Package refused or not collected: how to handle it
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
6 min reading time
A refused or undelivered package returns unannounced. This is how you check it, organize your stock and limit costs.
There's a package in your warehouse that you sent three weeks ago. The customer refused it at the door, or it stayed too long at the pickup point and came back automatically. The label is crossed out, the box is dented on one side, and your inventory list still shows the item as sold. Now what?
Returns due to refusal or non-collection are different from regular returns. The customer hasn't filled out a return form, you haven't received a notification, and the package arrives unannounced. The sooner you have a fixed process for this, the less it will cost. This article walks through that process: what happens along the way, what you do upon arrival, how to limit costs, and how to prevent it from happening again.
What happens before the package returns to you
There are two routes. If refused at the door, the delivery person takes the package back immediately. PostNL describes it this way: "We then put a return sticker on the package and send it back to the sender." Refusal is only possible before acceptance; once the package has been accepted or opened, it is considered received.
The second route is the pickup point. If the customer is not home, the package is ready for collection. PostNL states that they keep a package for a maximum of one week and then return it to the sender. Other carriers have their own terms; check these on the customer service page of the carrier you use, as this period determines how long you are in limbo.
Practically, this means: between "delivery failed" and "box on my packing table" it easily takes one and a half to two weeks. During this period, your inventory is incorrect, the customer may be waiting for their money, and your delivery statistics are flawed.
The first ten minutes after arrival
Treat an unexpected return as a small investigation. This is the order that takes the least time:
Photograph the exterior before opening anything. Label, seals, dents: everything in one photo. This will be your proof later for the customer or carrier.
Check the seal. If you work with Security Seal Stickers VOID (60 pieces, €9.95), you'll immediately see if someone has opened the box. With an intact seal, you know the contents are complete, which saves you a check.
Open and count. Compare with the packing slip, not with your memory.
Assess if the item is resalable. If the product packaging is damaged, that's a different decision than if only the shipping box is battered.
Immediately update the status in your webshop. Inventory back, order to "return received". This is the step that is most often overlooked and causes the most confusion.
Money: who pays what
This often goes wrong because two things are mixed up. A refusal at the door is a logistical event for you, but legally, in a consumer purchase, it can be interpreted as an appeal to the cooling-off period. What exactly you need to refund and within what period is described by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) on ConsuWijzer; check there or get informed before you come up with your own rule. For business customers, your own terms and conditions apply.
What you do have control over are the costs you incur. A handy calculation per returned package:
Item
What to pay attention to
Outbound shipping
Already paid, not reimbursed
Return freight
Often charged separately by the carrier
Packaging
Box, tape, and void fill are usually not reusable for the same customer
Labor
Checking, re-packaging, administration: allow 5 to 10 minutes
Inventory risk
Seasonal item returning three weeks later sells slower
Add that up once for your own webshop. For many small orders, such a return often turns out to be more expensive than the margin on the order itself. That is precisely the argument for making changes at the front end rather than the back end.
Making it resalable without it being noticeable
If the contents are in order, you want to get the item back on the shelves quickly. First, remove all old labels and traces of the previous shipment; a box with two barcodes is asking for an incorrect scan. If the old label is stuck fast, cover it with a blank sticker. A roll of White Price Stickers for Price Gun MX-5500 (5000 pieces, €9.95) is cheap enough for that.
Without a designated spot, such a package disappears among outgoing orders. Set up one bin or box labeled "return, not yet processed," and another labeled "checked, back in stock." An Action Moving Box 480x430x330 mm, 50 liters (€3.50) is large enough for this and costs almost nothing.
Prevention: where refusals come from
Refusals and uncollected packages rarely have anything to do with the box. In practice, you see four causes, and three of them can be solved with better communication:
The customer forgot. Especially with delivery times over five days. A short email on the day of shipment, with the expected delivery day, makes a noticeable difference.
Incorrect or incomplete address. Check unusual addresses (house number addition, company name) before shipping, not after.
The customer doesn't want to sign for it or go to the pickup point. Where possible, offer letterbox shipping. What fits in a letterbox doesn't need to be picked up by anyone: see the letterbox packaging.
Regret. There's little to be done about that, except ensuring your product pages are accurate regarding size, color, and content.
Keep a simple list of returned packages with the reason behind it. After twenty entries, you'll see where your profit lies: with addresses, delivery time, or one specific product.
In short
A refused or uncollected package returns to you via the carrier, usually with a delay of one or two weeks. Photograph, check the seal, count the contents, immediately update your inventory, and repackage in a new box if the old one is damaged. Calculate once what such a return actually costs you, and rather invest that amount in clear communication beforehand.
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