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Refund & Returns Obligations

Effective Date: 1 January 2026 · Version 1.0 · Applies To: Shop Operators (Merchants)

This document sets out your obligations as a Merchant when a Customer requests a refund, return, or raises a dispute. It supplements the Shop Terms and Conditions and forms part of Vyete's platform-wide Refund & Returns Policy.

1. When You Must Accept a Refund

You must accept a refund request and process it within the required timeframes in the following circumstances:

| Reason | Your Obligation | Refund Amount | |---|---|---| | Item not delivered | Mandatory full refund | Product price + delivery fee | | Item significantly different from listing | Mandatory full or partial refund | Product price; delivery fee at Vyete's discretion | | Item received damaged | Mandatory partial or full refund depending on severity | Product price or proportionate reduction | | Item expired or unsafe | Mandatory full refund | Product price + delivery fee | | You cancelled the order | Mandatory full refund | Full amount charged, including delivery fee |

Discretionary refunds (e.g., Customer changed mind after acceptance) are at your option, but you may not penalise Customers for exercising their legal consumer rights.

2. Response Requirements

When a Customer submits a refund request through the Platform:

  1. You are notified and have 24 hours to respond.
  2. You may approve the refund (full or partial). Funds are returned to the Customer within 3–5 business days.
  3. You may reject the request with a written reason. If you reject, the Customer may escalate to Vyete mediation.
  4. If you do not respond within 24 hours, Vyete may approve the refund unilaterally based on the evidence provided.

3. Mandatory Return Acceptance

You must accept returns in the following minimum circumstances, regardless of your published return policy:

| Circumstance | Obligation | |---|---| | Item materially different from listing | Accept return; provide full refund | | Item defective or unsafe | Accept return; provide full refund or replacement |

Where the return is due to your error (wrong item sent, defective item) or a listing inaccuracy, you must arrange return pickup at no cost to the Customer.

For discretionary returns (Customer change of mind), your published return policy applies. If you do not have a published policy that permits discretionary returns, no such obligation exists.

4. Escalation to Vyete Mediation

If the Customer escalates after you reject a refund request:

  • Vyete reviews all submitted evidence (photos, Proof of Delivery, chat records).
  • Vyete may request additional information from you within 3 business days.
  • Vyete issues a non-binding mediation recommendation within 5 business days.
  • If the recommendation supports the Customer, Vyete may process the refund and recover it from your next payout.

5. Financial Impact of Approved Refunds

Approved refunds are deducted from your next payout cycle. Where your payout balance is insufficient to cover a refund, a negative balance is carried forward and offset against future earnings.

6. Performance Monitoring

| Metric | Warning Threshold | Review Threshold | |---|---|---| | Refund rate (% of monthly orders) | > 5% in any 3-month period | > 10% |

Merchants with a persistent high refund rate are subject to enhanced monitoring and may be suspended pending review.

7. Order Cancellations by You

When you cancel an accepted order:

  • An automatic full refund is triggered to the Customer.
  • The cancellation is recorded against your cancellation rate metric.
  • A cancellation rate above 5% in any month triggers a review and potential penalties.

You may cancel an accepted order only for legitimate reasons (sudden stock failure, safety concern). Cancellation for operational convenience is a policy violation.

8. Prohibited Practices

You must not:

  • Pressure Customers to withdraw refund requests.
  • Offer partial goodwill gestures (vouchers, replacement goods) as a substitute for a refund the Customer is entitled to under these Terms.
  • Withhold cooperation from Vyete mediation.
  • Systematically provide goods materially different from listings with intent to avoid refunds.

9. Contact

Merchant refund and dispute support: [email protected]