How we returned over 45,000 Dollars transferred mistakenly to a customer

This is a case that we have gone through and it has left us with a valuable and memorable learning experience. At the same time, through that instance, we established a long-term collaborative relationship with the client, and they also trust us more.

It can be quite tempting to say, “Sorry, I can’t refund you as it takes too long and incurs additional costs. Instead, I’ll provide you with goods of equal value to the amount you transferred.”

Alternatively, you might consider “delaying” the refund temporarily and utilizing the money for essential purposes during these economic hardships. Once the situation stabilizes, you can then proceed with the refund to the customer

In my country, it’s difficult to transfer foreign currency abroad because our government has strict anti-money laundering policies, especially for large amounts like $45,000 USD. To process the refund for the customer, we need to provide extensive documentation.

Firstly, we have to prove to the bank that this transaction belongs to one of our customers. This involves showing email exchanges with the customer and providing invoices and other documents to verify the source of the funds.

Another challenge is that when we return this mistaken amount, we have to refund not only the transferred sum but also the entire customer deposit. However, we still need to fulfill our promise to deliver the goods to the customer. This means we won’t have the customer’s deposit to purchase raw materials, pay workers, or cover other expenses.

After more than 10 days of working with both our bank and the customer’s bank, the money was finally transferred out of our country. However, the customer’s system didn’t receive the money immediately.

Our customer wants to receive the refunded amount, and they have already made a new payment for the deposit. So, both we and the customer are left waiting. It’s a refund, and I’m not sure why it’s taking so long to be checked or processed. After over 20 days, the customer finally receives the money. During this time, the customer keeps asking why it’s taking so long to receive the money.

We’ve already finished production and booked the shipment. The goods have left the port while the customer still hasn’t received the money. We’re extremely anxious because there’s nothing else we can do at this point but wait.

And finally, I received an email from our customer’s financial director, informing us that they have received the money and want to confirm the amount they balance for the shipped order.

They expressed their sincere gratitude to WINVN and mentioned that this experience solidifies our position as a long-term partner. They are eager to develop more products with us. It’s truly wonderful news.

This has been an amazing experience in my international business journey, and for WINVN, you can rest assured and trust us completely. We are a reliable and honest partner for all of you.