A customer asks to return something a week after your return window closed. Saying no follows the policy, and saying yes might keep the customer. This guide gives you a consistent way to decide, some middle options, and wording for the reply.
Start with what your policy says
Your written policy is the baseline, so read the exact clause before you answer. In Shopify, the return rules you set decide which items a customer can request to return on their own. A late request usually reaches you by email or chat instead, which means the decision is yours to make by hand.
- Check: The window length and when it starts
- Check: Whether the item was final sale
- Check: The delivery date on the order, not the purchase date
Reasons to make an exception
An exception should have a reason you could repeat for the next customer in the same position. Write the reasons down so everyone on your team applies them the same way.
| Situation | Reasonable response |
|---|---|
| Item is defective or was not as described | Help the customer, whatever the date |
| Late by a day or two, item unused | Accept as a one-time courtesy |
| Delivery was delayed or the item was a gift | Count from when it was actually received |
| Well past the window, item used | Decline politely |
| Repeated late requests from the same customer | Decline, and note the pattern |
Middle options between yes and no
You do not have to choose between a full refund and a flat refusal. A partial concession often keeps the customer while limiting the cost to you.
- Store credit: Value stays with your store
- Exchange: Useful when the issue is size or color
- Customer pays return shipping: A fair condition for a late return
- Restocking fee: Shopify lets you set one as a percentage, deducted manually at refund
See refund, exchange or store credit for how to choose between them.
How to word the reply
Be brief, be specific and do not lecture. State the policy, state your decision, and give the next step.
- ✅ Thank them and confirm the order and delivery date
- ✅ Quote the window from your policy in one sentence
- ✅ If you are making an exception, say it is a one-time courtesy
- ✅ If you are declining, offer any alternative you are willing to give
- ❌ Do not argue about dates or blame the customer
Record the decision
Exceptions made from memory turn into inconsistent treatment. Keep a short note on the order with the reason for your decision. If late requests keep arriving for the same product, your window or your product page may need a change. Consumer law in some regions gives customers rights beyond your policy, especially for faulty goods, so check the rules where you sell.
- Note: The decision and the reason
- Track: How often you make exceptions, and for what
- Review: Whether the policy itself needs changing
Doing this at scale
ReturnSage reads your full return policy plus the order and customer context, then recommends approve, exchange, store credit, deny or escalate, with a confidence score, risk flags, cited policy clauses and a draft reply. You decide with one click, and every decision is logged. It reads return requests created in Shopify. See ReturnSage.