Guide · Anyone who sends parts back

How to return parts to a supplier without losing the credit

A simple returns routine for small shops: get the return authorization first, keep the parts apart, ship with tracking, and chase every return until the credit or replacement arrives.

Wrong part, damaged part, a motor that failed in its first week, a box of fittings nobody needs. Every shop sends things back, and a surprising amount of that money is never recovered. The part sits on a shelf waiting for a return number, or it goes back without one and the supplier says it never arrived. A few simple habits fix most of it.

1. Get the return number before anything leaves

Most suppliers will not accept a return without a return authorization number, often called an RMA. Ask for it first, by email so you have it in writing, and quote the original order and the reason. No number, no shipment: a box that turns up unannounced is the easiest one for a supplier to lose.

2. Return against the delivery it came in on

Tie every return to the original purchase order and delivery. That proves what you paid, when it arrived and how many came. It also stops a common mistake: returning more than you actually received.

3. Keep it apart while you wait

Put parts waiting to go back in one clearly marked place, such as a returns shelf or a hold bin, and label each one with the return number. If it stays on the normal shelf, someone will use it, and then there is nothing to send back.

4. Ship it with tracking

Write the return number on the outside of the box, keep a copy of the packing list, and use a carrier with tracking. Record the tracking number against the return. It is your proof if the supplier says it never arrived.

5. Take it off your stock when it ships, not before

Until the part physically leaves, it is still in the building. Remove it from your stock count on the day it ships, so your numbers match the shelf at every point.

6. Chase it until it is settled

A return is not finished when the box leaves. It is finished when you have a credit note, a replacement or a repaired part back. Keep one list of open returns with the date each was shipped, and look at it every week. Close each one only when you have the supplier's credit, replacement or repair reference in hand.

The checklist

• Return number from the supplier before anything ships.
• Every return linked to its original order and delivery.
• Parts kept in a marked hold area, labeled with the return number.
• Shipped with tracking, tracking number recorded.
• Stock reduced on the day it ships.
• Open returns reviewed weekly and closed only with a credit, replacement or repair reference.