← Back to OrcaTrade Group
Returns & Reverse Logistics · Tier 1

Defective batches deserve more than a warehouse corner.

Most importers handle Asia-trade returns badly because nobody offers a structured option. Goods sit in warehouses for months until somebody scraps them. We give you three concrete routes — return to supplier, local refurbishment, or compliant scrap — with cost shown, recovery value modelled, and the documentation pack ready.

Get a returns quote See the three routes
Three routes

Pick the cheapest viable route — or the one with best recovery.

Cheapest is not always best. Refurbishment can recover 60–80% of declared value where shipping back to Asia would only recover 30%.

Route 1

Return to supplier in Asia

Reverse-ship the defective batch back to the original supplier for credit, replacement, or rework. Highest cost; highest recovery if supplier honours warranty.

  • HK office reverse-coordination
  • EU export documentation (CN22 / commercial invoice for re-export)
  • Air freight standard or express upgrade
  • Best for: high-unit-value defective batches with supplier RMA agreed

Indicative pricing: €120 handling + €80 export docs + reverse shipping (€1.20–€3.50/kg)

Route 2 · Often best

Local refurbish / repair

Send to our EU partner refurbishment hub. Diagnostic, parts replacement, retest. Often the highest net recovery when refurb cost is meaningfully below resale value.

  • Transport to refurb hub
  • Diagnostic + refurbishment labour per piece
  • Parts-recovery allowance credited back
  • Best for: electronics, machinery, furniture (categories with high refurb viability)

Indicative pricing: €60 transport + €12/piece diagnostic + €30/piece refurb − €8/piece parts recovery

Route 3

Local scrap / WEEE disposal

Last resort. Compliant disposal via licensed EU partners. Required for some categories (expired cosmetics, contaminated food). WEEE certificate provided for electronics.

  • Pickup and transport to disposal partner
  • Disposal fee per 100kg
  • WEEE Directive 2012/19/EU certificate (electronics / EEE)
  • Metal-recovery credit for electronics > 50kg

Indicative pricing: €60 pickup + €25/100kg disposal + €35 WEEE cert (if applicable)

How the recommendation works

Cheapest is not always best.

01
All three routes priced
You see the cost of each route side-by-side, with the math shown. No black-box recommendations. The category determines which routes are viable (e.g. textiles can't refurbish; cosmetics often must scrap).
02
Recommendation by recovery, not cost
If declared value ≥ 1.5× refurb cost → refurbishment is recommended even when scrap is cheaper. If supplier-return is ≥ 2× ROI on shipping → return to supplier wins.
03
Documentation included
RMA pack for supplier return, customs export docs, WEEE certificate for compliant disposal. Margin-rich for OrcaTrade because nobody else hand-holds importers through the paperwork.
04
Brand-protection optional
For luxury / branded goods we ensure physical destruction is witnessed and certified. Standard scrap allows resale of components; brand-protection mode does not.
Ready

Stop scrapping defective batches by default.

Get a returns quote →