Managing Trendsi returns on Shopify with ReturnZap

Brief Trendsi overview

Trendsi is a dropshipping platform specifically tailored for fashion retailors. It integrates seamlessly into Shopify and brings turn-key dropshipping capabilities from thousands of suppliers. Trendsi offers 100,000+ styles across a wide range of apparel categories.

The offering is very popular among merchants who sell via Shopify. With over 2,750 total reviews on the Shopify App Store, Trendsi is one of the most popular dropshipping apps in the Shopify ecosystem.

Trendsi makes sourcing and shipping products super easy for your customers. But because product comes from different suppliers and is shipped back to Trendsi, you are required to follow their returns policies and processes. Managing customer returns for Trendsi purchases can be complex and requires a fair amount of manual work.

The good news? ReturnZap is an app built for dropship merchants with functionality specifically created to streamline Trendsi returns on Shopify.

How returns work in Trendsi

Trendsi's return policy

Trendsi has a simple return policy. They will accept returns of unworn clothing items with original tags and clear garment packaging with SKU label. Trendsi does not offer exchanges.

All returns must be initiated within 7 days after an order has been delivered. Certain categories of apparel are considered final sale and are not eligible for return. These include beauty products, intimates/lingerie, jewelry, and swimwear.

With Trendsi, you the seller are ultimately responsible for enforcing their return policy. You must ensure that your customer-facing return policy matches Trendsi's, and that you quickly and promptly respond to customer requests for a return. You are also responsible for covering the cost of return shipping back to Trendsi or the supplier.

Once Trendsi receives the return, it is your responsibility to find the order within your Shopify interface and refund the customer directly. There is currently no way to automate this process flow (but there are apps that can help! More on this later).

How to initiate a Trendsi return for Shopify orders

To stat a return in Trendsi, first log in to your account at Trendsi.com. Then follow the steps below:

1. Navigate to Account > Orders
2. Open the order details for the order you wish to return
3. Click the button marked 'Return'. Note: Items that are not eligible for return will not have thiis button)
4. Select the quantity of each item that you wish to return using the plus and minus icons, click continue.
5. Select a return reason for each item and click submit. Note: Trendsi may require photo upload for certain return reasons, such as damaged.

On submission, you will receive a Trendsi Return Authorization number as well as return shipping instructions. The return authorization number must be included with your return for proper processing.

Limitations of managing Trendsi returns in Shopify

While Trendsi has a simple and fairly generous returns policy, it can be difficult to translate and implement on Shopify. These are common limitations when managing Shopify dropship returns. They can be daunting at first, but with a little know-how (and the right tools) they are not insurmountable.

It is very manual

Managing dropship returns on Trendsi is a manual process, which can take up a lot of time when dealing with larger volumes. Merchants must take return requests from their customers and then manually input this into the Trendsi platform. There is significant potential for a process breakdown, leading to unhappy customers and stressed out sellers.

Difficult to duplicate the Trendsi return policy in Shopify

While Trendsi's return policy is straightforward, there are variations that will depend on the type of product being returned as well as the reason for return. These requirements are difficult to duplicate using Shopify's native returns functionality.

Some challenges merchants may face when replicating the Trendsi returns policy on Shopify include:

• Returns may only be submitted within 7 days of delivery
• Some returns are subject to a 20% restocking fee
• Certain categories are non-refundable. Merchants must prevent customers from initiating returns on these items in order to avoid non-compliant returns.
• Enforcing Trendsi final sale policies can be difficult, time consuming, and lead to a poor customer experience
• Trendsi requires that returns for some reasons be submitted with an accompanying photo upload.

Return authorization number must be included with each return

Trendsi provides a unique return authorization (RA) number with each return. This number must be included with the return shipment for proper processing.

Shopify does not currently allow for custom RA numbers to be associated with each return. This means that merchants must communicate with customers via email to give customized instructions, including the use of a custom return authorization number.

No automated return shipping labels

Trendsi does not provide shipping labels, and passes on the cost of return shipping to the end user unless they received the wrong item or a damaged item.

This means that there is no automated way to create return shipping labels for Trendsi returns. Many merchants get around this by simply providing shipping instructions to their customers and asking that they ship the item directly back to Trendsi. This works, but comes with a few notable drawbacks:

1. There is no way to track returns if customers have to ship themselves
2. Merchants must proactively check to see if a return has been received by Trendsi, and then initiate a refund to the customer on Shopify
3. It's a hassle for customers, who have to go to the post office, wait in line, and purchase postage themselves

Image upload requirement for certain return reason

Trendsi requires that sellers upload photo proof when submitting returns for specific reasons, including Damaged on Arrival.

This means that sellers must collect photo evidence from their customers before submitting a return to Trendsi. This can often involve several back and forth email chains and frustration all around.

ReturnZap helps to automate these photo upload requirements and addresses numerous other pain points of processing Trendsi customer returns.

How ReturnZap streamlines Trendsi returns in Shopify

ReturnZap is built for dropship returns management

ReturnZap is the easiest way for dropship sellers to manage customer returns on Shopify. We understand how manual the process can be, and how return policies and procedures can vary from supplier to supplier. We've created a flexible returns platform that can easily adapt to even the most complex returns processes and save you valuable time.

ReturnZap can also automate the returns experience for end customers. We provide a customer facing returns portal that allows customers to select the items they wish to return and initiate a return, with deep integration into Shopify. You can even automatically generate return shipping labels, and pass those costs along to your customers.

Key ReturnZap features to manage dropship returns

Customer facing returns portal

Set up a customizable, branded returns portal for your customers to initiate return requests. The ReturnZap returns portal allows your customers to raise their own return requests. This helps to automate Trendsi return requests.

The portal will automatically follow your return policy (more on this below) and will allow for review and approval to align with Trendsi return requirements.

Automated return shipping labels

ReturnZap offers multiple ways to automate return shipping labels. Merchants can choose to have returns be automatically approved or they can require manual approval before a shipping label is created.

Multiple ways to pass along shipping cost

With ReturnZap, you can complete Trendsi returns for your Shopify customers and pass along the cost of return shipping in mulitple ways:

1. Provide a return address and instructions, allowing the customer to ship using the carrier of their choice
2. Offer the customer the option of purchasing a return shipping label directly through the ReturnZap portal
3. Issue a prepaid shipping label and deduct the cost of return shipping (or a fixed fee) from the refund issued through ReturnZap

The choice is yours. ReturnZap gives you the flexibility to craft the perfect Trendsi returns policy on Shopify.

Flexible return policy definition

Using ReturnZap's flexible return policies and powerful rules, Shopify sellers can create custom return policies that exactly match Trendsi requirements.

ReturnZap gives you the flexibility to modify several aspects of your returns policy:

• Enabled returns for refund, store credit, and exchange
• Defining a return window based on the number of days since delivery to align with Trendsi requirements
• Defining final sale categories, on which returns are not permitted
• Flexibility to route returns to multiple destinations based on vendor and 25+ other attributes. (This is useful if Trendsi is not your only source of supply)
• Flexible return windows to account for sale periods, extended holiday return windows, and more

Image upload by return reason

With ReturnZap, you can require image upload based on the return reason selected by your customer.

So if a customer indicates that their item was damaged on arrival, you can require that they upload an image along with their return submission so you can include it on your submission to Trendsi.

Image upload can be made required, optional, and can also be hidden entirely.

Multiple return shipping destinations

Many Shopify sellers who source product from Trendsi also source items from other suppliers. This can make managing returns a challenge, with different suppliers having different returns addresses and different policies.

ReturnZap not only gives you the ability to define unlimited returns policies based on vendor, but also gives you the ability to route returns to an unlimited number of destinations based on vendor and other attributes. It's your one stop shop for managing returns across your entire Shopify catalog.

Customer alerts and automated processing

Without ReturnZap, managing Shopify Trendsi returns can be a manual process involving a lot of back and forth email with customers. Aligning your return policy, managing shipping labels, updating customers on return tracking status, and communicating around refunds can take a lot of time.

ReturnZap automates all of this.

With ReturnZap, customers will be notified at each step of the process. You can configure notifications to be sent via email when a return is submitted, when it is approved, when it has been shipped, received, and processed. Your customers will no longer be in the dark about whether their return falls in or out of policy, and will no longer have a need to reach out to customer support asking "where is my refund".

Getting started with ReturnZap

ReturnZap is the Shopify app purpose built for Trendsi returns. We give you the tools you need to match Trendsi's return policies and requirements and streamline the process of receiving return requests from your customers.

Give your customers a top-notch experience with our branded returns portall, automated shipping labels, and advanced notification and update capabilities. Save time and money and reduce out of policy return requests with our flexible rules engine.

Reach out to us for a brief demo or check us out on the Shopify app store. We offer a 14 day free trial on all plans.