Returns Handling
A defined returns flow — not a black box. Every returned parcel is inspected, photographed, and resolved against a rule the seller controls.
Inside Returns Handling
- Returns intake at PUDO points and warehouses
- Per-SKU inspection checklist (condition, packaging, seals)
- Photo evidence on every exception
- Restock, write-off, or return-to-seller per your rule
- Returns reporting with reason codes and trends
- Failed-delivery and refused-COD parcels handled the same way
The operational flow
- 1
Initiate
Customer drops the return at the nearest PUDO point, or the rider collects it from the door on the next sweep.
- 2
Consolidate
Returns are picked up from PUDOs on a recurring run and brought to the returns bay at the warehouse.
- 3
Inspect
Each item is checked against the SKU's returns checklist, photographed if anything is off, and a recommendation is logged.
- 4
Resolve
Outcome is applied per your rule: restocked to sellable inventory, flagged for write-off, or queued to return to you.
Coverage
Returns intake runs everywhere door delivery and PUDO operate. Inspection and resolution happen at the in-country warehouse.
Who this fits
Apparel & fashion
Sellers with size and fit returns who need restock-vs-write-off decisions made quickly and consistently.
Electronics & accessories
Categories where seal, packaging, and accessory completeness change the return outcome.
COD-led stores
Stores where refused-on-delivery parcels are a real volume and need a structured re-home, not a backlog.
Common questions
Where are returns received?
At PUDO partners closest to the customer, or directly at the warehouse. Returns are then consolidated on a recurring sweep into the inspection bay.
How are returned items inspected?
Each item is checked against a returns checklist for the SKU — packaging, condition, completeness, and seals where applicable. Outcomes are photographed and reported.
Who decides if a return is restocked?
The seller. MFT supplies the inspection outcome and a recommendation; the seller's rule (restock, write-off, return-to-seller) determines the action.
How is returns pricing structured?
Per return processed, with a small additional fee for restocking or photo evidence packs. Pickup at PUDO is included in the PUDO operating fee.
How long does a buyer have to return an item?
The return window is your commercial policy, not ours — MFT executes the window you set and records the date each parcel was received against it. The operational steps we run either side of that window are described on the returns policy page.
What happens to a parcel the buyer never collects?
Uncollected parcels are held for the window agreed for that market, then logged as an uncollected outcome and routed back for inspection at intake. You choose restock, hold or return to sender per SKU, and the outcome carries the original order reference throughout.
Who pays for the return leg?
That is a commercial term in your service agreement rather than a site-wide rule, because it differs by market, product type and the reason the parcel came back. The reason code captured at refusal or collection is what the charge is applied against, so the basis is always traceable.
Often paired with this
Ecommerce Fulfillment Services in Africa
Returns and reconciliation as part of MFT's end-to-end ecommerce order fulfillment.
Door Delivery
Failed delivery parcels feed directly into returns handling.
PUDO Pickup Points
PUDO partners are the customer-side intake for returns.
COD Collection Support
Refused-on-delivery COD parcels are handled as returns.
Add returns handling to your fulfillment plan.
Share product, volume, and target markets. MFT will quote it as part of a full fulfillment plan.