What should I include so a gift can be exchanged or resized?

ZKZ Editorial TeamMain answer · Product & gemmology desk

Include a gift note or receipt that shows the order number, the seller's contact details and the exchange window, tell the recipient the ring size and the returns terms, and keep the packaging. Check the seller's return and resize policy before ordering, because many sellers treat sized, engraved or custom pieces differently from stock items.

What to put in the gift

1. A gift receipt or a note with the order number and the website or email to contact. Leave the price off if you prefer.
2. The return or exchange deadline. Write the date, not just "30 days".
3. The ring size you ordered, and how it was measured, if known.
4. How to resize. Say whether the seller offers a resize, an exchange, or both, and whether the recipient or you should arrange it.
5. Care and warranty information, if the seller provides it.

What to check with the seller before you order

• Is the ring returnable, and in which condition?
• Is resizing offered, and is it free, paid or limited to certain styles?
• Are engraved or made-to-order rings excluded?
• Who pays shipping on an exchange?
• Does the return period start from the order, the dispatch or the delivery?

What the law says

Fact Your Europe says consumers in the EU have the right to withdraw from an online purchase within 14 days of delivery, with some exceptions, including goods made to order or clearly personalised. Returning the goods usually costs the buyer, unless the seller offers to pay.

Fact In the US, the FTC's Cooling-Off Rule gives three days to cancel certain sales made at your home or at a seller's temporary location, and does not cover sales made entirely online, by mail or by telephone, so for an online order the seller's own return policy is what applies.

Uncertain Rules differ by country, and a gift can be given outside the buyer's country, so rely on the seller's written terms. A gift receipt does not guarantee the right to a return, and a return window may be counted from the buyer's order, not the gift date.

Keeping the surprise

Our advice If the recipient is hard to ask, learn their size from a ring they already wear, or from a friend. Ask the seller if there is an exchange option for the first size. Keep the packaging and the tags, because many sellers require them.

It depends Some rings, such as a wide band, fit differently from a thin one in the same size, so a note about the style can help the exchange.

Related reading: Return Policy — 925 Silver Jewelry Orders · Resizing a Sterling Silver Ring: What Is Possible

Sources

• Your Europe, Returns and the right of withdrawal
• FTC Consumer Advice, Online shopping
• FTC Consumer Advice, Buyer's remorse: the FTC's Cooling-Off Rule

Fact = stated by the cited source. Our advice = editorial recommendation. Uncertain / it depends = limits of what can be said in general.