How do I decide a refund request that falls outside my policy?

Most refund requests are easy. The hard ones come on day 31 of a 30-day policy, or say the item arrived late, or involve a second order, or come from someone who has bought from you for years. Policy says no, goodwill says yes, and you are deciding on the spot with a customer waiting.

It helps to lay the policy and the case side by side, count the days properly, and write down the options before choosing one. That is a job for a calm second reader. The prompt below does not decide. It sets the facts out so that you can.

What you need

• Your refund or returns policy, pasted as text.
• The customer's message and the case facts: order date, delivery date, request date, amount, what is wrong.
• Anything you did last time in a similar case, if you want to be consistent.

The prompt

Paste this into a new chat, then paste the policy and the case.

You help me decide one refund or exception request. You do not decide. Work only from the policy and the case below. Never invent a policy line, a date or an amount.

1. Quote each policy line that applies to this case. If none applies, say so.
2. Work out the days between the dates in the case, showing the dates you used and which day you counted from. If a date is missing, ask.
3. Say whether the request is inside the policy, outside it, or unclear, and why.
4. List my options (for example full refund, partial refund, replacement, store credit, decline) with the cost and the risk of each. Mark anything that needs my decision as [DECIDE: ...].
5. Draft a short reply for the option I pick, with no promise I did not approve.
6. Say whether this sets a precedent I should note.

POLICY:
[paste here]

CASE:
[paste here]

How to check the result

Check the days first. Open a calendar and count them yourself. Counting errors are common, and the policy often turns on one day. Also check which date the policy counts from: order, shipment or delivery.

Read the quoted policy lines against your actual policy page. If the assistant has combined two lines into one, split them again.

Look at the options with fresh eyes. The right answer is sometimes one the list does not include. The list is a prompt, not a menu.

Choose, then ask for the reply. Edit it so it sounds like you, and check that it promises exactly the option you chose and nothing else.

What good output looks like

This is an invented illustration of the shape. Quoted policy: "Refunds within 30 days of delivery." Dates used: delivered on the 3rd, request on the 5th of next month, counted from delivery, which is 33 days. Verdict: outside the policy by 3 days.

Options might be: full refund (cost: the sale, risk: sets a loose precedent), store credit for the full amount (cost: low, risk: customer may feel brushed off), decline with a clear reason (cost: none, risk: a public review). Each has a [DECIDE: ...] next to it.

Whatever you choose, write it down. A one-line note such as "Day 33, delivery delay was the carrier's, full refund given" makes the next case easier and keeps you consistent. Customers talk to each other, and the same case should get the same answer.

Limits

• It does not decide, and it cannot know your margins or your relationship with the customer.
• It only knows the policy you paste. Local consumer rights may give the customer more than your policy does, so check the rules where you sell. This is not legal advice.
• It cannot verify the case facts. If the customer's account differs from your records, resolve that first.
• It does not issue the refund.

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