Handling returns and issuing refunds
The seller side of the returns flow — approve, reject, receive, refund — plus the 30-day buyer window and what a refund costs you.
title: Handling returns and issuing refunds description: The seller side of the returns flow — approve, reject, receive, refund — plus the 30-day buyer window and what a refund costs you. topic: seller-help order: 32 updated_at: "2026-08-07" phase: live tags: [seller, returns, refunds, rma] related: [managing-orders, performance-standards, payouts]
Buyers start returns self-serve from their account. Each request lands in your dashboard under Returns with an RMA number, the items and reason, and any photos the buyer attached. You work the request through four actions.
The buyer's window
Buyers can request a return up to 30 days after delivery. That window is platform-wide and enforced automatically — requests outside it can't be created. (If no delivery scan exists, the window is measured conservatively from the order date plus a receipt buffer.)
Your Settings → Return policy page lets you publish your own return-policy text, a return window, and a restocking fee on your store page. Be aware: the 30-day platform window is what the returns system actually enforces today — your published values inform buyers on your storefront but do not change return eligibility in the flow.
Working a return
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Approve | Accepts the return. When shipping is configured and addresses are on file, a return label is generated through Shippo and provided to the buyer, and the return tracks like any other shipment — receiving can trigger automatically off the delivery scan. |
| Reject | Declines the request with a reason the buyer sees. Use sparingly and only within policy — rejected returns are a common trigger for buyer disputes, which cost you more than the return would have. |
| Mark received | Confirms the item is back in your hands (use it when the return wasn't label-tracked). |
| Issue refund | Triggers the actual Stripe refund to the buyer. |
You can also attach internal notes to any return for your team.
Returns that sit unresolved don't linger forever: an approved return the buyer never sends back is automatically closed after 30 days.
What a refund costs you
Refunds are real Stripe refunds against the original payment:
- The refunded amount is reversed from your connected Stripe account — Wehoz doesn't front it.
- Any Wehoz commission on the refunded portion is returned as part of the refund rather than kept. (At the current 0% commission this is moot, but that's the mechanic.)
- The buyer gets their money back on their original payment method.
Returns and your scorecard
Refund rate (ceiling 5%) and order defect rate (ceiling 4%, which counts refunds plus returns) are both tracked on your performance scorecard. The best return strategy is boring: accurate listings, honest photos, solid packaging.