---
title: "Return Cushions on Change of Mind: Refund and Alternatives"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/return-cushions-change-of-mind/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Rosa Delgado, The Porch Keeper of Savannah"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/rosa/"
published: "2026-07-07"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "return cushions change of mind, custom cushion return policy, cushion refund, remake cushions in another color, partial refund keep cushions"
---

# What if I don't like the cushions when they arrive? Can I send them back for a refund?

*Pull up a chair. Sometimes a cushion is exactly what you ordered and still not what you pictured, and there is more than one way off that porch.*

Also asked as: What's the full return policy if we don't like it?; Can we return the cushions for a refund?

> **The quick answer:** Yes, you can return cushions for a change of mind, but you arrange and pay the return shipping yourself and the refund is issued once they arrive back safely. There are no prepaid labels or pickups. Because return postage runs high, the workshop usually offers alternatives first: a partial refund to keep them, new covers or a second piece at cost, or a remake in another color.

![Beige and white awning-stripe box cushion on a white folding bistro chair on a balcony overlooking a harbor and city](https://cushionguide.com/media/dining-chair-cushions/sand-awning-stripe-bistro-chair-cushion-harbor-balcony-1600.webp "A thick awning-stripe cushion makes a slatted folding chair comfortable enough for a long balcony coffee.")

## Key facts

- Change-of-mind returns are accepted, with return shipping paid by the buyer.
- There are no prepaid return labels and no pickup service.
- The refund is issued after the items arrive back at the workshop.
- Alternatives: a partial refund to keep the items, new covers or a second item at cost, or a remake in another color.
- Partial refunds to keep an item have been set case by case, as a goodwill amount.
- The workshop may ask you to measure both the cushion and the seat before a return.
- Damaged or faulty items are a separate conversation: photograph them and ask the workshop to confirm its fix in writing.

## Your options when the cushions just aren't right

| Option | What you do | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Full return | Pack and ship the cushions back at your own cost; no prepaid label or pickup | A refund once they arrive back safely |
| Keep them, partial refund | Tell the workshop what disappointed you | Part of the price back, set case by case |
| New covers at cost | Keep your foam and choose a new fabric | Fresh covers over the inserts you already have |
| Remake in another color | Send the cushions back | The same sizes, remade in the new color |

## Change of mind vs. a workshop mistake

|   | Change of mind | Damaged or faulty |
|---|---|---|
| Return shipping | Paid by you | Settled with the workshop once it sees the photos |
| What happens | Refund after the cushions arrive back | Replacements have been made and sent |
| What's asked of you | Measurements of the cushion and the seat | Photos of the fault |

## Why the tape measure comes out before the refund

It isn't a trick to hold on to your money. Every cushion is cut to the numbers on the order, so measuring the cushion you received and the chair seat shows whether a bad fit came from the order or the sewing. Most foam recovers within 24 to 72 hours of unpacking, so measure after that. If it's the workshop's mistake, the path changes entirely.

If the fit is fine and it's the look that let you down, the cheaper fix is usually fabric, not freight: new covers slip over the foam you already own. See [dining chair pad measurements](https://cushionguide.com/guides/dining-chair-pad-measurements/), [remakes for the wrong size or color](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-cushion-remake-wrong-size-color/) and the [dining chair cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/dining-chair-cushions/) shelf.

So tell me, neighbor: is it the color that's bothering you, or the fit?

## The chair cushions that didn't suit the family

A buyer wrote to the workshop about custom chair cushions whose color and fit hadn't worked out at home. The return was accepted, postage paid by the buyer, with the refund once the cushions arrived back. First, though, the workshop asked for two numbers, the cushion as received and the chair seat, because the set had been made to the exact measurements on the order.

> **Tailor's margin:** Before you box up custom chair cushions, wait 3-4 days for the foam to recover, then measure the cushion and the chair seat to the nearest ¼ in (6 mm); both numbers decide whether it's a return, a remake or new covers.

> A change-of-mind cushion return is refunded once the cushions arrive back, and the postage is on the buyer, so ask about new covers first.
>
> — Rosa Delgado

## Buyer questions

**A common question:** What's your return policy if I just don't like it?

**The workshop's answer:** Damaged or faulty items are a separate conversation, started with photos. For any other reason, you handle the return and pay the shipping back, with no prepaid labels. Alternatives usually come first: replacement covers, parts or a discount.

**A common question:** It isn't what I expected. How does a return work?

**The workshop's answer:** You pay the return shipping and the refund follows when the item arrives back. Since postage is costly, a partial refund to keep it or new covers at cost is often suggested.

**A common question:** Is there a pickup service, or can I exchange them for another color?

**The workshop's answer:** There's no pickup: you return the cushions and pay the shipping, and the refund follows once they arrive safely. Returned cushions can also be exchanged, for example remade in another color.

**A common question:** I picked the wrong color myself. Can you make them again?

**The workshop's answer:** Tell the workshop right away: before production, the code can simply be changed. Once made, the cushion can be remade in the right color at production cost, often just as a new cover.

## Questions buyers ask next

### Can I get a prepaid label to send back cushions I changed my mind about?

No. Change-of-mind returns come with no prepaid labels and no pickup service. You choose the carrier and pay the postage, the parcel is your responsibility until it arrives, and the refund is issued once the cushions are back safely.

### What if the cushions arrive damaged rather than just disappointing?

That's a different path. Send clear photos of the problem; in past cases the workshop made and sent replacements, and damage and faults aren't handled like a change of mind.

### Is keeping the cushions with a partial refund ever the better choice?

Often, because return postage for a box of cushions is expensive and comes out of your pocket. A partial refund to keep them, or new covers at cost, avoids that bill entirely.

## Related at the atelier

- [My custom cushion doesn't fit my space. Can I return it?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/custom-cushion-doesnt-fit-return/): Yes, a custom cushion that doesn't fit can be returned, but if it was made to the size you ordered, the return shipping is on you.
- [Chair Cushion With Ties: Navy Pads for a Small Teak Deck](https://cushionguide.com/readings/navy-tie-on-seat-pad-teak-dining-chair-garden-deck/): A tie-on chair cushion keeps a small deck dining set roomy when the pad is a thin box that follows the seat's taper, stops inside the seat edge, and ties at the back posts so it stays put as chairs…
- [Chair Cushions in Forest Green: Mixing Pattern on a Terrace](https://cushionguide.com/readings/forest-green-round-cushions-rope-dining-chairs-agave/): On a woven or patterned dining chair, the seat cushion should be a plain, solid color.
- [Chair Cushions in Coral, Navy and Rose Stripe: The Piping Call](https://cushionguide.com/readings/coral-navy-rose-striped-box-cushions-stacked/): For striped dining chair cushions, self piping cut from the same stripe gives the calmest, most tailored edge, because the outline melts into the pattern.
- [Who pays for return shipping, and are returns ever free?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/who-pays-return-shipping-custom-cushions/): For a change of mind, past returns of custom cushions went back at the buyer's cost, with no prepaid label; check the listing's return terms before you send anything.
- [Do your custom cushions and floor sofas come with a warranty?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/custom-cushion-sofa-warranty/): Warranty terms for custom cushions and floor sofas come from the workshop, not from this site, so ask for them in writing before you order and keep that message.
- [How to measure dining chairs for seat pads with ties](https://cushionguide.com/guides/dining-chair-pad-measurements/)
- [Accent chair and sofa chair seat cushions, replaced to the old shape](https://cushionguide.com/guides/accent-chair-seat-cushions/)

*Porch light's on — Rosa*

---

Written by Rosa Delgado (https://cushionguide.com/masters/rosa/) for CushionGuide (https://cushionguide.com/about/). The site explains made-to-measure cushions and the partner workshop makes them; measurements are in inches first. This Markdown mirrors the page at https://cushionguide.com/answers/return-cushions-change-of-mind/