Returns management —
sellable again in < 48 h

Every returned item is a second chance at revenue. Our returns management receives returns, inspects them against your criteria, refurbishes sellable goods — and puts them back in your shop in under 48 hours. Automated, documented, without you touching a single box.

Free & non-binding · Reply within 24 h

Scope of services

Returns handling for e-commerce — all from a single partner

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Receipt & recording

Every return is scanned on arrival and matched to the original order. In LogShip Cloud you see live which returns have arrived — even before inspection begins.

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Visual & functional inspection

We inspect against your quality criteria: original packaging, signs of use, completeness, function. You define the checklist once — we apply it identically to every return.

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Photo documentation

On request we document the condition of every returned item with photos — as evidence for customer complaints and transport damage, or for your own quality assurance.

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Refurbishment

Sellable goods are cleaned, repackaged and go back into stock as A-grade — instead of ending up as a write-off. Refurbished to your specifications, SKU by SKU.

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Defect categorisation & ABC reports

Every defect is categorised. ABC reports show which SKUs come back conspicuously often, and why — your data basis for bringing the return rate down in a targeted way.

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B-grade stock & disposal

We hold slightly impaired items separately in B-grade storage — for outlet campaigns, for example. Whatever can no longer be used, we dispose of properly.

The process

How the returns process works at LogYou

Receipt & matching

The return arrives, is scanned and automatically matched to the original order. Status in LogShip Cloud: "Return arrived".

Inspection against your criteria

Visual and functional inspection based on your checklist, with photo documentation on request. Result: A-grade, B-grade or defective.

Refurbishment

A-grade goods are cleaned and repackaged, B-grade goods stored separately, defects categorised and disposed of properly.

Re-inventory & sync

Stock is booked into LogShip immediately and synced to your shop — including an optional refund trigger, e.g. for Shopify.

VALUE DRIVER

Managing returns means: recovering value.

In many warehouses, returned items pile up for weeks, tie up capital and lose value. We turn that around: structured returns handling turns the cost block into a value driver — the faster a return is inspected and refurbished, the sooner it earns money again.

How to bring down your return rate at the same time is covered in our returns management guide (DE); what processing costs compared with the market is shown in our overview of fulfillment costs in Germany (DE).

Refurbishment instead of write-off: clean, repackage, back as A-grade
ABC reports show return drivers per SKU
Separate B-grade storage — ready for outlet channels
Proper disposal only as a last resort

Returns processing: parcels being inspected and refurbished

Sellable again in < 48 h

LOGSHIP CLOUD

Returns logistics that your shop sees immediately

The physical process is only half of returns handling in e-commerce — the data side is what decides it. As soon as an inspected return is booked back in, LogShip Cloud reports the stock to your shop system: Shopify (DE), Shopware, WooCommerce, JTL and the like. With Shopify, receipt can trigger the refund directly — your customers do not wait for their money, and your support inbox stays empty.

Want to outsource more than the returns service? Then combine it with our e-commerce fulfillment and same-day shipping into one end-to-end process.

Instant re-inventory in LogShip after inspection
Stock sync to shop & marketplaces
Refund trigger (e.g. Shopify) straight from receipt
Status of every return visible live

LogShip Cloud dashboard with stock and returns data

Back in the shop immediately

Worked example

Returns costs, worked through

Example: 90 returns per month, some of them with refurbishment and a few with disposal.

Item	Calculation	Monthly
Receipt & visual inspection	90 × €2.80 incl. visual inspection	€252
Refurbishment	25 units × 0.25 h × €50/h	€312.50
Disposal	8 units × €0.70	€5.60
Total		€570.10
⌀ per return		€6.33

Real-world ranges: €1.50 – €3.80 per return incl. visual inspection, refurbishment €40 – €65/h, disposal €0.30 – €1.00 per unit. How large your share of refurbishment and disposal turns out depends on product range and return reason.

Key figures

Returns handling in numbers

An honest look

When structured returns management is not (yet) the right choice

Very low return rate & very small volume: Below around 10 parcels per day in total, setting up a structured inspection and refurbishment process usually does not yet pay off.
High-priced one-off pieces with no resale value: Customised made-to-order items (engraving, cut to size) often cannot be resold as A-grade after being returned — refurbishment achieves little here.
Goods with a very short residual-value window: By the time inspection and refurbishment are complete (up to 48 h), the resale value of extremely short-lived goods may already have expired.
Goodwill without a physical return: "Keep it" credits without a return shipment do not need a returns process in the warehouse — that is purely a shop and payment transaction.

Frequently asked questions

Returns service: the most common questions

What is returns management?

Returns management covers every process after the item is sent back: receipt, inspection, refurbishment, restocking or disposal — plus the data side with stock sync and refund. At LogYou this is one end-to-end workflow in LogShip Cloud: every return is recorded, inspected against your criteria, and sellable goods are booked back into your shop in under 48 hours.

Who is the LogYou returns service suitable for?

For online sellers who no longer want to inspect and refurbish returned items themselves — commercially viable from as few as 10 parcels per day. Shops with a high return rate, such as fashion or consumer electronics, benefit in particular: LogYou turns returned items back into A-grade stock instead of letting them gather dust in the warehouse.

What does returns management cost at LogYou?

Returns handling is billed per return processed — depending on inspection depth, photo documentation and refurbishment effort. LogYou charges no setup fee and no flat warehouse fee, and there is no minimum term. Send us your returns volume — you will receive a transparent calculation within 24 hours.

How quickly are returns sellable again?

At LogYou, returns are processed within 48 hours of arrival: receipt, visual and functional inspection, refurbishment and restocking. As soon as the goods are booked in, LogShip Cloud automatically reports the stock to your shop — the SKU can be ordered again straight away, with no manual intervention.

Does LogYou also dispose of defective goods?

Yes. Whatever is no longer sellable after inspection, LogYou disposes of properly — or, if you wish, stores it separately as B-grade stock, for outlet sales for example. Every decision follows your criteria and is traceable in the report; on request we document defects with photos. You will get an initial call about this within 24 hours.

Does LogYou trigger refunds in the shop automatically?

Yes — for connected shops such as Shopify, receipt of the return in the warehouse can directly fire a refund trigger: LogShip reports item and quantity, and the shop starts the refund. This noticeably shortens the waiting time for your customers. LogYou connects Shopify natively via the GraphQL Admin API 2025-10.

Does LogYou also handle shipping and complete fulfillment?

Yes. Returns management is usually part of complete e-commerce fulfillment: inbound, storage, pick & pack and shipping with DHL, GLS, UPS and DPD. LogYou ships more than 1.2 million parcels a year with 99.92% pick accuracy — but the returns service can also be booked as a stand-alone module.

Hand over returns — win back revenue?

Send us your returns volume, your inspection criteria and your shop system — we will get back to you within 24 hours with a concrete proposal for your returns process.

No minimum termOnboarding in 1 dayReply within 24 hMade in Germany