Returning Shelly EM Gen3 to Bulgaria: A 56-Day Ordeal

On 27 April 2026 I ordered two Shelly EM energy monitors plus two 120A clamps from Shelly Europe: £91.30 all in.

A week later, Shelly’s own marketing email landed in my inbox advertising the Shelly EM Gen4. Perfect timing.

The return process

I opened support ticket #291812 on 4 May asking to return the Gen3 devices and upgrade to Gen4. Shelly’s response was prompt enough — they gave me a return address in Sofia, Bulgaria:

Blvd. “Cherni vrah” 51, Office X - Building 3, floor 3, 1407 Sofia, Bulgaria

They also required:

• A completed return form inside the box
• The phone number +359 88 2403921 filled in as the recipient (mandatory, otherwise it “slows down the whole process”)
• Tracking number and link once shipped
• Items in original condition with original box, manuals, and stickers

On 7 May I shipped the package from the UK to Bulgaria. Return shipping: £17.55 — at my own expense, of course.

Stuck in customs

Weeks passed. By June the package had stalled in customs. Shelly’s logistics team was “checking with customs to see what this delay may be all about.” On 15 June they finally confirmed it was released and expected by end of that week.

On 22 June — 56 days after ordering — Shelly confirmed receipt and issued a full refund of £91.30. The credit appeared on my bank statement the next day as Allterco Robotics — Shelly’s parent company — which would have been baffling without context.

The maths

The refund covered the product cost but not the return postage. Shelly’s policy is clear: return shipping is the sender’s responsibility.

Takeaways

Shelly makes solid hardware and their support team were reasonably responsive. But returning anything from the UK to their Sofia warehouse is slow and costly. If you’re on the fence about a Shelly product, wait until you’re certain — or at least check whether a new generation is imminent before buying. A quick look at their newsletter or community forum would have saved me seven weeks and nearly £18.