A return is a customerβs request to send a product back after delivery. On Fawran your role in a return depends on two things: the fulfillment model the product was sold under (MARKET, FBS or FBF) and which of the three return surfaces the case lives in. This guide is the map β read it once and you will always know whether a return is yours to action, Fawranβs to run, or a physical item waiting for your decision.
One return, three surfaces
Fawran separates the paperwork of a return (request, approval, refund, dispute) from the physical goods (what happens to the item once it comes back). The goods can end up in two different places β a Fawran warehouse or your own hands β so the dashboard has three distinct surfaces:
Who manages a return: the golden rule
In the Returns workspace, only FBS (Fulfilled by Seller) returns are actionable by you. FBF and MARKET return requests are managed by Fawran and shown to you read-only β but their physical consequences still reach you through the other two surfaces.
| Fulfillment model | The request (Surface 1) | The goods |
|---|---|---|
| FBS β Fulfilled by Seller | You run all 12 stages yourself | Come back to you β Seller Returns (Surface 3) |
| FBF β Fulfilled by Fawran | Read-only β Fawran manages it | Stay in the platform warehouse β Warehouse Returns (Surface 2) |
| MARKET | Read-only β Fawran manages it | Warehouse Returns (Surface 2), or Seller Returns if physically sent back to you |
On a non-FBS return youβll see a Read Only chip and the banner βThis return is not managed by the sellerβ, with an ownership label (Seller Managed / Platform Managed / Admin Managed). If the banner is there, there is nothing for you to click β watch the Warehouse Returns workspace instead.
Surface 1 β the Returns workspace
Open Returns from the sidebar. Work is split across five tabs:
| Tab | What it contains |
|---|---|
| Returns | Every return item across all fulfillment types (read-only for FBF/MARKET) |
| FBS Return Requests | The returns you actively manage, stage by stage, with deadlines |
| Cancelled FBS Returns | Returns you cancelled β monitored for one week for buyer objections |
| FBS Dispute Requests | Returns escalated to Fawran for a decision |
| Returns History | Completed returns, plus links to resolved disputes and customer claims |
A single return request can contain several products. Each product item has its own status, stage and deadline β you action them individually, not the whole request at once.
Surface 2 β Warehouse Returns (goods at Fawran)
When an FBF or MARKET item comes back, the warehouse receives it, inspects it and grades its condition (AβD). The case then appears under Inventory & Warehouses β Customer Returns where you see the grade, the storage location and β once inspection is complete β take your disposition decision. Storage continues until the case is resolved. The financial details of this step are covered in a dedicated Finance guide coming soon.
Surface 3 β Seller Returns (goods back with you)
When an FBS or MARKET returned item is physically handed to you, a case is created at Inventory β Seller Returns. There you record the outcome: Restock (adds the quantity back to your sellable inventory), Mark as damaged, or Reject return.
One unit, one barcode β for life
Since July 2026, every serialized unit keeps its original FWU unit barcode permanently β including through a return. When a returned unit reaches the warehouse, its identity is validated against that barcode: a wrong unit, a duplicate scan, or a unit from a different order is caught at receipt and turned into a case instead of silently entering stock. For you this means the unit you see in Warehouse Returns is verifiably the exact unit that was sold.