Build the complete return flow
Choose the transport product and the physical handling work together. The right setup defines who authorises the return, where the parcel is received and what evidence supports the next stock decision.
01 / Customer hand-in
Local customer return parcels
A domestic return address gives customers a familiar hand-in journey. Choose the carrier product by customer location, parcel profile and the receiving address it can serve. Printed labels, shop QR codes and locker codes have different preparation requirements.
The seller approves the return and keeps the order linked to the transport reference. The customer packs and hands in through the permitted network. The output is a trackable parcel movement and hand-in evidence; item count and product condition are established during receiving and inspection.
View receiving countries02 / Booked collection
Booked home, workplace or mailbox collection
Collection helps when the customer cannot use a nearby drop-off point or the merchant needs a controlled pickup process. Check the exact product: a home courier visit and collection from a mailbox use different access, size and label arrangements.
Set the pickup address, booking owner and parcel preparation instructions. Keep the booking reference and completed collection event. Agree who handles a failed visit or changes the appointment. For batch or oversized movements, request a separate transport assessment rather than assuming a consumer return label will cover them.
View receiving countries03 / European routing
Cross-border return to an agreed hub
A cross-border product brings a customer parcel from its origin market to a specified receiving country. The route must support both ends. For the UK, Norway and Switzerland, confirm customs responsibilities and the documents needed for that movement.
Compare a direct cross-border return with local receiving followed by consolidation. Include the complete transport legs, relevant surcharges and any storage or processing work. Preserve each original return reference across network handovers so the receiving location can reconcile the arrival.
View receiving countries04 / Receiving
Receiving and return reconciliation
Receiving turns an arriving parcel into a usable stock record. Define the expected references, what counts as a received unit and which parcel-condition details should be recorded. Unidentified or damaged arrivals need their own review path.
The agreed output can include arrival date, parcel reference, received quantities and discrepancies. A carrier delivery scan and a warehouse item count answer different questions. Decide how pending arrivals and mismatched references are reported before refund or stock decisions depend on them.
Receiving & storage05 / Inspection
Inspection, grading and preparation
Inspection supports a decision about the returned goods. Specify appearance checks, accessory counts, photos and the grading rules that matter to your products. Functional tests or specialist checks require an agreed scope and suitable acceptance conditions.
Record findings separately from the merchant’s decision. The merchant can then authorise the applicable repacking, storage, restocking or onward movement. Goods awaiting instructions stay identifiable. Agree how inspection records are delivered and how a disputed finding is reviewed.
Product checks06 / Consolidation
Consolidation and onward handover
Consolidation collects approved returns into a controlled outbound batch. It suits merchants who want fewer onward movements while retaining the link between each original return and the released goods. Receiving and any inspection happen before release.
Reconcile the stock list, packing units and approved destination. Record which references enter each carton or other agreed unit. Confirm packaging, release authority and onward transport separately. The handover record should show what left, where it is going and which items remain pending.
Combined shipping
