# Retail & e-commerce use cases

> Make seller reviews, product statements, and returns evidence easier to inspect.

Canonical page: https://www.truthlocks.com/industries/retail
Category: Commerce & transport

Retail platforms connect buyers, sellers, and service partners who do not share the same systems. Signed evidence gives each workflow a source and version that another party can check.

## Online marketplaces: Preserve a seller’s review evidence

Seller documents can change between initial submission and approval.

### What to record

Record document fingerprints, seller references, the review checklist version, and the responsible team’s decision record.

### What to review

Check the version reviewed and examine the underlying claims before authorized staff enable or change seller access.

### The outcome

A clearer explanation of the evidence used in a seller review.

## Brands & direct retail: Attach a checkable source to a product statement

A certificate or product claim can be copied without retaining its original issuing context.

### What to record

Issue a signed statement with the product reference, declared details, issuing organization, and managed record status.

### What to review

Check issuer, integrity, and status, then assess the source’s authority and the physical product through appropriate checks.

### The outcome

A product statement with a verification path rather than an untraceable attachment.

## Retail operations: Connect return decisions to submitted evidence

Photos, purchase references, and review notes can be scattered across support tools.

### What to record

Link submitted evidence fingerprints, order and return references, and the reviewer’s recorded outcome in one workflow history.

### What to review

Compare the evidence available to the reviewer and let authorized staff apply the retailer’s return policy.

### The outcome

A consistent record for explaining how a return request was reviewed.

## Before you begin

Select the records your platform can support and define who may issue them. Product authenticity, seller eligibility, and refund decisions require your own review controls.

## Relevant capabilities

- [Digital records](https://www.truthlocks.com/product/attestation-service)
- [Verification](https://www.truthlocks.com/product/verification)
- [Fraud review](https://www.truthlocks.com/product/fraud-ops)

These are practical workflow examples, not certification claims or a record of customer deployments.