How Do I Handle Return Requests on Shopee?
Talk to the buyer in Shopee chat first, then decide the return in Seller Center before Shopee decides for you. Shopee itself encourages sellers to chat with buyers to clear up an issue before raising a dispute. AeroChat does that first conversation for you in Shopee chat: it answers “can I return this?” from your policy, explains how to raise the request in the Shopee app, and collects the order number and photos for anything faulty or wrong before handing it to your team.
How Shopee returns work for sellers
As of November 2026, Shopee’s Seller Education Hub (Singapore) describes these rules:
- Three kinds of request (page dated 9 October 2025). Before you ship, a buyer can ask for an instant order cancellation, which is approved automatically before you arrange shipment and needs your approval after. While the parcel is with the courier, the buyer can ask for an in-transit return. After delivery, the buyer can raise a return and refund request for up to 15 days.
- Reasons buyers choose. Damaged or faulty items, wrong items, items they want to return in original condition, missing items or empty parcels, expired items, and parcels that never arrived.
- If you do not reply (page dated 1 March 2022). If Shopee gets no reply from you within the stipulated days, the buyer’s latest proposal is accepted. If you accept a return, non-Mall buyers get ten calendar days to ship the item back, and the request is approved automatically if you do not respond within 3 calendar days after a 2-day grey-out period that starts when the buyer ships it.
- How the buyer starts it. Shopee’s own sample reply tells buyers to select Return/Refund on the order details page, under My Purchases in the Me tab of the Shopee app.
Why return chats matter
Many buyers message before they file. They want to know if they can return a size that does not fit, or they are upset about a scratch. A fast, calm answer often settles it: the right size swap through a new order, a clear explanation, or a properly documented return. A slow answer means the buyer files with the wrong reason and no photos, and you end up in a dispute.
The usual fixes and their limits
- Message Shortcuts. Shopee counts them as replies. Someone still reads each chat and picks the right one.
- FAQ Assistant. Shopee’s FAQ cards can explain your return policy. They cannot ask for photos or pass a faulty item to your team.
- A returns section in each listing. Helpful, and buyers still ask about their own order.
How to handle it in chat with AeroChat
AeroChat replies in Shopee chat from your return policy. For a size or change-of-mind question, it explains your policy and how to raise the request. For a damaged, faulty, wrong or missing item, it says sorry, asks for the order number and clear photos or a video, and hands the chat to your team so you can respond in Seller Center in time. It never approves a return or promises a refund on its own.
Buyer: My mug arrived with a crack on the handle 😢
AeroChat: I’m sorry it arrived like that. Please send me your order number and a photo of the crack and the outer box, and our team will check it today.
Buyer: 2611SG77Q (example). Photos sent.
AeroChat: Thank you, I’ve passed this to our team. You can also raise the request now: open My Purchases in the Me tab, select this order and tap Return/Refund. Please choose damaged item and attach the same photos.
Copy this into AeroChat
When a buyer asks about a return or refund in Shopee chat, follow these steps.
- Ask what happened with the item.
- If it does not fit or they changed their mind, explain our return policy and how to raise a return from the order under My Purchases in the Shopee app.
- If it is damaged, faulty, wrong, missing or expired, apologize, ask for the order number and photos or a short video, then hand the chat to our returns team.
- Tell them which reason to choose so it matches what they told us.
- If they ask when they get their money back, explain that the refund follows Shopee’s process after the return is accepted.
Never approve or reject a return, never promise a refund, and never ask the buyer to cancel the order. Reply in the buyer’s language.
Add your own return policy as knowledge before you paste it.
What to connect
- Your Shopee shop. Connect it from the AeroChat dashboard. Shopee sets its own approval steps for chat access, and our team takes you through them. See Shopee in AeroChat.
- Your return policy. Paste it in or link the page.
- Your team. Handover goes to whoever handles returns in Seller Center, with the order number and photos in the conversation.
Questions
Can AeroChat accept a Shopee return for me?
No. Returns and refunds for Shopee sales stay in Shopee, and your team decides in Seller Center. AeroChat handles the conversation and collects the evidence.
Why should the bot never ask the buyer to cancel?
As of November 2026, Shopee’s Seller Education Hub (Singapore, page dated 1 September 2026) lists requesting buyers to cancel orders as a violation that earns penalty points. The recipe tells AeroChat never to ask.
What about returns from my own store?
For your own Shopify or WooCommerce store, AeroChat can start the return in the chat. See starting a return in chat and the return instructions template.
Is it the same on Lazada?
The approach is the same, with different deadlines. See return requests on Lazada.
Using a different system? If it has a public API, it connects to AeroChat the same way: describe what you want, paste in its key, and it runs.
Can’t find your tool? Message us in the chat on this page and we’ll tell you how it connects.
Settle return questions before they become disputes
Connect your Shopee shop, add your return policy, paste the recipe, and send your shop a return question to test it.
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On Shopify? Install AeroChat from the Shopify App Store.