Be Aware of the Return and Exchange Process
Update (July 28): After I posted this review, Zapaka responded publicly on Trustpilot and contacted me by email within hours. They kindly offered to reimburse my original shipping cost, but I declined because my concern was never about additional compensation. It was about the return process itself. I also submitted this same review directly on Zapaka's website on June 27. As of July 28, it has still not appeared on their website, despite their prompt responses to my Trustpilot review. I can't say whether it was rejected or never approved, but I believe it's relevant for other shoppers to know. I wanted to share my experience because I wish I had known what to expect before placing my order. I followed the sizing guidance on the website, which recommends sizing up if you are between sizes because their sizes may run smaller. Unfortunately, the dress was much too large. Because the dress was too large throughout the bust, waist, hips, shoulders, and length, alterations would have required significant work, making them an impractical solution for me. The dress generally resembled the product photos in color and overall design, but the quality and drape did not match what is shown on the website. It also arrived without a brand label, a size label, and with only a small Made in China tag toward the bottom of the dress. I requested a return two days after delivery, and the return process was by far the most frustrating part of my experience. Because returns must be initiated through customer service by email, I was first asked why I wanted to return the dress. After explaining that it was too large, I was then asked to provide a detailed explanation of exactly how it was too large. Rather than providing return instructions, I was first offered: A $9 partial refund if I kept the dress A $16 store credit A $74 coupon that could only be used toward purchasing the same Zapaka dress After declining those offers and continuing to request a return, it took 10 emails before I was able to complete the return. The return address wasn't provided until the ninth email. The return instructions required me to mail the dress within 7 days, include my order number inside the package, return it in its original packaging, provide photos of the packaged return, provide a photo of my shipping receipt, and email the tracking number before my refund would be processed. Even after receiving those instructions, I was again encouraged to keep the dress and was offered either a $27 partial refund or a $34 coupon. I paid $26.99 for the original shipping and an additional $15.10 to return the dress. I understood those costs were nonrefundable under the return policy. Three additional emails were required after I shipped the dress to confirm receipt, provide tracking information, and complete the refund process. When I initially realized the dress was too large, my first thought was to exchange it for a smaller size. However, once I considered that I would lose the $26.99 original shipping charge, pay to return the dress, and pay shipping again on a replacement, an exchange was already becoming difficult to justify. When Zapaka explained that their exchange option was a $74 credit toward a replacement dress that retailed for $125, I decided it made more sense to complete the return, receive my refund, and purchase my dress elsewhere. In the end, I did receive my refund, but the overall return process was unnecessarily time-consuming and far more complicated than any online retailer I have dealt with. I posted this same review on their website. Will be curious to see if it makes it to the page.