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Fulfillment, shipping and returns: who ships what – and what comes back?

Reviewed by Dr. Daniel Wallerstorfer, molecular biologist and founder of Novogenia · Updated: 15 October 2026 · Reading time: 10 min

The cake with a name does not go in the window

A bakery puts bread on the shelf. The birthday cake with “Anna” piped on top, however, is baked to order – and the bakery does not sell it to someone else if Anna fails to pick it up. Nobody finds that strange. The cake belongs to Anna before it is even finished.

Personalized products work the same way. Every box of personalized supplements is produced for one specific person. At Novogenia, the stick is white and brand-neutral, with a viewing window and two lines of text with up to 25 characters each – room, for example, for the customer’s name, so that every stick is clearly assigned. This leads to three rules for your logistics: personalized goods are not stocked, they go straight to the customer, and as a rule they do not come back. This article shows how to align shipping, the sample route and returns with that.

Three flows of goods: what sits in the warehouse, what ships directly?

If you sell personalized products, you move three things: the kit to the customer, the sample to the lab and the personal product back to the customer. If you wish, non-personalized products of your own brand come on top.

For drugstores and supermarkets, this means: the kit and non-personalized products go on the shelf, and Novogenia delivers a finished, shelf-ready range for that. Everything personal follows by direct shipping once the result is available.

Three logistics models – and which one fits you

With personalized products, direct shipping is almost a must: a warehouse in between adds nothing. A combination is therefore the obvious choice: your own warehouse for kits and your own brand, Novogenia as fulfillment partner for everything personal. More on channels and logistics is in the contract manufacturing guide under Sales channels: shop, Amazon, practice, direct selling.

Direct shipping under your brand

With white label, the formula, packaging and shipping carry your brand. Billing runs through Novogenia or through your own system, with Novogenia as your fulfillment partner. On request, the pack says “Made in Austria” or carries a neutral statement of origin. For supplements, the white box with a sticker is the cheapest and fastest option to get started; the dispenser box can be fully designed in your style.

The manufacturer does not stay invisible everywhere, though. Cosmetic products may only be made available if the container and packaging bear the name or registered name and the address of the responsible person (Art. 19(1)(a) Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009). For BeautyMe, Novogenia takes on this role. And in Switzerland, the written information for genetic analyses outside the medical field names the lab that performs the test (Art. 32 GUMG).

The sample on its way

The least visible flow of goods is the most important one: the saliva sample’s route to the lab. The kit contains instructions, packaging, return shipping material and a unique label that links the sample to exactly one person. On request, Novogenia organizes the whole route – from the kits through shipping to sample receipt.

• Cannot be analyzed: Under Novogenia’s terms, the customer receives a new sample collection kit free of charge. Decide who informs the customer and how the new kit reaches them.
• Across borders: For each target country, clarify which shipping rules apply to biological samples and whether customs formalities apply to shipments from outside the EU.
• Costs: Decide before launch who pays for the return postage – and state it on the product page.

The individual stops are described in Sample logistics: from kit to lab.

When the box does not arrive

A wrong house number costs more with personalized products than with standard goods. The box cannot be sold to anyone else. Novogenia’s partner terms cover this case: if a customer refuses to accept the delivery, we try to reach them by email or phone and, where appropriate, make a second delivery attempt. Returned goods are kept for at least 30 days and then destroyed for logistical reasons; the payment obligation is not affected.

For your shop, this means: check addresses at checkout, remind customers of the stored address before every subscription delivery, and make address changes easy. That is good service – and it saves production that nobody receives.

Returns: what can come back – and what cannot

For distance contracts, consumers in the EU generally have a 14-day right of withdrawal (Art. 9 Directive 2011/83/EU). There are exceptions for personalized goods. This is how it differs by product:

Novogenia’s terms exclude exactly these cases and leave the right of withdrawal fully in place for all other goods, such as non-personalized products. Whether an exception applies to your product, how to inform customers about it, and what applies to the analysis as a service is explained in Distance selling and withdrawal for personalized products.

Switzerland: The Swiss Code of Obligations (OR) grants a right of withdrawal only if the offer was made, for example, at the workplace, in residential premises, on public streets or by phone and the customer’s payment exceeds CHF 100 (Art. 40a and 40b OR). Orders in an online shop are not listed there.

No withdrawal does not mean no guarantee

The exception from withdrawal only concerns the right to cancel the contract without giving a reason. If a box is damaged, filled incorrectly or the wrong product arrives, the legal guarantee applies. In the EU, contracts for goods that still have to be manufactured also count as sales contracts (Art. 3(2) Directive (EU) 2019/771). The seller is liable for any lack of conformity that exists at the time of delivery and becomes apparent within two years (Art. 10(1)). In Switzerland, the seller is liable for defects under Art. 197 OR; claims become time-barred two years after delivery (Art. 210(1) OR).

What matters, then, is a clear process for complaints: who receives them, who checks them, who sends a replacement? In the partner shop, Novogenia Marketing GmbH is your customers’ contractual partner (terms, Section 2). With white label and in your store, your contract with Novogenia sets out who the contractual partner is and who handles complaints. How order data, address changes and complaints flow between you and Novogenia also belongs in that agreement – more on data protection in Shop data protection: health and genetic data.

Delivery countries, customs and taxes

• Target markets: Whether and how we deliver to your target market is something we clarify in the first conversation.
• Show delivery restrictions: E-commerce websites must state clearly and legibly, at the latest at the beginning of the ordering process, whether any delivery restrictions apply and which means of payment are accepted (Art. 8(3) Directive 2011/83/EU) – for example, that kits are not shipped to Switzerland.
• Switzerland: Genetic analyses on nutrition, sport and well-being go through authorized health professionals, and the sample is taken in their presence (Art. 13 and 34 GUMG). Supplements and cosmetics are subject to Swiss food and cosmetics law; check it before shipping.
• Customs and VAT: Deliveries to other countries raise their own customs and tax questions. Clarify them with your tax advisor before you open your shop to a new country.

Checklist: is your fulfillment running?

• For every item, it is clear whether it is stocked or shipped directly.
• Personalized products are shipped directly – by Novogenia under your brand, if you wish.
• Billing and the data flow between you and Novogenia are defined.
• The sample’s route to the lab is described, including return postage and samples that cannot be analyzed.
• Addresses are checked; there is a reminder before every subscription delivery.
• Your withdrawal information distinguishes personalized from non-personalized goods.
• A complaints process is in place – including who the contractual partner is.
• Delivery restrictions, such as kits to Switzerland, are shown at the beginning of the ordering process.
• Customs and VAT for each target country have been clarified with your tax advisor.

Frequently asked questions

Related: Sales channels: shop, Amazon, practice, direct selling · Distance selling and withdrawal for personalized products · Sample logistics: from kit to lab

Note: This guide is general information for businesses and professionals and does not replace medical or legal advice. The genetic traits determined in a genetic analysis are well documented (each gene included is backed by at least three independent studies); recommendations derived from them are logical conclusions, not scientifically proven. Regulations can change; errors and changes excepted.