Compare the shipped item with the order before arranging a remedy

Establish the item the order actually names

Start with the order line and the confirmation retained for that order, including its product option, SKU and quantity. Preserve the record before correcting a label or editing the order. If those records already disagree with the buyer's selected option, the investigation begins earlier, in the catalog-to-order selection. This comparison begins when the order is correct and the suspected error lies in picking or packing.

Write the warehouse identifier alongside the order identifier without replacing either. Use an existing catalog or inventory mapping to establish whether they refer to the same listed item and option. A current mapping may not describe the mapping used on the dispatch date; record its effective date if available. If the mapping is missing or ambiguous, identity remains unresolved. Similar names alone do not establish equivalence.

Separate assignment from physical packing evidence

Where WooCommerce's documented Fulfillments feature is present, a fulfillment records products, quantities, its draft or fulfilled status, and shipping or tracking information. Check the feature or extension actually used by the store. Do not assume every installation has this model. Follow the affected order line to the fulfillment and then to the parcel reference, rather than reading only the overall order status.

Compare that assignment with genuine pick records, packing checks, retained parcel-content images or the buyer's description of the received label, where those records exist. Identify which record was created during packing and which was written after the complaint. A packing list can identify the intended contents without proving the contents were checked. A fulfilled application status and a carrier event also do not independently establish the identity of the item inside.

If the order and pick record identify different items, investigate the handoff between those records. If they agree but the parcel evidence identifies something else, investigate packing or the parcel association. If the buyer report is the only contents evidence, preserve it as that report and seek the missing comparison; do not convert the absence of a packing check into proof against either party.

Record the finding before changing the customer message

An evidenced mapping can explain different identifiers without establishing a packing error. Evidence of a different item in the associated parcel supports a fulfillment mismatch. Conflicting or missing evidence leaves the case open. Record the precise comparison and the remaining unknown, rather than writing only 'wrong item' or 'order correct.' These outcomes identify the next task; they do not determine the merchant's remedy automatically.

WooCommerce distinguishes system, private and customer order notes. Customer notes are emailed to the buyer, so use the appropriate internal record for investigation and a deliberate customer note for the approved explanation. Draft fulfillment creation, edits and removal do not notify customers in the documented feature. Fulfilling a draft or changing a fulfilled fulfillment can notify them according to the notification toggle. Check the intended notification before editing; a setting is not proof that an email arrived.

Authorize a resolution against the identified discrepancy

Record the responsible merchant decision-maker, the affected item and quantity, and the resolution actually authorized under the merchant's applicable terms. Keep a proposed replacement, an approved replacement and a recorded dispatch distinct. Preserve the original parcel and order references so a later action cannot be mistaken for the original shipment. A supported explanation of the identifiers may call for clearer records or communication; it does not require rewriting the original order to conceal the complaint.

For a Prism checkout-review consultation, describe whether the discrepancy began in the order identity, the fulfillment handoff or the customer message. Bring a non-sensitive summary of the comparison and the work requested. Confirm investigation, implementation or fulfillment follow-up scope, responsibilities, fees and terms before work begins. The consultation itself does not authorize a refund or shipment.

Order-to-pick comparison

Complete one sheet for one affected order line and parcel. Enter real identifiers and comparison results in your authorized records; keep private customer details and parcel images out of a public inquiry. A missing mapping or packing record remains unknown. Choose a resolution only after recording the finding and merchant authorization.

Worksheet entries are not submitted by Prism’s worksheet and are not saved by the site. Use record types, availability, anonymized observations, or match/mismatch results. Do not enter government identifiers, customer names or addresses, customer messages, receipt-access links, card or bank details, passwords, or keys. Send sensitive documents only through the provider’s verified secure channel.

These are temporary notes. Leaving or reloading this page may clear them. Worksheet entries are not sent automatically. If you copy notes into the consultation message and submit the form, Prism receives them as part of your request.