Mermaid flowchart in Markdown to PDF

---
title: Returns and refunds, the service desk procedure
author: Customer service
---

# Returns and refunds: the service desk procedure

This is the procedure an agent follows when a customer asks to return an order. It covers orders shipped to any of the 14 countries we deliver to. Marketplace orders fulfilled by a third party follow the marketplace's own procedure.

Read the whole path before you answer the customer. The two points where a return can be refused are the window check and the condition check, and both have to be explained in plain words.

## The path

```mermaid
flowchart TD
  req([Return request received]) --> ident[Find the order and the delivery date]
  ident --> window{Within 30 days of delivery}
  window -->|no| late{Faulty or not as described}
  late -->|no| refuse([Return refused, reason sent])
  late -->|yes| label
  window -->|yes| label[[Send the prepaid return label]]
  label --> transit[Parcel in transit]
  transit -.->|not received after 21 days| trace[Open a carrier trace]
  trace -.-> transit
  transit --> inspect{Item complete and unused}
  inspect -->|no| partial[Offer a partial refund]
  inspect -->|yes| refund[Refund to the original payment method]
  partial --> agree{Customer agrees}
  agree -->|yes| refund
  agree -->|no| back[Ship the item back to the customer]
  refund --> done([Refund confirmed by email])
  back --> done
```

## The decision points

Within 30 days of delivery
: Counted from the carrier's delivery scan, not from the order date. A customer who asks on day 30 is inside the window.

Faulty or not as described
: A fault reported after the window is still accepted for two years from delivery under the statutory guarantee. Ask for a photo and describe the fault in the ticket.

Item complete and unused
: Tags attached, accessories present, no signs of use. Hygiene-sealed items must still be sealed.

## What the agent says and does

1. Confirm the order number and the delivery date, and say which window applies.
2. Send the return label the same day. The label is valid for 21 days.
3. If the item arrives incomplete, photograph it before offering a partial refund, and quote the amount in the customer's currency.
4. Refund within 14 days of receiving the item. Tell the customer that the bank may take a further 3 to 5 working days.

> [!NOTE]
> A return from outside the customs union needs the customs form attached to the parcel. The label email includes it. Without the form the parcel is held at the border and the 21-day clock still runs.

## Timings the customer can be told

| Step | Days | Counted in |
|------|-----:|------------|
| Return window | 30 | Calendar days from delivery |
| Return label valid for | 21 | Calendar days |
| Refund after the item arrives | 14 | Calendar days at most |
| Bank processing | 3 to 5 | Working days |

*All organizations in the sample documents are invented. Names and figures are illustrative.*