How can Shopify improve its return notification feature for retail businesses?

[Roostcollection]

We are 98% brick and mortar business. Had a customer come in to return an item given to them. No gift receipt. Found the order an returned item for gift card. Then got a phone call from the original purchaser, “l got an email saying I return an item”.

Shopify told the gift giver the item was returned. Embarrassing for everyone. Especially us as a retailer.

MAJOR FLAW

Hey Shopify fix this, this bad function is a carryover from your online model. Retail is not the same as online. FIX IT. THIS SUCKS

[HorseyHabit]

Having same issue.  Can't even believe this is a problem in a system like this.  HOW can we not do a most basic return in a brick and mortar store?  No workarounds track sales tax or inventory properly.  MAJOR FLAW!!!  I'm totally disgusted with the entire program for this one flaw.  NOT good for brick and mortar retail customers.

[Roostcollection]

Our work around is paper and pen. We keep a small slip in the register that the sale people have to fill out. Basically without the customer knowing we take the cash of the return and buy a gift card for the amount. Our drawer is off at the end of the night and the paper acts as cash.

Totally sucks. It is very obvious that the shopify developers NEVER operated a retail B&M. A simple manual return like clover or square have would be fine.

HorseyHabit try this, call support and play dumb. Say explain how I do a return without being able to attach it to and order. They just don't know!@&%

[Roostcollection]

If you return an item as cash and issue a gift card you are then overstating your tax liability.

The tax collected on the first purchase is on your books, Then when the gift card is used the tax is added again.

Shopify is aware of this and it is a lawsuit waiting to happen. Every business owner using Shopify that returns a sale by not attaching it to an order (say the sale was cash or a visa cardholder) is doubling the tax liability. We are a gift shop and this occurs daily.

I have all my handwritten tickets building in a file.

[Lawson_Thalmann]

I do agree this is a design flaw, but I've found a workaround.... 

On the return summary screen, it shows the original customer name. You can actually click 'Edit' and the next screen if you scroll down, it allows you to delete the customer. Then, you can add the new customer at that point if you want and they would receive the confirmation email (and gift card).