Describe what your team sends back. Makeform builds a return to vendor form with supplier, order, item, reason, resolution, approval, and shipment fields.
Route return records to Slack, Google Sheets, and Zapier.
Sample prompts for the builder
Choose a starting point, tailor the prompt, and send it to the editable Makeform builder.
Audience
Warehouse receivers documenting failed or damaged products
Format
Itemized return request with evidence uploads
Prompt size
278 chars
Example form structure
Itemized return request with evidence uploads
Supplier, purchase order, and receipt
SKU, lot or serial number, and quantity
Why are the goods being returned?
Photos of damage or defects
Requested replacement, credit, or repair
Suggested routing tags
Awaiting approval
Vendor authorized
Shipped
Capture both the supplier authorization number and carrier tracking number: one confirms the vendor accepted the return, while the other proves what was shipped.
Step 1
Record
supplier, order, item, quantity, and condition
Step 2
Approve
buyer confirms disposition and return value
Step 3
Authorize
vendor supplies return number and instructions
Step 4
Ship
warehouse records cartons, carrier, and tracking
Why structure vendor returns
Purchasing needs the reason and resolution; the warehouse needs instructions and tracking. One form keeps both attached to the return.
Purchase order, invoice, SKU, lot, serial, and quantity fields identify every carton for the supplier.
Record why each line is leaving and request its replacement, credit, repair, or other disposition.
Keep authorization, packaging directions, ship-by date, carrier, and tracking with the request.
Common return scenarios
Choose a scenario, then customize reasons, evidence, approvals, and supplier instructions.
Condition, affected lots or serials, and photos for supplier review.
Quantity, package condition, value, fees, and approval for surplus stock.
Expected and received details tied to the order and packing slip.
Fault, asset, turnaround, vendor case, and replacement date.
Return workflow
Use conditional questions and notifications to move a return through purchasing, authorization, and dispatch.
Specify who starts returns, which documents identify goods, your reasons, and allowed resolutions.
Add repeatable items, require lot or serial data, and show uploads for relevant problems.
Notify the buyer with quantities and value, then record the supplier response.
Give shipping the approved items and instructions, then capture cartons, carrier, tracking, and date.
Form vs email vs spreadsheet
A return crosses several teams. Preserve item facts and make the next action clear.
Field guide
Use six sections to show what arrived, what leaves, why, who approved it, and where it went.
Requester and supplier
Name the employee, facility, buyer, supplier, and vendor contact so questions reach the right owner.
Source documents
Reference the purchase order, invoice, packing slip, and receipt date so both sides find the transaction.
Return line items
Give each returned product its own identifiers, quantities, condition, reason, and requested result.
Reason and evidence
Combine a controlled reason list with notes, photos, and files that explain the specific problem.
Decision and authorization
Separate internal approval from the supplier's authorization, disposition, and packaging directions.
Shipment and closeout
Capture the physical shipment, then add the eventual credit or replacement reference.
Related tools
Build connected vendor return records.
Compare recorded and physical quantities before labeling goods as excess.
Open toolHandle customer-facing returns and exchanges separately from supplier returns.
Open toolReview supplier quality and service using patterns found in return records.
Open toolInspect storage and receiving areas where return candidates are identified.
Open toolFAQ
Answers for purchasing and warehouse teams.
A return to vendor form records goods sent back to a supplier. It connects the source order to item quantities, condition, reason, resolution, approval, authorization, and shipment. It is also called an RTV or supplier return form.
Include requester, facility, supplier, purchase order, receipt date, SKU, lot or serial, quantity, condition, reason, photos, resolution, approval, authorization, packaging instructions, carrier, tracking, and ship date. Add credit or replacement references at closeout.
Use repeatable line items. Give each SKU identifiers, quantity, condition, reason, evidence, value, and resolution. Keep supplier, authorization, cartons, carrier, and tracking as shipment-wide fields.
Follow your supplier agreement and return policy. Require authorization, packaging instructions, return address, and ship-by date before shipping fields appear. Separate internal approval from supplier authorization so dispatch status is clear.
Yes. Add uploads for defects, damage, packaging, labels, packing slips, inspections, and supplier instructions. Show relevant evidence fields conditionally and name the required photos or documents.
Yes. Collect quantity and value, then notify the buyer or manager. Record decision, approver, date, comments, and statuses such as awaiting approval, vendor authorized, ready to ship, and shipped.
Yes. Makeform provides unlimited free forms and responses, so you can generate, edit, publish, and use the workflow without a form or response cap. The paid tier removes the Makeform badge.
Capture carrier, cartons or pallets, tracking, pickup, and ship date with the authorization. Add supplier receipt, credit, replacement, or repair fields. Send data to Google Sheets or another connected workflow for shared status.
Replace scattered return emails with one record.
