Handle a return for a damaged item in Shopify
A damaged item is not a normal return. The customer did nothing wrong, so the fees come off: full refund, no restocking fee, no return shipping charge. This tutorial handles a Summit Hoodie, $45.00, that arrived with a torn seam.
Written · Shopify admin, desktop steps · 5 minutes read
The worked example
| Returned | Summit Hoodie, $45.00, torn seam |
| Restocking fee | $0.00, waived |
| Return shipping | $0.00, waived |
| Refund | $45.00 |
| A standard return would pay | $31.55 |
Download the record: damaged-item-return-record.csv (155 bytes).
A record of the damaged-item return in this tutorial. It is a record, not an import file: returns are created in the admin, not by CSV.
1Create the return and pick the reason
From your Shopify admin, go to Orders, click the order, then click Return. Enter a quantity of 1 for the hoodie and select the damaged reason for the item's category in the Return reason section.
2Zero the restocking fee
In the Summary section, click Restocking fee, enter 0, and click Done. The restocking fee can be edited by return or by item.
3Zero the return shipping fee
In the Summary section, click Return shipping, enter 0, and click Done. The return shipping fee can be edited only by return.
4Tell the customer how to send it back
In the Return shipping options section, create a return label in Shopify, upload one, or pick No shipping required. Ask the customer for a photo of the damage before the parcel ships, so you have the evidence for your carrier or supplier claim.
5Inspect, then refund in full
When the parcel arrives, confirm the damage, click Process return, do not restock the item, and issue the $45.00 refund now.
The arithmetic
The damaged return waives both fees. A standard return of the same hoodie would pay much less, which is why the fees must be zeroed at creation.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Summit Hoodie | $45.00 |
| Restocking fee, waived | $0.00 |
| Return shipping, waived | $0.00 |
| Refund | $45.00 |
| Standard return would pay | $31.55 |
45.00 less 0.00 less 0.00 is $45.00. The standard return is 45.00 less a 10% restocking fee of $4.50 less $8.95 return shipping, which is $31.55. The difference is $13.45.
Held at the counter
A damaged item must not be restocked. Restocking puts the item back on the shelf. A torn hoodie restocked by mistake can be sold again to the next customer.
Zero the fees at creation, not at refund time. The fees are shown and edited when you create the return. Check the Summary before you click Create return, or the customer pays for damage they did not cause.
The photo matters more than the reason. A photo of the damage is your evidence for the carrier or the supplier. Ask for it before the parcel ships, while the customer still has the item in hand.
Sources
- Creating returns and exchanges — Shopify's help pages: the create-return steps, the return shipping options, the fee-edit rules, the exchange-item rules, and the category-specific return reasons.
- Processing and managing returns — Shopify's help pages: the process-return steps, the restock choice, the refund-shipping section, the refund-method choices, and the cancel / remove / close rules.