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Start the return with the seller, use the return label they provide if one exists, repack the item as it arrived, and keep proof of drop-off. Refunds usually follow after the warehouse receives and checks the item, not on the day you ship it.
In most cases, yes, and skipping this step is the most common return mistake. Starting the return through the seller's site, app, or support channel creates a return authorization tied to your order, and the warehouse expects a parcel matching that authorization. A parcel that arrives without one can sit unprocessed or be sent back. The authorization also tells you who pays for return shipping: many large sellers provide a prepaid label, smaller sellers often ask you to pay, and some deduct return postage from the refund. Read that line before you buy a label, since paying for your own label on a free-return order wastes money, and using a prepaid label after the return window closed can leave the parcel stranded.
When the seller gives no label, you buy postage yourself and address the parcel to the return address the seller states, not to the address on the original shipping box, which may be a fulfilment centre that does not process returns. Print the label, cover or remove every old barcode and address on the reused box, and put the new label where the old one was. Old barcodes are a real hazard: a scanner that reads a stale code can route your return to the wrong facility. If the item is valuable, pick a service with tracking and keep the tracking number, since an untracked return leaves you with no proof it ever arrived. In Canada, a LetterAgent label covers Xpresspost parcels up to five kilograms within Canada, which fits most consumer returns.
| Return step | What to watch for |
|---|---|
| Start the return | Get the authorization number and the correct return address |
| Repack the item | Original box and inserts when possible; accessories included |
| Label the box | Cover all old barcodes; one visible label only |
| Drop it off | Keep the receipt and photograph the labelled box |
| Follow the tracking | Confirm delivery, then allow warehouse processing time |
Repack the item the way it arrived, as far as you can. Use the original box and fitted inserts when you kept them, include every accessory, manual, and cable, and restore any protective film you removed only if it peels back cleanly. If the original box is gone, use a sturdy box with cushioning on all sides and keep the item from touching the walls. Sellers check returns for missing parts and damage, and a return that arrives scuffed because it rattled around loose can be refused or refunded at a reduced amount. Photograph the item and the packed box before sealing: if the seller later claims something was missing, your photos are your evidence.
Proof is a small paper trail with three pieces: the tracking number, the drop-off receipt from a staffed counter, and a photo of the labelled box. A drop-box deposit with no receipt is weaker proof, since nothing ties you to that parcel until the first carrier scan. If you hand the parcel to a clerk, ask for the receipt and check that the tracking number on it matches your label. Keep all three until the refund posts. If tracking stalls, the receipt lets the carrier open an inquiry, and if the seller says nothing arrived, the delivery scan plus the receipt usually settles it.
Refunds follow a sequence, not a single event. First the carrier delivers the parcel, then the warehouse queues it for inspection, then a staff member checks the item and its accessories, and only then does the refund process start. That queue is why a delivered return can take days or longer to refund, and holiday volume stretches it further. The refund then travels back through your original payment method, which adds its own processing time, and a card statement may show it a cycle later. If the tracking shows delivery but no refund appears after the seller's stated processing window, contact the seller with the tracking number and the drop-off receipt ready. Cross-border returns add customs and duty questions on top, so a return to another country deserves its own check before you ship.
Ready to ship it? Get a shipping label with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and get your label.
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