Easy Returns Act

This bill would make large retailers include a pre-addressed return label with most items they ship to you. It applies to companies with 500 or more employees. The goal is to make returns easier for customers who get goods delivered to their homes.

There are some exceptions. Stores don’t have to include a label for perishable items that people don’t usually return, for custom or personalized items that can’t be resold, or when the store already offers an easy, free return option that doesn’t require shipping, like a scheduled at-home pickup. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) must write rules to carry this out within 6 months, and it can enforce violations like other unfair or deceptive practices. The new requirements would start one year after the law is passed. This law doesn’t take away any other consumer rights you already have.

Key points:

• Who is affected: Retailers with 500+ employees; consumers who get goods delivered.
• What changes: A pre-addressed return label must be included with most deliveries, unless an exception applies or a free, easy non-shipping return option is offered.
• When: FTC rules due in 180 days; law takes effect for sales one year after it’s enacted.