Returns and Refunds Log

Who this is for

The things that have to go back, before the window closes. One row per item records where and when it was bought, why it is going back, the last date the shop will take it, when it was returned and what refund arrived; the days left and the amount still outstanding are worked out for you.

Anyone who orders online, buys presents in advance or has a household of people who change their minds — and anyone who has found a return in the hall a week after the date on the receipt.

What this helps you track

• What is waiting to go back, from which shop, and the receipt amount
• The last date each return will be accepted, and the days left to it
• Why it is going back, so the conversation at the counter is short
• When it went back and what refund actually arrived
• The money still outstanding, line by line and in total

How to use it

1. Write whose log this is and the date at the top.
2. When something needs to go back, add a row straight away: date bought, shop, item, amount paid and why.
3. Check the shop's own returns policy and write the return-by date in the column. Days left is worked out from today in the browser and the workbook.
4. When the item goes back, enter the date. When the money arrives, enter the amount refunded; the outstanding column is the amount paid less the refund.
5. Sort or scan by days left each week so nothing runs out.
6. Keep the receipt or the returns label with the log until the outstanding figure is zero.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How long do I have to return something?

It depends on the shop, how you bought it and the rules where you are, and the sheet does not say. Check the shop's policy and the rules where you are, then write the date they give you in the return-by column.

What does outstanding mean?

The amount you paid less the refund received so far. It stays at the full amount until money arrives, drops to zero when the whole refund lands, and shows a figure in between if only part came back or a fee was deducted.

Do exchanges and store credit count?

Record them however suits you. Many people enter the value of the credit or the exchange as the refund so the outstanding figure clears, and write 'credit' in the reason or notes.

Can it track a return that has gone missing in the post?

Yes — the returned date is filled, the refund is blank and the outstanding figure is still the full amount, which is exactly the row to chase. Put the tracking reference in the notes at the foot.