When to use this
- A product, subscription, replacement part, digital deliverable, or shipped order needs a return authorization before support replies publicly or privately.
- Customers ask AI search, a chatbot, a help center, or a support rep whether an item is eligible to return, exchange, inspect, repair, replace, or refund.
- Your website has separate rules for return windows, labels, restocking fees, warranty claims, exchanges, damage claims, or final-sale items.
- You need a customer-safe source card before publishing RMA instructions, return-label promises, inspection timelines, refund timing, or exception wording.
Copy/paste source card
AI-SEARCH-RETURN-AUTHORIZATION-RMA-READY
RETURN AUTHORIZATION / RMA SOURCE CARD
Customer / account / order ID:
Product / SKU / service / plan:
Purchase date / delivery date / activation date:
Return request date:
Return window source checked? Y/N/Unknown
RMA or authorization number required? Y/N/Unknown
RMA number issued by:
Return reason / customer words:
Condition evidence needed: photos / packaging / serial number / accessories / usage notes / other
Return label source: prepaid / customer-paid / carrier portal / manual review / unknown
Carrier / shipping method restrictions:
Digital access, subscription, warranty, or replacement tied to this return? Y/N/Unknown
Refund, exchange, repair, replacement, store credit, or inspection path:
Restocking, diagnostic, handling, or return-shipping fee review needed? Y/N/Unknown
Final-sale, hazardous, regulated, custom, used, damaged, or opened-item rule involved? Y/N/Unknown
Customer-safe wording approved by:
CRM/helpdesk label: rma_review / return_authorization / label_review / inspection_hold / fee_review / exception_review / warranty_overlap / owner_review
Next human review step:
STOP PUBLISHING guardrails
- STOP PUBLISHING before AI says a return is approved, an RMA exists, a label is prepaid, or a refund has started unless the source card proves it.
- STOP PUBLISHING if final-sale, opened-item, hazardous, custom, subscription, warranty, digital-access, or regulated-product rules might apply.
- STOP PUBLISHING before promising refund timing, carrier pickup, replacement shipment, fee waiver, store credit, or exception approval.
- STOP PUBLISHING if the answer relies on a generic policy page but the order, SKU, condition, delivery date, or support-ticket source is missing.
- STOP PUBLISHING before blaming a carrier, customer, vendor, or warehouse, or before admitting liability for damage, delay, loss, or missing accessories.
Customer-safe snippets
Return request received
“Thanks — we received your return request. A person needs to verify eligibility, authorization details, and any label or inspection steps before we confirm next steps.”
RMA number not yet verified
“We do not want to give you the wrong return authorization number. We’re checking the order record and return source before sending return instructions.”
Label or fee review needed
“We’re reviewing whether a prepaid label, customer-paid label, or other return-shipping rule applies to this order before we confirm label details.”
Inspection or condition hold
“The return may require condition or accessory verification. We’ll confirm what evidence is needed before promising a refund, exchange, or replacement.”
AI audit prompt
You are reviewing a return authorization, RMA, or return-label answer for AI search, a chatbot, a help center, or a support macro. Use only the source card below. Draft a short customer-safe reply that acknowledges the request without inventing approval, RMA numbers, labels, refund timing, carrier steps, fee waivers, replacements, or exceptions. If any STOP PUBLISHING rule is triggered, output: NEEDS OWNER REVIEW and list the missing fields.
Source card:
[PASTE SOURCE CARD]
Why this matters for AI search
Return authorization pages are easy for AI systems to over-summarize because policy pages, order records, carrier labels, and inspection rules often live in different places. This checklist helps a small team keep the approved source separate from guesses so AI Overviews, chatbots, and support macros do not publish customer-facing return promises that the business cannot honor.
This free checklist pairs with SEO After AI, which includes practical AI-search visibility and source-control workflows for small businesses that need answer engines to quote accurate, current, human-reviewed information.