Returns are part of selling online, especially in fashion and accessories where size and colour decide everything. For a small Gulf store the trouble is rarely the return itself. It is the back and forth on WhatsApp, the item that comes back but never goes back on the shelf, and the refund that someone forgets to send. Each of those costs you either money or a customer.
Wink You gives your store one returns flow. The shopper starts it from their account, you move it through clear steps, and the stock and the refund follow the status you choose.
How the shopper requests a return
A signed in shopper opens My orders in their account and clicks the order. Under Request a return they set how many of each item to send back, add a reason such as the size being too big, and click Submit return request. The order then shows Return requested, and the request appears in your Returns screen. Returns open only on paid orders that were delivered or collected, within your return window, with one open return per order.
Set your return window
Open General Settings and, under Legal IDs, Returns & Newsletter, type the number of days in Return Window (days). The days count from delivery, or from the order date if the delivery date is unknown. Leave it empty for no limit. Write the same rule in your refund and return policy so shoppers see it before they buy.
How you handle the return in Business Admin
Every return follows four steps: Requested, Approved, Received, Refunded. The customer sees each step in their account.
- Open Returns from the menu on the left and click the request. Return Request shows the reason, the items and the amounts.
- Under Change status to, choose Approved and click Apply. Or choose Rejected if you do not accept it.
- When the parcel reaches you, open it again, choose Received and click Apply. Items marked Restock go back into your stock at this point.
- Finally choose Refunded, check the Refund amount, and click Apply.
Where the refund goes
The Refund amount is filled with the value of the returned items, and you can change it, but never above what is still refundable on the order. The money goes back the way the customer paid: a card or online payment through the same payment provider, a gift card share back onto the same card, and for cash on delivery a cash refund that you pay back yourself. A credit note is created that the customer can download from their order, and refunded digital codes or downloads are switched off.
What is not included
- Online returns for guest orders. Returns are requested from a customer account; for a guest, refund the order from Orders instead.
- Opening a return on the customer's behalf from Business Admin.
- A return label booked for the customer. The return parcel is arranged outside the returns screen.
Reject or cancel a return
Not every request should be accepted. Open the request in Returns and, under Change status to, choose Rejected for a new request, or Cancelled for a request or an approved return that will not come back. Both are final: no money moves and no stock changes, and the customer sees the new status in their account. Once a return is Received, the only next step is Refunded, so check the parcel before you mark it received.
When a cash on delivery order is refused at the door
A refused cash on delivery order is not a return, because no money was paid. Open the order in Orders, choose Returned under Change fulfillment to in Shop Fulfillment and press Apply. Wink You asks whether to cancel the order and put the items back in stock; press Cancel and restock. Use Returns only for paid orders, so the money goes back. Branch managers can only handle returns of their own branch.
Make your return rules clear before the sale
Most return disputes start with a rule the customer never saw. Write your return window and conditions in the Refund / Return Policy on Store Policies, using the same number of days as Return Window (days), so the storefront and the returns flow agree. After you approve a request, the customer’s order page shows Return approved with what to do next, and after the refund they can download the credit note from the same order. That way the customer always knows where their return stands without calling you.
Frequently asked questions
How do I approve or reject a return?
Open the request in Returns, choose Approved or Rejected under Change status to, and click Apply. Rejected and Cancelled are final and move no money or stock.
When does the item go back into stock?
When you mark the return Received. Only items marked Restock go back, so a damaged item can stay out of stock.
Why can't my customer request a return?
The usual reasons are a guest order, an unpaid cash on delivery order, an order not yet marked Delivered, a closed return window, or a return already open on that order.
Does the customer get told about each step?
Yes. They see the status in their account, and Wink You emails them when the return is approved, rejected or refunded.
Get started
Returns are built into Wink Store at winkyou.com/products/online-store. Watch winkyou.com/support/online-store/how-to-handle-a-return for your side, and share winkyou.com/support/online-store/how-shoppers-request-a-return-and-follow-it with your team so they can guide customers.