How do cabinet manufacturers handle dealer damage and return claims online?

Cabinet manufacturers handle dealer damage and return claims online by having dealers file each claim against the original order in a dealer portal, with the evidence and the return rules the manufacturer has set. In KitchenDEV's Dealer Portal & Order Automation, dealers submit and track damage, return and replacement claims, and the manufacturer configures the required photo or video evidence, the claim reasons, the acceptance window, the restocking fees and whether a claim ends in a free replacement, a refund or a rejection.

A claim, in KitchenDEV's Dealer Portal, is a damage, return or replacement request a dealer files against an order, filed under the manufacturer's own claim rules.

What can a manufacturer require before a dealer submits a claim?#

KitchenDEV's Dealer Portal lets the manufacturer require image or video evidence on a claim, and a damage claim without the required photo or video cannot be submitted. One cabinet manufacturer's owner asked for that requirement during a KitchenDEV demo because he wanted to see what had happened to the cabinet before approving anything. Claims sit in the same place as the order they came from, which is why claims are one of the questions in choosing dealer portal software.

The manufacturer also sets the claim and return reasons a dealer picks from, the claim policy, and the time window in which a claim is accepted.

Which items can a dealer return?#

The manufacturer decides which items can be returned, at three levels in KitchenDEV's Dealer Portal:

• Single items. An individual item can be marked non-returnable, so a dealer cannot return that item.
• Whole styles. A per-style setting turns off returns for every item in that style and hides the return button on the order.
• Modified cabinets. The manufacturer sets restrictions for modified cabinets, and a dealer who tries to return one sees a clear "Not Eligible For Return" message.

How does a claim get approved and paid out?#

The manufacturer's team accepts or rejects each claim in KitchenDEV's Dealer Portal and picks the resolution: a free replacement, a refund, or a return with a restocking fee. Each resolution option carries a short description, so the person approving knows what the option does. Permission to approve or reject no-charge items can be turned off for individual users, so not everyone with a login can give away a replacement.

Restocking fees follow a setting for how many days pass before the fee starts to apply. On the order page and the claim PDF, KitchenDEV's Dealer Portal shows the return amount, the restocking fee, any discount reversal and a running balance next to the original payment summary. Credit from a claim can stay on the dealer's account in a credit ledger and be applied to a later order.

How does a claim stay tied to the original order?#

A dealer can open a claim directly from the order in KitchenDEV's Dealer Portal. Claim lists and PDFs show the Original Order ID and a barcode. A claim can also include items from the catalog library as well as items from the original order, and a claim for a service part from an earlier claim can link back to the original item it replaces.

The same order record also feeds the documents and the order stages covered in what order entry software should do for a cabinet manufacturer.

Can the manufacturer call it something other than RMA?#

Yes. KitchenDEV's Dealer Portal lets the manufacturer rename RMA to Claims, or to any other label the manufacturer's dealers already use.

FAQ#