Returns approved, labeled, received and refunded without the spreadsheet
A done-for-you refunds and returns automation is an AI agent that handles return requests from first email to final refund. It checks each request against your return policy and the order, issues the label, follows the parcel back to your warehouse, matches what was received, and prepares the refund, exchange or store credit for a person to approve. BufferSol builds it on your store, helpdesk, warehouse and payment tools.
- Live in 3 to 6 weeks
- Works inside your current tools
- Your people approve what matters
Built for
D2C brands & online storesThe outcome
What changes for your business
Consistent policy decisions
Every request is checked against the same rules for return window, item condition, final sale items and customer history, with the reason written on the ticket.
Refunds tied to what actually came back
Refunds and credits are prepared only after the warehouse scan or inspection matches the items on the return, which stops paying out for goods that never arrived.
Fewer "where is my refund?" messages
Customers get an update when the label is issued, when the parcel is received and when money is on its way.
Is this you?
For retailers, D2C brands and B2B sellers that process hundreds of returns a month across Shopify, Amazon or an ERP, and still run part of the process from email and a spreadsheet.
- Return requests arrive by email and chat, and someone checks each one against the policy by hand.
- Your team tracks returns in a spreadsheet next to the store admin and the warehouse system.
- Refunds go out before the item is back, or sit for days after it arrives.
- Exchanges need draft orders, discount codes or other workarounds every time.
- Edge cases from your returns app, such as international orders or edited emails, are processed outside it.
Today vs done for you
The current way, and the new way
What your team does by hand today, and what the automation does instead, step by step.
How it works today
- A customer emails asking to return or exchange an item, often without the order number.
- An agent finds the order, checks the purchase date, product type and policy, and decides yes or no.
- The agent creates a return label in the shipping tool and emails it, then adds a row to the returns spreadsheet.
- When the parcel arrives, the warehouse emails support or updates a shared sheet, sometimes days later.
- An agent issues the refund in Shopify or the payment tool, restocks the item, and handles exchanges with a draft order.
- Finance reconciles refunds against the spreadsheet at month end and chases mismatches.
What it quietly costs you
- · Hours each week go into lookups, labels and spreadsheet updates that add no value for the customer.
- · Refunds issued before receipt, wrong refund amounts and double restocks turn into real losses and inventory errors.
- · Slow or silent refunds drive repeat contacts and public complaints.
How it works done for you
- The agent reads each return request from email, chat or your returns portal and matches it to the order, line items and payment method.
- It applies your policy: return window, final sale and hygiene items, condition rules, reason codes and the customer's return history. Clear cases are approved; borderline ones go to a person with a recommendation.
- For approved returns it creates the label in ShipStation, EasyPost or your carrier account, opens the return in Shopify or your ERP, and sends the customer clear instructions.
- It follows the return parcel through carrier scans and the warehouse receiving log, and reminds customers whose label is unused.
- When the warehouse confirms receipt and condition, it prepares the refund, store credit or exchange order with the exact amount, including discounts, shipping and restocking fees.
- A team member approves refunds above your limit, or all refunds if you prefer, in one click. The agent then issues it in Shopify, Stripe or your payment gateway and restocks the right location.
- Every decision, label, receipt, refund and restock is logged against the order, and a daily summary goes to finance.
Your people
What changes for your team
Returns or support agent
Today
Reads policy, makes labels, updates spreadsheets and issues refunds one order at a time.
Done for you
Reviews borderline requests and approves refunds the agent has already matched and calculated.
Warehouse lead
Today
Emails support about each return that arrives and fixes inventory counts after double restocks.
Done for you
Scans and grades returns as usual; the agent picks up the receipt and handles the rest.
Finance manager
Today
Reconciles refunds against a spreadsheet and the payment processor every month.
Done for you
Gets a daily log of refunds, credits and fees that already ties back to orders and receipts.
The numbers
What it's worth to you
Estimate the time and cost you get back with your own numbers. We baseline the real figures in week 1 and track these KPIs from day one.
Example inputs · change them to yours
The automated share covers policy checks, labels, tracking, receipt matching and refund preparation; approvals and edge cases stay with people.
Staff time back
93 hours a month
About 0.6 full-time people freed for higher-value work
Capacity reclaimed a month
$2,613
A year
$31,360
An estimate from your inputs only. In week 1 we measure your real baseline, so results are tracked against your own numbers.
Request-to-refund time
Days from return request to refund issued, baselined from the last quarter's orders and tracked weekly.
Refunds issued without receipt
Count of refunds paid before the warehouse confirmed the items, which should fall to near zero.
Refund accuracy
Refunds later corrected for wrong amount, wrong items or wrong method, sampled weekly.
Return status contacts
Tickets tagged "where is my refund" or return status per hundred returns.
Exchange share
Share of returns converted to an exchange or store credit instead of a refund, tracked monthly.
15.8%
19.3%
9%
Works with the tools you already use
- Shopify
- Loop Returns
- Gorgias
- Zendesk
- ShipStation
- EasyPost
- Stripe
- NetSuite
- ShipBob
- Amazon Seller Central
Guardrails built in
- Refunds above a limit you set, and every refund on flagged accounts, need a named person's approval.
- No refund is issued until the warehouse receipt matches the returned items, unless a person overrides it with a reason.
- The agent applies your written policy only; exceptions and goodwill gestures are always a human decision.
- Repeat returners and unusual patterns are flagged to the team for a fraud review.
- Every decision and payment action is logged with the order, amount, approver and timestamp.
Why it hurts today
What teams say about this work
Common complaints from operators, reviewers and industry research.
A fashion retailer described a returns process of emails, order lookups, one-at-a-time labels and spreadsheet tracking that eats many hours each week and causes wrong items and incorrect refunds.
Merchants found that a warehouse sync and a manual restock at refund both added the same returned item, leaving inventory counts wrong.
Users of a returns app say that unusual cases which do not fit the automated rules land back on the support team to handle by hand, and some saw refunds larger than what customers had paid.
Merchants note that a return, a refund and a restock are separate steps in the store admin, so each one has to be done and checked on its own.
How it works
From kickoff to live in 3 to 6 weeks
We do the build, the integrations and the rollout. Your team gives us access, reviews the pilot and approves go-live.
- 1
Week 1
Discovery and access
We map the workflow with your team, agree the outcomes and KPIs, measure today's baseline and get secure access to your tools.
- 2
Weeks 2–3
Build and connect
We build the agents and connect your systems, with your rules, approval steps, permissions and logging.
- 3
Weeks 3–5
Test and pilot
We test on your real history, then run a pilot on live work while your team reviews what the agent does.
- 4
Weeks 4–6
Go live and hand over
We roll out in stages, train your team, hand over dashboards and runbooks, and keep improving it with you.
Included with every automation
Executive Ask: ask your business anything
One plain-English assistant connected to the systems you run: CRM, helpdesk, ERP and accounting, HR, inbox and documents. Leaders get sourced answers in seconds and can trigger actions with approval. It respects everyone's existing permissions and logs every answer.
See Executive AskAsk it, for example
- Which products were returned most last month, and what reasons did customers give?
- How much did we refund this week, and how much of it is still waiting on warehouse receipt?
- Which customers have returned more than three orders this quarter?
We already have a returns app. What does this add?
Returns apps run the customer portal well, but the work around them often stays manual: email requests, policy exceptions, warehouse receipt, refund amounts with discounts, restocking and finance reconciliation. The agent connects those steps across your store, helpdesk, warehouse and payment tools, and can use your returns app as the front door rather than replacing it.
Can the agent approve refunds on its own?
Only if you want it to, and only within limits you set. Many clients let it issue refunds under a set amount once the warehouse has confirmed receipt, and require a named approver above that. Goodwill refunds, policy exceptions and flagged accounts always go to a person. Every approval is recorded with who approved it and why.
Does it work with B2B returns and RMAs?
Yes. For B2B sellers the agent can open RMAs in NetSuite or your ERP, check contract terms and restocking fees, request photos or serial numbers, and prepare credit memos instead of card refunds. The approval steps follow your own credit policy, and the customer gets status updates at each stage.
How long until it is live?
Most returns builds go live in 3 to 6 weeks. We start by writing your return policy as clear rules, connect the store, helpdesk, shipping and warehouse tools, then replay recent returns to check every decision and amount. The agent runs with full human approval until your team is happy with its accuracy.
What will it cost?
It is quoted after a short scoping call. The price depends on your return volume, the number of sales channels and warehouses, whether exchanges and B2B credits are included, and which systems we connect. You see a fixed scope and the list of systems before any build work begins.
Pairs well with
Order Status ("Where Is My Order?") Automation
Answer every "where is my order?" message with live carrier data
See the outcomeSupport Ticket Triage & Resolution
Every ticket read, routed and answered before your queue piles up
See the outcomeProof of Delivery & Freight Billing
PODs collected, checked and billed the day freight delivers
See the outcomeSources
- Return management workflow - looking for advice, Shopify Community
- Restocking and incorrect inventory - Shopify Community, Shopify Community
- Loop Returns Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features, G2
- Return and Refund, Shopify Community
- Consumers Expected to Return Nearly $850 Billion in Merchandise in 2025, National Retail Federation
Get Refunds & Returns Processing done for you
Tell us about your volumes and tools. A senior engineer replies within one business day with scope, timeline and cost.
Live in 3 to 6 weeks · Priced after a short call · Company emails only