Last updated: 21 September 2026
This policy explains how returns, refunds and exchanges work at VAELorine. It forms part of our Terms of Service. It applies in addition to your statutory rights, which it does not replace or reduce. If you are unsure whether your situation is covered, write to [SUPPORT EMAIL] before sending anything back and we will tell you where you stand.
The short version
- 30 days to return unworn footwear in its original packaging for a refund or exchange.
- Faulty or not as described – covered by your statutory rights, with no 30-day limit.
- Made-to-order and personalised items – not returnable for change of mind once production has begun.
- Resoling and repair – not cancellable once work has started.
- Tell us first – email [SUPPORT EMAIL] with your order number before shipping anything back.
1. Return window
You may return unused footwear within 30 days of the delivery date. The 30 days run from the day the parcel is delivered to you, or to a neighbour or collection point you nominated.
If your order arrived in several parcels, the 30 days run from the delivery of the last parcel, so you can assess the full order together. If you are returning an exchange item a second time, the window does not restart.
2. Condition the item must be in
To be eligible for a change-of-mind return, the footwear must be in resaleable condition:
- unworn outdoors — try them on a carpeted indoor surface, not outside;
- in the original box, with any shoe bags, spare laces, insoles and care items included;
- with the box itself undamaged, unmarked and free of carrier labels and tape;
- with any tags still attached.
Try the shoes on carefully. Soles that are scuffed, uppers that are creased from walking, or a box used as a shipping carton all reduce what we can refund, because the item can no longer be sold as new. If you are unsure, photograph the shoes before posting them back.
3. How to start a return
- Email [SUPPORT EMAIL] with your order number, the item you are returning and whether you want a refund or an exchange.
- We reply with a return authorisation and the address the parcel must go to. Returns sent without an authorisation may be refused, because we cannot match them to an order.
- Pack the footwear as it arrived and include the authorisation reference inside the parcel.
- Send it with a trackable service and keep the receipt. We cannot refund an item that never reaches us, and untracked returns that go missing are not covered.
Do not send returns to the manufacturer, and do not use the original shoe box as the outer packaging. If the box is marked in transit we may have to reduce the refund.
4. Who pays return shipping
For a change-of-mind return, you pay the return shipping and the original outbound shipping is not refunded. You may use any carrier you like.
If the item is faulty, damaged in transit or not as described, we pay the return shipping — tell us first and we will send you a prepaid label or reimburse a tracked service you book. Ask us before booking anything expensive.
5. Refunds
Once your return reaches us we inspect it and email you to confirm the outcome. Approved refunds are issued to the original payment method within 14 days of our receiving the return. We cannot refund to a different card or account.
If only part of an order is returned, shipping is not refunded. If you return a whole order for a change of mind, we refund the price of the goods and any outbound standard shipping you paid, but not any upgrade you chose such as express delivery.
Late or missing refunds
If we have confirmed a refund but it has not appeared, allow up to 10 business days for your bank to post it, then check with your card issuer — pending refunds can take a further cycle to clear. If it is still missing, email [SUPPORT EMAIL] with your order number and we will send you the refund reference to trace.
Deductions
Where an item comes back worn outdoors, damaged, incomplete or in a marked box, we may deduct the amount by which its value has been reduced, and we will explain the deduction before processing it. We never deduct for the act of trying a shoe on.
6. Exchanges
If you need a different size, width or colour, tell us when you open the return and we will hold the replacement if it is in stock. Exchanges are dispatched once the returned pair passes inspection. If the replacement costs more, we invoice the difference; if it costs less, we refund it. If the replacement is not in stock we will refund instead, or hold your credit if you would rather wait.
7. Faulty, damaged or misdescribed goods
Your statutory rights cover goods that are faulty, not as described or not of satisfactory quality. This applies whether or not you are inside the 30-day window, and it applies even to made-to-order and personalised items.
Contact us with photographs of the fault, the order number and a short description of how the problem appeared. Depending on the fault and how long you have had the item, we will repair, replace or refund it. We may ask you to return the item so we can inspect it; where the fault is ours, we cover that shipping.
What we do not treat as a fault:
- sole and heel wear from normal use, and the sole thinning that any leather-soled shoe shows;
- creasing, stretching or moulding to the shape of your foot — leather does this by design;
- colour darkening or the surface patina that develops with wear;
- variation in grain, shading or finish, which is a property of natural leather;
- damage from water, heat, salt, chemical cleaners or unsuitable polishes;
- damage from accident, misuse, or repairs and alterations carried out by a third party;
- changes in fit caused by the shoe having moulded to your foot.
If you are not satisfied with our decision, ask us to look again and give your reasons. We will review it and tell you the outcome; beyond that, your local consumer protection body can help.
8. Made-to-order, bespoke and personalised items
Products made to your specification — a bespoke size or width, a monogram, a non-standard leather, lining or sole, or any item marked “made to order” on its product page — are produced for you alone and cannot be resold. They cannot be returned for change of mind once production has begun. If production has not started, contact us and we will cancel and refund.
Cancellation rights for made-to-order goods differ by country. In the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom, the 14-day right to cancel does not apply to goods made to the consumer’s specification. Where your local law gives you a stronger right, that right applies. Faulty or misdescribed made-to-order items are always covered under section 7.
Where a made-to-order item is delayed beyond the lead time stated on its product page, we will tell you the revised date and you may cancel for a full refund of any deposit paid if the new date is not acceptable.
9. Resoling, repair and care services
Where we resole or repair footwear you own, we work on your property. Once work has started it cannot be undone, so those services cannot be cancelled midway for a change of mind. If the work is faulty or not as described, we will redo it or refund the service charge.
Before any work starts we assess the shoe and tell you what can reasonably be achieved. Some damage — a split in the upper, a compressed midsole, a cracked welt — cannot be fully restored, and we will tell you before we begin rather than after.
10. Cancelling an order before dispatch
You may cancel any order before it is dispatched for a full refund, including outbound shipping. Email us as soon as you decide; if the parcel has already left us we will treat it as a return, and the change-of-mind conditions above apply. Personalised orders can only be cancelled before production begins.
11. Gifts and gift cards
If an item was ordered as a gift and shipped to you directly, tell us — we can issue a gift credit for the value of the return rather than refunding the original payer. We cannot pay a refund to someone who did not place and pay for the order.
Gift cards cannot be returned or exchanged for cash, and where an order is partly paid with a gift card we refund to the gift card first and to the original payment method only for any remaining balance.
12. How to contact us about a return
[COMPANY NAME]
[REGISTERED ADDRESS]
Returns and refunds: [SUPPORT EMAIL]
Privacy and data protection: [PRIVACY EMAIL]