What Zulily Is Now
Zulily is a deals-led online retailer selling clothing for women, men and children, plus shoes, jewellery, handbags, home goods, furniture, kitchenware, beauty and wellness products, with “fresh drops daily at 7 AM.”
One thing to establish first, because the name is familiar. The affiliate listing we were given describes Zulily as “headquartered in Seattle, Washington.” The current site’s own footer says “Located in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.”
We could not verify the corporate history without a general web search, so we are not going to narrate it. We are simply reporting that the description and the site do not match, and that the storefront now runs on Shopify. Treat this as a brand you may remember rather than assuming it is the operation you remember.
Affiliate disclosure: we earn 3% if you buy through our links.
All policies checked 8 August 2026.
Two Return Policies, and They Disagree
Zulily publishes two return policies. Both are live. Both are linked from the footer. They give different answers to the most important question.
| Term | The “Returns” page | The “Refund policy” page |
|---|---|---|
| Return window | 60 days from receipt | 30 days from receipt |
| “Unfit for resale” fee | Not mentioned | 15%, deducted from your refund |
| Late returns | Simply not eligible | May be accepted with a 15% late fee |
| Processing time | 3–5 days after receipt | “Two to four weeks” and also “two to four days” |
| Holiday window | Not mentioned | 1 Nov–23 Dec orders returnable to 31 Jan |
This is not a stray typo on one line. We counted: the Returns page states a 60-day figure five separate times. The Refund policy page states a 30-day figure five separate times. Each document is internally confident and consistent about its own number.
These are two fully written policies that disagree by a factor of two on the deadline that determines whether you get your money back.
One Page Contradicts Itself
It gets one layer stranger. The Refund policy page contradicts itself, on the same subject, within a few hundred words.
Near the top: “Returns on average take two to four weeks to process.”
Further down: “Returns on average take two to four days to process.”
Two to four weeks and two to four days differ by roughly seven times. The Returns page offers a third figure — 3 to 5 days after the item is received.
Our honest reading is that this is a documentation problem, not a scheme. Shopify stores commonly carry both a marketing-written Returns page and the platform’s Refund policy page, and the two drift apart when only one gets updated. We think that is what happened here.
But the effect on a shopper is the same either way. If you are trying to work out whether you can still send back a dress you bought six weeks ago, the retailer’s own website gives you two answers and no way to tell which is binding.
The Two 15% Fees That Appear on Only One Page
This is the part with the clearest financial consequence. The Refund policy page contains two separate 15% deductions. Neither appears anywhere on the Returns page.
The resale fee: “items returned that are deemed unfit for resale are subject to a 15% unfit for a resale fee. This fee will be deducted from the original purchased amount upon receipt of the return.”
The late fee: “we will deduct a 15% late fee from the purchase amount upon receipt of the return.”
Note who decides “unfit for resale.” The retailer does, after they have your item, and the standard is not defined. The same page says trying things on is permitted — so the boundary between “tried on” and “unfit for resale” is doing a great deal of unstated work.
The practical protection is simple: keep the tags on, keep the packaging, and send it back promptly and carefully. That is the difference between a full refund and losing 15%.
Which One Should You Assume?
Assume the stricter one. Plan around 30 days, and assume both 15% fees exist.
If you are wrong, you have simply returned something early and carefully. If you assume the generous version and it turns out the strict one governs, you are outside the window with no refund at all.
The asymmetry decides it. Being cautious costs you nothing; being optimistic costs you the purchase price.
If it is a large order, ask support to confirm the window in writing before you buy — email support@zulily.com, which both pages give as the contact. A written answer is worth more than either page.
What Both Pages Do Agree On
Usefully, the two documents agree on quite a lot, and where they agree you can rely on it:
- Non-returnable: undergarments, mystery packs, mystery items, surprise items, anything marked final sale, free gifts, and promotional items with retail value
- Condition: merchandise must be unworn and returned in the condition received, with original tags where applicable
- Trying on is explicitly permitted
- Window runs from date of receipt, not date of purchase — which is the fairer measure
- Refunds go to the original payment method, typically 1–3 business days to post
- If the item arrived damaged, defective or wrong, the return shipping fee is refunded after inspection
- Shipping fees are not refunded if you post the item back by your own method
- One free exchange per order for a different size or colour
Measuring from receipt rather than purchase is worth noting favourably, and both pages say so explicitly — “to allow for more time.” For a retailer whose model involves waiting for stock, that is the honest way to count.
One Genuinely Good Clarification
“Trying on items upon receipt does not violate this policy.”
We spend a lot of time on this site pointing out guarantees written so that the act of evaluating a product voids your right to return it. Underwear you must not wear. Mystery boxes you must not open. Light fittings you must not wire in.
“Unworn” and “tried on” are exactly the kind of pair that gets argued about, and most clothing retailers leave the gap open. Zulily closes it in a single sentence, in the customer’s favour.
That deserves proper credit — and it makes the undefined “unfit for resale” standard on the other page all the more frustrating, since they clearly know how to write a clear rule when they want to.
The Exchange Has a 15-Day Clock
One free exchange per order for the same item in a different size or colour is a reasonable offer for a clothing retailer. The conditions attached are tighter than they first appear:
- “Exchanges are not guaranteed.”
- “We do not accept exchanges of exchanges” — one attempt only
- “You have 15 days to mail your return. If your return has not been dropped off by the 15th day, the exchange will become null and void.”
- “We cannot guarantee the item will be available by the time we receive your return” — if it has sold out, you get a refund instead
The last one is the real constraint on a deals-led retailer, where stock moves quickly. You are racing the inventory. Their own advice is the right advice: return the unwanted item “as soon as practical.”
Paying at Checkout to Make Returns Free
“Returns are free if you purchased return and order protection at checkout!” Without it, “there is a small shipping fee to return any unwanted items,” deducted from your refund, and “additional charges may be applied for oversized/heavier items.”
Be clear about what this is: you are pre-paying for a return label at the moment you buy something you have not seen.
Whether it is worth it comes down to one judgement. If you are ordering clothing in a size you are unsure of, or anything bulky, it probably is — the oversized surcharge is uncapped and undisclosed. If you are buying something small you are confident about, you are insuring a risk you are unlikely to take.
Neither page tells you what the protection costs or what the return fee would be without it, so compare the two numbers at checkout before deciding rather than accepting the default.
Mystery Packs Are Non-Returnable
Both pages exclude “mystery packs, mystery items, surprise items” from returns entirely.
So the one category you cannot inspect before buying is also the one you cannot send back after. Whatever arrives is yours.
This is the same structure we keep finding on subscription boxes, and the conclusion is the same: mystery items are a gamble, priced as a bargain. Buy them only for the entertainment of opening them, never because the stated value looks high.
How to Buy From Them Sensibly
- Assume 30 days, not 60, and assume both 15% fees apply
- Check the product page — the refund policy notes windows can differ “unless otherwise stated on the product detail page”
- Look for “final sale” before adding to basket. Final sale means final
- Decide on return protection deliberately, comparing it against the return fee
- Open and try on the day it arrives. The clock runs from receipt and trying on is explicitly allowed
- Keep tags and packaging until you are certain, to avoid the resale fee
- If exchanging, post it within days, not weeks — 15 days voids it and stock may vanish sooner
- On a large order, get the return window confirmed by email first
Who Should Shop Here
Reasonable if you:
- Enjoy browsing daily deals and are buying low-value items where the downside is small
- Know your size in a brand you recognise, so returns are unlikely
- Will act promptly on arrival rather than leaving parcels unopened
- Are buying home goods or accessories where fit is not the risk
Be careful if you:
- Are placing a large order. A 15% fee on an ambiguous standard matters more as the total rises
- Are buying clothing in an unfamiliar brand or size
- Tend to leave deliveries unopened for weeks. The window may be half what you think
- Are tempted by mystery packs, which cannot be returned at all
- Need certainty about your rights before buying, which this site does not currently provide
How It Compares
| Zulily | Major online retailers | Local store | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return window | 30 or 60 days, unclear | Usually 30–90 days, stated once | Varies |
| Return shipping | Fee unless you pre-pay protection | Often free | Not applicable |
| Restocking-type fees | Two 15% fees on one page | Usually none on apparel | Rare |
| Trying on allowed | Yes, stated explicitly | Usually implied | In the fitting room |
The terms themselves, even in the stricter version, are not outrageous for a discount retailer. Thirty days from receipt, a free exchange, and permission to try things on is a workable deal. What sets this apart from mainstream competitors is not severity but uncertainty — most retailers state their window once and mean it.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Explicitly states that trying items on does not void the return
- Return window measured from receipt rather than purchase date
- One free exchange per order for a different size or colour
- Return shipping refunded when the item was damaged, defective or wrong
- Extended holiday return window for November and December orders
- Optional return protection available if you want free returns
- Very broad catalogue across clothing, home, beauty and wellness
- Both policy pages are easy to find from the footer
Cons
- Two live return policies stating 30 days and 60 days, five times each
- A 15% “unfit for resale” fee that appears on only one page
- A 15% late fee that appears on only one page
- “Unfit for resale” is undefined and judged by the retailer after receipt
- One page states both “two to four weeks” and “two to four days” for the same process
- Return shipping costs money unless you pre-pay protection at checkout
- Oversized return surcharges are unquantified
- Mystery and surprise items cannot be returned at all
- Exchanges void if not posted within 15 days, and stock is not held
- Stated location differs from the affiliate listing’s description
Limitations of This Review
Our general web search was unavailable, so this review is built from Zulily’s own site and its two policy pages, read on 8 August 2026.
That is a significant constraint here. We did not check Trustpilot, the BBB, Reddit, news coverage or any complaint record, so we cannot tell you about product quality, delivery times, how returns work in practice, or which policy the company actually applies when someone asks. That last question is the one this review most wants answered. Treat all of it as unexamined rather than as a verdict.
We could not verify the corporate history. We have reported only that the affiliate listing says Seattle and the site’s footer says St. Paul, and that the storefront is built on Shopify. We are not asserting anything about ownership, and readers should not infer more than we have written.
We have not ordered anything or tested a return. Our reading that the contradiction is a documentation lapse rather than a deliberate practice is a judgement, not a finding — and the company may well honour the more generous terms. Policies change; check both pages before you rely on either.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to return something to Zulily?
The site gives two different answers. The Returns page says "Returns are accepted within 60 days of receipt" and repeats a 60-day figure five times. The Refund policy page says "Returns are accepted within 30 days of receipt" and repeats a 30-day figure five times. Both pages are live and both are linked from the footer. Until they agree, plan around 30 days. Checked 8 August 2026.
Are there any fees for returning?
On one page, yes. The Refund policy page states items "deemed unfit for resale are subject to a 15% unfit for a resale fee," and that late returns accepted outside the window carry "a 15% late fee." Neither fee appears anywhere on the Returns page, which simply says late returns are not eligible. Assume both fees exist.
How long do refunds take?
The same page says two different things. The Refund policy states "Returns on average take two to four weeks to process" near the top, and "Returns on average take two to four days to process" further down. The Returns page says "Returns are processed 3-5 days after the item is received." Budget for weeks and be pleasantly surprised.
What cannot be returned at all?
Both pages agree here, which is helpful: undergarments, mystery packs, mystery items, surprise items, anything marked final sale, free gifts, and promotional items with retail value. Note that mystery and surprise items are excluded - you cannot inspect them before buying and you cannot send them back after.
Can I try things on?
Yes, and they say so explicitly, which we credit: "Trying on items upon receipt does not violate this policy." Merchandise must otherwise be unworn and returned in the condition received with original tags. That single sentence resolves the ambiguity most clothing return policies leave hanging.
Do they offer exchanges?
One free exchange for the same item in a different size or colour, per order. But "exchanges are not guaranteed," they do not accept exchanges of exchanges, and you have 15 days to mail the return or "the exchange will become null and void." If the item sells out before your return arrives, you get a refund instead.
What is return and order protection?
An optional add-on you buy at checkout that makes return shipping free. Without it, "there is a small shipping fee to return any unwanted items," deducted from your refund, with "additional charges may be applied for oversized/heavier items." It is effectively pre-paying for a return label on an order you have not yet decided to keep.
Is this the same Zulily that operated before?
We could not verify the corporate history, but we can report a discrepancy. The affiliate listing describes Zulily as "headquartered in Seattle, Washington." The current site's own footer says "Located in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA." The storefront is also now built on Shopify. Treat it as a brand you may remember rather than assuming it is the same operation.
Verdict
2.7 / 5
Workable terms that the retailer publishes twice, differently — so you cannot know what you have agreed to.
The individual terms here are not unreasonable. Thirty days from receipt, a free exchange, refunds to the original card, return postage covered when the fault is theirs, and an explicit statement that trying something on does not void your return — which is better than most clothing retailers manage and better than most policies we read.
The problem is that Zulily publishes those terms twice and the two versions disagree. One page says 60 days, five times over. The other says 30 days, five times over. One adds a 15% “unfit for resale” fee and a 15% late fee that the other never mentions. And it manages to say returns take both two to four weeks and two to four days on the same page.
We think this is neglect rather than design — a Shopify default policy left alongside a hand-written one, both drifting. But a shopper cannot tell the difference from the outside, and neither can we. What they can tell is that the site does not answer the most basic question in retail: how long do I have to change my mind?
So shop the strict version. Assume 30 days, assume the 15% fees are real, open the parcel the day it lands, keep the tags on, and skip the mystery packs entirely — you cannot inspect them before and cannot return them after.
Do that and the deals are perfectly usable. Just do not rely on the generous page being the one that counts.
Before You Buy
Zulily publishes two live return policies that disagree: the Returns page says 60 days and repeats it five times, the Refund policy page says 30 days and repeats that five times. The Refund policy also adds a 15 percent unfit-for-resale fee and a 15 percent late fee that appear nowhere on the other page, and it states both two to four weeks and two to four days for processing. Assume the strict version - 30 days, both fees real - because being cautious costs nothing and being optimistic costs the purchase price. Open and try things on the day they arrive, since the clock runs from receipt and trying on is explicitly permitted, which is genuinely to their credit. Keep tags and packaging on until you are sure, because the retailer decides what counts as unfit for resale after they have your item. Exchanges void if you do not post within 15 days and stock is not held for you. Mystery packs, surprise items, undergarments and final sale items cannot be returned at all. On a large order, get the return window confirmed in writing by email first. We earn 3 percent if you buy.