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Refund Policy

When we refund a purchase, when we cannot, and how to ask — aligned with the SA Consumer Protection Act and the ECT Act.

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Refund Policy

Last updated: 2026-07-02

This Refund Policy sets out when we refund a purchase, when we can't, and how to ask. It works alongside your statutory rights under the South African Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 ("CPA") and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 ("ECT Act") — nothing in this policy takes those away.

We are a sole-proprietor art studio. Every print is either pulled from stock in South Africa or produced for you by our print partner. Once a print is packed and out the door it is difficult and expensive to send back. This policy is deliberately strict on change-of-mind returns for that reason, but it is fully open on faults, damage, and non-delivery.

1. Digital goods

Digital downloads (art files, wallpaper sets, PDFs, etc.) become available immediately when payment clears. Because they cannot practically be "returned" once delivered, and per section 44(2) of the ECT Act, digital goods are not refundable after the download link has been accessed.

If you never accessed the file, contact us within 7 days of purchase and we will refund it in full.

If the file is faulty (corrupt, wrong artwork attached to your order) or does not match its description, contact us at any time and we will replace it or refund it — your rights under section 55 of the CPA apply.

2. Physical prints and stickers — change of mind

Because a print is physically shipped, opened, and often flat-packed carefully to survive courier handling, we cannot resell it after it has been to a customer. That drives a strict cancellation window:

  • Before dispatch: cancel any order for a full refund by emailing us. If we haven't handed it to the courier yet, we will stop the parcel and refund you in full.
  • After dispatch, in-stock items: section 44 of the ECT Act gives you a 7-day cooling-off period for goods bought online. If you exercise it, you must return the item in original condition and packaging at your own cost. Once it arrives back with us undamaged, we refund the product price. We do not refund the original shipping fee. If the item arrives back damaged, torn, marked, or missing packaging we may refund only a portion or refuse the return.
  • After dispatch, print-on-demand items (Gelato): section 44(4)(a)(ii) of the ECT Act carves out an exception for goods made to the consumer's specification — this covers print-on-demand production because the item is physically printed only after you place the order. Change-of-mind refunds on print-on-demand items are not offered. Your statutory rights under section 55 of the CPA (below) still apply.

3. Faulty, damaged, or wrong items

If a print arrives faulty, damaged, or is not what you ordered, you have a full refund or free replacement at your choice — this is your right under section 56 of the CPA and it applies regardless of how the order was fulfilled.

  • Contact us within 14 days of delivery with your order number, a description of the fault, and photos of the item and (for damage in transit) the parcel packaging.
  • We will either arrange a courier to collect the faulty item at our cost, or ask you to dispose of / recycle it responsibly — often cheaper than shipping it back.
  • Once the fault is confirmed, we refund in full (product + shipping) or ship a replacement at our cost, whichever you asked for.

The 14-day window is a target to catch damage claims early while the parcel condition is still clear. Your statutory rights under sections 55–56 CPA run for 6 months from delivery for latent manufacturing defects — that is, defects that were present when the print left the studio but that only surfaced later. Concretely, we treat the following as latent defects covered by this policy:

  • ink streaking, banding, or missing ink coverage;
  • the colour, layout, or artwork on the delivered print not matching what was ordered;
  • paper delamination, curling, or warping of a print stored flat in normal indoor conditions.

What is not a latent defect under this policy

  • Natural fade of dye-based prints under light exposure. Our standard A5 / A4 / A3 art prints are produced on a dye-ink inkjet (Epson EcoTank family). Dye ink is chosen for the colour range it delivers on 250 gsm matte paper, but by its nature it shifts and fades under prolonged UV exposure. A print hung in direct sunlight or under strong artificial lighting will show visible colour change within months, not years — this is a known characteristic of the product, not a defect. For maximum longevity we recommend framing behind UV-protective glass and keeping the print out of direct sun.
  • If you specifically need an archival-grade print (pigment ink, 25+ year colour stability without special framing), email us before ordering — we can quote a pigment / archival-paper option from Gelato instead.
  • Damage caused by handling, moisture, framing, or storage after delivery.
  • Wear consistent with the print's age and how it has been displayed.

4. Non-delivery

If a parcel is confirmed lost by the courier or the print partner, we refund the full order or reship at your choice. See the Shipping Policy for the "confirmed lost" trigger. You do not need to prove anything beyond the tracking status — we take responsibility for the shipment until it reaches you.

5. How to request a refund

  1. Email panda@mrpandadrawz.com with your order number and a short description.
  2. For damage or fault: attach clear photos.
  3. For change-of-mind returns of in-stock items: wait for our confirmation before shipping it back — we will send the return address.
  4. We reply within 2 business days.

If a refund is agreed, we process it back to the payment method you used within 5 business days. Paystack (our payments processor) typically then takes another 3–7 business days to land it in your account. Digital-goods refunds and print-on-demand refunds go the same route.

6. Chargebacks

If you dispute a charge with your bank instead of contacting us first, our ability to help stops until the bank's chargeback process resolves. Please email us first — it is almost always faster and easier for both of us.

7. Statutory rights

Nothing in this policy limits your rights under:

  • The Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, particularly sections 55 (right to safe goods of good quality) and 56 (implied warranty of quality); or
  • The Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002, particularly section 44 (cooling-off for online purchases, subject to the exceptions listed above).

If a mandatory consumer-protection law of your country gives you stronger rights, those rights apply too.

8. Changes to this policy

We update this Refund Policy when we add or remove print partners, or when the underlying legislation changes. The "Last updated" date above shows the most recent change. Material changes will be highlighted on the site for at least 14 days.

9. Contact

Refund requests, disputes, questions: Email: panda@mrpandadrawz.com.