Electronics shipping proof, serial number first

Film the serial number, the factory seal and every accessory before the box is closed. When a buyer says it arrived dead, empty or different, you show the exact unit that left your bench.

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Headphones placed in an open carton with paper padding while a phone on a stand records
  • Serial and seal on camera
  • Charger and cables counted in
  • One file for the dispute
“On a returned phone, the serial number is the whole argument. Make sure it is on your recording.”

How do I prove which electronics unit I shipped to a customer?

Film its serial number going into the box. PallasMark records the serial or IMEI, the factory seal and the accessories against the order number in one unbroken take, and seals the file with a SHA-256 fingerprint, a digital seal that shows if the file is ever edited. If the buyer returns a different unit, says the box was empty or claims it arrived dead, you compare their return video with your recording and answer with one evidence file.

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A gloved hand holds a carton with a serial-number label in a warehouse aisle

Three things an electronics return claim turns on

Electronics claims are rarely about whether a parcel arrived. They are about which unit, in what state, with which parts. Three parts of the record answer that.

  • Was it sealed and complete?

    The sealed retail box

    The factory seal held up to the camera, intact, before the box goes into the mailer, so “it was opened” has an answer.

    The recording app

  • Which unit, exactly?

    The serial label, readable

    The SN barcode on the box filmed close enough to read, in the same take as the packing, sealed with a fingerprint.

    Tamper-proof video

  • Is the same unit coming back?

    The buyer's return video

    Before sending it back, the buyer films the device and its serial in their browser, attached to the same order.

    Return evidence

From the serial label to the answered electronics claim

Four steps on one order record. The serial is on file before the parcel leaves, so a swap or a “dead on arrival” claim meets a record, not a memory.

  1. Scan the order, then show the serial

    Scan the order and the recording is bound to it. Turn the box so the serial or IMEI label faces the phone, close enough to read, before anything else happens.

    • Bound to the order number from the first frame
    • Photos stamped with company, order number and time
    • Team member and device stored with every file
    The recording app

  2. Seal, accessories and power-on, in one take

    Show the factory seal intact, or for open-box and refurbished stock, the device, its charger and cables laid out. If you choose, power it on for a few seconds. Then into the mailer, taped and labelled, without a cut.

    Tamper-proof video

  3. The buyer films the unit before sending it back

    A return request asks the buyer to film the device and its serial in their browser before the parcel is sealed, for the return reasons you choose. Their file is fingerprinted and attached to the same order.

    • No app or account for the buyer
    • Optional or required, open for up to 168 hours
    • Starts on its own from Shopify and ShipHero returns
    Return evidence

  4. Compare the serials, answer with one file

    Your recording and the buyer's sit side by side. If the return turns into a chargeback, the evidence file puts both recordings, still frames with the serial visible, the fingerprints and the timeline into one PDF or secure link.

    • Shopify Payments disputes arrive automatically
    • Reminders 7 days and 48 hours before evidence is due
    • You submit it; PallasMark never decides it
    Chargeback evidence file

What the camera has to show for an electronics claim

An electronics claim is decided on one unit. This is that unit, filmed in one take from its retail box to the sealed mailer.

The packer holds a white retail product box up toward the phone on its standThe shipping label is peeled from its backing beside the white product boxThe white product box is lowered into a kraft mailer with a cardboard insertThe sealed, labelled kraft mailer on the bench with the phone showing a green tick0:04

The white box held up to the phone so its seal and the serial label can be read on the recording.

“It arrived dead”, with and without a record

A buyer says the wireless headphones they ordered would not power on and asks for a refund. The pair that comes back is scratched, has no charging cable and carries a different serial number.

Without a record

Refunded anyway
  • The buyer opens a not-as-described case and ships a pair back.
  • Your stock list says which serial you sold, but nothing shows which one left.
  • The missing cable is your word against theirs.
  • You refund, pay return shipping and keep a broken pair you never sold.

With PallasMark

Answered with one file
  • The serial label, the factory seal and the cable were filmed going into the mailer.
  • The return request asked the buyer to film the pair and its serial first.
  • Two serials, side by side on the same order. The difference is plain.
  • You decide with your own policy, and if it becomes a dispute, you upload one PDF.

What an electronics shipment record contains

Stored with the order automatically, so the answer to a swapped unit or a “dead on arrival” claim is ready before it arrives.

Serial and packing video
One unbroken take from the serial label and factory seal to the sealed, labelled mailer, against the order number.
Stamped photos
Photos carry your company name, the order number and the upload time burned into the image.
SHA-256 fingerprint
Of every stored file, plus the original upload; re-checkable by anyone on a public page.
Buyer's return recording
The device and its serial filmed by the buyer before the return, fingerprinted and attached to the same order.
Carrier and tracking
Read from your store's fulfilment and shown in the timeline next to the recording.
Evidence file
Order, items, shipments, still frames with the serial visible, fingerprints, the buyer's answers and a full timeline, as a PDF or expiring link.

How card networks and marketplaces judge electronics claims

Electronics disputes reach banks, PayPal and marketplaces as “not as described”, “counterfeit” or “empty box”. Each process asks the seller for something about the unit itself.

  • Visa 13.4: serials that can be verified

    For counterfeit disputes, Visa's merchant guide lists serial numbers or product identifiers that can be independently verified among the evidence. The cardholder does not have to return the item first.

    Visa Dispute Management Guide for Merchants

  • Visa 13.3: inspection before shipment

    For not-as-described and defective claims, Visa lists inspection records showing the item was in acceptable condition before shipment, and advises photographing items in good condition when sent.

    Visa Dispute Management Guide for Merchants

  • Mastercard 4853: not as described

    Mastercard's cardholder dispute covers goods not as described and goods presented as genuine but counterfeit. The merchant's second presentment must answer the claim within 45 days.

    Mastercard Chargeback Guide, Merchant Edition

  • PayPal: 30 days to open a case

    PayPal's buyer protection counts a completely different item, or one advertised as authentic but not authentic, as significantly not as described. Buyers have 30 days from delivery to open the dispute.

    PayPal Purchase Protection Program (US)

  • eBay: up to 50% for a changed item

    On free-returns listings, eligible sellers can deduct up to 50% of the refund when an item comes back used or damaged, if they refund within 2 business days of receiving it.

    eBay seller protections

  • Banks read documents, not videos

    Stripe tells merchants that issuing banks will not review audio or video files or links in dispute evidence. The evidence file turns each video into still frames, with the serial visible, inside a PDF.

    Stripe, responding to disputes

Electronics disputes, defined

Serial number (SN)
The unique number a manufacturer gives one unit, printed on the device and usually on a label on its box.
IMEI
The 15-digit number that identifies one mobile phone or cellular device on a network.
Dead on arrival (DOA)
A buyer saying the device did not work when it was first unboxed, usually to ask for a refund or replacement.
Serial swap
Returning an older, broken or fake unit in place of the one that was sent, hoping nobody checks the serial.
Factory seal
The shrink wrap, tape or sticker a manufacturer puts on a retail box to show it has not been opened.
Not as described (SNAD)
A dispute where the buyer says the item is materially different from the listing, for example used, faulty or missing parts.

Every device where the serial decides the refund

From phones to small appliances, the same recording shows the unit, its seal and its parts as they left you.

  • A smartphone standing upright on the packing bench

    Phones and tablets

    IMEI, screen and condition on camera, so a swapped handset is obvious.

  • A camera kit laid out in foam inside a carton, with its accessories

    Bundles and kits

    Every lens, cable and battery laid out, so “it came without the charger” has an answer.

  • A small kitchen blender on the packing bench

    Small appliances

    The unit and its parts shown before boxing, so a dent or a missing jug can be dated.

  • A plain boxed accessory held on the packing bench

    Accessories

    Sealed box and model label in one view, even on low-value orders that get disputed.

Film a serial number right now

Film the serial label on any device you have nearby. It goes through the real pipeline and ends on a real verification page, the kind of link a bank or a marketplace opens.

  1. Scan the code that appears and the recording screen opens on your phone.
  2. Film a serial label for a few seconds.
  3. You get the sealed record and its public verification link.

Takes about a minute. Nothing to install and no card needed.

Sellers who record every order

All case studies

Electronics returns and disputes, answered

A customer returned a different phone from the one I sent. How do I prove it?

Compare serial numbers. Your packing recording shows which serial or IMEI left your bench, and the buyer's return video, filmed before they send it, shows which one is coming back. With PallasMark both sit on the same order with their fingerprints, and they go into one evidence file if the case becomes a dispute.

How do I fight a “dead on arrival” claim on electronics?

Show the unit's state when it left. Film the seal intact, or for open-box and refurbished stock, power the device on for a few seconds on camera before packing. That does not prove it survived the journey, but it shows it worked and was complete when it left you, which is what a not-as-described claim questions.

The buyer says the charger or cable was missing. What evidence helps?

A recording of the accessories going into the box. Lay out the device, charger and cables in view, then pack them in the same take with no cut. Visa lists inspection records showing an item was in acceptable condition before shipment as evidence for not-as-described claims.

A buyer says the electronics box arrived empty. What can I show?

Tracking proves delivery, not contents. What answers an empty-box claim is the device going into that parcel: the retail box shown, dropped into the mailer, taped and labelled in one unbroken take, bound to the order number. Retailers in the NRF and Happy Returns 2025 report said empty-box returns are rising, so the same record helps on returns too.

Will the bank watch my packing video in a chargeback?

Usually not. Stripe tells merchants that issuing banks do not review audio or video files or links in dispute evidence. The PallasMark evidence file therefore shows four still frames from each video, with the serial visible, alongside the fingerprints and the timeline, inside a PDF a reviewer can read.

Can I deduct from a refund if the device comes back damaged on eBay?

On free-returns listings, eBay lets eligible sellers deduct up to 50% of the refund when an item comes back used or damaged, if they refund within 2 business days of receiving it. Your packing recording shows the condition it left in; the buyer's return video shows the condition it came back in.

Should I record refurbished and open-box electronics differently?

Yes, show more. With no factory seal, the recording is your only proof of condition: film the screen, the body on every side, the serial and the accessories, and power it on if you can. Our guide to refurbished electronics disputes covers the details buyers most often challenge.

Do I have to ask every electronics buyer to approve the packing video?

No. Every order can be recorded, and evidence rules ask the buyer to watch and approve the video before dispatch only above an order value you choose. A high-end laptop gets the extra step; a phone case is simply recorded. Either way, PallasMark keeps the evidence and your team makes the decisions.

Ship your next device with its serial on record

Connect your store, film the serial and the seal, and answer the next swapped-unit claim with one file.

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A taped shipping carton on a warehouse packing bench

More claims and industries the same recording covers

One packing video per order answers every one of these. What changes is which part of it you show, and to whom.

What makes it work

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