Draft for legal review. This document was generated as a starting point and has not been reviewed by a legal practitioner. Have it checked against the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 before the marketplace goes live.

1. Who this policy applies to

SA WebMall is a marketplace: every product is sold and dispatched by an independent Vendor, not by SA WebMall itself. This means your contract of sale is with the Vendor, and the Vendor is primarily responsible for handling your return or refund. This policy sets out the minimum rights the law gives you, and how SA WebMall helps you exercise them when dealing with a Vendor.

2. Your 7-day cooling-off right

Because you are buying online, section 44 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 gives you the right to cancel most orders, without giving a reason, within seven (7) days of receiving the goods. This right cannot be taken away by a Vendor’s own “no refunds” policy.

To cancel under this right, contact the Vendor (or SA WebMall support, who will forward your request) in writing within the 7-day window. You may be asked to return the goods at your own cost, in their original condition, unless they are faulty.

This cooling-off right does not apply to:

  • Perishable goods (e.g. food, foam-cut-to-order upholstery inserts);
  • Goods made or customised to your specification (e.g. cut-to-size, personalised or made-to-order items);
  • Goods that were sealed for health or hygiene reasons and have been unsealed after delivery;
  • Services that have already been fully performed with your agreement before the 7 days expired.

3. Faulty, defective or not-as-described goods

Separately from the cooling-off right, section 56 of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 gives you an implied warranty that goods will be of good quality, in good working order, and free of defects, for six (6) months from the date of delivery. If a product is faulty, unsafe, or does not match its description within that period, you may ask the Vendor to, at your choice: repair the goods, replace them, or refund you.

This warranty applies regardless of any warranty the Vendor or manufacturer separately offers, and is not affected by our Disclaimer.

4. How to request a return or refund

  1. Log in to your SA WebMall account and open the order from My Orders, or contact the Vendor’s store directly.
  2. Tell the Vendor whether you are exercising your 7-day cooling-off right, or reporting a fault under the 6-month warranty, and why.
  3. The Vendor will confirm the return address and whether you or the Vendor covers return shipping (see clause 6 below).
  4. If you and the Vendor cannot reach agreement, contact SA WebMall support via our Contact Us page and we will help mediate.

5. Refund timing and method

Once a return is approved, refunds must be processed within 15 business days, as required by section 44 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act. Refunds are paid back to the original payment method used at checkout wherever possible. Delivery charges are refunded only where the return is due to a fault, an incorrect item, or a valid cooling-off cancellation of the entire order.

6. Who pays for return shipping

If a product is faulty, damaged in transit, or not what you ordered, the Vendor covers return shipping. If you are simply returning an item under the 7-day cooling-off right because you changed your mind, you are responsible for the cost of returning it, unless the Vendor agrees otherwise.

7. Non-returnable items

In addition to the cooling-off exclusions in clause 2, some Vendors sell items that are inherently non-returnable once used or installed (for example, cut foam, upholstery fabric, or other made-to-order materials). Where this applies, it will be stated on the product page. This does not affect your rights under clause 3 if the item is faulty.

8. Cancelling before dispatch

If you want to cancel an order before the Vendor has dispatched it, contact the Vendor or SA WebMall support as soon as possible. Orders already handed to a courier are treated as delivered for the purposes of this policy once you receive them, and clause 2 or 3 will apply instead.

9. SA WebMall’s role

SA WebMall facilitates communication between you and the Vendor and can help resolve disputes, but the Vendor remains responsible for approving and fulfilling returns and refunds. See our Disclaimer for more on how responsibility is divided between SA WebMall and Vendors.

10. Contact us

If a Vendor is not responding to a valid return or refund request, contact SA WebMall via our Contact Us page and we will step in to help.