Refunds & Returns.

Expired rewards

The most common refund case is an expired reward — a recipient who didn’t redeem before the reward lapsed. Always verify expiry before refunding, and prefer a replacement over cash back.

1. Verify in the Retool dashboard. Open Support Tools → Transactions & Balances and check the reward’s endsOn and Status fields to confirm it actually expired.
2. Offer a replacement first. Support proposes similar-price products or a gift card so the funds stay in the customer’s program.
3. If a refund is genuinely needed and you’re not on Support, create a Linear ticket to Support to review options with the client.

Out-of-stock items

When a recipient’s chosen item is out of stock:

• Refund that item and email the customer, offering an alternative or store credit.
• PerkUp sometimes covers the replacement cost itself to preserve the recipient experience.
• If the item is discontinued (not just temporarily out), notify the CSM with alternatives (see Order Fulfillment).

Returns & undeliverable packages

Two practical constraints shape this:

• Topshelf does not run event-style return logistics. Asked directly, Topshelf confirmed it is “not set up to warehouse or manage event logistics for items that are shipped out and then returned” — no infrastructure for managing those return processes. Plan around outbound + consumable fulfillment, not round-trips.
• Undeliverable / refused packages are tracked manually. When a package is refused or returns to the warehouse in transit, Receiving watches the courier tracking, calls the carrier if it stalls, and opens a Linear ticket to chase it down — there is no automated return intake.

For event shipments that genuinely need a return leg, arrange it directly with the carrier (e.g. Freeman for trade-show freight) back to the Topshelf warehouse rather than expecting the 3PL to coordinate it.