16 / 24  ·  Getting started with AI in 2026

Returns That Handle Themselves

Returns eat teams alive after every sale season. How to automate the routine ones and only look at the odd ones.

What it actually is

A return request gets checked against your policy, approved or declined, issued a label, and the customer kept informed. All without a person.

Anything unusual, expensive or borderline gets sent to a human with the details already gathered.

How it works

1. The request comes in anywhere

   Email, chat, a form, your website.

2. It is checked against your rules

   Within the window, in the right condition, eligible category.

3. Straightforward ones complete themselves

   Label issued, customer updated, refund queued. Odd ones escalated.

Who this is for

• Clothing and footwear brands
• Direct to consumer brands
• Retailers with a returns policy
• Marketplace sellers

Four signs you need it

• Returns spike and your team drowns
• Customers wait days for a refund decision
• Your policy is applied inconsistently
• Nobody wants the returns job

Typical cost

$500 to $2,000 a month

Time to set up

Days, not months

Category

Handle Returns & Refunds

Where to start

Before paying anyone, work out the number in that panel using your own figures. If it is small, this is not your first move and we will tell you so. If it made you wince, it is worth a conversation.

This is one of 24 guides. The full plain-English guide to getting started with AI in 2026 covers the rest.