A wrong item order arrived with a different product, size or colour from the one ordered, which is the store's mistake. Apologise without hedging, say how the right item reaches the customer, and whether the wrong one has to come back.
The templates
Fills in from Shopify, with a fallbackYours to fill in
EmailRight item on its way
Subject: We sent the wrong item on order.name
Hi customer.first_name,
I am sorry, we sent you the wrong item on order.name. That was our mistake.
We are sending the correct item to order.shipping_address at no cost to you, and you will get a confirmation email once it is on its way.
As for the item you received, please keep it, with our apologies / we will email you the steps to send it back, at our cost.
Thanks for your patience,
ChatAsk for a photo
Sorry about that, the item you received is not what you ordered on order.name. Could you send a photo of what arrived, including the label on it? Our team will then send the right one at no cost and let you know what to do with the wrong one.
Internal noteBefore you reply
Wrong item on order.name. Ordered: item. Received: item, from the customer's photo. Ship to: order.shipping_address. Next: free replacement of the ordered item from the order, then tell the customer to keep the wrong item or start a return. Let the warehouse know.
When to send this
Wrong item reportedYour wrong item topic is detected, such as “Received the wrong item”.
The order was deliveredOrder exists is true and shipment status is delivered.
Sure it is your mistakeOptional: topic confidence of 90% or more, since “wrong item” and “wrong size” read alike.
Example conversation
Customer
I ordered the blue mug in large and got a small green one.
Aide
Sorry about that, the mug you received is not what you ordered on #1042. Could you send a photo of what arrived, including the label on the box? Our team will then send the blue large one at no cost and let you know what to do with the green one.
✓Handed to your team for a free replacement · Order #1042
Frequently asked questions
That it was your mistake, what you are sending and when, and what happens to the item they got. Skip the long apology and anything that asks the customer to prove it twice.
It depends on what it is worth. Return shipping on a cheap item can cost more than the item, so many stores let the customer keep it. For expensive items, ask for it back at your cost.
No. A free replacement in Aide resends items from the original order, up to the quantity ordered, to the original address at no charge.
Yes, once you turn returns on. Aide starts a Shopify return for the shopper, or opens your returns portal on the order.
