Reverse Logistics

Why it is a permanent cost line in COD

In prepaid retail, returns are the exception — most buyers keep what they paid for. In cash on delivery, refusal at the door is built into the model. A seller running at a 60% delivery rate is sending four parcels back for every six that land.

That flow has to be designed, not improvised. Parcels that sit in a corner of the warehouse are capital the seller has already paid for and can no longer sell.

What good reverse logistics does

• Brings the parcel back on a scheduled route, not whenever there is space
• Inspects the goods and separates resellable stock from damaged
• Returns good units to available inventory so they can be sold again
• Records the reason for failure, which is the only way RTO ever comes down

How MDM Express handles returns

Returned orders come back to our warehouse at no extra charge — only the delivery attempt is billed. Units are inspected and put back into your available stock, and the reason is recorded against the order so the pattern is visible rather than anecdotal.