Refund policy
Withdrawal & Returns
This page provides information about your statutory right of withdrawal as well as our voluntary return policy. These two policies apply separately.
For consumers in Germany and other countries of the European Union (EU) where a statutory right of withdrawal applies, the following statutory withdrawal rights also apply. Rückgabe und Wiederruf_261008
1. Voluntary 14-Day Return Policy (Worldwide)
In addition to your statutory rights, we voluntarily offer consumers a 14-day return policy from the date of receipt of the goods. This voluntary return policy does not apply to entrepreneurs within the meaning of Section 14 of the German Civil Code (BGB), unless expressly agreed otherwise in an individual case. Rückgabe und Wiederruf_261008
Requirements
For a voluntary return, the goods must be:
- unworn or unused,
- in their original condition,
- with all labels attached,
- in the original packaging,
- and accompanied by proof of purchase. Rückgabe und Wiederruf_261008
How to Start a Return
Please contact us at: hello@thegermangiftshop.com
Once your return has been confirmed, you will receive detailed return instructions.
If we provide you with a return label upon request, the costs incurred for the return shipment may be deducted from the amount to be refunded, unless the return is due to a defect or incorrect delivery. Rückgabe und Wiederruf_261008
Important
For the use of our voluntary return policy, we ask you to register the return with us in advance. This does not affect your statutory right of withdrawal. Rückgabe und Wiederruf_261008
Return Address
The German Gift Shop
Nadine Rautenstrauch
Schmetterlingsweg 5 ½
86199 Augsburg
Germany
Please note that for voluntary returns from countries outside the European Union, any original shipping costs paid will not be refunded. Rückgabe und Wiederruf_261008
2. Return Shipping Costs
In the event of a withdrawal or voluntary return of non-defective goods, you bear the direct costs of returning the goods.
You do not need to provide a reason when exercising your statutory right of withdrawal. If no defect, damage or incorrect delivery is claimed in connection with the return, we will treat the return as a withdrawal or voluntary return of non-defective goods. In this case, you as the customer bear the return shipping costs.
If you wish to report a defect, damage or incorrect delivery, please contact us before returning the goods at hello@thegermangiftshop.com so that we can review the complaint and coordinate the return with you. In the event of justified statutory warranty claims, we will bear the required return shipping costs.
As a general rule, we do not provide a free return label for non-defective goods. Rückgabe und Wiederruf_261008
Excluded from Our Voluntary Return Policy
The following are excluded in particular from our voluntary return policy:
- personalised or individually configured items,
- custom-made products,
- individually configured B2B products,
- perishable goods,
- sealed hygiene products where the seal has been removed after delivery,
- goods whose return is subject to special restrictions due to their nature or applicable shipping regulations.
Statutory rights, in particular statutory warranty rights and any applicable statutory right of withdrawal, remain unaffected. Rückgabe und Wiederruf_261008
3. Exchanges
We do not offer direct exchanges.
Please return the item and place a new order. Rückgabe und Wiederruf_261008
4. Statutory Right of Withdrawal for Consumers
Consumers whose contract is subject to a statutory right of withdrawal under German or applicable European consumer law are entitled to the statutory right of withdrawal described below.
Entrepreneurs within the meaning of Section 14 of the German Civil Code (BGB) do not have a statutory right of withdrawal. Rückgabe und Wiederruf_261008
Withdrawal Instructions
Right of Withdrawal
You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.
The withdrawal period begins on the day on which you, or a third party designated by you who is not the carrier, takes possession of the goods. Rückgabe und Wiederruf_261008
Exercising Your Right of Withdrawal
To exercise your right of withdrawal, you must inform us:
The German Gift Shop
Nadine Rautenstrauch
Schmetterlingsweg 5 ½
86199 Augsburg
Germany
Email: hello@thegermangiftshop.com
Please send us a clear statement, for example by email or letter.
You may use the model withdrawal form below, but this is not mandatory. Rückgabe und Wiederruf_261008
Electronic Withdrawal Function
You may also exercise your right of withdrawal using our electronic withdrawal function. This function is permanently available in the footer of our website under “Start withdrawal”.
After submitting your withdrawal, you will receive an electronic confirmation of receipt without undue delay.
To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your notification before the withdrawal period expires. Rückgabe und Wiederruf_261008
5. Effects of Withdrawal
If you validly withdraw from this contract, we will refund all payments received from you, including the cost of the least expensive standard delivery option offered by us.
Additional costs resulting from your choice of a delivery method other than the least expensive standard delivery option offered by us will not be refunded.
The refund will be made without undue delay and no later than 14 days from the day on which we receive your notice of withdrawal.
For contracts for the sale of goods, we may withhold the refund until we have received the goods back or until you have provided evidence that you have returned the goods, whichever occurs first.
For the refund, we will generally use the same means of payment that you used for the original transaction. If a refund via the original payment method is not technically possible or cannot be carried out for other reasons, we may expressly agree with you on another refund method that is free of charge for you. For this purpose, we may contact you by email and request the payment details required for the refund, for example your bank account details. Rückgabe und Wiederruf_261008
Return Shipping Costs (Withdrawal / EU)
You bear the direct costs of returning the goods.
This applies to non-defective goods when you exercise your statutory right of withdrawal.
If you claim a defect, damage or incorrect delivery in connection with the return, your statutory warranty rights additionally apply. We will bear the transport costs necessary for required subsequent performance in accordance with the applicable statutory provisions. Rückgabe und Wiederruf_261008
Loss of Value
You are only liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from handling beyond what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods. Rückgabe und Wiederruf_261008
6. Individually Made, Personalised and B2B Products
For consumers, the statutory right of withdrawal does not apply to contracts for the supply of goods that are not prefabricated and for whose production an individual choice or specification by the customer is decisive, or which are clearly tailored to the customer’s personal needs.
At The German Gift Shop, this applies in particular to:
- personalised products, for example with an individual name, logo or custom design,
- individually made custom products, such as hand-forged bowls or personalised Wichtel postcards,
- products specifically manufactured, adapted or configured on the basis of an individual customer order,
- individually configured B2B products, in particular products with a company logo, co-branding, individual design, special packaging or customer-specific product combinations.
For consumers, the statutory right of withdrawal is excluded for such individually manufactured goods pursuant to Section 312g (2) No. 1 of the German Civil Code (BGB).
Entrepreneurs within the meaning of Section 14 BGB generally do not have a statutory right of withdrawal. Individually configured or manufactured B2B products are also excluded from our voluntary return policy unless expressly agreed otherwise in an individual case.
Your statutory rights in the event of defective or incorrectly delivered goods remain unaffected. Rückgabe und Wiederruf_261008
7. Model Withdrawal Form (EU)
If you wish to withdraw from the contract, please complete and return this form.
To:
The German Gift Shop
Nadine Rautenstrauch
Schmetterlingsweg 5 ½
86199 Augsburg
Germany
Email: hello@thegermangiftshop.com
I/We () hereby give notice that I/we () withdraw from the contract concluded by me/us () for the purchase of the following goods ():
—
Ordered on () / received on ():
—
Name of consumer(s):
—
Address of consumer(s):
—
Signature of consumer(s) (only if this form is submitted on paper):
—
Date:
—
(*) Delete as appropriate. Rückgabe und Wiederruf_261008
You may also use our online withdrawal form:
https://thegermangiftshop.com/pages/widerruf-formular Rückgabe und Wiederruf_261008
8. Refunds
Once the requirements for a refund have been met, we will initiate the refund within the applicable statutory time limits.
Refunds will generally be made using the same means of payment that you used for the original order.
If a refund via the original payment method is technically not possible or cannot be carried out for other reasons, we will contact you by email in order to expressly agree on an alternative refund method that is free of charge for you. For this purpose, we may ask you to provide bank account details or other payment information required for the refund.
In this case, please provide the information required for the agreed alternative refund method in a timely manner. Without the required payment information, we are technically unable to process the alternative refund.
Once all information required for the refund has been provided, we will initiate the refund without undue delay.
Please note that banks, credit card companies or payment service providers may require additional time to process and credit the refund after it has been initiated.
If you have not received the refund within 15 business days after receiving our refund confirmation, please contact us at hello@thegermangiftshop.com. Rückgabe und Wiederruf_261008