Monavida return shipping abroad: what are your options

Monavida ships from Asia, and a return travels the same distance back, which is why the return shipping cost can come as a shock. Most of the time you can skip that cost entirely: ask for a free exchange, a partial refund without sending anything back, or just measure carefully up front so you never need a return at all. Below you'll find which route makes the most sense for your situation.

"This feels like a scam" and "read the fine print" are things we hear a lot when people talk about these return costs. We get the frustration. You don't expect a return to cost more than the bra itself did. Here's what you can actually do about it, not just why it happens.

Why does a bra even have to go back to Asia?

Monavida doesn't keep a warehouse in the US. Your order ships from Asia, so a return travels the same route in reverse: not to a local facility, but all the way back to where it was shipped from. That's the core reason a return here costs more than it would with a store that keeps stock close to home.

Distance is most of the cost. International courier rates outside your region run higher, a customs form sometimes gets added, and there's no flat, cheap return label the way you might expect from a local store. That explains the cost, but it doesn't solve your problem. That's what the options below are for.

Want to know exactly what that process looks like if you do want to ship something back? We walk through it in Returning to Asia with Monavida: what to expect. For more on how shipping from Asia works, read Is Monavida dropshipping from China? Here's what customers say.

Option 1: ask for a free exchange instead of shipping anything back

The fastest and cheapest way around a pricey return is simple: don't send it back. If the size is wrong, Monavida will often just send a new size and let you keep the first one, no return required.

"One email and they figured out the size with me. They sent 4 free of charge."

This works best when you describe the problem specifically: what size you have now, what's actually wrong (too tight, cup gaping, band riding up your back), and what size you want to try instead. The clearer your email or message, the faster customer service can offer a fix without asking you to ship anything.

• Quick check: are the tags still on and the bra unwashed? Then you almost always qualify for an exchange.
• Describe the problem specifically instead of just "doesn't fit": name the band size, cup size, and exactly what's pinching or loose.
• Ask directly for an exchange with no return required, rather than waiting to see what customer service offers on its own.

Not sure this works for your situation with a wrong size? Read Ordered the wrong size from Monavida: what now? and How free exchanges work at Monavida, no return shipping needed.

Option 2: take a partial refund and keep the package

If a style really doesn't work, even in a different size, shipping it back isn't automatically your best move. Some customers have been offered a flat shipping and handling fee, the choice to keep the package, and a refund for the rest of what they paid.

That sounds strange if you're used to "not happy, full refund," but do the math. Shipping something all the way back to Asia often costs more than that flat fee. If the package is genuinely useless to you, reselling it, giving it away, or just keeping it is often cheaper than fronting the shipping cost for a return you won't come out ahead on.

• Quick check: ask customer service about this option directly, in these words: "can I keep the package for a fee instead of sending it back?"
• Compare the fee they quote to the return shipping cost they mention. If it's lower, you come out ahead right away.

Option 3: skip the return by ordering the right size up front

The best way to never deal with return costs is simple: don't need a return. Of almost 2,900 women we asked about their biggest bra frustration, 8.2% named the wrong size or cup. That's exactly why a bra ends up going back, with all the cost that comes with it.

The Daily Essential Bra comes in 12 sizes, from S to 3XL+, with a size chart running from cup B to cup H and a band from 32 to 48. Measure yourself before you order instead of guessing afterward.

• Quick check 1: pull a tape measure snug around your ribcage, right under your bust. That's your band size.
• Quick check 2: wearing a 38C in another brand and noticing the cup gapes or the band rides up your back? Try going one band size down and one cup size up at Monavida, so a 36D.
• Quick check 3: slide a finger under the band at your back. If you can fit more than two fingers under it, the band's too loose and you need to size down.

Still torn between two sizes? Read Monavida bra sizing: too big or too small is the most common complaint for the most common mistakes. If only the cup runs a touch too roomy, you don't have to return it right away either: the included cup filler insert often solves that, as explained in Cup too big? Here's how to use the included filler insert.

Option 4: use the guarantee before you return anything

Styles like the Posture Lift Bra come with a 30-day perfect fit guarantee. That window is there so you can actually try the bra at home: wear it for a full day, move around, see how the band and cups hold up after a few hours. Only if you're still not happy after that should you reach out, and you can ask right away about an exchange or a refund instead of sending it back.

• Quick check: are the tags still on and was it less than 30 days ago that you ordered? Then you're within the guarantee window and can sort this out before returning anything.

Is the return policy really buried in the fine print?

The complaint we see most often is that the return policy only becomes clear once it's too late. Honestly, with a store shipping from Asia, this is usually right there in the terms and conditions, but almost nobody reads those before excitedly clicking "order." That's not an excuse, but it is the reality.

Want to avoid this next time, with Monavida or any other store? Before you order, search the terms for the word "returns." If there's an address outside your region listed, you know upfront what a return might cost you, and you can decide for yourself whether that's a risk worth taking.