Managing Returns in Domestic E-commerce

Connect the return request to the physical receipt

ASCM’s SCOR Digital Standard treats Return as a reverse flow involving condition diagnosis, entitlement assessment and disposition into further activities. This provides a useful starting point for operational design: receiving a package is only one event. The customer’s request, the inspection record and the eventual disposition should remain connected throughout the process, including when different service providers handle the shipment and the warehouse.

First distinguish failed delivery from a customer return after receipt. A failed delivery requires investigation of the delivery attempt and transit condition. A post-delivery return may also involve use, accessories, product quality and eligibility under the applicable policy. Combining them in one undifferentiated total makes causes harder to understand and obscures the work required. Both flows can share infrastructure while retaining distinct reason codes and review paths.

Create a traceable request linked to the original order, item, quantity, stated reason and requested remedy. At collection, record the parcel count and external condition. At warehouse receipt, reconcile the identifier and actual quantities. Record discrepancies explicitly: a request for two products is not proof that two products were received. The receiving record should capture what arrived, leaving any disputed entitlement to the appropriate reviewer.

A September 2026 article from Vietnam’s Institute of Strategy and Policy for Industry and Trade identifies unclear return policies among consumer concerns about e-commerce. The operational implication is to make instructions consistent across customer service and the warehouse. Customers should know how to send goods and whom to contact. Staff need a common, current policy rather than contradictory instructions copied from previous campaigns.

Classify items before recovering their value

Keep returned goods separate from stock available for dispatch, through designated locations and explicit system statuses. Inspection should record packaging, seals, accessories, signs of use and relevant identifiers. A carrier’s confirmation that a parcel reached the warehouse does not establish that the contents are saleable. Receiving personnel should have an exception route when the physical contents do not match the request or the accompanying paperwork.

Disposition categories can include goods approved for sale in their original condition, items needing authorized repackaging or other treatment, warranty or supplier returns, and items excluded from further sale. Criteria must reflect the product category. For food, cosmetics and other products with specific safety requirements, an intact appearance alone is insufficient. Uncertainty should trigger the relevant review rather than an assumption that a sealed-looking package is safe.

Recovery decisions should compare expected proceeds with inspection, processing, transport and holding costs. A low-value item may not justify movements between several facilities, while a high-value item may require specialist assessment. Commercial calculations cannot replace safety requirements or truthful condition descriptions. If a product is sold with a changed condition, the approved sales route and information supplied to the next buyer must reflect that decision.

Define authority before the work arrives: who releases stock for sale, who approves a changed condition or price, and who handles a suspected defect. Where accessories or product identity are disputed, retain the evidence and provide a review path. Consistency protects both the business and legitimate customers. An effective control process tests the facts without treating every return request as an attempt to exploit the policy.

Synchronize stock status with the customer remedy

Physical receipt, request approval, refund and release for resale are different events. Record the time and owner of each. Refund handling must follow applicable obligations and commitments; it should not automatically wait until the returned product is sold again. Customer service should be able to explain which step remains outstanding without presenting a warehouse delay as a decision on the customer’s entitlement.

Goods travelling back cannot be promised as stock ready for immediate dispatch. Goods awaiting inspection also require a separate status. Increase available stock only after the relevant approval, and reserve replacement stock correctly when arranging an exchange. Otherwise a system may show healthy inventory while the warehouse lacks products it is actually permitted to ship. Clear status rules are more useful than a larger but misleading stock total.

Platforms, sellers, carriers and warehouses should exchange records using consistent order and return references. Where systems are not integrated, a controlled shared register can still establish ownership and reconciliation. Review cases where money has been refunded but no disposition exists, or where an item has returned to sale while the original case remains open. Access should be limited to the information each role needs to complete its task.

ASCM includes return order fulfillment among SCOR DS performance measures. For local management, proposed measures can include receipt-to-disposition time, the share approved for resale and cost per return request. These are practical choices, not claimed industry benchmarks. Define the start and finish events, denominator and product scope before comparison. A quicker process is not necessarily better if it achieves speed by releasing unverified goods.

Keep the customer’s stated reason distinct from the inspection outcome. Repeated sizing problems may call for clearer selection guidance; damage associated with a packaging method may call for a controlled packaging trial. Review rates by product group and cause rather than assigning responsibility through one aggregate number. Returns information becomes commercially useful when it changes purchasing, product presentation or fulfillment decisions for the next order.

A well-managed return gives the customer a traceable response, the warehouse an authorized disposition and finance a clear transaction to reconcile. Recovery depends on sound decisions and timely information rather than simply moving parcels out of the receiving area. When the underlying causes feed back into purchasing, product descriptions and packaging, the process also helps prevent avoidable returns. Domestic e-commerce benefits from a complete operating cycle, from the original order to the next legitimate use of the product.