Nanny Agency JobsAn agreed shopping errand is easier to complete when “buy the shoes” becomes a precise instruction: which shoes, which size, what price limit and what to do if that item is unavailable. The job also needs an ending. Delivered, accepted, returned and refunded describe different stages.
This original NAJ purchase workflow covers choosing the agreed item and handling a possible return. It assumes shopping is within your role and spending is authorized. Use a separate expense record for receipts, advances and any reimbursement owed to you.
Turn the request into an exact specification
Before shopping, confirm the item, size, color or version, quantity, maximum approved spending and required date. Ask whether the parent has supplied an exact link or only an example of the kind of product wanted.
Check who may approve substitutions. “Something similar” can conceal a different fit, material, accessory or delivery date. If the preferred item is unavailable and no alternative has been approved, report that finding instead of deciding what the child would probably like.
Confirm the payment route and purchasing account. If the parent is placing the order, your task may be to find options and send links. That is a different assignment from completing checkout yourself.
Read the chosen seller's terms before paying
The FTC's marketplace guidance advises checking seller return terms and warns that return windows may be short. Check your actual purchase.
Identify the seller, especially when a website hosts multiple sellers. Find the policy that applies to that item and record its source and check date. Ask about unclear wording before buying rather than importing a policy from a different store.
Check the return deadline, required item condition, packaging instructions, proof of purchase, return route and any stated costs or exclusions. These are questions to verify, not universal entitlements. No retailer's deadline is assumed in this guide. If the terms do not fit the family's needs, take the decision back to the parent.
Check the final basket against the approval
Read the selected size and variant at checkout, not just the product heading. Check the quantity, total and delivery destination. Confirm that any added shipping charge or changed price remains within the approval.
Avoid adding a membership, subscription or optional service simply because checkout offers it. If the purchase requires a new account or a decision outside your instructions, ask the parent to handle that step.
Save the order confirmation in the agreed location and connect it to the task. Keep payment details out of a general household message. Record what was actually ordered, who placed the order and the expected next step so another person can track it without repeating the purchase.
Inspect delivery and preserve return options
Compare the delivered item with the approved specification before treating the errand as finished. Check the size, version, quantity and visible condition. Follow the seller's actual instructions for any inspection or return process; do not assume an opened or used item remains eligible.
Tell the parent about a mismatch promptly. Keep packaging, labels and proof of purchase as required by the applicable terms while the decision is pending. Place them in an agreed location so someone does not discard them during routine tidying.
Add the verified deadline to the task record, making clear what must happen by that date. Ask who makes the keep-or-return decision and who is responsible for submitting or delivering the return.
Follow one order through a return
Fictional example: Parent Jamie authorizes nanny Ellis to order one named pair of rain boots in a specified size and color, using the household's approved account. The requested version is available, and Ellis checks the current seller policy before ordering.
The delivered box contains a different size. Ellis photographs the size label with permission and reports the mismatch. Jamie chooses a return rather than a replacement. Ellis follows the actual seller's process, retains its confirmation and records “return handed over; refund not yet verified.”
The household account owner later checks the refund and confirms receipt. Ellis closes the shopping task and links the confirmation to the original order. The example uses no invented retailer deadline or promise that every seller would handle the situation this way.
Finish with a confirmed outcome
Close an order as accepted and kept, cancelled, or returned with the financial outcome checked by the appropriate person. If only part of an order was returned, identify the exact items still open. A parcel drop-off alone is not confirmation that money has arrived.
Report an unresolved issue with the order reference, current stage and next responsible person. Keep that purchase history connected to the expense record where relevant, while distinguishing the child's item being dealt with from any repayment owed to the nanny. That separation makes the next follow-up much easier to assign.
Sources
FTC's marketplace guidance. Source checked October 27, 2026.