USE CASES

Type of Setup: Major vendor (B2B)

PROBLEM

Online resellers benefit from generous return periods and simple return logistics, resulting in a surge of products sent back as DOA within 30 days of sale. In reality, only a small fraction of these returns are truly defective and meet the vendor’s DOA criteria. This has led to a heavily contaminated return stream, with vendors facing unnecessary costs for processing, logistics, and lost product value. Previously, many resellers used the DOA process as a quick way to recover funds, further increasing the volume of non-defective returns and administrative workload.

SOLUTION

Service Planet has implemented a local DOA check in the Benelux to address this challenge. Every returned product is thoroughly tested and physically as well as administratively verified before being accepted as a true DOA. If a hardware defect is confirmed, the product is processed, and an RMA is requested from the vendor, resulting in a credit for the reseller. If the product is not defective or does not meet DOA guidelines, it is refurbished by Service Planet—securely wiped, cleaned, tested, and repackaged—and returned to the reseller for resale. This process has led to significant cost savings for the vendor by preventing the acceptance of fully functional products as DOA. Now, around 60% of returned products are refurbished and sent back, causing resellers to reconsider before submitting a DOA claim. If the DOA is valid, Service Planet will manage the claim and financial handling with all resellers for the vendor. The number of DOA requests has dropped substantially, and the vendor benefits from lower costs, improved process control, and a more sustainable approach to returns.