Your first response
When a customer reports a damaged item, your first response should do three things: acknowledge the problem, ask for photos, and confirm you are investigating. Do not commit to a resolution before you have seen the evidence.
Asking for photos is standard practice, not an accusation. It lets you understand the extent of the damage, assess whether this is a shipping issue or a product defect, and build a record for any carrier claim or chargeback response.
First response to a damaged item complaint
Gather your evidence while waiting for the customer's photos
While you wait for the customer to respond, collect your own records. If a chargeback is filed later, you will need these regardless of the outcome.
- Order confirmation: customer details, items ordered, order date, and total.
- Packing records: if you photograph packages before dispatch, retrieve the image. If you use a fulfilment service, check their dispatch records.
- Carrier tracking: the full tracking history showing dispatch and delivery.
- Product listing: a screenshot of your listing description and photos at the time of sale.
- Your returns policy: specifically the clause covering damaged or defective items.
Resolution options once you have the customer's photos
Once you have seen the photos, you have clearer information to make a decision.
Issue a replacement
For items that arrived significantly damaged and where you have stock, a replacement is often the cleanest resolution. It is faster than a refund, the customer gets what they ordered, and it costs less than a chargeback dispute. Confirm the replacement in writing.
Issue a refund
If the item cannot be replaced or the customer prefers a refund, process it promptly. Keep the refund confirmation. If a chargeback is later filed for the same order, the refund confirmation shows the matter was already resolved.
Offer a partial refund
If the item arrived with minor damage that does not affect its function or significantly reduce its value, a partial refund may be appropriate. Be specific: state the amount and the reason.
File a carrier claim
If the damage appears to have occurred during shipping (crushed packaging, water damage, impact damage), file a claim with your carrier. Most carriers have a claim window, typically 7 to 30 days from delivery. Keep the customer's photos and your own records for the claim.
Decline the claim
If the photos show the item was not damaged, or the damage is clearly outside your responsibility (for example, customer-caused damage reported as a pre-existing fault), you may decline the claim. Reference your policy and keep the communication professional.
Resolution response template
Response after reviewing damage photos
If a chargeback is filed
If the customer files a chargeback after reporting a damaged item, your evidence should tell the full story.
If you resolved the issue by issuing a refund or replacement, include the refund confirmation or replacement dispatch record. A bank should close a chargeback when the merchant has already made the customer whole.
If you declined the claim and the customer filed a chargeback, your evidence needs to address the item not as described reason code. Include your product listing screenshots at time of sale, your packing records, and the customer's photos alongside your explanation of why the damage is not attributable to a product fault.
Always include the full customer communication thread. Your professional, prompt response to the damage complaint is context the bank reviewer sees.
Response checklist
When a customer reports a damaged item
- Acknowledge promptly and ask for photos of the damage and packaging
- Collect your order records, carrier tracking, and packing records
- Review the photos when received and assess the situation
- Decide: replacement, refund, partial refund, carrier claim, or decline
- Confirm your decision in writing and process promptly
- Archive all photos, correspondence, and resolution confirmation
Evidence to keep for a potential chargeback
- Customer photos of the damage
- Your packing record or pre-dispatch photos if available
- Order confirmation
- Carrier tracking record
- Product listing screenshot at time of sale
- Full customer communication thread
- Refund confirmation or replacement dispatch record if applicable
Build your evidence pack with DisputeDesk
DisputeDesk helps ecommerce merchants organise chargeback evidence and draft customer responses in minutes.
Disclaimer
DisputeDesk is not a law firm. Outputs and templates from DisputeDesk should be reviewed before use. Merchants are responsible for their own customer communications and dispute submissions. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to refund a damaged item even if it was the carrier's fault?
From the customer's perspective, you are the merchant they paid. Most ecommerce return policies and consumer expectations mean you handle the refund or replacement and then pursue the carrier claim separately. Whether you are legally required to depends on your jurisdiction and policy. DisputeDesk is not a law firm and this guide does not constitute legal advice.
What if the customer says the item was damaged but sends no photos?
Ask for them explicitly. Photos are standard evidence for damage claims and are needed for any carrier claim you might file. If the customer refuses to provide any photos and the claim seems implausible, document the request and their refusal before making a decision.
Can I require the customer to return the damaged item before issuing a refund?
Yes, you can require return before refund as part of your policy. However, for significantly damaged items, requiring a return before replacement or refund can feel punitive to a customer who is already frustrated. The practical cost of a return label is often less than the cost of a lost chargeback dispute.
How do I file a carrier claim for damaged goods?
Most carriers have a claims portal on their website. You will need the tracking number, your order records, the customer's photos of the damage, and the declared value of the item. Carrier claims have time limits, typically 7 to 30 days from delivery. File the claim as soon as the damage is confirmed.
What if I issue a refund and the customer still files a chargeback?
This happens occasionally. If you have already refunded the order, submit the refund confirmation as your primary evidence. The bank should close the dispute because the customer cannot receive the funds twice. Include the customer communication showing the refund was agreed and processed.