Create and inspect a return

When goods come back, you create a return for the order. Under Sales → Returns you process it: book the receipt, inspect, restock the goods, create a replacement order if needed, refund the money and create the credit note. Returns from shops, marketplaces and the returns portal also end up here.

To view returns you need the permission View returns, to create them Create returns, to inspect and edit them Edit returns, to refund and for the credit note Refund returns (credit note and repayment) and to close, reject and cancel them Close, reject and cancel returns. Menu items your role lacks the permission for are hidden.

#The process

Announced → Received → Inspected → Completed. As long as it hasn't been inspected yet, you can also Reject a return (e.g. outside the deadline – nothing is restocked or refunded) or Cancel it (e.g. the customer keeps the goods – the quantities can be returned again afterwards).

#Step by step

1. Create return: Right-click a shipped order → Order → Create return… (also via right-click in the shipment list under Shipping). Alternatively, in the order window under Summary, click Create return in the Returns section – this also works there for partially delivered orders. Switch on the line items coming back, enter the quantity (at most the shipped quantity minus what has already been returned) and choose a reason for each line, e.g. Not as expected, Wrong item, Damaged, Delivered too late, Wrong size/quantity or Other. Optionally add an internal Note, then Create return. The return gets a number and has the status Announced.
2. Book receipt: When the parcel has arrived, open the return and click Book as received (in the right-click menu Book receipt, also for several). This step is optional – you can also inspect directly.
3. Inspect: Click Inspect. Choose the Condition for each line (e.g. As new, B-stock, Defective) – if a follow-up action matches the condition, the Decision is preselected:
   • Restock – back into sellable stock. Choose the warehouse; the warehouse the item was shipped from is suggested.
   • B-stock – into the Returns warehouse. Nothing is ever picked or shipped from there. If there isn't one yet, allverto creates a returns warehouse called “Retourenlager”.
   • To supplier – the goods are parked in the returns warehouse until a supplier return sends them back (Purchasing → Supplier returns, see Supplier returns).
   • Dispose – no stock posting (the goods were already booked out when shipped).
   • Finally, click Save inspection and post to stock. Cancel inspection discards your entries.
4. Replacement order (optional): For an exchange or replacement delivery, click Create replacement order on the right (see below).
5. Refund: In the Refund section, allverto suggests the amount from the gross prices of the line items – optionally with the Refund shipping costs switch. Adjust the Gross amount, switch on Refunded as soon as the money has been paid back (with Refunded on) and click Save refund.
6. Credit note: Via More actions or right-click → Create credit note … the invoice corrections for the order's invoices are created – one per invoice, for the quantity of the returned lines not yet credited, also with "Invoice per delivery", final or collective invoices (see Credit notes and cancellations). The credit notes appear in the Refund section of the return window. You additionally need the permission Create invoice corrections (credit notes). If one of these credit notes is cancelled, you can create a new one for the return.
7. Complete: You file inspected returns as done with Complete.

When all pieces of an order have come back, the order gets the status Return; for a partial return the order window shows Partial return: … of … pcs.

#The return window

Double-clicking a return opens it as a window. At the top are the status, number of pieces, customer and the linked order, on the left the Line items with reason, condition and decision. On the right you find:

• Return shipment or From … – channel, return number and the customer's comment; for channel returns you can report receipt, acceptance or rejection to the channel.
• Refunds – payouts via allverto with Refund …: through the payment provider (PayPal, Mollie, Amazon Pay), through the shop or marketplace, by SEPA bank transfer (only for orders in euros) or Outside allverto. The refund is made in the order currency. The due date and overdue status are shown next to them. Only when the executed refunds reach the refund amount is the return set to Refunded; a partial refund leaves it open. A refund is never executed twice – not even with a double click or when two people approve at the same time.
• Photos – with Add photo you document damage; photos from the returns portal and the warehouse app also appear here.
• Return labels, Replacement order, Refund and the History.

At the bottom left, More actions opens the same menu as right-clicking in the list. Next to it: Return slip, Create return label, Inspect and – depending on the status – Book as received or Complete.

#Replacement order

With Create replacement order … you create a new order to the delivery address of the original order – with the same or a different item. Under Type you choose:

• Exchange with offsetting – the replacement costs the regular price, and the value of the return is offset against it. The customer pays the difference via the replacement order, or it becomes the refund amount of the return.
• Free replacement – e.g. for a defect: no refund, no credit note.

Under Replacement lines you select item and quantity; the overview shows Return goods value, Replacement goods value, Replacement order (to pay) and Refund to customer. You still inspect the returned goods as usual. Return and replacement order are linked to each other. If the replacement order is cancelled, the return is refunded normally again. For this you additionally need the permission Create and edit orders; after a refund or credit note, a replacement order is no longer possible.

#Returns without an order

If a parcel arrives without being announced, the warehouse records it in the warehouse app as an unassigned case. The list then shows Without order. Via right-click → Assign order or customer … you search for the matching shipped order (number, customer) and click Assign order – the return takes over line items, prices and the refund suggestion. If you can't find an order, you can at least record the customer under Or assign the customer only. Replacement order, return label and credit note are only possible with an order.

#The returns list

At the top of the page: Open, Announced this month (with a note about overdue refunds), the Return rate (30 days) (returned in relation to shipped pieces) and the Most common reasons (30 days). Above that you find:

• Inspection station – scan the return slip, return number, return or order number; the return opens directly in the inspection.
• Refunds – open, pending approval and failed refunds. Here you approve refunds, run them again and create the SEPA file (pain.001). You may approve with the permission Create, inspect and refund returns plus a finance permission (post payments or create outgoing payments).
• Analysis – rate by item, channel, reason and customer, as well as costs.
• Send back to supplier (…)… – appears when inspected line items marked To supplier are waiting in the returns warehouse (permission Create purchase orders).
• … channel returns open – returns from shops and marketplaces that could not yet be assigned to an order.

Columns include Return, Announced, Order, Customer, Qty, Reasons, Source, Refund due, Refund, Status and Replacement order. Inspected but not yet refunded returns are highlighted in colour, rejected and cancelled ones in grey.

#Right-click menu

• Open, Assign order or customer … (only without an order)
• Book receipt, Inspect …, Complete (Book receipt and Complete also for several)
• Set status – your own processing statuses for the current phase (from the settings); the first entry restores the normal status
• Create replacement order … or Open replacement order …
• Create return label (permission Create shipping labels), Show return slip, Print return slip
• Refund → Edit amount …, Mark as refunded (also for several, with today's date), Reopen refund
• Create credit note … or Open credit note
• Go to order
• Send back to supplier…
• Reject …, Cancel …

Whatever isn't possible at the moment stays visible and states the reason. Entries your role lacks the permission for are hidden.

#Settings

Under Sales → Settings (Sales settings window) → Returns you maintain Return reasons, Conditions & follow-up actions (which condition suggests which decision), your own Return statuses, Status emails, deadline and approval (emails to the customer, refund deadline, Four-eyes principle for refunds), Returns from shops and marketplaces and the Returns portal for end customers.

#Frequently asked questions

#Why can't I create a return for an order?

In the right-click menu this only works for orders with the status Shipped; for partial deliveries you create the return in the order window under Summary. Before that there is nothing to send back – cancel the order instead.

#Is B-stock sold again?

Not automatically: nothing is ever picked from the returns warehouse. If you want to sell B-stock, deliberately relocate it in the warehouse app or create a separate item for it.

#What happens to goods marked “To supplier”?

They stay in the returns warehouse until you send them back with a supplier return – directly from the returns list via Send back to supplier… or under Purchasing → Supplier returns.