Explaining Refund, Return and Cancellation Policies.

Lesson 8 takes a closer look at policies on refunds, returns and cancellations. You read simple extracts from policy pages, emails and call scripts, then rewrite them in clearer, more customer-friendly English. You learn useful vocabulary for conditions, deadlines and exceptions, and you practise using if sentences to explain what happens in different cases. The lesson also helps you refuse requests politely when company rules do not allow something, while still sounding respectful and helpful. You work on offering acceptable alternatives, such as vouchers, changes of date or partial refunds. In the final activity, you explain one of your own company policies to a customer in writing and in a short spoken script.

1. Understanding a simple refund and return policy.

In this first part of the lesson, let us step into a very common situation. You have just started working for an online shop called CityStyle. A customer phones or writes to ask about refunds and returns. Before you can explain anything, you need to understand your own company policy. Very often, the policy is written in quite formal or legal language on a website or in a staff manual. Your job is to read that policy, understand the key rules, and then explain them in much simpler English to a customer. In this section, you will read a short, easy policy extract. We will focus on three important ideas: the time limit, the condition of the product, and any exceptions. While you read, do not worry about every single word. Try to find answers to basic questions such as: When can the customer return something? What do they need to show? When can the company refuse a refund? After that, you will answer a few questions in your own words. This will help you check that you have really understood the rules and can already start to rephrase them more clearly.

The CityStyle refund and return rules.

Imagine you work for an online shop called CityStyle. Here is a short part of their refund and return policy. This is similar to what you might see on a website or in a staff handbook.

> CityStyle Refund and Return Policy (Extract)

> Our standard policy allows returns within 30 days of delivery.

> To receive a full refund, items must be unused, in their original packaging and with proof of purchase.

> After 30 days, or if the product has been used, we may offer a partial refund or store credit at our discretion.

> For hygiene reasons, we cannot accept returns of earrings, opened cosmetics or underwear unless they are faulty.

Key vocabulary from policies.

Policies often include words that sound formal. Here are some from the text above, with simpler explanations:

• standard policy – the normal rule the company follows
• within 30 days – any time in the 30 days after delivery, not later
• original packaging – the first box or wrapping from the shop
• proof of purchase – something that shows you bought it, for example a receipt or invoice
• partial refund – you get back only part of the money
• store credit – you do not get money, but you can spend the same amount in the shop
• at our discretion – the company decides, case by case
• for hygiene reasons – for health and cleanliness

Reading and rephrasing.

When you talk to customers, you usually should not repeat the policy text word for word. Instead, you explain the same rule using simple, friendly sentences.

For example:

• Policy text: Our standard policy allows returns within 30 days of delivery.
• Customer-friendly: You can return the item up to 30 days after you receive it.

• Policy text: To receive a full refund, items must be unused, in their original packaging and with proof of purchase.
• Customer-friendly: If the product is unused and you have the receipt and the box, we can give you all your money back.

Now it is your turn to show that you understand the CityStyle rules.

Practice & Feedback

Read the policy extract below again carefully. Then answer the three questions in your own words. Do not just copy sentences from the text. Imagine you are explaining the rules to a new colleague who is not very confident in English.

Write your answers as a short numbered list:

1. When can a customer get a full refund at CityStyle?
2. When might the customer get only a partial refund or store credit?
3. Which products cannot be returned, and in what special situation can they be returned?

Try to use simple, friendly language. You can use phrases such as "You can…", "You cannot…", "If the product is…". Aim for 2–3 full sentences for each answer, so I can clearly see how you understand the policy.

2. Listening to an agent explain the policy.

You have now seen how the policy looks on the page. Next, let us hear how it sounds in a real phone call. In this part, you will listen to a short conversation between a customer and an agent from CityStyle. The customer wants to return a pair of shoes, and the agent explains what is possible. Listen carefully for two things. First, notice how the agent uses easier language than the written policy. Second, pay special attention to sentences with the word "if". These if sentences are very useful when you explain rules, because they link a condition and a result. For example, "If the item is unused, we can give you a refund." In a moment you will see the transcript on the screen, so do not worry if you do not catch every word in the audio. Just relax and listen for the main ideas. After that, you will listen again in the activity and then write a few if sentences yourself to describe the CityStyle rules.

Phone call transcript: explaining a refund.

Read the transcript of a call between a CityStyle customer and an agent. Notice the if sentences in bold.

> Customer: Hello, I bought some shoes from you last week, but they are too small. Can I return them?

> Agent: Of course, I can help with that. If the shoes are unused and you still have the box and the receipt, we can offer a full refund.

> Customer: I tried them once at home. Is that OK?

> Agent: Yes, that is fine. If you only tried them at home and they are still in good condition, we treat them as unused.

> Customer: Great. How long do I have?

> Agent: Our standard policy allows returns within 30 days of delivery, so if you send them back within that time, we can refund you.

> Customer: And what if I send them after 30 days?

> Agent: If it is after 30 days, we cannot guarantee a full refund, but we may offer store credit instead.

How the if sentences work.

The agent uses if sentences to connect a condition with a result. Look at these examples from the call:

• If the shoes are unused and you still have the box and the receipt, we can offer a full refund.
• Condition: the shoes are unused and the customer has the box and receipt.
• Result: the company can give a full refund.

• If you send them back within that time, we can refund you.
• Condition: the customer returns the shoes within 30 days.
• Result: the company gives a refund.

• If it is after 30 days, we cannot guarantee a full refund, but we may offer store credit instead.
• Condition: the return is after 30 days.
• Result: no guaranteed full refund; maybe store credit.

This structure is perfect for explaining policies:

> If + condition, + result

Useful patterns for explaining rules.

Here are some patterns you can copy and adapt:

• If the product is unused, we can offer a full refund.
• If the item is opened, we may offer a partial refund.
• If it is after 30 days, we cannot give a cash refund.
• If you do not have the receipt, we can offer store credit.

In the next activity, you will listen to the call again and then write your own if sentences based on what you understood.

Practice & Feedback

Listen to the short call about the shoes one more time. While you listen, focus on the if sentences the agent uses to explain the policy.

After listening, write:

1. Three if sentences that explain the CityStyle refund rules in your own words. For example, you can write about unused items, the 30-day limit, and what happens after 30 days. Try not to copy exactly from the transcript; change some words.
2. One extra question that the customer could ask that starts with "What if…". For example, "What if I do not have the receipt?"

Write your answer as a short text with four numbered lines. Use simple present tense, like in the examples. This will help you build clear, correct policy explanations.

3. Rewriting policy lines with clear if sentences.

You have listened to an agent use if sentences in a real call. Now, let us practise building these sentences ourselves. This is a key skill when you need to turn formal policy text into simple, customer-friendly English. Often, a written policy is full of long phrases and legal-style words. Customers do not want to hear that on the phone. They want to know quickly: if I do this, what happens? If I do not do this, what happens? In this section, you will see some typical policy sentences on the screen. They are clear, but a bit formal. Your job is to rewrite them as short if sentences that you could actually say to a customer. For example, you might change "Customers are eligible for a full refund when the product is unused" into "If the product is unused, we can give you a full refund." I will show you a few model answers and some useful patterns. Then, in the activity, you will try rewriting several lines yourself. Focus on three things: keeping the meaning, using simple present tense, and sounding polite and helpful.

From formal policy to customer-friendly sentences.

Look at these typical policy lines. They are not very long, but they still sound a bit formal.

1. Customers are eligible for a full refund when the product is unused and returned within 30 days.
2. A partial refund may be offered if the item has been opened or used.
3. Delivery fees are non-refundable unless the product is faulty.
4. Returns without proof of purchase will be refused or may receive store credit only.

Now see how we can rewrite them for a phone call or a chat using if sentences.

• Original: Customers are eligible for a full refund when the product is unused and returned within 30 days.

Customer-friendly: If the product is unused and you send it back within 30 days, we can give you a full refund.

• Original: A partial refund may be offered if the item has been opened or used.

Customer-friendly: If the item is opened or used, we may be able to give you a partial refund.

• Original: Delivery fees are non-refundable unless the product is faulty.

Customer-friendly: If the product is not faulty, we cannot refund the delivery fee.

Or you can keep the positive result: If the product is faulty, we can also refund the delivery fee.

• Original: Returns without proof of purchase will be refused or may receive store credit only.

Customer-friendly: If you do not have proof of purchase, we cannot give a cash refund, but we may offer store credit.

Useful language for polite policy explanations.

When you explain rules, it is important to sound helpful, not strict or aggressive. These small phrases soften your sentences:

• we can give you… instead of we will give you…
• we may be able to… instead of we may…
• I am afraid we cannot… instead of we do not…
• What we can do is… to introduce an alternative

We can combine them with if sentences:

• If it is after 30 days, I am afraid we cannot give a full refund.
• If the item is used, we may be able to offer a partial refund.

In the activity below, you will practise rewriting formal lines into clear if sentences that you can actually use with customers.

Practice & Feedback

Read the four original policy lines in the box below. Your task is to rewrite three of them in simpler, customer-friendly English using if sentences.

Imagine you are speaking to a customer on the phone or in a live chat. Use patterns like:

• If the product is…, we can…
• If it is after 30 days, we may…
• If you do not have…, I am afraid we cannot…

Write your answers as a short numbered list:

1. New sentence for line 1
2. New sentence for line 2
3. New sentence for either line 3 or line 4

Try to:

• keep the original meaning,
• use present tense,
• sound polite and helpful, even when you say no.

Aim for one clear sentence for each line. If you want, you can add a second sentence to offer an alternative.

4. Refusing a request politely and offering options.

Explaining simple, positive cases is usually easy. The real challenge comes when a customer asks for something that is outside your company policy. Perhaps the product is very old, has been used a lot, or the customer misses the cancellation deadline. In those moments, you often have to say no, but you still want to sound respectful and helpful. In this part of the lesson, we will look at a short email-style dialogue between a customer and a CityStyle agent. The customer wants a full cash refund for a used item that is 60 days old. The policy does not allow this, but the agent finds a polite way to refuse and then offers alternatives, such as store credit or a discount. Notice the soft phrases like "I am afraid", "unfortunately" and "What I can do is…". After reading, you will write your own reply email to a similar complaint. This will help you combine if sentences, polite refusals and alternative solutions in one clear message.

Email exchange: outside the refund window.

> Customer email:

> Hello, I bought a blender from CityStyle about two months ago. I have used it many times, but now I do not like the colour. I would like a full refund, including delivery. I do not have the receipt any more. Please tell me how to get my money back.

>

> Agent reply:

> Dear Ms Brown,

> Thank you for contacting CityStyle.

> I am very sorry that you are not happy with your blender.

> Our standard policy allows returns within 30 days of delivery. If the product is unused and you have proof of purchase, we can offer a full refund.

> In your case, it has been about 60 days and the blender has been used, so I am afraid we cannot give a full cash refund now or refund the delivery fee.

> What I can do is offer you two options. If you send us the blender, we can give you store credit for part of the original price. Alternatively, we can offer a 20 percent discount on a new blender in a different colour.

> Please let me know which option you prefer.

> Kind regards,

> Sara, Customer Service, CityStyle

Language to soften a refusal.

Here are some key phrases from the reply and from the lesson chunk bank:

• I am very sorry that… – shows empathy.
• Our standard policy allows… – introduces the rule, not your personal opinion.
• In your case… so I am afraid we cannot… – links the customer situation to the rule and refuses politely.
• What I can do is offer… – introduces alternatives.
• Please let me know which option you prefer. – invites the customer to choose.

We can also use if sentences in this type of email:

• If the product is unused and you have the receipt, we can offer a full refund.
• If the item is used and it is after 30 days, I am afraid we can only offer store credit.

Structure of a good refusal email.

1. Thank and empathise: thank the customer for contacting you and show you understand their feeling.
2. State the policy clearly: explain the relevant part, using if sentences.
3. Apply the policy to this case: use phrases like in your case, in this situation.
4. Refuse politely: use I am afraid or unfortunately.
5. Offer alternatives: vouchers, store credit, discount, change of date, etc.
6. Close positively: invite them to choose and thank them again.

You will now write a similar email yourself.

Practice & Feedback

Read the new customer email in the box below. Imagine you are the agent at CityStyle and you must answer.

Use the same policy as before:

• returns within 30 days, unused, with proof of purchase = full refund,
• after 30 days or used = maybe partial refund or store credit,
• delivery fee refunded only if the product is faulty.

Write a short reply email (about 100–130 words) that:

• thanks the customer and shows empathy,
• explains the policy using at least one if sentence,
• refuses the full cash refund politely,
• offers two realistic alternatives (for example, store credit, discount on a new item),
• closes in a friendly, professional way.

Use phrases from the example above, such as "Our standard policy allows…", "In your case…", "I am afraid we cannot…" and "What I can do is…".

5. Simulating a live chat about refunds and cancellations.

So far, we have worked with calls and emails. Many customer service teams also use live chat on a website or in an app. In chat, customers expect fast, short messages. You still need to follow the refund and cancellation policy, but your style is usually more direct and broken into small pieces. In this part of the lesson, we will focus on answering quick "What if…" questions in a chat window. You will see an example of a short chat between a customer and an agent from CityStyle. Notice that the agent still uses if sentences and polite softening phrases, but keeps each message only one or two sentences long. After looking at the example, you will continue a new chat yourself. You will write several short answers to different questions about refunds and cancellations, for example returning something without a receipt or cancelling an order too late. Imagine you are typing in real time. Keep your language clear, friendly and calm, even when you cannot give the customer exactly what they want.

Example live chat.

> Customer: Hi, I want to cancel my order. The delivery is tomorrow. Is it free to cancel?

> Agent (Sara): Hi Anna, thanks for your message. I can help you with that.

> Agent (Sara): Our policy says cancellations are free up to 24 hours before delivery.

> Agent (Sara): If you cancel today and delivery is tomorrow, I am afraid there is a small cancellation charge.

> Customer: Oh, OK. And what if I refuse the parcel at the door?

> Agent (Sara): If you refuse the parcel, we will return it to our warehouse. We can then refund the product price, but not the delivery fee.

Style tips for chat responses.

In a live chat, you usually:

• use the customer’s name, if you have it: Hi Anna,
• write short messages, not big paragraphs
• still explain the policy clearly, often with if sentences
• soften refusals: I am afraid…, unfortunately…, what I can do is…
• offer a next step: We can then…, You can either…, Would you like to…?

Here are some useful chunks for chat from the lesson chunk bank:

• Our standard policy allows returns within thirty days.
• If the product is unused, we can offer a full refund.
• If it is opened, we may offer a partial refund.
• Cancellations are free up to twenty four hours before.
• After that time, there is a small cancellation charge.
• I am afraid we cannot make an exception to this rule.
• What I can do is offer store credit instead.

In the activity, you will see the beginning of a new chat. You will play the agent and type several short replies.

Practice & Feedback

Read the start of the new chat in the box below. Imagine you are the CityStyle agent in a live chat window.

Your task is to continue the chat by writing 4–6 short agent messages. Answer all of the customer’s questions and explain clearly what happens in each situation.

Use:

• the CityStyle policy you know already (30-day returns; unused items; proof of purchase; delivery fees only refunded if faulty; free cancellations up to 24 hours before),
• clear if sentences, for example "If it is after thirty days, I am afraid…",
• polite softening language like "I am afraid", "unfortunately", "what I can do is".

Write it like a real chat, using the format:

> Agent: [your message]

You can send several Agent messages one after another. Keep each one short, one or two sentences, like in real chat support.

6. Explaining your own refund and cancellation rules.

You have now practised understanding a policy, turning it into clear if sentences, and using those sentences in calls, emails and live chat. In this final part of the lesson, it is time to bring everything together in a small performance task. The idea is to move from the CityStyle examples to a situation that is closer to your real job. Even if your company’s rules are different, the language tools are the same. You still need to explain conditions, consequences and alternatives in simple, polite English. In a moment, you will see a short checklist on the screen. This checklist will help you plan two things: a short email explaining your company’s refund, return or cancellation rules, and a short phone script where you say the most important sentences aloud. You can use your real company policy if you know it, or you can invent a simple, realistic policy for a product or service you know well. The important thing is to use clear structure, if sentences, and polite softening language. Take your time, think about your customers, and imagine you are really helping someone who does not understand the rules yet.

Plan your own policy explanation.

Think about a product or service you know. It could be from your real job (hotel booking, gym membership, online shop, phone contract) or something you invent. Decide on simple rules for:

• refunds and returns (for example, time limit, condition of the product),
• cancellations (for example, free cancellation until a certain time, then a fee),
• one or two exceptions (for example, special items that are non-refundable).

You can use ideas from the chunk bank:

• Our standard policy allows returns within thirty days.
• If the product is unused, we can offer a full refund.
• If it is opened, we may offer a partial refund.
• Cancellations are free up to twenty four hours before.
• After that time, there is a small cancellation charge.
• I am afraid we cannot make an exception to this rule.
• What I can do is offer store credit instead.

Mini-template for an email explanation.

You can follow this simple structure for your email:

Opening: thank the customer and say what you will explain.

• Thank you for your message. Let me explain our refund and cancellation policy for your booking.

Main rules with if sentences: explain the normal cases.

• If you cancel more than 24 hours before arrival, we can refund the full amount.
• If you cancel later than that, we charge the first night.

Exceptions and non-refundable items: explain any special cases.

• For special offer rates, I am afraid we cannot offer a refund if you cancel.

Alternatives and closing: offer options and end politely.

• What I can do is offer you a voucher for a future stay.
• Please let me know if you agree with these conditions.

Short phone script.

After the email, write a short phone script, 4–6 lines, saying the most important rules. For example:

> Good afternoon, this is Maria from GreenLeaf Hotel. I will just explain our cancellation policy.

> If you cancel more than 24 hours before arrival, we can refund you in full.

> If you cancel after that time, I am afraid we charge the first night.

> We cannot refund special offer bookings, but what I can do is change the date once for free.

> Does that sound OK for you?

You will now write your own email and short script.

Practice & Feedback

Now it is your turn to create a complete explanation using your own or an imagined company policy.

1. Choose a context. For example: hotel booking, gym membership, online shop, language course, or any other service or product you know.
2. Decide the rules. Keep them simple but realistic: time limits, unused items, free or paid cancellations, and one or two exceptions.
3. Write:

• a short email (about 120–150 words) to a customer that explains the refund, return and cancellation rules in clear English, using at least three if sentences and some polite softening phrases;
• a short phone script of 4–6 lines that you would say to a customer to explain the same rules.

Put the email first, then write a heading like Phone script: and add your spoken lines underneath. Imagine this is something you could really use at work.