Returns and reversals are communicated to Mavely via each brands affiliated channel and happen when a brand edits/audits its data or when a consumer returns their purchase.
When the networks send Mavely brand data, it is in real time. The automated system immediately sends that to your creator dashboard. The benefit of this is that it allows Mavely to share any and all data in real time, and pay creators out more quickly than any other platform. This is all in an attempt to provide the utmost transparency.
The challenge is that as the brands retroactively update or change the data, you also see that in real time. This also means data can fluctuate, which is normal.
A couple of important call outs:
Partial returns - When the network identifies a partial return, meaning only certain items in the cart were returned but not all, this does not appear under your “returns” section in your Mavely dashboard. Instead, the transaction itself will update in your feed to reflect the adjusted commission information. Only full cart returns will appear under the “returns” section. We are working on an update to address this and make these changes more visible.
Non-return reversals - These are changes to the data that may result for a variety of reasons. For example, networks sending duplicate data and reversing it afterwards, sales that are not covered by the terms of affiliate program and were subsequently reversed, action caps, inaccuracies in attribution etc.
Non-commissionable carts - Certain brands reverse the sales for carts containing only non-commissionable items (ie: Walmart with grocery items). This will result in the removal of that line item from your transaction history and a decrease in your sales data.
Our team is continuously working to improve the Mavely experience from a user and data perspective. Please reach out to the Mavely support team if you have any questions or need additional support.