The objective of this research is to identify and hierarchize the key causes of opportunistic customer returns according to their
importance.Areal-time market survey involving 155 respondentswas conducted to determine the important factors and categorize
them using exploratory factor analysis. Finally, an integrated multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model that combines the
ordinal priority approach (OPA) and neutrosophic numbers is utilized to rank the identified causes of opportunistic returns in
order of importance. Findings deliberate 19 reasons behind opportunistic returns. The results suggest that lenient return policy,
product discounts, little to no consequences for such behaviour, past experiences of successful fraudulent return and drop in
product prices post-purchase are the top five reasons for opportunistic returns in e-commerce platforms. The study provides a
comprehensive understanding of the impact of each factor causing opportunistic returns, which will facilitate the development of
strategies that minimize opportunistic returns.