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VitalGlow

Beauty & Skincare • $12M ARR

How a subscription skincare brand caught $67K in fraudulent refunds from customers gaming their allergy policy.

$67K

Fraudulent refunds

156

Customers exploiting

45x

ROI on audit

94%

Fraud reduction

The Problem

VitalGlow runs a subscription skincare brand with a complex refund policy: no refunds after 30 days, but exceptions allowed for allergic reactions.

The support team had discretion on “allergic reaction” claims with no verification process. Dashboard showed normal refund volume, but margin was quietly eroding.

Policy Loophole

No verification for allergy claims

Agent Discretion

Wide variance in approval rates

What Merro Found

43% of “allergic reaction” refunds were approved for customers who placed new orders within 7 days—often for the same product they claimed to be allergic to.

Cross-referencing Shopify order data revealed a clear pattern: 156 customers were gaming the system. One agent approved 89% of these claims vs. team average of 34%.

Key Findings

Fraudulent refunds (6 months)$67,000
Customers exploiting loophole156
Agent with highest approval rate89%
Team average approval34%

The Fix

1

Order History Cross-Check

Implemented automatic flag for allergy claims from customers who reorder within 14 days.

2

Tiered Approval System

Refunds over $50 now require supervisor approval with documented reason.

3

Agent Calibration

One-on-one coaching for high-approval agents with clear guidelines on verification.

Results After Policy Update

94%

Reduction in fraudulent claims

45x

ROI on audit

“Our agents were interpreting 'damaged product' exceptions completely differently. Merro caught the pattern across 200+ tickets. Fixed it in one training session.”
MR

Marcus Rodriguez

CX Operations Manager

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