Checking returns: the leak where most margin disappears
Returns affect three cash flows simultaneously: the refund to the customer, the commission, and the VAT. That is precisely why returns are the most error-prone line item in every settlement.
Three cash flows, three chances for errors
When a return occurs, three things must happen: the selling price goes back to the customer, the commission should come back to you, and the VAT remittance must be corrected. Each flow has its own failure mode: the selling price is sometimes deducted twice, the commission often does not come back, and the VAT correction ends up in the wrong period.
Return proof is everything
Not every announced return actually comes back. A proper check distinguishes confirmed returns (item received), pending returns (registered, in transit), and rejected returns. A deduction based on a return that never arrived is worth a claim — but only if you have the evidence in order.
What you should check every month
- Is every return deduction settled exactly once (not zero, not twice)?
- Has the commission also been reversed for every return?
- Are there deductions for returns without confirmed receipt?
- Do any returns cross a quarter or year boundary (VAT correction required)?
Let the checks run automatically from now on.
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