---
title: "Who Pays Return Shipping on Custom Cushions? The Two Cases"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/who-pays-return-shipping-custom-cushions/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Rosa Delgado, The Porch Keeper of Savannah"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/rosa/"
published: "2026-05-30"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "who pays return shipping custom cushions, custom cushion return policy, return damaged custom cushion, return shipping cost cushion, custom cushion refund"
---

# Who pays for return shipping, and are returns ever free?

*Two kinds of returns come back up the front steps, and they don't travel on the same terms. Here's how to tell which one you're holding.*

Also asked as: Do you cover return shipping?; How much to ship these back?

> **The quick answer:** 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. Damaged, faulty or missing items are a separate conversation: send photos and ask the workshop to confirm in writing what it covers. Ask your nearest FedEx or UPS for a postage quote.

![Orchid pink woven L-shaped bench cushions with plum piping on a cream storage bench beside a glass-fronted wardrobe](https://cushionguide.com/media/l-shaped-cushions/orchid-pink-l-bench-bedroom-walk-in-wardrobe-1600.webp "A pink corner bench gives a bedroom dressing area a place to sit, dress and store off-season clothes.")

## Key facts

- Damaged, faulty or missing items are a separate conversation from a change of mind; past cases were settled with a replacement piece or a refund.
- In past change-of-mind returns, the buyer paid return shipping.
- Past returns came with no prepaid return label; the return window is in the listing's return terms.
- Return cost depends on your ZIP code, parcel size and weight; FedEx or UPS can quote it.
- In past returns, the refund was issued once the item arrived back in original condition.

## Returns that start with photos: damage, faults, missing pieces

- ✓ The cushion arrived damaged.
- ✓ It's faulty: the workshop's mistake, such as loose stitching or the wrong item.
- ✓ A piece is missing from the box.
- ✓ In each case, send clear photos first, of the fault and of the whole piece.

## Returns where the postage is yours

- ✗ You changed your mind about the color or the look.
- ✗ The cushion was made to the size you ordered but doesn't suit the seat.
- ✗ No prepaid label was issued in past returns, and the return window is the one in the listing's return terms.
- ✗ The workshop can't quote the postage, because it depends on your ZIP code, box size and weight.

## Sending a cushion back, one step at a time

1. **Message the workshop first**: Say why it's going back and ask for the return address before you print anything.
2. **Get a carrier quote**: Ask your nearest FedEx or UPS store. The price depends on your ZIP code and the parcel's size and weight.
3. **Ship it in original condition**: Clean, unused and packed well. In past returns the refund depended on it arriving back that way.
4. **Wait for the check-in**: In past returns, the refund was issued once the item was received back in original condition.

## Often cheaper than a return

A cushion made exactly to the size you ordered can still be wrong for the seat, and past returns like that shipped at the buyer's cost. Before you tape the box, ask about the two quieter options: a partial refund to keep it, or a new piece at cost in the right size. Either is often cheaper than the postage.

Handmade tolerance is about ±1 in (±2.5 cm), and every cushion is measured before it ships, so a small difference isn't a defect. The best return is the one that never happens, neighbor, so measure the seat itself, front edge to back, to the nearest ¼ in (6 mm). What does yours measure? The [bench measuring Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/how-to-measure-bench-for-cushion/) and the [remake Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-cushion-remake-wrong-size-color/) cover both, and [Rosa's page](https://cushionguide.com/masters/rosa/) gathers the rest of her porch notes.

> **Tailor's margin:** Return postage on a change-of-mind custom cushion return has been the buyer's; for damage, faults or missing pieces, photos start the conversation with the workshop.

> A handmade cushion within about 1 in (2.5 cm) of the ordered size is inside normal tolerance; bigger shortfalls are worth tape photos and a message to the workshop.
>
> — Rosa

## Buyer questions

**A common question:** If I need to send it back, who pays the shipping?

**The workshop's answer:** For a change of mind, past returns were at the buyer's cost; the listing's return terms set the rest. Missing or damaged items are a separate conversation, started with photos. Postage depends on where you live, so get a quote from your nearest FedEx or UPS; in past returns the refund came once the item was back in original condition.

**A common question:** What happens if my order is damaged on the way?

**The workshop's answer:** Items damaged in transit are a separate conversation: photograph them and message the workshop. For other returns, past buyers paid the return shipping, and the refund came once the items arrived back.

**A common question:** Can I return it if I just don't like it? Is there a free 14-day return?

**The workshop's answer:** Damage on arrival is handled separately, starting with photos. For a change of mind, past buyers paid the return shipping, which the workshop can't quote for you, and no prepaid label was given; the return window is in the listing's return terms.

**A common question:** The cushion was made to my size but doesn't fit the space. What are my options?

**The workshop's answer:** Past buyers in that spot returned it at their own cost and were refunded once it was received. Often cheaper: keep it with a partial refund, or order a new piece at cost in the right size.

## Questions buyers ask next

### Is a cushion an inch off my order size a defect?

Not usually. Handmade cushions carry a tolerance of about ±1 in (±2.5 cm), and stuffed cushions can swell slightly larger. Every cushion is measured before shipping, and bigger shortfalls have been met with a fix or a partial refund.

### What counts as the workshop's fault on a return?

Damage, wrong items and faults such as loose stitching. Send clear photos; past cases were settled with a replacement piece or a refund.

### Do I get my money back before the cushion arrives?

No. In past returns the refund was issued once the item was received back in its original condition. Keep the carrier's tracking number until the workshop confirms the parcel has arrived.

## Related at the atelier

- [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.
- [Can I return a custom made cushion or cover?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/return-custom-made-cushion/): Often, yes: a custom made cushion can come back, but who pays depends on why it comes back.
- [Can I return an unopened cushion I don't need?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/return-unopened-cushion/): Yes, an unused cushion in its original packaging can be returned, as long as you arrange and pay the return shipping yourself.
- [Corduroy Window Seat Cushion With Bolsters: a 98-Inch Nook](https://cushionguide.com/readings/mustard-gold-corduroy-window-seat-ivory-sage-pillows/): A long corduroy window seat cushion becomes a daybed-style reading nook with three additions: a thick seat, bolsters at the ends and a slim back cushion.
- [Long Window Seat Cushion in Two Prints, Styled for Every Season](https://cushionguide.com/readings/animal-print-tropical-cushions-long-window-seat/): A long window seat can carry two prints if the cushion is split at the wall between windows and both prints share colors, here black and caramel.
- [Window Seat Cushion in Chocolate: Golden Hour vs. Morning Light](https://cushionguide.com/readings/chocolate-window-seat-golden-hour-tabby-pine/): Judge a window seat cushion color in the light you actually sit in, not on a screen.
- [When a custom cushion is the wrong size or color: remakes, fixes and what to send](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-cushion-remake-wrong-size-color/)
- [How to order a custom cushion size that isn't in the size menu](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-size-cushion-not-on-menu/)

*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/who-pays-return-shipping-custom-cushions/