Refunds where the itemnever came back.

To keep customers happy, many stores refund as soon as a return is announced: the label is created, the carrier scans the parcel, or support approves it. That is fast and friendly. It also means the refund no longer depends on the item arriving.

Some returns never arrive. Some arrive empty, damaged or as a different product. Some arrive at the warehouse but are never logged, so nobody notices. Each one is an order refunded in full with nothing back on the shelf.

You don't need new software. Three exports are enough:

• Refunds from your store or payment provider, with order number, date and amount.
• Received returns from your warehouse, 3PL or returns app, with order number and receipt date.
• Return shipments from your carrier or returns platform, with tracking number and last scan.

Take every refund older than your return window plus a margin for transit. Look it up in the received-returns list by order number. Refunds without a receipt are your candidates.

Then check the return shipment for each candidate. Delivered but not received points at the warehouse or 3PL. Lost in transit points at the carrier. Never shipped means the customer kept the item.

A parcel lost on its way back is a claim against the carrier, under your contract and its claim rules. A return delivered but not logged is a question for your 3PL, with their receiving records. Marketplace orders follow the marketplace's own reimbursement process. A customer who never shipped the item can be asked to return it or pay, within your policy.

Claim windows are short and differ per carrier and contract, so work from oldest to newest and check the terms that apply to you.

Refund on receipt and inspection, not on label creation, except for customers you trust. If you keep instant refunds, add a weekly match of refunds against receipts so gaps are caught while claims are still open.

Silentleak runs this check and the others like it on redacted exports, recovers what is owed in your name after you approve each claim, and charges only on money that reaches your account. Start a free scan of your own exports, or an estimate from four numbers.

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More guides: Chargebacks you lose without answering. · Failed renewals nobody retried. · Your carrier invoice, checked line by line.