# Raise a Return

Raise it against the sales order, approve it before the goods travel, and say what is coming back.

A return is raised against the sales order rather than the invoice, because the order is what named the goods and the quantities.

> **Before you start:**
>
> A sales order that has shipped, and a customer who has told you what is coming back.

## Raise one

- **Go to Sales Returns and select Sales Return**

  Choose the sales order the goods went out on. Its lines load as the starting point.

  ![The Sales Returns list with its Sales Return action and columns for Return Date, Return Number, Sales Order Number, Customer, Status, Received, Refund and Total Amount.](https://www.sorviai.com/help/inventory/sales-returns/returns-list.png)
- **Trim to what is actually coming back**

  Returning three of the ten shipped is the normal case. You cannot return more than was shipped.
- **Record the reason**

  Faulty, wrong item, over-ordered. It is what decides whether the units go back into sellable stock when they land.
- **Approve it, and tell the customer the return number**

  Goods arriving at your yard with no paperwork are goods nobody can book in.

> **Note:**
>
> **Raising a return moves nothing**
>
> Stock comes back when you receive it, not when the return is approved. An approved return is a document saying you are expecting something.

## Check before you agree

| What the customer says | What to check first |
| --- | --- |
| It arrived damaged | Whether they are keeping it. If so, a credit note, not a return |
| We ordered the wrong size | Whether it is resaleable when it comes back |
| It was never delivered | The shipment. This may be a carrier claim rather than a return |
| We ordered too many | Whether you want the stock back at all |