What is a Returned Merchandise Authorization?
Returned Merchandise Authorization (RMA): An RMA is the first part of the process of returning a product to a business to receive a refund, replacement, or repair.
While you won't need to pay any customs duties for domestic shipments, you may run into these fees when sending an RMA shipment internationally.
You Don't Want to Pay Import Taxes on Returns: When sending a return internationally, especially for a refund, replacement, or repair, you don’t want to pay import taxes on the item as if it were a sale! Instead, you want to show that the package contains Returned Goods being sent back to the original manufacturer.
There's no way to designate a shipment as "RMA" on Pirate Ship
Pirate Ship Doesn't Let You Designate a Shipment as RMA: Unfortunately, there’s no way to mark a shipment like this on Pirate Ship 🙈
Our services aren’t geared towards handling international shipments such as RMA's. wWen selecting your Package Content Type, you're limited to either Merchandise, Documents, or Gifts, as we've shown in the screenshot below:
For RMA packages, try shipping with USPS or UPS directly
Ship with USPS or UPS Directly for RMA Packages: For the time being, we recommend shipping any Returned Goods, Commercial Samples, Humanitarian Donations, or Dangerous Goods directly through USPS or UPS instead of through Pirate Ship, since our system isn’t set up specifically to handle these edge cases 😅
An Example of an RMA Shipment with USPS: If you’re shipping through USPS directly, there are a few more options for selecting your package contents...including marking the shipment as containing "Returned Goods."
Here's how that looks with Click-N-Ship® on USPS.com:
Designate the Shipment as Returned Goods: While marking a shipment as Returned Goods doesn't entirely exclude it from being subject to customs duties and taxes, most customs departments will assess a lower tax (or no tax at all)!
This can help reduce the amount of import taxes the manufacturer you're shipping to might need to pay, and can help speed up the customs process 😊
Learn more about customs duties and import taxes.
Get in touch with ARRrrr Support Crew if ye need help!
We know RMA shipments can be a real pain in the peg leg, but you don't need to sail with two eyepatches on! Click the blue button to chat with ARRrrr Support Crew if you have any questions, Matey - we'll happily lend a hook! 🏴☠️