How to reply to a return request: 8 email templates

By Filip Grmek, founder of Keepwise · 11 October 2026

When a customer emails to send something back, the first reply decides most of what happens next: whether they exchange, keep it, return it calmly — or leave a one-star review on the way out. Below are eight replies for the requests Shopify stores get most, and the rules behind them.

Five rules for every reply

1. Answer from the order, not from a script. Name the product they bought. A reply that shows you looked is the cheapest trust you will ever buy.
2. Sort the request first: their reason or your mistake? A change of mind, a size that didn't work or a colour they went off is a preference — you can make one offer. Damaged, wrong or late is on you — you fix it, and you don't bargain.
3. One offer, at most. An exchange, or an amount off their next order. Not two, and not a bigger one after they say no.
4. Always include the way to return it. In the same email as any offer. An offer that hides the return route reads as a trap, and customers treat it like one.
5. End with one clear next step. “Reply with your size”, “use the label below”. The fewer decisions the customer has to make, the faster the conversation ends well.

1. Change of mind

They don't want it any more, and nothing is wrong with it. This is the request where a single, honest offer has the best chance — and where pressure does the most damage.

Hi [first name],

Thanks for letting us know about the [product] — no problem at all.

If you'd like to keep it, here's [$X] off your next order with the code [CODE]. It's single use and valid until [date].

And if you'd still rather send it back, that's completely fine: [how to return — link or steps]. Your refund goes out as soon as it reaches us.

[Sign-off]

2. Wrong size or fit

The product was right; the size wasn't. Lead with the exchange — it gives the customer what they wanted in the first place. Check that the next size is in stock before you offer it.

Hi [first name],

Sorry the [product] came up [small / large]. If you'd like to swap them, just reply with the size you'd like — the [size] is in stock — and we'll send it over [and cover the shipping both ways].

If you'd rather have a refund instead, that's fine too: [how to return].

[Sign-off]

For the exchange itself, see how to offer an exchange instead of a refund on Shopify.

3. Not what they expected

“The colour looks different”, “thinner than I thought”. Sometimes that's preference, sometimes your product page oversold it. Treat it as partly yours: no keep-it discount, an easy exchange or refund, and a note to fix the page.

Hi [first name],

Thanks for telling us — and sorry the [product] wasn't what the page led you to expect. We'll look at the photos and description so the next person gets a truer picture.

You're welcome to swap it for something else — just reply with what you'd like — or send it back for a full refund: [how to return].

[Sign-off]

4. Arrived damaged or faulty

This is your mistake, and the customer has legal rights you don't negotiate over — in the UK and EU, a faulty item must be repaired, replaced or refunded; in the US, implied warranties generally cover goods that aren't fit for use. Never offer a discount to keep a broken item. Apologise, offer a replacement or a refund, let them choose, and don't make them work for it.

Hi [first name],

I'm really sorry the [product] arrived [damaged / not working] — that's on us.

We can send a replacement straight away, or refund you in full — whichever you prefer. Just reply with your choice. [You don't need to send it back. / Here's a prepaid label for the return: link.]

[Sign-off]

Asking for a photo is reasonable when you need it for a courier claim or a supplier — say why you're asking, and don't make the replacement wait on it.

5. Wrong item sent

Also yours. Fix it quickly, at your cost, and make the return of the wrong item effortless.

Hi [first name],

You ordered the [ordered item] and we sent the [item sent] — sorry, that's our mistake.

The right one is on its way [today / by date]. [Keep the other one with our apologies. / A prepaid label for the wrong item is here: link — no rush.] If you'd prefer a full refund instead, just say.

[Sign-off]

6. Arrived too late

The gift missed the birthday, the outfit missed the event. Whether or not the delay was the courier's, the customer experienced it as yours. Apologise, accept the return without argument, and don't lead with an offer.

Hi [first name],

I'm sorry the [product] didn't arrive in time for [occasion] — that's disappointing, and not the experience we want you to have.

You can send it back for a full refund here: [how to return]. [We'll cover the return shipping.]

[Sign-off]

7. Outside the return window

Policies need edges, but a reply can still be kind. Say no to the return clearly, and leave the door open for anything that's actually faulty — a return window doesn't shorten a customer's legal rights on defective goods.

Hi [first name],

Thanks for getting in touch about the [product]. Your order arrived on [date], and our return window is [N] days, so I'm afraid we can't accept it back as a change of mind.

If something is wrong with it — a fault, or it's stopped working — reply and tell me what's happening, and we'll put it right.

[Sign-off]

8. They said no to your offer

The customer has answered. Don't counter with a bigger discount and don't ask them to reconsider — a second offer turns a polite exchange into a negotiation they didn't ask for. Send the return instructions and thank them.

Hi [first name],

Of course. Here's how to send the [product] back: [how to return]. Your refund goes out as soon as it reaches us.

Thanks for shopping with us.

[Sign-off]

Mistakes that cost the sale anyway

• Asking “why?” before you'll help. If you need a reason, read the email — most customers already gave one.
• Offering a discount on a faulty item. It reads as “keep the broken thing and stop complaining”, and in many places it ignores the customer's legal rights.
• Two offers in one email. A menu of deals reads like a sales script. Pick the one that fits the reason.
• Hiding the return route. If they have to reply again to find out how to return, you've made the conversation longer and the customer angrier.
• Promising what you don't control. “Your refund will arrive tomorrow” depends on their bank. Say when you will send it.
• Replying days later. Speed is most of the experience. A short reply today beats a perfect one on Friday.

Where Keepwise fits

Keepwise is a Shopify app that writes these replies for you. It reads each return-request email against the customer's own Shopify order, works out whether it's a preference or your mistake, and drafts a reply in your brand's voice — following the rules above: one offer at most, never on your own mistakes, and the way to return it in every email. Nothing sends until you approve it. See how it works.