Wrong Item Received Email Template for POD Sellers

When a customer says they got the wrong item, the first job is to find out whose mistake it was. Compare the line items on the Shopify order with the customer’s photo. If the order says Large and the tag says Medium, the supplier made the error. If the order says Small and the shirt is a Small, the customer picked the wrong size.

The two cases need different replies and different money decisions. With print-on-demand, you can’t send a replacement from a shelf. Every replacement is a new production run, and the supplier only covers it when they caused the problem. Below is the triage checklist, then a template for each outcome.

Step 1: Compare the order to the photo

Ask for a photo first, before you promise anything. Printify asks for “A photo of the product that was received, with the size tag clearly visible” for a wrong product claim, so ask for that from the start. Printful’s own blog also tells sellers to ask the customer for photos of the incorrect item before filing.

Then open the Shopify order and check three things:

The variant ordered. Size, color and any other option on the line item.
The product ordered. Did they order the design they are holding?
The photo. Does the size tag, color and design match the line item?

That gives you four outcomes:

What you see	What it means	What you do
Photo does not match the order line	Supplier error	File a claim, replace or refund
Photo matches the order line, customer wanted another size or color	Customer ordering error	Decline, discount or offer a paid exchange
Size tag is correct but the fit is off	Possible sizing deviation	Measure against the size chart
Design is misprinted (wrong placement or colors)	Production defect	See the damaged item templates

If you use LzyReply, it reads the order’s items and shipping details from Shopify and drafts the reply for you to approve. It does not contact your POD supplier, so you file any claim yourself.

Template 1: Ask for a photo (use for every complaint)

Subject: Re: Wrong item on order [Order Number]

Hi [First Name],

I’m sorry this isn’t what you expected. I want to sort it out quickly.

Could you send me two photos? One of the item itself, and one close-up of the size tag (the label inside the collar or seam). I’ll compare them with your order, which shows [Product Name] in [Size/Color].

As soon as I have them I’ll tell you exactly what I can do.

[Your Name] [Store Name]

Don’t offer a refund or replacement in this first reply. You don’t know yet whether the supplier will cover it.

Template 2: Supplier sent the wrong thing

Use this when the photo clearly differs from the order. You are at fault from the customer’s point of view, so fix it fast and don’t ask for proof of anything else.

Subject: Re: Order [Order Number]: we got this wrong

Hi [First Name],

Thanks for the photos. You’re right. You ordered [Product Name] in [Ordered Size/Color] and you received [Received Size/Color]. That was our production error, not yours.

I’m [sending a replacement in the correct size and color / refunding your order in full]. [You don’t need to send the wrong item back. / Please keep the wrong item until I send return instructions.] You’ll get a tracking email as soon as the replacement ships, usually within [Production Time] days of production plus shipping time.

Sorry for the hassle.

[Your Name]

Fill in the bracketed return line based on your supplier’s rules. For misprinted or wrong items, Printful says the customer doesn’t need to send the item back. Check your own supplier’s rules before promising the same thing.

Filing the reprint claim with your supplier

The supplier won’t act on its own, so file the claim yourself. Watch the deadlines:

Printful: claims must be submitted within 30 days of receiving the product. A free reshipment or refund is available when the design was misprinted, and “wrong item” is listed as an example. This applies to Printful errors only.
Printify: an incorrect product may qualify for a free reprint, and product issues must be reported within 30 days of delivery. In your dashboard, open the order, use Submit issue on the product, and choose Request refund or Request reprint.

The 30-day clock is why Template 1 should go out the same day the complaint arrives. A customer who takes a week to find a photo uses up your window, not theirs.

Keep the customer’s photo, the order number and the line item details together. You’ll need them when you file.

Template 3: The customer ordered the wrong size

Here the photo matches the order line. The supplier made exactly what was ordered, and they won’t cover it. Printful says it doesn’t accept returns or exchanges for “buyer’s remorse, wrong size, or wrong color”. Printify’s help center says there is no free reprint when the product was received as ordered but the customer would prefer a different size or color.

So any exchange comes out of your margin. Printful’s return policy says size exchanges are offered at your expense and discretion. That means you decide what to offer. Here is a polite version that declines the free replacement and stays friendly:

Subject: Re: Order [Order Number]

Hi [First Name],

Thanks for the photos, and sorry the fit isn’t right. I checked your order: it was placed for [Product Name] in [Size], and that’s what was printed and shipped. So this wasn’t a mix-up on our end.

Because every item is made to order after you buy it, I can’t offer a free exchange or return for size changes.

What I can do: [Option A: offer [Discount Code] for [Seller’s Discount] off a new order in the size you need. / Option B: offer a replacement in [New Size] at [Reduced Price], which covers the cost of production and shipping.]

If that works for you, just reply and I’ll set it up.

[Your Name]

The discount amount or reduced price is up to you. No supplier or platform sets it. Decide on a rule once (for example, a fixed percentage off a reorder) and use it every time. Consistency stops you from relitigating each case.

A few details that affect this reply:

Check your own policy. If your Shopify store allows more returns than the supplier covers, Printful says you pay for those returns. In Shopify, you can mark products or collections as final sale under Settings > Policies.
Not every POD product is custom. Printful’s January 2023 update says pre-designed, non-customizable products can be cancelled and returned. Check the product type before you say “we can’t accept returns.”
If you offer an exchange in Shopify, the self-serve returns tool lets you add exchange items and discount them. Return labels made in Shopify only work when both addresses are in the US.

Template 4: The size is correct but the fit looks off

Sometimes the tag says Medium, the order says Medium, and the customer still insists it’s wrong. Printify says small deviations of less than 1 inch from the size guide measurements don’t qualify for a free reprint. For a real manufacturing sizing defect, it asks for a photo of the item measured against the catalog size chart.

Subject: Re: Order [Order Number]

Hi [First Name],

The tag on your item matches the size you ordered. If it feels noticeably different from the size chart, could you lay it flat and send a photo with a tape measure showing [Measurement, e.g. chest width]?

I’ll compare it with the size chart on the product page ([Size Chart Link]). If it’s off, I’ll take care of it. If it’s within the normal range, I’ll let you know what options I can offer.

[Your Name]

If the measurements are well off the chart, treat it as a supplier error and use Template 2. If they are close, use Template 3.

One Shopify detail that affects your records

If you refund before creating a return, you can’t create a return for that order afterward. Returns can only be created for fulfilled items that haven’t been refunded.

Also, a refund without a return doesn’t record a return reason. If you want to see how often “wrong item” and “wrong size” happen, keep your own note of the cause on each case. Over time that shows you whether a particular product or supplier is the problem, or whether your size chart needs to be clearer.

For the money side of these decisions, see handling refund requests. For the broader returns flow, see automating returns and exchanges.

If you sell to customers in the EU

The EU Consumer Rights Directive gives consumers 14 days to withdraw from a distance contract, unless an Article 16 exception applies. Those exceptions are listed in the same directive text, and one of them concerns goods made to the consumer’s specifications. The European Commission’s guidance describes those as non-prefabricated goods made on the basis of an individual choice of or decision by the consumer.

That exception is about withdrawing because you changed your mind. It doesn’t cover receiving the wrong item. If the supplier sent the wrong size or color, the consumer advice body ECC Netherlands says the seller should bear the costs. So for supplier errors, don’t hide behind “made to order” in the EU. Use Template 2.

A quick rule for your inbox

Same day: send Template 1 and ask for the photo and size tag.
Compare the photo with the Shopify order line.
Mismatch: Template 2, then file the claim within 30 days.
Match: Template 3, with your standard discount or paid exchange.
Unclear fit: Template 4, then decide.

Replying fast matters as much as the wording. For more on handling these tickets in a POD store, see customer support for print-on-demand stores.