Manage returns, missing items, and refunds for sellers

Here’s everything you need to know if something goes wrong with an order or if a buyer changes their mind and doesn’t want the item anymore.

If a customer has a problem with their order, or if they change their mind about a purchase, they’ll get in touch with you and ask for help. Once the buyer tells you there’s a problem, you have 3 business days to resolve it.

If an item went missing and never arrived, you'll either need to provide additional tracking details from one of the shipping carriers integrated with iShopMeta, or offer a refund. If the buyer got their item but it’s faulty, damaged, or doesn't match the listing description, you need to work with them to resolve their issue (you also have to cover the return shipping costs). If they changed their mind, how you can respond (and who pays for return shipping) depends on your return policy.

 

1. What to do if a buyer has an issue
2. Unable to resolve the buyer’s issue? Ask iShopMeta to step in
3. Tips for avoiding issues with buyers
4. Setting up your return policy

1. What to do if a buyer has an issue

Help a buyer with an item that hasn’t arrived
If a buyer doesn’t receive their item, they’re entitled to a refund unless you can provide tracking information from one of the shipping carriers integrated with iShopMeta showing it was delivered by the estimated delivery date.

Handle a cancellation request
If a buyer opens a cancellation request with you, you have 3 days to approve or decline it. If you approve it and the buyer has already paid for the item, you have 10 business days to issue a refund. If you don’t refund the buyer within 10 days, they can file a claim through the iShopMeta Money Back Guarantee.

Handle a return request
If the buyer wants to return an item to you, your options for responding depend on why they want to send it back. If the item is damaged, faulty, or doesn’t match the listing description, they’re covered by the iShopMeta Money Back Guarantee, and you’ll have to refund them or replace the item, even if you don’t offer returns. If they’ve changed their mind, your options depend on your return policy.

Return shipping
If you accept a return from the buyer, they need to send the item back to you before you issue a refund. If the buyer is sending an item back because it doesn’t match the listing description or it arrived damaged or faulty, you’re responsible for the cost of return shipping, even if you don’t offer returns. If they simply changed their mind or ordered the wrong item, who pays for return shipping is determined by your return policy.

 

Offer a refund
Sellers can offer buyers full or partial refunds up to 90 days after the original transaction date. If there's an open cancellation request, return, iShopMeta Money Back Guarantee claim, or an open dispute made outside of iShopMeta against an order, then the Send refund option will not be available.

Handling payment disputes
In some situations, a buyer may ask their financial institution to open a payment dispute if they believe there’s an issue with their order. Learn how to handle a payment dispute on an iShopMeta transaction.

2. Unable to resolve the buyer’s issue? Ask iShopMeta to step in

Ask iShopMeta to step in
If you and the buyer haven’t been able to come to an agreement after 3 business days, you can ask us to step in and resolve the issue. We’ll assess all the information and come to a decision. It’s important to remember that if you ask us to step in and we close the case in the buyer’s favor, you could receive a defect (which might affect your seller standards), so you should only ask us for help when you’ve exhausted all other options.

Appeal iShopMeta’s decision on a case
If you disagree with our decision after we’ve been asked to step in, you can ask us to take another look for up to 30 days after the claim has been closed. In order to request an appeal, you must provide additional details for us to take into consideration, such as photographs showing there’s nothing wrong with the item. We’ll review your new information and get back to you with our final decision, usually within 48 hours.

3. Tips for avoiding issues with buyers

Set up your return policy
When you sell on iShopMeta, you can save time managing your return requests by setting up rules that automatically accept returns or issue immediate refunds. Automating your return process can not only save you time but also provide a great experience for your customers.

Avoid disputes with buyers
To avoid future problems, our article shares best practices for creating listings, tips for packing and shipping items, and advice for communicating with buyers.

4. Setting up your return policy

To save time when managing return requests, you can set up rules to automatically accept returns or send immediate refunds.

When you sell on iShopMeta, you need to state whether you accept returns or not, and if so, under what conditions. For example, you might assert who pays for return shipping or that you’re willing to accept returns for a specific period of time after a sale. Whatever you decide your policy is, it needs to be clearly specified in your listings.

If your policy is to accept returns, you can set up rules that automate the way that you manage different parts of the return process. For example, you can create rules to:

 

Accept some returns automatically, while continuing to process others manually

Refund the buyer automatically and allow them to keep the item if the return shipping cost is higher than the item’s cost

Provide different return addresses for different items

Handling some returns automatically not only saves you time, it’s also great customer service: the buyer gets their return request sorted right away.

Your returns rules options

You can choose to offer one of the following return policies:

• No returns
• 30-day buyer-paid returns
• 30-day free returns
• 60-day buyer-paid returns
• 60-day free returns

Some product categories have unique retail standards where you’ll be able to offer variations on the returns policy options.

You can offer 14-day returns in the following categories:

• Camera Drones
• Camera Lenses
• Collectibles & Art
• Digital Cameras
• Jewelry
• Medical & Mobility
• Setting your returns rules

Here’s how to set your returns rules:

Go to your Returns preferences.

Under Send a refund, you can choose to let buyers keep the item and automatically refund them if the refund amount is less than a certain amount. Simply enter the amount you’re comfortable with.

Choose the return reasons when this rule will apply.

Under Approve a return, you can choose to automatically approve a return if the total refund cost is less than a certain amount. Enter an amount you’re comfortable with.

Choose the return reasons when this rule will apply.

Changes to your return rules will automatically apply to all future return requests but won’t apply to returns already in progress.

 

Creating advanced returns rules

You can also create your own advanced return rules. Here’s how:

From the Select a rule dropdown, choose Send a refund automatically or Approve a refund automatically.

• Fill in the total refund amount(s) and the return reasons.
• Create a list of items the rule applies to.
• Select the applicable selling categories.
• Give your rule a name and then select Save and turn on.

Tip

1. Even if you specify “no returns accepted,” under the iShopMeta Money Back Guarantee, the buyer can still return an item if it doesn’t match the listing description.
2. The NFTs (Non-Fungible Token) for that specific purchase will be available for the buyer to mint after the return policy window is expired.