linear_scale How To

Return Goods

This page provides instructions for how to return goods.

Return Goods

To see the committed funds removed from reports, if not all the funds will be used on the Purchase Order, refer to How To: View or Suppress Commitments and/or How To: Finally Close a Purchase Order.

Confirm how the order was placed (SmartMart Catalog Suppliers, Amazon Business or Non-Catalog Requisition) and proceed.

Be aware that:

  • Some suppliers charge a restocking fee of as much as 20%
  • Suppliers usually only accept returns within 15 or 30 days of the receipt of the product
  • Certain items (radioactives, chemicals, refrigerated or frozen products) may not be returnable
  • For software licensing, it may be required to fill out and sign a form guaranteeing that the product will not be in use 
  • In some cases, if a box has been opened, it can no longer be sold as a new product, and will not be returnable

In most cases, it will be expected to pay for any return shipping charges. Exceptions are:

  • If the return is due to a vendor error
  • If the supplier has their own delivery service 

SmartMart Catalog Suppliers Purchased Goods

It’s advisable to contact the supplier's customer service department to initiate the return. Consult the records for a supplier name. Refer to the supplier page in SmartMart Catalog Suppliers for contact information.

For more information, refer to Shipping and Return Information for SmartMart Catalog Suppliers.

Standard Purchase Order Purchased Goods

Contact the buyer (for more information, refer to How To: View Requisitions, Purchase Orders or Invoices).

Standard Lease

Contact the Financial Support Center, who will require documentation of the request to return the item at the end of the lease. They will notify Procurement, who will contact the supplier. To request a return of a leased item, disregard steps 3 and 4.

If the department wishes to buy equipment at the end of a lease, a new online requisition must be submitted, using the Standard Capital Equipment category and referencing the original lease purchase order number (for more information, refer to How To: Create a Standard Non-Catalog Requisition).

  1. Go to ofweb.stanford.edu
  2. Enter your SUNet ID and Password
  3. Select SU Internet Procurement

The order must not be cancelled. In order to apply the credit, the order must remain open.

  1. Select the Receiving tab
  2. On the Receipt Details page, select Return items
  3. Enter the quantity being returned
  4. Select Submit
What Happens Next?
  • The history in iProcurement was updated.
  • The supplier will issue a credit to offset the original invoice.
  • If an item was damaged during shipping or not received, contact the vendor to obtain the correct item. 
  • If returning the item and not receiving a replacement on the same purchase order, that purchasing commitment can be removed from reports. For more information, refer to How To: View or Suppress Commitments.
Last Updated: Feb 11, 2022

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