Run your dropshipping store

Once your store is live, the work shifts to running it well: answering customers, handling refunds, keeping delivery promises, pricing for profit and marketing responsibly. This is where dropshipping stores earn their reputations, good or bad.

This section covers the everyday obligations and habits of an Australian online store. Each guide explains the relevant rules from the ACCC, ACMA and OAIC in plain English, with practical checklists you can apply straight away.

Guides in this section

• Refunds, returns and consumer guarantees The consumer guarantees, major and minor problems, change of mind, what you can't say, return costs, warranties and writing a fair refund policy.
• Delivery times and shipping promises Misleading delivery claims, accepting payment without supplying, lost parcels, showing shipping fees, realistic estimates and stock-outs.
• Pricing and margins True cost per order, GST, break-even ad spend, margin versus markup, honest discounts and free shipping.
• Email marketing, spam rules and privacy Consent, identification and unsubscribe under the Spam Act, the Privacy Act threshold, sharing data with suppliers and data security.

The customer experience in five moments

1. The product page

Customers decide based on your photos, description, price and delivery estimate. Every claim must be accurate. Show the total price, say where the item ships from, and give a realistic delivery window. Avoid fake urgency, inflated "was" prices and unsupported safety or quality claims.

2. Checkout

Make delivery options and costs clear before the final step. Ask for marketing consent with an unticked box. Link to your refund, delivery and privacy policies.

3. Waiting for delivery

Send an order confirmation straight away, then tracking as soon as it's available. If you learn of a delay, tell the customer before they ask. This is where most dropshipping complaints start, so proactive communication pays off.

4. When something goes wrong

Respond quickly and fairly. Remember that customers can seek remedies from you under the consumer guarantees, not from your supplier. For lost parcels, replace or refund. For faulty or incorrect items, follow the major or minor problem rules. Sort out costs with your supplier afterwards.

5. After the sale

Ask for a review, invite customers back with relevant offers if they've consented, and look at why any refunds happened so you can fix the cause.

Policies every store needs

Clear policies set expectations and reduce disputes. At a minimum, publish:

Write them in plain English and make sure they reflect what you actually do. Never include "no refunds" wording.

Customer service standards

Small stores can compete with big retailers on service. Set yourself standards such as:

• replying to every message within one business day;
• giving a clear answer or next step in the first reply;
• resolving lost parcels and faulty items without making customers chase you;
• keeping a log of issues by product and supplier.

Watching your numbers

Good operators track a handful of numbers every week or month:

• orders, revenue and average order value;
• profit per order and per product, after all costs;
• advertising cost per order, compared with break-even;
• refund rate and reasons;
• delivery performance against your quoted window;
• email list growth and unsubscribe rate.

Use the margin calculator to test changes to prices, costs or advertising before you make them.

Marketing responsibly

Advertising claims must be truthful and not misleading. Testimonials and reviews must be genuine. Influencer posts need to disclose paid relationships. Email and SMS marketing must follow the Spam Act. If you're unsure, the ACCC's advertising guidance and ACMA's spam guidance are good references.

Staying up to date

Rules change. The GST threshold, consumer law penalties, product safety standards and privacy law have all been reviewed or reformed over the years. Subscribe to updates from the ATO, ACCC and business.gov.au, and review your policies at least once a year.

Key points

Run your store with accurate product pages, clear total prices and realistic delivery times. Publish refund, delivery, privacy and terms policies that reflect Australian law and what you actually do. Respond quickly when things go wrong and remember that customers can seek remedies from you. Track profit, refunds and delivery performance, and market within the Spam Act and advertising rules.