Return Grading

Consistent grading decides how much value you recover from returns. Clear grade definitions with photos help warehouse staff grade quickly and the same way every time.

How should I grade returned products?

Use a short scale with written criteria and example photos, for example A for resellable as new, B for open box or minor wear, C for refurbish or repair, and D for liquidate or dispose. Record the grade in your WMS so disposition can follow automatically.

• DispositionThe decision on what happens to a returned item: restock as new, sell as open box, refurbish, liquidate, recycle, or destroy.
• RefurbishmentThe process of cleaning, repairing, testing, and repackaging a returned or used product so it can be resold, usually labeled as refurbished or renewed.
• RecommerceThe resale of used, returned, or refurbished products, either through a brand's own resale channel or through marketplaces, instead of liquidating or discarding them.
• Return Reason CodeA standardized code that records why a customer returned an item, such as wrong size, damaged, not as described, or changed mind, captured at return initiation or inspection.