Returned Item Grading
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AfterShip Returns Item grading system allows merchants to review data about the returned item’s condition and determine the outcome. This grading system and refund automation enable merchants to save a lot of money and only refund customers after careful manual review and inception.
The grading system aligns with two prominent functions of your returns process.
When manually marking a request as received on admin, merchants can select the grade to specify the item condition
When setting up rules of auto-refund automation, merchants can select for what grades the auto-refund will be initiated
Though there is no way yet to define the meaning of each grade on the AfterShip Returns admin portal, merchants can either
Use Grades when marking items as received on admin and define what each one of them means internally with their team or,
Call AfterShip Returns Batch mark items as received API to mark the returned item as received with the item grade and additional data
In this article, we will show you:
Mark the returned item as received with the item grade: Via API
Mark the returned item as received with the item grade: On admin
Auto-refund automation
Use cases
Let’s see how each of the methods works
The API call to mark the returned item as received with the item grade allows merchants to post additional information regarding the returned item's condition, who inspected the item, where and when it was received and inspected, and the visuals as evidence to corroborate the grade given to the item.
To make the API call
Post the Batch mark items as received API
Here are the new grading parameters and their meanings
grade
Example: a/b/c/d
These grades will be used to trigger the automation rule (Auto-refund).
quantity
The quantity of an item you want to mark as received.
Example: 3
notes
Notes will display on the AfterShip Returns admin to describe the item condition.
Example: Heavy scratches on the surface
warehouse_operator
The name of the warehouse operator/inspector.
Max 256 string
inspected_at
The date and time of inspection.
Format: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ssZ
Example: 2019-08-24T14:15:22Z
image_urls
Upload up to 3 images of the returned items.
Example:
To view the grading data collected by AfterShip Returns’ APIs:
Go to Returns in the AfterShip Returns admin
Search for and click on the relevant return (RMA)
On the return details page, find the item grade and more data sent for the line item(s) from the APIs
Go to Returns in the AfterShip Returns admin
Search for and click on the relevant return (RMA)
On the return details page,
a. For a single SKU with a single product quantity
Mark an item as received, click Grade item condition, and choose Grade from dropdown
Click Submit
b. For a single or multiple SKUs with multiple product quantities
Mark an item as received, and select the checkbox of a returned item you want to mark as received
Input the item quantity you want to mark as received
Click Grade item condition, and choose Grade from dropdown
Click Submit
For the items marked as received manually along with the grade, only the item grade and the quantity received will be displayed on the RMA detail page.
The webhook notifications of return updates will also contain the item grade data.
If you have set up Mark as received return status to auto-trigger auto-refund, you can choose for which grades will the refund be auto-triggered.
Go to Automation rules under the Return policy section in your AfterShip Returns admin
Under the Auto-refund section, where you have selected Mark as received to trigger auto-refund, select the checkbox for Only if all items in the request are in the following condition and select the Grade from the dropdown.
Save the changes
Here are four grades with suggested meanings:
Grade A (Perfect condition)
Grade B (Acceptable condition)
Grade C (Tiny scratch condition)
Grade D (Damaged)
These settings will ensure that only the returned items marked as received and meeting your grading requirements will be automatically refunded.
The auto-refund will be triggered only if all the returned items in one return request are in the selected grade(s)
All return items must have a grade to trigger automation
For returned items that are Auto-marked as received, the auto-refund option if Only if all items in the request are in the following condition setting is enabled will not work
RMA has two items:
Return item 1 is marked as received with Grade A
Return item 2 is marked as received with Grade C
If the auto-refund trigger is set to Grade A, the RMA needs to be refunded manually.
If the auto-refund trigger is set to Grade A and C, the RMA will be refunded automatically.
RMA has two items
Return item 1 is marked as received with Grade A
Return item 2 is marked as received with no Grade
If the auto-refund trigger is set to Grade A, the RMA needs to be refunded manually
If the auto-refund trigger is Grade A and C, the RMA needs to be refunded manually.
Merchants can mark items as received and allot grades to the returned items on all plans
Merchants can make API calls to mark items as received with grading parameters only on the Enterprise plan
Merchants can receive webhook notifications with grading data on Premium and Enterprise plans
Overview
AfterShip Returns Item grading system allows merchants to review data about the returned item’s condition and determine the outcome. This grading system and refund automation enable merchants to save a lot of money and only refund customers after careful manual review and inception.
The grading system aligns with two prominent functions of your returns process.
When manually marking a request as received on admin, merchants can select the grade to specify the item condition
When setting up rules of auto-refund automation, merchants can select for what grades the auto-refund will be initiated
Additional considerations
Though there is no way yet to define the meaning of each grade on the AfterShip Returns admin portal, merchants can either
Use Grades when marking items as received on admin and define what each one of them means internally with their team or,
Call AfterShip Returns Batch mark items as received API to mark the returned item as received with the item grade and additional data
What you’ll learn
In this article, we will show you:
Mark the returned item as received with the item grade: Via API
Mark the returned item as received with the item grade: On admin
Auto-refund automation
Use cases
Let’s see how each of the methods works
Mark the returned item as received with the item grade
1. Via API
The API call to mark the returned item as received with the item grade allows merchants to post additional information regarding the returned item's condition, who inspected the item, where and when it was received and inspected, and the visuals as evidence to corroborate the grade given to the item.
To make the API call
Post the Batch mark items as received API
Here are the new grading parameters and their meanings
grade
Example: a/b/c/d
These grades will be used to trigger the automation rule (Auto-refund).
quantity
The quantity of an item you want to mark as received.
Example: 3
notes
Notes will display on the AfterShip Returns admin to describe the item condition.
Example: Heavy scratches on the surface
warehouse_operator
The name of the warehouse operator/inspector.
Max 256 string
inspected_at
The date and time of inspection.
Format: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ssZ
Example: 2019-08-24T14:15:22Z
image_urls
Upload up to 3 images of the returned items.
Example:
"gradings": [
// items of the same grade can be grouped into a single array element. It's also fine to put 1 quantity of item per array element. Multiple array elements with the same grades are permitted.
{
"external_id": "12127384174838"
"grade": "c", // b | c | d
"quantity": 2,
"notes": "Heavy scratches on surface",
"image_urls": ["https://a.jpg", "https://b.jpg"],
"warehouse_operator": "max 256 string",
"inspected_at": "2019-08-24T14:15:22Z"
},
{
"external_id": "12127384174838"
"grade": "c", // b | c | d
"quantity": 2,
"notes": "Inner component missing",
"image_urls": ["https://a.jpg", "https://b.jpg"],
"warehouse_operator": "max 256 string",
"inspected_at": "2019-08-24T14:15:22Z"
},
{
"external_id": "12127384174838"
"grade": "a", // b | c | d
"quantity": 1,
"notes": "",
"image_urls": ["https://a.jpg", "https://b.jpg"],
"warehouse_operator": "max 256 string",
"inspected_at": "2019-08-24T14:15:22Z"
},
],Customer experience: Viewing the data
To view the grading data collected by AfterShip Returns’ APIs:
Go to Returns in the AfterShip Returns admin
Search for and click on the relevant return (RMA)
On the return details page, find the item grade and more data sent for the line item(s) from the APIs
1. Via Admin
Go to Returns in the AfterShip Returns admin
Search for and click on the relevant return (RMA)
On the return details page,
a. For a single SKU with a single product quantity
Mark an item as received, click Grade item condition, and choose Grade from dropdown
Click Submit
b. For a single or multiple SKUs with multiple product quantities
Mark an item as received, and select the checkbox of a returned item you want to mark as received
Input the item quantity you want to mark as received
Click Grade item condition, and choose Grade from dropdown
Click Submit
Demo
Customer experience: Viewing the data
For the items marked as received manually along with the grade, only the item grade and the quantity received will be displayed on the RMA detail page.
Webhook
The webhook notifications of return updates will also contain the item grade data.
Auto-refund automation
If you have set up Mark as received return status to auto-trigger auto-refund, you can choose for which grades will the refund be auto-triggered.
Go to Automation rules under the Return policy section in your AfterShip Returns admin
Under the Auto-refund section, where you have selected Mark as received to trigger auto-refund, select the checkbox for Only if all items in the request are in the following condition and select the Grade from the dropdown.
Save the changes
Here are four grades with suggested meanings:
Grade A (Perfect condition)
Grade B (Acceptable condition)
Grade C (Tiny scratch condition)
Grade D (Damaged)
These settings will ensure that only the returned items marked as received and meeting your grading requirements will be automatically refunded.
Additional information
The auto-refund will be triggered only if all the returned items in one return request are in the selected grade(s)
All return items must have a grade to trigger automation
For returned items that are Auto-marked as received, the auto-refund option if Only if all items in the request are in the following condition setting is enabled will not work
Demo
Use cases
Example 1
RMA has two items:
Return item 1 is marked as received with Grade A
Return item 2 is marked as received with Grade C
If the auto-refund trigger is set to Grade A, the RMA needs to be refunded manually.
If the auto-refund trigger is set to Grade A and C, the RMA will be refunded automatically.
Example 2
RMA has two items
Return item 1 is marked as received with Grade A
Return item 2 is marked as received with no Grade
If the auto-refund trigger is set to Grade A, the RMA needs to be refunded manually
If the auto-refund trigger is Grade A and C, the RMA needs to be refunded manually.
Supported plans
Merchants can mark items as received and allot grades to the returned items on all plans
Merchants can make API calls to mark items as received with grading parameters only on the Enterprise plan
Merchants can receive webhook notifications with grading data on Premium and Enterprise plans
Updated on: 28/04/2024
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