When a seller donates an item

Overview

This page explains how to handle a situation where a seller no longer wants to sell a product and instead wants to donate it to your store.

This can happen when:

• the sales timeframe has expired,
• the item has been sitting in-store for a while, or
• it is no longer something you want to continue selling.

In this scenario, you may want to:

• donate the item to charity, or
• resell it under your ownership.

The workflow below ensures proper handling in Ribbn, including correct ownership, commission, and audit trail.

When to use this process

Use this process when:

• a seller confirms they no longer want the item returned or sold on consignment,
• the item has aged out of its selling window,
• the item has remained unsold for an extended period, or
• your store decides it no longer makes sense to continue selling the item for the original seller.

Process

1. Confirm with the seller

Before making any changes, contact the seller directly in the chat to confirm that they approve donating the item.

While waiting for confirmation, set the product status to:

• Liquidation Ready

This status indicates that the item is awaiting seller confirmation.

2. Update the status to Seller Donated

Once the seller confirms they want to donate the product to you:

1. Change the item status to Seller Donated.

Why this matters

This status creates a clear audit trail showing that the seller approved the donation. If you need to review the product history later, it will show that ownership changed.

3. Duplicate the item

After the product is marked as donated, create a duplicate of the product so ownership can be transferred to you properly.

Steps:

1. Locate the product in Seller Donated status.
2. Mark the item.
3. In the bottom Action Bar, go to Data & Tools.
4. Click Duplicate Items.

This creates a new product listing where you are the seller of record.

4. Prepare the new item for publication

Once the duplicate has been created, prepare the newly duplicated item for sale.

Steps:

1. Update the new product status to Pending Publication or another appropriate pre-listing status.
2. At the top of your Product List, find and select the newly duplicated item.
3. In the Action Bar, go to Sales & Pricing > Edit Commission.
4. Set the commission to 1.

What this means

A commission value of 1 means you receive 100% of the sale, since the seller donated the product to the store.

5. Move the item to Listed

After reviewing the duplicated product and confirming all details are correct:

1. Change the status to Listed so the item goes live in your store.

Status flow

Required actions summary

Why this workflow matters

Following this workflow helps you:

• preserve a record that the seller approved the donation,
• maintain a proper audit trail of status and ownership changes,
• create a new listing where you are the seller of record,
• ensure the commission is set correctly so you receive 100% of the sale, and
• publish the item correctly under your ownership.

Example scenario

A seller may decide not to continue selling an item because:

• the selling period expired,
• it remained unsold in the store for a long time, or
• it no longer makes sense to keep it listed.

In that case, instead of continuing to sell it on their behalf, the seller can donate it to the store.

You would then:

1. confirm the donation,
2. record the donation through status changes,
3. duplicate the item under your ownership,
4. set commission to 1, and
5. list it for sale.

Final outcome

Once these steps are completed, the seller-donated product has been handled correctly, with:

• preserved history,
• correct ownership,
• proper commission setup, and
• a live listing in your store.

Quick checklist

• Confirm the donation with the seller in chat
• Set the original item to Liquidation Ready while awaiting confirmation
• Change the original item to Seller Donated after confirmation
• Duplicate the item from Data & Tools > Duplicate Items
• Set the duplicated item to Pending Publication
• Set commission to 1
• Review the duplicated listing for accuracy
• Change status to Listed

Reference workflow

Seller confirms donation
  → Original item set to Seller Donated
  → Duplicate item created
  → New duplicated item set to Pending Publication
  → Commission set to 1
  → New item moved to Listed