Case: the customer removed the CleverSeal

A customer returns a top within 14 days. The garment looks unworn. The CleverSeal has been cut off.

The missing CleverSeal is objective evidence that supports the webshop's assessment. It does not determine the outcome by itself. The webshop must still assess the actual diminished value of the returned garment based on all relevant circumstances, including the disclosed return conditions, the condition of the garment, the missing CleverSeal, any additional evidence of handling, and the actual economic impact on resale.

The customer's right of withdrawal remains. Removing the CleverSeal does not extinguish that right and does not, on its own, trigger an automatic deduction.

Because the seal was disclosed in advance — in the return policy and on the product page — as part of the return conditions, its absence is a factor the webshop may legitimately consider when assessing the return.

Any deduction applied must reflect the actual diminished value, not a fixed penalty. Where the garment is otherwise resellable, the deduction will often be modest; where the missing seal combines with other signs of handling, it may be larger. Communicate the assessment transparently, referencing the disclosed standard and the objective evidence.

Directive 2011/83/EU, Article 14(2). Also Article 6 (duty of information) — the assessment is only defensible where the standard was disclosed before purchase. See also the European Commission's Guidance on the Consumer Rights Directive.