Holiday Returns & Post-Audit: Prepare Now
- The HRG Team
- Oct 29
- 2 min read
January is busy for returns. The debits don’t always arrive in January, though—that’s the trap. Post-audit claims can surface months (even years) after the original transaction, when AP audit teams and third-party firms comb through pricing, allowances, and returns policies.
Scale matters: retailers expect $849.9B in returns this year, with online return rates significantly higher than in-store. Some reports peg online returns around 19%+ in 2025; other analyses show mid-20s depending on methodology. Either way, your Q1 dispute queue is about to get busy.
Fraud and “policy gray zones” add noise. NRF’s latest landscape pegs 9% of returns as fraudulent, and many retailers are tightening policies or adding fees to manage cost. Clear policies—and consistent evidence—help you avoid being lumped into blanket fees.
Fictional example (clearly hypothetical)
“BeautyBrand” sees a January spike in returns. Their policy blurs “defective” vs. “buyer’s remorse,” so returns get coded inconsistently. In February, AP applies a sweeping “returns handling fee.” BeautyBrand clarifies defect codes, adds photo evidence to RMAs, and provides item condition images. The next month’s post-audit review drops most of the fees.
Returns Data Pack (your dispute-ready checklist)
RMAs with reason codes: Standardize codes (defect, incorrect item, remorse) and align with retailer codes.
Photo evidence: Require images for defect claims; store links by RMA #.
Serial/lot ties (where applicable): Connect returns to shipments for traceability.
Policy one-pager: Holiday return windows, fees (if any), and exceptions—shared with buyers and listed in packs.
Refund method tracking: Note exchanges vs. refunds; “keep-it” policies documented.
Portal hygiene: Weekly downloads of claims, post-audit notices, and reconciliation reports through February/March.
Aging and deadlines: Track claim windows—don’t let provable dollars age out.
Pro tip: Online returns are materially higher than store returns (DC360 citing Appriss estimates ~24.5% online vs. ~8.7% in-store across a recent period). If ecommerce is a big slice of your mix, invest extra discipline in proof at the source.
If you’ve written off post-audit as “too late to fight,” it isn’t—when your paper trail is strong. HRG’s team lives in those details, so fewer dollars slip through.
