Return Request from Customer

Shopify Discussion
1

I have a Shopify store and have done some sales last year. I am doing dropshipping and am using CJ Dropshipping as my supplier. On November 30, 2024 I had a customer place an order for a couple for Christmas Sweater dresses that are made out of polyester. I fulfilled the order and CJ Dropshipping shipped the products to the customer. The customer received the dresses on December 30th.

On December 30th, I received an e-mail from the customer saying that it took too long for the dresses to reach her (17 days) and that the dresses are not as advertised. The material listed in my store for the dress clearly shows that they are made out of polyester and the customer admits that they are made out of polyester.

CJ Dropshipping does not allow me to do returns because a customer does not like an item.

Because of what the customer said, I am not inclined to do a return for her, but am not sure as to how best to let her know. I cannot control the shipping time that it took for the products to reach her. She placed her order with my store on November 30, 2024. I placed the order with CJ Dropshipping on December 3, 2024. The customer received the items on December 30, 2024. The material of the dress is listed in the store as polyester. The customer says that dresses that she received are made out of polyester. I’m not sure as to what this customer expected, but it clearly said that they were made out of polyester.

I’m curious as to what people might suggest on how to let her down gently.

2

Thank you. That sounds like a perfect response to their request.

3

Hey @rdonovan1

While in this particular case the return isn’t accepted due to CJ Dropshipping’s policy, I suggest using ParcelPanel Returns & Exchanges could help you:

  • Automate the return request process on your store, so customers submit requests through a branded portal instead of emailing directly.

  • Pre-set return policies (like exclude preference-based returns) so expectations are clear and rejection messages are automated but still gentle.

  • Offer exchanges, store credit, or partial refunds as alternatives, which might soften refusal in tricky cases like this.

  • Track return reasons over time to identify patterns or prevent future misunderstandings (e.g., if “item not as described” pops up often).

You can even customize your return rules to align with your dropshipping supplier’s policies, and reduce back-and-forth emails. Setup is pretty straightforward.

If this gave you something useful, feel free to mark it as a solution so others can find it too :blush: