the seller through your original order or marketplace account to confirm that it accepts the return. Request the recipient’s name, complete address, postcode, telephone number and return reference. Ask for address text suitable for the carrier’s label and a Chinese version for the recipient.
Ask whether the address printed on the original parcel is authorised for your return. Agree the dispatch deadline, who pays postage, who handles destination clearance and charges, and what evidence the seller wants before refunding. Save the reply with the order record. If the item will come back after repair, use our warranty repair return guide.
Check acceptance before paying for postage
Give the carrier the exact product description, condition, packed weight and dimensions. Disclose batteries, liquids, aerosols, magnets and any damage. Ask it to confirm acceptance for the selected service to China, together with its packing instructions. Do not assume that acceptance on the original journey confirms acceptance for your return.
Check whether tracking continues through delivery, what delivery evidence you can download and whether compensation covers your item and its condition. Compare the shipping cost with the expected refund before booking. If the carrier declines the contents, ask the seller for an alternative arrangement and obtain fresh carrier confirmation before dispatch.
Describe the goods and the return accurately
HMRC says a package sent outside the UK must have a completed customs declaration attached. Ask the postal operator or courier which form or booking workflow to use and whether it submits the declaration for you. Follow its instructions for supplying electronic information and attaching paperwork.
Describe each item by product type and material or function, rather than writing only “return”. Enter the quantities, weights, values and currency requested by the form. Identify the purpose as a return of an unwanted purchase, using the returned-goods option where available. Keep the purchase invoice handy; ask the carrier how to establish the declared value rather than entering a token value because no new sale occurs.
Record the contents before sealing
Photograph the item’s condition, identifying marks, accessories and the contents laid out beside the order record. Then photograph the protective packing, sealed parcel and readable address label. Keep an item list linking the contents to the order and return reference. These records help explain what you packed if the seller later reports missing or different goods.
Remove or cover obsolete shipping labels and place a copy of the return reference inside. Check that the address and goods details agree across the booking, declaration and supporting paperwork. Save copies before handing over the parcel. If a broker files a separate declaration, use our broker declaration checking guide.
Keep posting and delivery evidence together
Obtain a posting or collection receipt linked to the tracking reference and send that reference to the seller through the original order channel. Save tracking updates and the available delivery confirmation, including the recipient or signature where shown. Ask the seller to acknowledge receipt and confirm the refund status. A delivery scan alone does not establish what was inside the parcel.
If tracking shows a hold, refusal or return to sender, ask the carrier for the reason and agree the next action with the seller in writing. Keep the order, return approval, declaration, photographs, receipts, delivery records and refund correspondence together. For a separate UK import-tax question, see our personal parcel duty and VAT reclaim guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the return address on the original parcel?
Ask the seller to authorise it in writing for your order. Obtain the recipient’s name, full address, postcode, telephone number and return reference before booking.
What should I put on the customs declaration?
Describe the actual goods, supply the requested quantities, weights, values and currency, and identify the purpose as a return. Ask the carrier which form to use and how to establish the value.
Can I return an item containing a battery?
Tell the carrier the battery type, whether it is installed or loose, and the item’s condition. Ask for acceptance and packing instructions for the selected China service before paying.
Is tracking enough to prove my return?
Keep tracking alongside the posting receipt, declaration, packing photographs and seller correspondence. Save delivery confirmation and ask the seller to acknowledge the contents received.