Returns Policy

1.1 This Policy explains when a Buyer may return an item, how the return works, who bears the return cost, and how returns interact with disputes and refunds. It applies to goods bought as cash purchases; swap items follow the restoration route in the Terms of Service (clause 11) and the rules in section 6.

1.2 Words defined in the Terms of Service have the same meaning here. We use the term INAD (item not as described) consistently with the Terms of Service, the Refund and Cancellation Policy and the Shipping Policy.

1.3 This Policy is a platform process. It never removes or reduces a right you have under the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (CPA), the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 (ECTA), or any other law that cannot be excluded by agreement. Refunds required by law are always honoured and take priority over this Policy.

2.1 Returns work on two levels. Buyer Protection (section 2.2 to 2.4) is guaranteed by SWIPSWXP and applies to every transaction regardless of what a Seller’s own policy says. Seller-discretion returns (section 2.5) are at the Seller’s discretion. SWIPSWXP cannot compel a Seller to accept a discretionary return.

2.2 Buyer Protection: item not as described (INAD). An item is INAD if it differs materially from its Listing in a way a reasonable Buyer would not have expected. Examples: it is a different item; its condition is materially worse than the stated condition grade (for example listed as Very Good but arriving with significant undisclosed damage); a major feature is missing or broken and was not disclosed (for example a camera listed as fully functional that does not power on); it is counterfeit or not authentic where authenticity was implied or stated; or the size on the label does not match the size stated in the Listing.

2.3 Minor signs of wear consistent with the stated condition grade are not INAD. A return based on fit, where the label size matches the listed size but the item does not fit your body, is not a Buyer Protection ground (see section 6 on sizing).

2.4 Buyer Protection: item not received. You are entitled to a full refund if carrier tracking confirms the item was not delivered and the Seller cannot provide evidence of drop-off.

2.5 Seller-discretion returns. For a reason that is not a Buyer Protection ground, such as change of mind, fit or personal preference, a return is possible only if the Seller agrees. The Seller may accept or decline. If the Seller declines, the transaction stands and you may re-list the item on the Platform to recover value. Buyers and Sellers may not agree a private part-payment or discount (clause 8.1).

3.1 You may claim a Buyer Protection return where all of the following are true: you raise the issue within 72 hours of delivery; you have not yet confirmed receipt (the order is not completed); and the purchase was paid for on the Platform. The 72-hour window opens when the item is marked collected or delivered.

3.2 Confirming receipt completes the transaction and releases the funds to the Seller. Once you confirm receipt, a later issue is handled through your statutory rights rather than this return route.

3.3 To claim Buyer Protection you must: raise the issue on the order screen, not by chat alone; provide clear photographs of the item as received showing the discrepancy from the Listing; not wash, wear or alter the item; and keep all packaging and accessories included with it. A dispute raised after the 72-hour window forfeits the Buyer Protection route, and funds will have released to the Seller.

4.1 Raise the issue on the order screen (Buyer Protection) or agree the return with the Seller in the order chat (discretionary). SWIPSWXP support aims to review a Buyer Protection submission within 24 hours and to reach a determination within 5 days of receiving the required evidence from both parties.

4.2 Once the return is agreed or approved, return the item using the same delivery method used to ship it, unless that method does not support returns (for example Pargo), in which case an alternative integrated carrier is agreed. Returns run through the Platform’s integrated carriers; there are no in-person returns.

4.3 Ship the item back within 72 hours of receiving the return details and share the tracking number through the order chat. When the Seller receives the item and cancels the order, the amount you paid, being the item price, the original delivery fee, and the buyer protection fee, is refunded to your original payment method through the PSP. Refund timing is in the Refund and Cancellation Policy.

5.1 Buyer Protection returns. Where SWIPSWXP upholds an INAD or not-received claim, SWIPSWXP covers or arranges the return shipping, and the details are given in the resolution message. SWIPSWXP may recover that cost from the at-fault Seller.

5.2 Discretionary returns. For a seller-agreed discretionary return, the Buyer pays the return postage unless the Seller agrees otherwise, and must use a tracked, integrated-carrier method. An untracked return that goes missing is the Buyer’s risk. SWIPSWXP does not provide prepaid labels for discretionary returns.

5.3 The item must be returned in the condition in which it was received. It must not be washed, worn or altered, and any tags, seals or original packaging must be intact where they were present. If a returned item arrives in a worse condition than received, the Seller may refuse the refund or deduct the loss in value.

6.1 For sizing, we compare the size advertised against the size on the item’s label (the factory size). If the advertised size matches the label, the Seller is not obliged to accept a return based on fit. If the advertised size differs from the label, the item is INAD and you have the right to return it.

7.1 Where ECTA section 44 applies to your purchase, you may cancel within 7 days of delivery without giving a reason and receive a refund, less the direct cost of returning the goods. This right cannot be waived. Where it applies, the refund is made within 30 days of cancellation, as ECTA requires.

7.2 The cooling-off right does not apply to the categories ECTA section 42 excludes, which include custom-made or personalised goods, second-hand goods, unsealed audio, video or software, and foodstuffs and other goods for everyday consumption. The excluded list is set out on the Platform.

8.1 No private partial-payment agreements. The Buyer and Seller may not agree a partial payment, partial refund or discount between themselves. A Buyer with a problem raises a dispute in the 72-hour window through the in-app delivery flow on the listing (available for 72 hours after delivery). A partial refund can result only from SWIPSWXP’s dispute decision (clause 8.2), never from a private agreement.

8.2 If the Buyer and Seller cannot agree, or cannot reach each other, either party may ask SWIPSWXP to assist. We may request further information and use the on-Platform messages and tracking, and aim to resolve within 5 days of the evidence period closing. Possible outcomes are a full refund to the Buyer (including buyer protection fee and delivery cost, with the Seller’s payout withheld), a partial refund where the discrepancy is real but minor, or no refund where the evidence does not support the claim.

8.3 If a party does not respond to a dispute or return inquiry within 48 hours, we may decide the matter in favour of the responding party. Our decision governs the escrow outcome; it does not replace your legal rights. You may at any time refer a complaint to the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (CGSO), the National Consumer Commission (NCC), or a court.

9.1 There is no return or refund for: change of mind outside any applicable cooling-off period where the item was as described; damage or loss you caused after delivery; normal wear that was disclosed in the Listing; and minor variations clearly shown in the Listing photographs.

9.2 The following also cannot be returned except where the item is INAD: food (baked goods, fresh produce, prepared meals, dairy, perishables); health-and-beauty items that have been opened, partially used, or are past their best-before date; items washed, worn or altered after collection; items where the included packaging or accessories have been lost, disposed of or damaged; and digital goods (not currently sold, noted for the future).

9.3 Orders for items on the Prohibited Items List are not covered by buyer or seller protection, and the standard return process may not apply to them (clause 6.7).

9.4 No contracting out. A Seller’s “No returns” or “No refunds” statement, on a Listing, a profile or in chat, has no effect. It cannot override this Policy, the Terms of Service, the Refund and Cancellation Policy or the Consumer Protection Act, and a Buyer’s return and refund rights apply regardless of any such statement.

10.1 Food. Food may only be returned if it is confirmed unsafe, contaminated, or materially different from the Listing (for example an undisclosed allergen). Food Listings are from vetted Sellers, and food-safety concerns must be raised immediately through the dispute process. Perishables that are not collected promptly are not eligible for a refund where the delay is the Buyer’s responsibility.

10.2 Health and beauty. Opened or partially used items cannot be returned except on INAD grounds; sealed, unused items may be returned if INAD or if the Seller agrees. Every health-and-beauty Listing must have at least 3 months of shelf life remaining at listing; an item arriving with less than 3 months remaining, where this was not disclosed, is INAD. Skin reactions or sensitivities that arise after use are not INAD; Buyers are responsible for checking ingredients before purchase.

11.1 How and when a refund is paid, the treatment of the buyer protection fee, and refund timing by payment method are governed by the Refund and Cancellation Policy. A refund is authorised once the outcome is decided and, where a return is required, once tracking shows the item is on its way back to the Seller.

13.1 We may update this Policy. Material changes are notified at least 10 days in advance by in-app notice and email, consistent with the Refund and Cancellation Policy. Changes apply only to transactions concluded after the effective date. The current version and its date are always published on the Platform.