ChannelEngine: returns

About this article

This article describes the returns process on ChannelEngine, including best practices and common scenarios.

Table of contents

Introduction

Marketplace returns

Update returns

Merchant returns

Marketplace-fulfilled returns

No automated returns management

FAQs

Introduction

ChannelEngine supports handling returns that are initiated by either the merchant or the channel, but the returns process itself varies per channel.

There are four return scenarios to consider:

1. The channel initiates a return - after the buyer has contacted the channel's customer service or declared the return on the channel's platform. This is called a marketplace return.
2. The merchant initiates a return - after the buyer has contacted the merchant's customer service. This is called a merchant return.
3. The channel does not support automated returns - which is the case on channels with limited order integration and marketplaces that handle returns manually.
4. The channel initiates and handles the return - when the order was fulfilled via channel fulfillment. E.g.: An Amazon order is fulfilled via Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), and the buyer makes a return directly to Amazon.

Marketplace returns

ChannelEngine imports marketplace-initiated returns from connected channels at a regular frequency. Marketplace returns start with the status In progress (and not New) because the returns process has already started. You either accept or reject a return via ChannelEngine; though some channels allow you to accept partial returns. Accepting and rejecting returns is done via select merchant plugins, the ChannelEngine Orders interface, or the Merchant API (PUT /v2/returns).

In practice, you accept marketplace returns after the returned items are received by your warehouse. Until the items are received by your warehouse, take no action on the return on ChannelEngine, and keep the return status as In Progress.

In the above example in Orders, you click Update to accept the marketplace return for the given order. Then, you fill in the accepted and rejected return quantities, add an optional merchant comment, and click + Update. Your return acceptance is exported to the channel, and the return status on ChannelEngine changes to Received.

Once the return is processed by the channel, the channel triggers a refund if all items in the return are accepted by you. If you reject the return, the marketplace marks it as 'Does not comply to return conditions' and does not process the refund.

Channels generally provide a return reason with each marketplace return. 

Return reasons

ChannelEngine maps a given channel's return reasons to a standard set of return reasons that you see on ChannelEngine, in Orders. ChannelEngine's standard set of return reasons is the following: 

• Defective product
• Not collected
• Refused
• Refused (damaged)
• Too many products
• Unsatisfactory product
• Wrong address
• Wrong product
• Wrong size
• Other

Update returns

If a marketplace return is created on ChannelEngine and you received it, you can change its status to Received to mark the return as completed. To do so, select Update below the return in the order view. This opens a popup in which you can mark the accepted and rejected quantities. Do not forget to fill in both quantities (i.e.: 1 and 0, in case of a single accepted return item), otherwise an error might occur when saving the update.

Merchant returns

Some marketplaces do not offer buyers the option to directly register a return on their own platforms. On these channels, you provide a return slip in the shipment or submit your own return policy to the channel so that the buyer knows how to return an item when they buy from you.

When a buyer submits a return that follows your returns process, you create a merchant return via ChannelEngine. This is done via select merchant plugins, the ChannelEngine order interface, or the Merchant API (POST /v2/returns/merchant).

Your created return has either the status In progress (i.e.: you have yet to receive the return) or Received (i.e.: you have received the returned item at your warehouse). Once the return status is Received, the return is exported to the channel to trigger a refund. If you initially mark your return as In progress, you can update it to Received later on, by clicking + Update.

Marketplace-fulfilled returns

Some marketplaces offer order fulfillment services that you can take advantage of. To learn how to manage marketplace fulfillment for your items via ChannelEngine, check out ChannelEngine: hybrid fulfillment. The marketplace handles the entire returns process with the buyer. However, these returns are only imported to ChannelEngine if the marketplace supports sending information about these returns via API. E.g.: Cdiscount offers a marketplace fulfillment service, but it does not submit return information outside of its platform.

When imported into ChannelEngine, marketplace-fulfilled returns are for your administration only, similar to marketplace-fulfilled orders, and are marked with a Received status on ChannelEngine. They can be identified on ChannelEngine by the Fulfillment by label.

No automated return management

In some cases, automated returns management outside of the channel's platform is not possible. Beslist, for instance, supports order management via API, but it does not support shipments or returns via API. However, the buyer can still initiate the return on the Beslist platform. In another example, Miinto expects merchants to manually process merchant returns via its customer service. In these scenarios, you may want to create a merchant return via ChannelEngine for your own administration, and manually handle the refund with the customer and/or the channel.

FAQs

What is the difference between 'Created date' and 'Return date'?
While Created date is a timestamp of when the return was created on ChannelEngine, Return date is a timestamp of when the return was created in the source system (i.e.: the marketplace). Note that Return date is only set and displayed if that data is available.

How do I know what kind of automated return management each channel supports?
If and how automated returns are supported is displayed under the Marketplace features section of each marketplace guide.

I did not get a return reported via the channel, but the customer did return it. How do I process that?
Even though it is a regular procedure for customers to mark one or more items for a return on bol, for instance, sometimes customers return an item in different ways. As bol does not offer the automated option to create a return, the only solution is to report it manually on bol's platform. This procedure is similar to other channels that support marketplace returns.

When updating a marketplace return, a red border appears around the empty 'Merchant return number' field. Why?
Because the pop-up to handle returns is identical for both merchant and marketplace returns, there is a validation on the merchant return number text box. However, when submitting the update, the input from this field is only validated with an actual Merchant return number.

I am missing some marketplace returns on ChannelEngine. What do I do?
Returns are only saved when the original order is also known on ChannelEngine. Check out the article Why are some of my returns not visible on ChannelEngine? for more information.