Skip to content
Sellerlane Help Center

Returns and RMAs

A return in Sellerlane is a first-class RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) record attached to an order. It is the logistics side of a return — which items are coming back, why, in what quantities, where they are received, and what condition they arrive in. It is deliberately kept separate from the refund, which is the money side. You can run a full return and never refund, refund without a return, or link the two. This page is the deep-dive on the returns workflow; for the money flow see refunds and returns.

Everything here happens in the Returns card on the order. Open the order and look for the card titled Returns (“RMA approval, receiving, disposition, and return lifecycle”).

Create a return

  1. In the Returns card, choose Create return. The dialog lists every fulfilled line that still has returnable quantity, each showing its title, SKU, and a Returnable count.

  2. For each item you’re accepting back, set the Qty (you can’t exceed the returnable quantity) and pick a Reason: Damaged, Defective, Not As Described, Ordered Wrong Item, Changed Mind, or Other. Add a free-text Reason note if you want detail on that specific line.

  3. Add an overall Return note if useful, then choose Create return.

The return is created with status requested. Lines with a quantity of zero are skipped — only items you actually set a quantity on are added to the return. Each return carries a label on the order: it reads Return 1, Return 2, and so on by default, and shows as RMA <number> when an RMA number has been set on the record (the order’s return filter can search by RMA number).

Status ladder and lifecycle actions

A return moves through this ladder:

requested → approved → in_transit → partially_received → received → closed.

It can also be rejected (declined outright) or canceled, and a finished return can be reopened. Each card exposes the actions valid for its current state; invalid actions are disabled rather than hidden.

  • Approve — available only while the return is requested. Confirm the per-item approved quantity (you can approve less than was requested) and an optional Approved at time. Moves the return to approved.
  • Reject — also only while requested. Declines the request with a reason.
  • Edit — opens the per-item quantity editor (UpdateReturnItemQuantities) so you can correct requested quantities before approval.
  • Create receiving — enabled once the return is approved, partially_received, or received. This is how goods are logged back in (see below).
  • Close — finalizes the return once you’re done receiving. Disabled if the return is already closed or canceled.
  • Cancel — voids the return with a cancel reason.
  • Reopen — reopens a closed return back to approved so you can receive more. A canceled return is final and can’t be reopened — create a new return instead. Reopening is also blocked once a return has irreversible work against it (items already received, refund work started, or inventory adjustments).

Receiving the goods

Approving a return doesn’t bring anything into your warehouse — you record that with one or more receivings. A receiving represents a single inbound shipment against the return, so a return that arrives in two boxes can have two receivings.

Create a receiving

  1. On an approved return, choose Create receiving.

  2. Pick a Receiving location (required) — this is the location returned physical goods come back into. Your default location is marked. See locations and inventory.

  3. Optionally record the inbound carrier: Carrier name, Carrier code, Tracking number, Tracking URL, and an In transit at timestamp. Setting In transit at marks the shipment as on its way back to you.

  4. Set the planned quantity per item. Each line defaults to its remaining approved quantity (approved minus already-received) and can’t exceed it.

  5. Add a note if useful and choose Create receiving.

The receiving is created in an expected state (or in_transit if you set a transit time). It does not yet touch inventory — that happens when you actually receive the items.

Receive items and choose dispositions

When the box arrives, open the receiving and choose Receive. For each line you enter how many actually arrived and split that count across four dispositions:

  • Restock — the unit is good and goes back into sellable stock at the receiving location.
  • Damaged — arrived damaged; logged but not returned to sellable stock.
  • Quality check — held for inspection before any decision.
  • Discard — written off.

Leave Close receiving when complete checked (the default) to finish the receiving automatically once everything planned has been received. A receiving can also be Closed or Cancelled manually from the return card.

As you receive, the return advances itself: receive part of it and it becomes partially_received; receive the balance and it becomes received. Each item line on the card shows its running requested / approved / received tally.

How returns feed inventory, then the refund

The Restock disposition is the bridge to inventory: restocked units are added back to available stock at the receiving location you chose. Damaged, Quality check, and Discard units are recorded for the return’s history but are not added back to sellable stock — so a damaged return never inflates your on-hand count.

Money is still separate. When you’re ready to pay the buyer back, open the Refunds card and choose Create refund, then use the Return selector to link this RMA to the refund. Because the goods already came back through the return, you don’t restock again on the refund — restock on a refund only applies to refunds with no linked return. The full refund procedure, settlement methods, and caps are covered in refunds and returns.

Who creates returns

Returns are created by staff from the Returns card on the order — there is no buyer-facing self-service flow that opens an RMA today. When a customer asks to send something back, your team records the return here, approves the agreed quantities, receives the goods, and then refunds. Self-service currently covers other post-purchase actions (such as digital re-delivery, gift-card resend, and order cancellation), not returns. See self-service for what buyers can request on their own.

Troubleshooting

  • “Disposition quantities must equal received quantity.” On the receive step, the four dispositions for a line don’t sum to its Received count. Adjust them so Restock + Damaged + Quality check + Discard equals Received.
  • Receiving says a quantity can’t be exceeded. A receiving line is capped at the remaining approved quantity (approved minus already-received). If it’s zero, that item is fully received already — you don’t need it on this receiving.
  • Part of the shipment arrived. Receive what came in now; the return goes to partially_received. Create another receiving, or receive again on the same one, when the rest arrives.
  • Need to add more after closing. A closed return can be Reopened, which sends it back to approved so you can create another receiving. A canceled return is final — create a new return instead.
  • Can’t approve a return. Approve and Reject only work while the return is requested. If it has already been approved, use Create receiving instead.
  • A line isn’t offered for return. Only fulfilled quantity is returnable. If the line never shipped, handle it as a cancellation or a standalone refund.

Not supported yet

Set buyer expectations accordingly — these are not part of the returns engine today:

  • Prepaid return shipping labels. Sellerlane records the inbound carrier and tracking you enter manually, but it does not generate or pay for a return label. Arrange return shipping out of band.
  • Exchanges. There is no built-in “swap for a different item” flow. To do an effective exchange, process the return and refund, then take a new order for the replacement.

Next steps

Self-service

What buyers can request on their own (not returns): self-service.