Product return is an essential experience for both the seller and the customer, and that’s why it is necessary for the seller to identify products with issues in order not to affect your store/brand reputation and grow your store/brand image in the market.
Jumia also wishes to guarantee all your rights when it comes to product returns
What are the different types of product returns?
Product return types differ based on the reason for return, Jumia may return items to the seller if;
- Jumia was not able to deliver the package to the customer after several attempts or customer refused the product at delivery
- The package was delivered to the customer who then decided to return it within the allowed return window of 7 days for some reasons including (receiving damaged, fake, used, wrong, expired products)
Return #1:
Jumia prioritizes a successful delivery! Depending on the delivery type, the following actions are taken:
- i) Door delivery: 2 attempts within 5 days
- ii) Pick up station: Item is available for pick up for 5 days, an sms, notification or whatsapp message is sent to the customer remind them to collect the item, failure to collect the item, it’s cancelled.
What happens once item is not delivered/picked up?
- Item is sent back to the same hub where it was initially dropped (or put back into the warehouse inventory for Jumia Express products) within 2 days
- Items returned to hubs remain there for 7 days , before being moved to the warehouse for 14 extra days
- Past this deadline, any item not collected gets forfeited, meaning its ownership is automatically transferred to Jumia who can dispose of it at its convenience
Return #2:
The customer received the order upon shipment, and returned it due to a product defect or because he changed his mind.
What happens when a product is returned by the customer?
- Item retrieval: Depending on their selection, the customer is required to drop the package at the nearest pick up station or we will make a couple of attempts to collect the item from the customer’s address
- Aftersales check: Once collected, the item is sent to our central warehouse where it’s checked by the aftersales team who will validate the reason selected by the customer, their comment (if any) as well as the condition of the product and whether it is aligned with our policy
2.1. Return is validated:
- Item is sent to the same hub where it was initially dropped (or put back into the warehouse inventory for Jumia Express products) within 2 days.
- Items returned to hubs remain there for 7 days before being moved to the warehouse for 14 extra days .
- Past this deadline, any item not collected gets forfeited, meaning its ownership is automatically transferred to Jumia who can dispose of it at its convenience
Note: Once the return is validated, your Vendor Center account will be debited for the value of the item.
2.2. Return is not validated: Item is sent back to the customer and no refund is issued to them.
Exception: the customer may have already been refunded when the item was collected due to their good history with Jumia. This is our way to improve customer retention and drive more business to you. In this case:
- Item is sent to the same hub where it was initially dropped (or put back into the warehouse inventory for Jumia Express products) within 7 days
- Items returned to hubs remain there for 7 days before being moved to the warehouse for 14 extra days.
- Past this deadline, any item not collected gets forfeited, meaning its ownership is automatically transferred to Jumia who can dispose of it at its convenience
Note: In this scenario, your Vendor Center account will be debited for the value of the item as soon as the item is collected and refund is issued to the customer
Steps to collect the returned product from the drop off Station.
NB: You have to create a picker account before arriving at the drop off station
How to create a picker,
- On your Vendor Center account – go to settings,
- Navigate to manage pickers
- Click on the create picker button
- In put the name of person who will be picking your returns “Picker Name”
- Save
See how to below, 
Once a picker is created, confirm that the picker has an ID, you can always present it to the returns manager during the collection of the returned product at the hub to issue out your returns.
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When to raise a claim?
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- As soon as you collect your item, make sure to fully inspect it to assess its condition and conformity
- Should you have any concern with the item returned to you, please raise a claim within 48 hours of collecting the product.
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How to ensure my claim is as complete/accurate as possible?
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- You need to take clear pictures of the collected items at the designated area in the collection hub.
- Attach the pictures to your claim, and write as many details as possible in the “comments” section
- Providing the above-mentioned information within the specified timelines will ensure an efficient handling of your claim. You should expect feedback from our team within 2 working days (3 days for Global sellers).
Here are some tips to help you minimize the number of returns:
- Make sure the description of your product is 100% accurate and correct, so your customers will receive exactly what is described and shown on Jumia
- Make sure you send the customer the correct product in terms of color, and size
- Make sure your product are genuine (not high copy, nor counterfeit)
- Make sure to pack your items using the packaging guidelines, to ensure that your customer will receive your product in its’ original condition
- Make sure you ship all the products your customer has ordered from your store.
