Can you return earbuds or headphones?
You bought earbuds or headphones, but you want to return them. The online store says you can't for hygiene reasons. Is that fair, and what can you do? The short answer: most stores, online or otherwise, don't let you return earbuds or headphones. At Eardopes, you can. But there are exceptions to that rule. This article explains whether you can return your earbuds.
In this article
In short:
Can you return earbuds to Eardopes?
Yes, you can try earbuds from Eardopes and return them. At the same time, you're guaranteed to receive brand-new earbuds in their original factory packaging. See the Eardopes return policy.
Can you return earbuds?
Almost all online and physical stores in the Netherlands won't accept returned earbuds once the seal or wrapping has been broken. At Eardopes, you can. If the packaging is still sealed, you can always return your earbuds or headphones, wherever you bought them. Is the product faulty and still under warranty? You can return your earbuds in that case too. The online store must then repair your product or replace it with a working one.
100% guaranteed new earbuds
When you buy earbuds or headphones, you want to know you're buying a new product. In other words, you want to be sure the earbuds have never been in anyone else's ear canal.
The reason is obvious: if you put in earbuds that someone else has worn, your hygiene isn't protected. It's simply unhygienic.
In short: it's true that you can't return earbuds, headphones or other hygiene products after use. But certain rules apply.
What are hygiene products?
Hygiene products don't come with a cooling-off period or a right to return. But certain requirements apply. You must be informed that you can only return the hygiene product under specific conditions. These involve:
- a tamper-evident seal
- sealed wrapping
- a defect
- a statement in the terms and conditions
The packaging must be sealed
An online store can refuse a return for a hygiene product. But not in every case. There are rules. After all, how can you or the store prove that an earbud has been worn? You can't, really.
That's why a hygiene product must always have sealed wrapping or a tamper-evident seal.
A tamper-evident seal is often a sticker with a warning, such as: "Warning: hygiene product. Returns accepted only with wrapping and seals intact." Once that seal is broken, both you and the store can assume the hygiene product has been used.
Sealed wrapping means a plastic covering around the packaging. So it covers not just the product itself, but the packaging too.
Faulty earbuds or headphones are an exception
An online store must never refuse a return or another solution if a product develops a fault within the warranty period. It's the store's responsibility to resolve it.
In that case, we follow these steps:
- We check remotely whether there's a fault. A few simple instructions can often get your earbud or headphones working again.
- You send the set to us for a technical check.
- In most cases, the earbuds work when we check them. We then send the working earbuds back to you. That way, you know for sure that the product works.
- Sometimes the product does have a fault.
- Did the fault develop on its own? Then we'll send you a new set.
- Was the fault caused by improper use? Then it's not covered by the warranty. For example, an earbud might sound quieter because dirt is blocking the opening. The earbud still works, but the dirt prevents the sound from getting out.
The exact warranty period depends on the online store. Most stores use the following rule based on the purchase price:
- less than €100: 1-year warranty
- more than €100: 2-year warranty
The product must meet the warranty conditions.
Stated in the terms and conditions
The online or physical store must make its terms and conditions available so you know where you stand. In other words, if you can't return a hygiene product once its seal or wrapping has been broken, the online store must say so.
At Eardopes, you can find this in the terms and conditions (article 10.8) and on the returns page.
A small selection of our products is also available through Bol. Did you buy there? Then Bol's terms and conditions apply. They say exactly the same thing (see article 10.8): hygiene products can only be returned with their wrapping and seals intact.
So how can I test the earbuds?
Before buying your earbuds, you can do plenty of research. That minimizes the chance of choosing the wrong set.
But you can't test your earbuds before buying them. You also can't test a hygiene product and then return it, either by mail or by handing it back to a sales assistant in a store. That's because the store could no longer guarantee its hygiene for future buyers.
Hygiene products in physical stores
People often assume that hygiene products are only excluded from the right of withdrawal when bought online. That would mean that if you bought earbuds in a physical store, you wouldn't be guaranteed that they'd never been in someone else's ears.
But don't worry: you can't take earbuds out of their packaging in a physical store, put them in your ears and then hand them back to the sales assistant either. Just as you can't do that with a toothbrush, a shaver or underwear.
In short: you can't buy earbuds anywhere and return them after opening the packaging. Not online and not in a physical store. If you do find a store that accepts returns of used earbuds, think carefully before buying there. There's a good chance you'll get earbuds that have already been in someone else's ear canal.
At Eardopes: 100% hygiene guarantee
When you buy earbuds from Eardopes, you want to be 100% sure no one has ever had them in their ear canal. That's why we guarantee that the earbuds you buy from us have never been in anyone else's ears. You get only new, sealed earbuds and headphones, or other hygiene products.
Buying something else, such as a charger? That's not a hygiene product, of course. You can return those products as usual.
What if you're unhappy with your earbuds or headphones?
We often hear questions from people using their purchase for the first time. Almost all fall into one of these three categories:
- A question about the controls
- A comment about the fit
- A complaint about the sound
Unhappy with the controls
Want to return an earbud because the controls aren't clear? Often, it just takes some getting used to. On one model, pressing and holding the right earbud means next track; on another, it means volume up.
Take a look at your product's manual. It shows you exactly how to control the earbuds. One of our requirements is that all our earbuds come with a good manual. If they don't, we don't offer them in our online store.
Is your earbud not responding to touch, making you want to return it? Check whether it really isn't responding or whether your finger is missing the touch control. That takes some getting used to as well: finding the button or control with your finger isn't always easy at first.
Our advice: take the earbud out of your ear and try pressing the touch control or button. Can you now see on your phone that the control works? Then your finger is just missing the touch control when the earbud is in your ear.
Returning earbuds because of a poor fit
Sometimes you find your earbuds uncomfortable after buying them. But you can often fix that. For example, you can buy foam ear tips.
Foam ear tips are attachments for your earbuds that slowly expand in your ear canal. This helps the earbuds adapt to your ears, so you can still enjoy using them.
Here's a tip (an ear tip, even): always choose an ear tip that seals your ear properly. That applies to the included silicone ear tips too. A good seal helps your earbuds stay in place much better.
Also make sure you buy earbuds that fit your ears. Have small ears, for example? Choose earbuds that fit your small ear canals best.
You're unhappy with the sound
Sometimes the sound is disappointing. You might find the earbuds have too much bass, or you might feel there isn't enough.
You can often fix this. When there's genuinely too little bass, the cause is almost always the same: the earbuds aren't sealing your ears properly. You may not have inserted them correctly, or your ear tips may be too small. The earbuds really do need a good seal.
Try pressing your earbuds a little more snugly into your ears. You'll notice that the sound becomes fuller. Or take them out and hold them 1 centimeter from your ear canals. What do you hear now? That's right: only high frequencies.
In short, if the seal between the earbud and your ear isn't good, bass is the first thing you lose. So make sure there's a good seal with no leaks between your ear and the earbud.
In terms of sound, there are 2 types of earbuds and headphones, each aimed at listeners with different preferences:
- Balanced sound
- Extra bass
Audiophiles always go for balanced sound, not a subwoofer-style sound. They want to distinguish the highs and mids from the lows. Bass should be present without overpowering the mids. Musicians want this type of earbud too. They want to hear the sound as intended, not an altered version.
Listeners who are in it for fun (I can't think of a better term) want rich, full bass and plenty of low frequencies. That's fine too. You'll need different earbuds for that: look for a pair with "extra bass" on the packaging, for example.
The product description often tells you whether the earbuds have balanced sound or extra bass. Read it carefully and choose accordingly.
If you're unhappy with the sound of your earbuds, you can often improve it with a better ear tip, as explained above.
Blogs and information about earbuds and headphones
Buying earbuds isn't easy. The main reason is that you can't test them first. What's more, different uses call for different types of earbuds. So do your research before buying.
Make lots of calls? Then your earbuds need a good microphone. Want to use them for running? Then you need earbuds for running. Small ears? Go for the best option for small ear canals. Plenty of other situations affect which choice is best. The key points are:
- Fit
- Sound
- Features (ANC, ENC, microphone, multipoint, etc.)
Our informative articles are written for anyone looking for the right earbuds. We put a huge amount of time into them, from testing to writing up the results. Every day, we hear that our personal advice or tests have helped people choose the best earbuds for them.
In those tests, we link to our own products as well as products on other websites. That sets us apart from many other sites. What matters to us is that you choose the product that's best for you.
What do others say about hygiene product returns?
Earbuds and headphones that can't be returned are a fairly common topic of discussion online.
For example, you'll see people on forums expressing frustration because MediaMarkt and Alternate won't accept their returns. In the same discussions, many replies say this is justified for hygiene reasons.
Bol's terms and conditions (article 10.8) also state that hygiene products can't be returned. Again, they specify that the seal must not have been removed.
The Dutch Consumers' Association, Consumentenbond, also states that used earbuds can't be returned for hygiene reasons. TrustedShops, a trust mark for online stores, also explains the importance of hygiene products. It says that when buying earbuds and headphones, it's important to receive a product that has never been used. It also explains that this is why these products are excluded from returns.
Almost all online stores state in their terms and conditions or on their returns pages that you can't return earbuds, headphones or other hygiene products. Examples include MediaMarkt, BCC, Bol and other stores.
People sometimes ask: "Can't you just clean the earbuds with alcohol?" But that doesn't work, because earwax doesn't just stick to the ear tip. It also gets into the earbud's opening. See the image below for an example:
This image shows exactly why earbuds can't be returned. It also shows why it's important to be guaranteed new, sealed, clean earbuds every time you buy.
