How Returns & Refunds Work for Retailers on Zelph

Zelph helps automate the process of order routing and fulfilment — but when it comes to returns and refunds, especially for supplier-fulfilled items, there are some important guidelines to understand.

This article explains how returns are handled, who is responsible, and what suppliers will (and won’t) see in their Shopify store when a refund occurs.

💡 Who Owns the Refund?

If you’re a retailer and you refund a customer for a product supplied by a third-party supplier via Zelph:

• You (the retailer) are responsible for issuing the refund and managing the return
• The supplier has already fulfilled the item and incurred the cost — they do not automatically receive or process the refund

In other words, if you refund the customer, you do so at your own commercial risk unless you agree otherwise with the supplier.

🔄 Does Zelph Sync Refunds to the Supplier?

No — Zelph does not sync refund actions from your Shopify store back to the supplier’s Shopify.

Why?

• The supplier has already fulfilled the order and is considered "done"
• Automatically syncing a refund would mark the supplier as having to absorb a loss they didn’t initiate

Therefore:

• The order remains fulfilled in the supplier’s Shopify store
• You must coordinate with the supplier separately if a return or refund needs to be handled collaboratively

🔙 If a Return Is Agreed With the Supplier

If you and the supplier agree to accept a return:

1. You ship the item back to the supplier

   Once the item is received:

   • The supplier can manually update their Shopify order as:
     • Returned
     • Refunded

This is a manual, case-by-case workflow and is entirely between you and the supplier.

🛑 What Zelph Doesn’t Handle

To be clear, Zelph does not:

• Mediate or approve returns between retailers and suppliers
• Automatically update the supplier’s order status after a refund
• Handle refund payments between the parties

✅ Summary

🤝 Best Practice: Talk to Your Supplier

If you're refunding a high-value item, or dealing with a return you want the supplier to participate in — just reach out to them directly first.

Zelph is built to keep fulfilment seamless, but returns are commercial decisions best handled by direct agreement.