GUIDE / OPERATING PREPARATION
Plan a local returns workflow
Choose the receiving route and stock disposition before customers return products.
Decisions to make before launch.
- 01
Receiving
Approve the country, local address, product acceptance and parcel identification.
- 02
Inspection
Define condition grades and the evidence needed for a decision.
- 03
Disposition
Set approval rules for restock, rework, consolidation and disposal.
- 04
Replacement
Link replacement stock and dispatch to the seller’s customer-service decision.
Keep the customer decision and stock decision connected.
For seller-managed returns, the seller handles customer remedies under the applicable platform rules. Platform-managed returns use their own inspection, refund review and dispute process. For example, TikTok Shop manages refund review for goods returned to an FBT warehouse, and Walmart handles customer refunds for WFS orders.
The outside receiving operator records physical stock under the agreed scope. Confirm which return or removal reference governs the parcel and what the platform has already decided. A local address does not automatically include repair, replacement shipping or tax recovery.
For damaged or restricted contents, obtain acceptance before shipment. Agree storage and disposal scope for stock awaiting a decision.
US guidance checked 6 October 2026: TikTok US return requirements; WFS customer returns. Use the current account settings for the actual program and product.
Identify the return or removal recordMatch the delivered parcel to the receiving record
For an agreed external receiving route, link the return or removal reference to the tracking number, carrier delivery event, receiving date and parcel identifier. Record whether the scope confirms cartons, units or inspected contents. Keep a parcel that cannot be matched to the expected SKU or return reference out of ready stock while the seller resolves the difference.
If tracking and the receiving log disagree, preserve both dated records and identify the address and parcel reference being compared. A carrier scan, a physical receiving entry and a refund decision answer different questions. The applicable seller or platform process governs the customer remedy; these receiving checks do not determine the outcome.
Questions before you approve the work.
Can removed stock be held while I decide what to do?
Discuss acceptance, storage scope and quantity recording before shipment. Confirm whether the initial record will cover cartons or individual units, what remains unverified and when the next decision is due. Review storage and processing scope.
Can I give customers a return address before the shipment is accepted?
Use a return address only after the receiving operator confirms the destination, product acceptance and receiving instructions for the planned returns. An address from a previous shipment does not establish acceptance for a new product or route.
Does damaged packaging mean the product must be discarded?
Record packaging condition separately from product condition. The seller should approve the next step from the available evidence, which may include further inspection, repacking, holding or disposal. Do not restock an item solely because its outer packaging can be replaced. Review disposition decisions.
Next decision: approve the stock disposition.
Once the receiving route is confirmed, agree the condition evidence and the seller’s stock instruction. Keep refund decisions and replacement dispatch separate.
Read the return disposition guideDiscuss the actual return route.
Share the country and selling program, return or removal reference, product and expected quantities, current parcel or stock status, and requested handling. Mark the receiving operator or address as unconfirmed if acceptance is still pending.
For stock already received, include the receiving reference, counting basis and available condition evidence. Agree the checks, storage review point and next approval separately.
Share the relevant details directly in chat. The guide is a preparation aid; the written shipment scope governs the work.
Prepared by SinoWarehousing · Published · Updated . Platform references carry their own review dates.