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RMA Workflow


Overview

Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) is the recommended workflow for managing order item returns from customers in Sellercloud. RMAs let you track and process returns from the first contact with the customer up until they are received back into your warehouse.

You cannot delete items from an RMA if they have any received quantity. To remove or replace such items within the RMA, you must first unreceive the return.
To learn how to restrict returns, see Final Sale Orders.

Prerequisites

To start using the RMA workflow, it’s crucial to fulfill certain prerequisites beforehand. You must configure:

  • A returns warehouse.
  • A returns address.
  • Carrier credentials.

For step-by-step instructions on completing the prerequisites for the RMA workflow, see Returns Warehouse Configuration.

Create an RMA

After configuring the return address as described above, you can create RMAs individually or in bulk.

Individually

To create an RMA manually:

  1. Go to an Order Details Page.
  2. Click Actions and select Create RMA.
  3. Check the boxes on the left to select items for return.
  4. Enter a Qty to Return. 
  5. Enter a Reason. You can do this per item or select the Return Reason For All Items.
  6. Optionally, enter a Description.
  7. Click Create RMA.

In Bulk

To create multiple RMAs at once:

  1. Go to Orders > Manage RMAs.
  2. Click the Actions icon at the bottom-right corner of the page and select Import.
  3. Click Download Sample RMA for Default to download the template file.
  4. Update the downloaded template file.
  5. Click Import RMAs and select the updated file.

Manage RMAs

Sellercloud offers many options when it comes to processing and managing your RMAs. In this section, we’ll review some of the most essential parts of the workflow.

Search RMAs

To search for RMAs:

  1. Go to Orders > Manage RMAs.
  2. Optionally, set up the Default filters and Custom filters. Some of the most noteworthy filters are:
    1. RMA IDs – Show only one or more RMAs by their unique ID.
    2. RMA Status – Show only RMAs with a specific Status.
    3. RMA Approval Status – Show only RMAs with a specific Approval Status.
    4. Received Status – Show only RMAs with a specific Receiving Status.
    5. Replacement Status – Show only RMAs with or without a Replacement.
    6. Refund Status – Show only RMAs with or without a Refund.
    7. RMA Note Contains – Show only RMAs with specific text in their Notes.
    8. Created On – Show only RMAs created within a specific time range.
    9. SKU – Show only RMAs containing specific SKUs.
    10. Tracking Number – Show only one or more RMAs by their unique Tracking Number.
  3. Click Search. Each filter you apply gets highlighted in a different color. If a filter is gray or not displayed at all, it’s not active.

Additionally, you can customize the results grid to display different columns. Click on the three dots menu in the Manage RMAs panel > Customize Columns. There, you can pick up to 13 options such as Status, Channel, Approval Needed, relevant Dates, and more.

View RMAs

You can view and manage different data associated with each RMA on its RMA Details page. There are a few ways to access the RMA Details page:

  1. Search for RMAs, then click the RMA’s ID.
  2. Click the RMA link on top of the associated Order Details Page.
  3. Use the Global Search bar to search by RMA ID.
  4. Click an RMA link anywhere else in the Sellercloud UI.

Regardless of which option you use, you will end up on the RMA Details page, which looks like this:

Approve RMAs

To maintain control over which RMAs should be processed, you can also add an approval step to your workflow. This will require someone to review the RMAs and approve them before proceeding.

All RMAs have an approval status by default. However, you can also require approval per item by enabling Enable RMA Item Approval Status in the Client Settings.

To approve RMAs:

  1. Go to the RMA Details page.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. To approve the entire RMA, update the Approval Status field in the General panel.
  4. To approve specific items, update the Approved field in the Items panel.
  5. Click Save.
To quickly find RMAs that require approval, you can Search for RMAs by Approval Status.

Manage Documents

RMAs in Sellercloud can store documents. You can Upload, View, Edit, Download, and Delete them from the corresponding Toolbox tab.

To upload a document to an RMA:

  1. Go to the RMA Details page.
  2. Click Actions and select Manage Documents or click Documents from the Toolbox.
  3. Click the Upload New Document icon on the top right of the RMA Documents panel.
  4. Select the File and click Upload.

Once you have uploaded your documents, they will show up in the grid where you can perform additional actions such as Edit, Delete, Download, and Download All.

Manage Return Labels

You can generate a return label from Sellercloud and email it to the customer.

To generate labels in Sellerlcoud, you must set up carrier credentials in your Shipping API Settings.

To generate and send labels:

  1. Go to the RMA Details page.
  2. Click Toolbox and select Shipping Labels.
  3. Click the Create Return Label icon.
  4. In the first step of the Create Return Label modal you can populate the Ship from and Ship to addresses, name and business.
  5. In the second step of the Create Return Label you can manage packages, dimensions, carriers and insurance.
      1. Package – Ensure the weigh and dimensions of the package are correct. You can create additional packages from the Add New Package button.
        A separate Shipping Label will be generated for each package.
      2. Carrier and Service – Select the shipping carrier and service. You can view and compare shipping rates by clicking on the Get Rates button.
      3. Package Type – Select the packaging for the return.
      4. Accessory – Select from None, AdultSignature Required, or Signature Required.
      5. Insurance – Select the amount that will be insured.
        When using USPS as a carrier, you can choose the Insurance Provider between Endicia and UspsOnline.

  6. Click Create Label.
  7. To email a label, select it and click Send Selected Via Email. You can also click the Send All Via Email icon to send all labels.

See RMA Labels Configuration for more information and step-by-step instructions on generating, emailing, and voiding return labels.

Add Tracking

By default, an RMA can only have one tracking number. To add a tracking number manually:

  1. Go to the RMA Details page.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. Enter the Tracking Number in the General tab.
  4. Click Save.

You can also add multiple tracking numbers to RMAs by enabling the Client Setting Enable Multiple Tracking Numbers For RMA. Then, the Tracking Number field on the RMA Details page will show a link to Manage Multi Tracking.

Depending on whether the setting Enable Multiple Tracking Numbers For RMA is enabled or disabled at the time when an RMA is created, you’ll be able to add only one tracking number or use multi-tracking. Once an RMA is created, you can’t switch its tracking option from single to multi-tracking or vice-versa.

Resolve RMAs

You can select a reason and resolution for your RMA even if it’s not received yet.

For more information, see RMA Reasons and Resolutions Overview.

To resolve an RMA:

  1. Open the RMA Details page.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. In the Items panel, check the boxes on the left to select items.
  4. Select a Reason.
  5. Click Set Resolution.
  6. Select a Resolution and type a Comment.
  7. Click Set Resolution.

Sometimes, you may have to resolve an RMA by replacing the items. To be able to create Replacement Orders in Sellercloud, go to Client Settings and enable Enable RMA Replacement Order Workflow.  

You can process replacement requests faster by automatically creating a replacement order when you set an RMA’s Resolution to Replace. To use this feature, go to Client Settings and enable Auto Create Replacement Order When Setting Resolution To Replace. To automate this process further, you can also enable Put Replacement Order OnHold Until RMA Is Received, which will set the replacement order’s status to On Hold until you Receive the Items.

Receive Items

To receive an RMA:

  1. Go to the RMA Details page.
  2. Click Actions and select Receive Return.
  3. Enter the Qty to Receive and select a Warehouse.
  4. Click Receive. The inventory movement will be noted as an OrderReturn on the Inventory Movement History. The item cost on the order will automatically update to 0.

    You can not delete received items from the RMA.

Close RMAs

There are two ways to close an RMA after resolving it:

Learn how you can enhance your RMA workflow with Orderback.

Overview

Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) is the recommended workflow for managing order item returns from customers in Sellercloud. RMAs let you track and process returns from the first contact with the customer up until they are received back into your warehouse.

You cannot delete items from an RMA if they have any received quantity. To remove or replace such items within the RMA, you must first unreceive the return.
To learn how to restrict returns, see Final Sale Orders.

Update to the Video: Inventory will now be updated automatically in Sellercloud whenever you receive an RMA in ReceiveBridge.

Configure Return Address Settings

To create an RMA label in Sellercloud, you must first configure your return address settings as described below. You can either configure them for each company or per channel by creating a channel company profile. Note that the channel company profile will take priority over the company return address.

Company Return Address

To configure a company return address, follow the steps below:

  1. Go to Settings > Company > Toolbox > Return Settings.
  2. Enter the Address for the return label and select the default Shipping Carrier and Shipping Service. The carrier set here becomes the default for all new RMA return labels.
    Do not put spaces, parentheses, or dashes into the Phone field as this may cause errors.
  3. Go to Toolbox > Shipping API.
    Enter the API credentials for your RMA labels.

Channel Company Profile

To configure a channel company profile, follow the steps below:

  1. Navigate to Settings > Companies > Select a Company > Toolbox > Channel Company Profile.
  2. Choose the channel from the Channel dropdown.
  3. Select Enable below Return label address.
  4. Enter your Return Address.

Create an RMA

  1. Open the order and click Action Menu > Manage RMA > Go.
  2. Create a new return by completing the required fields: Qty To Return, Reason for return, and Description.
  3. Click Continue. An RMA number will be generated for the order.
  4. Optional: Add a note to the RMA and click Create Note.
  5. Optional: Add a document to the RMA by clicking Action Menu > Manage Documents > Go. Upload or delete documents.
  6. Click Save.

Email an RMA

  1. To email the return instructions to the customer, click Action Menu > Send RMA via Email > Go. The customer’s email address on the order will populate in the E-mail Address field. (Amazon and Buy.com will redirect the email to the buyer’s real email.) The email will default to the email template assigned to RMAs on the Email Template Assignment page. Other templates will be available for selection from the Select Email Template dropdown. You can also write or edit instructions in the Email Message editor.
  • To email automatically, enable the Client Setting  Auto Send email when RMA Created.
  • To create a return label and email it to the customer, go to Create a Return Label.

Receive an RMA

  1. When the merchandise is actually returned, in the RMA click Action Menu > Receive Return > Go.
  2. Enter the Qty Received and select the receiving Warehouse.
    1. It is a best practice to create an Unsellable Warehouse for returns.
    2. You can not delete received items from the RMA.
  3. Click Save. The inventory movement will be noted as an OrderReturn on the Inventory movement history. The item cost on the order will automatically update to “0.”

Resolve an RMA

  1. In the RMA, select a resolution option from the Action Menu > Go:
  2. For example, to replace the item, choose Set Resolution to Replace.
    1. On the next page, enter a reason why you are replacing the item, and click Save. A replacement order with all the order information, including the address and item, will be created. Click the link to access and manage the replacement order. The replacement order price will default to a full discount.
  3. For example, to refund the item, choose Set Resolution to Refund.
    1. On the next page, enter the refunded amount. The reason for refunding an order is required. Click Save. To process the refund, click the Refund Order link to open the refund order page. If you created a replacement order and then changed your mind and decide to refund, an option allows you to void the replacement order from the Refund Resolution page.
  4. On the Exchange resolution page, you can enter an exchange SKU with which to exchange the returned item. A replacement order with the new item will be created. The replacement order will assume the sale price of the original order and be fully discounted.

Optional: For greater oversight of RMA management, the RMA details page can also offer an Approved dropdown column with 3 options:

  1. Select Enable RMA Item Approval Status in the Client Settings.
  2. On the RMA detail page, see the Approved column next to the Resolution column with a default status of Undecided.
  3. Choose Approved or Rejected as the status for each item > Save.

Close an RMA

There are 2 options when you have finished with an RMA:

  • In the RMA, click Action Menu > Close RMA > Go.
  • Select Auto Close RMA when Resolution updated in the Client Settings > Save.
When needed, here’s how to disallow an RMA.
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