> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://spreecommerce.org/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Claims

> Handle a delivery that went wrong — damaged, missing or the wrong item — with a refund, a replacement, or both.

A claim is a customer reporting a problem with what arrived: the item was damaged, never turned up, or was the wrong product. Unlike a [Return](/docs/user/orders/returns) or [Exchange](/docs/user/orders/exchanges), nothing has to come back — you decide what to do once you have seen the evidence.

Claims belong to the order they are about. Find them all under **Orders → Claims**, or on the order itself.

## Opening a claim

On the order, click **New claim**, pick the items affected, and record the reason from the claim-reasons list — "arrived damaged", "never arrived", "wrong item sent". Customers can open claims from their account and attach photographs as evidence, which is usually what you will want to look at before deciding.

## The steps

| Status   | What it means                                                  |
| -------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Open     | Reported, waiting on you                                       |
| Approved | You accept the claim; how to resolve it is still to be decided |
| Resolved | Refund sent, replacement shipped, or both                      |
| Denied   | The claim did not hold up                                      |
| Canceled | Withdrawn                                                      |

## Resolving a claim

What to do about a claim is decided when you **Resolve** it, not when it is opened — merchants usually decide once they have seen the photos. Choose how:

| Resolution             | What happens                                                     |
| ---------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Refund                 | Money back, with no items required in return                     |
| Replacement            | The item is shipped again — the same variant, or a different one |
| Refund and replacement | Both                                                             |

For a refund, set the **refund amount** and where it goes: the original payment method or store credit. For a replacement, choose what to **send a replacement for** — Spree creates a new shipment on the original order, so the customer does not place a second one.

## Denying or cancelling

**Deny** a claim that does not hold up. The customer receives neither a refund nor a replacement, and the claim is closed with that decision on record. **Cancel** withdraws it instead.

## Related

* [Returns](/docs/user/orders/returns) — the customer sends items back for a refund
* [Exchanges](/docs/user/orders/exchanges) — the customer sends items back for different ones
* [Returns & reasons](/docs/user/settings/returns-and-reasons) — managing the claim-reasons list