Returning and Shipping

Form and Important Details

Return/Ship:

All packages to be returned to a vendor or to be shipped for a department shall be ready for shipment and be accompanied by a Merchandise Return / Ship Request Form. Failure to provide this form with complete information attached to the package will delay, or cause the package to be returned, to the requester department.

Merchandise Return and Ship Request Form

 

Return Essentials:

The Purchasing Department shall be notified of any merchandise required to be returned to a supplier or a manufacturer for exchange or credit prior to sending the packaged items to Central Receiving for return shipment to the vendor.

The Property Control Department shall be notified by requester department of any merchandise tagged by Property Control that will be returned for exchange or credit. Property Control will need to make adjustments to the requester department's property inventory concerning property tag or serial number information that may change.

 

When a vendor has delivered the items specified in the purchase order, the vendor has legally complied with his part of the contract and is under no obligation to accept a return of those items for credit. Acceptance of a return by the vendor is by no means automatic and a restocking charge may be incurred. This charge, along with the two-way freight charge, will be assessed to the requester department.

 

When a vendor has delivered items as determined by requester department to have concealed damage, overages or shortages, been duplicated, of sub-standard quality or other reason not stated, then the requester department shall notify assigned procurement specialist of the problem. The procurement specialist may contact the vendor, or instruct the requester department to contact the vendor, depending on the nature of the problem.

 

For concealed damage claims, the original shipping container with its contents will be returned to Central Receiving. Merchandise shipping containers should never be opened haphazardardly, discarded or destroyed since the condition of the shipping container is important to filing a claim for concealed damage. The freight or express carrier claim window for reporting concealed damage to the carrier ranges from 5 to 10 calendar days from carrier delivery to the Central Receiving dock or directly to the department. Prompt inspection and reporting of content discrepancies by department employees is essential to protect any right to a concealed damage claim.

 

The procurement specialist or the requester department will contact the vendor to secure a Return Authorization Number from the vendor for any damages, overages or shortages, duplication, sub-standard quality goods or other reason. Merchandise should not be requested for pickup or delivered to Central Receiving prior to obtaining a return authorization from the vendor.