Last updated: 20 September 2026

At Bell & Barter, we take care in selecting, packing and supplying the goods that pass across our counter. We also recognise that, from time to time, an order may arrive incorrectly, a product may be defective, or a customer may have a legal right to cancel a purchase.

This Policy explains when a product may be returned, exchanged, cancelled or refunded, how the process works, and who is responsible for the associated costs.

This Policy is intended to operate in accordance with the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (“CPA”), the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 (“ECTA”), the applicable Consumer Goods and Services Industry Code, and other applicable South African law.

Nothing in this Policy is intended to exclude, restrict or waive any consumer right that may not lawfully be excluded or waived.

Where this Policy gives Bell & Barter rights or discretion, those rights will always be exercised subject to applicable law.

1. Who this Policy applies to

This Policy applies to retail goods sold by Bell & Barter to consumers.

Separate terms may apply to:

wholesale or trade purchases;
business-to-business transactions;
consignment arrangements;
formal auctions conducted in accordance with section 45 of the CPA and applicable auction regulations; and
any transaction governed by a separate written agreement.

Any separate terms remain subject to consumer protection legislation where that legislation applies to the transaction.

2. Your statutory rights come first

Certain return rights arise directly from South African law and do not depend on Bell & Barter’s discretion, a manufacturer’s policy, or whether our distributor is willing to accept the item back from us.

Accordingly, a manufacturer’s, distributor’s or supplier’s warranty or returns policy may provide additional rights, but will not reduce a consumer’s non-waivable rights against Bell & Barter where the CPA, ECTA or another applicable law gives the consumer a remedy against us.

CHANGE-OF-MIND RETURNS

3. Purchases made in-store or otherwise outside ECTA

South African law does not generally give a consumer an automatic right to return a correctly supplied, non-defective product simply because the consumer:

changed their mind;
no longer wants the product;
found the product elsewhere at a lower price;
purchased the wrong item;
selected the wrong colour, size, design or variation;
received an unwanted gift; or
experienced a change in the item’s resale or market value.

Where no statutory return right applies, Bell & Barter is therefore not obliged to accept a change-of-mind return.

Bell & Barter may nevertheless agree, at its sole discretion, to an exchange or store credit in exceptional circumstances.

Any discretionary return may be subject to conditions including that the product is unused, unopened where applicable, complete, in saleable condition, and accompanied by its original packaging, tags, seals, accessories and proof of purchase.

A discretionary return does not create an ongoing obligation for Bell & Barter to accept similar returns in future.

4. Online purchases — ECTA seven-day cooling-off right

Where section 44 of ECTA applies to an electronic transaction, the consumer may cancel the transaction without reason and without penalty within seven days after receiving the goods.

Where this statutory cooling-off right applies:

the customer must notify Bell & Barter of the cancellation within the applicable seven-day period;
the goods must be returned to Bell & Barter;
the customer may be responsible for the direct cost of returning the goods, as permitted by ECTA;
Bell & Barter will not impose a restocking fee or other cancellation penalty prohibited by ECTA; and
refunds will be processed within the period required by ECTA.

Certain transactions are expressly excluded from the ECTA cooling-off right. These include, where applicable, transactions involving:

goods made to the consumer’s specifications;
clearly personalised goods;
goods which, by their nature, cannot be returned;
goods likely to deteriorate or expire rapidly;
audio or video recordings or computer software that have been unsealed;
newspapers, periodicals, magazines and books;
qualifying auctions; and
other transactions expressly excluded by section 42 of ECTA.

An exclusion from the ECTA cooling-off period does not remove any separate rights the consumer may have where goods are defective, incorrectly supplied, materially misdescribed or otherwise do not comply with the CPA.

5. Purchases resulting from direct marketing

Where a transaction results from direct marketing by Bell & Barter and the ECTA cooling-off provisions do not apply, the consumer may have the separate cooling-off right provided by section 16 of the CPA.

Where applicable, the consumer may rescind the transaction within five business days after the later of:

the date on which the transaction or agreement was concluded; or
the date on which the goods were delivered.

Bell & Barter will administer such cancellations and refunds in accordance with the CPA.

INCORRECT, MISDESCRIBED OR UNSUITABLE GOODS

6. Products the customer did not have an opportunity to examine

Where the CPA gives a consumer the right to inspect goods after delivery, including certain online purchases, and the goods do not correspond with what was ordered, the description, an approved sample or the applicable requirements of the CPA, the customer may be entitled to reject and return the goods.

Where section 20 of the CPA applies, the relevant return generally needs to occur within 10 business days after delivery.

This includes circumstances such as:

Bell & Barter sending the wrong product or variation;
goods materially differing from their description;
an incorrect quantity being supplied; or
other circumstances specifically covered by sections 19 and 20 of the CPA.

Where Bell & Barter supplied the incorrect goods or the return otherwise falls within a category that must legally be returned at the supplier’s risk and expense, Bell & Barter will arrange or bear the reasonable return cost.

7. Products bought for a specifically communicated purpose

If, before purchase, a customer expressly tells Bell & Barter that a product is required for a particular purpose, and Bell & Barter expressly or implicitly agrees that the product is suitable for that purpose, the CPA may give the customer a right to return the product if it proves unsuitable.

Where section 20 applies, this right must generally be exercised within 10 business days after delivery.

This does not apply merely because a customer had a private expectation or intended use that was never communicated to Bell & Barter.

DEFECTIVE GOODS

8. Six-month CPA implied warranty

Goods supplied by Bell & Barter are subject to the implied warranty of quality contained in sections 55 and 56 of the CPA where those provisions apply.

If goods fail to meet the applicable standards contemplated by the CPA within six months after delivery, the consumer may return the goods without penalty and at Bell & Barter’s risk and expense.

Subject to the CPA and once a qualifying defect has been established, the consumer is entitled to the applicable remedy provided by law, which may include:

repair, replacement or refund.

Bell & Barter may reasonably inspect or test a returned product to establish:

whether the alleged defect exists;
whether the product supplied is the product originally sold;
whether the problem resulted from misuse, accidental damage, unauthorised modification or improper storage; and
any other fact reasonably necessary to process the claim.

Inspection will not be used to improperly deprive a consumer of a remedy to which the consumer is legally entitled.

9. Products repaired under the CPA

Where Bell & Barter or an authorised party repairs goods pursuant to the CPA and, within three months after the repair, the original failure has not been remedied or a further failure, defect or unsafe feature appears, the consumer may be entitled to a replacement or refund as provided by the CPA.

10. After the first six months

The expiry of the six-month CPA implied warranty period does not necessarily mean that every possible right ends.

A product may still be covered by:

an express manufacturer’s warranty;
a distributor’s warranty;
another contractual warranty; or
other rights available under applicable law.

Any such claim will be assessed according to the applicable warranty and legislation.

11. What is generally not considered a product defect

Subject always to applicable law, the following will ordinarily not amount to a defect for which Bell & Barter is responsible:

normal wear and tear;
accidental damage occurring after delivery;
misuse, abuse or neglect;
liquid, heat, sunlight or moisture damage caused after delivery;
improper storage or handling;
unauthorised alteration, repair or modification;
damage resulting from using a product contrary to supplied instructions;
a characteristic or imperfection that was specifically disclosed before purchase and expressly accepted by the customer;
subjective dissatisfaction where the product otherwise matches its description and performs as reasonably expected;
normal manufacturing tolerances that do not materially affect the product;
changes in market value or resale value; or
the random contents or outcome of a product where randomness forms part of the product’s nature.

This clause does not exclude a claim for a genuine manufacturing defect or other failure covered by the CPA.

TRADING CARDS, COLLECTIBLES & RANDOMISED PRODUCTS

12. Sealed trading card products

Trading card games and collectible products often have characteristics that make returns particularly sensitive, including factory seals, randomised contents and fluctuating secondary-market values.

Accordingly, except where a statutory right applies, Bell & Barter does not voluntarily accept returns of opened trading card products, including opened:

booster packs;
booster boxes;
Elite Trainer Boxes;
tins;
collection boxes;
decks;
bundles;
mystery products; or
other sealed or randomised TCG products.

Breaking or removing a factory seal may make a product unsuitable for a discretionary return.

This limitation does not remove any return or remedy required by law.

13. Random pulls are not defects

The contents of booster packs, blind boxes, lucky draws, kuji-style products and other randomised products are determined by the manufacturer or the applicable randomisation system.

The following are therefore not, by themselves, defects:

failing to pull a particular card or item;
receiving a duplicate;
receiving a lower-value item;
dissatisfaction with rarity distribution;
dissatisfaction with pull rates;
changes in the secondary-market price of an item after purchase; or
another purchaser receiving a more valuable random item.

A genuine manufacturing problem, missing component, counterfeit product, tampering occurring before delivery, or another legally recognised defect will still be investigated normally.

14. Trading card singles

Where Bell & Barter sells an individual trading card, its stated condition, edition, language, printing and other material characteristics form part of its description.

Minor variations consistent with the stated condition grade are not necessarily defects.

A material discrepancy between the card supplied and the card described or ordered may, however, give rise to a remedy under applicable law.

Changes in grading opinions, collectible-market prices or resale values after purchase do not constitute defects.

15. Collector packaging

For many collectibles, the manufacturer’s retail packaging forms part of the collectible value of the product.

Bell & Barter therefore takes reasonable care when packaging collector items for shipment.

Where packaging is represented as forming part of a collectible product, significant pre-delivery damage to that packaging may be taken into account when determining whether the goods correspond with their description and condition.

Minor courier-box marks that do not affect the actual retail product or collectible packaging will not ordinarily constitute a product defect.

BOOKS

16. Books and publications

ECTA specifically excludes the sale of newspapers, periodicals, magazines and books from its section 44 cooling-off right.

Accordingly, Bell & Barter does not accept books for change-of-mind returns merely because they were purchased online, unless we voluntarily agree otherwise.

This does not affect rights relating to a book that is:

defective;
materially damaged before delivery;
incorrectly supplied; or
materially different from what was ordered or advertised.

APPAREL & ACCESSORIES

17. Apparel sizing and preference

Selecting the incorrect size, colour or style is ordinarily a change-of-mind issue rather than a defect where Bell & Barter supplied the variation ordered.

Where the statutory ECTA cooling-off right applies to an online purchase, it will be honoured.

Outside a statutory right, Bell & Barter may elect to allow an apparel exchange provided the item is:

unworn;
unwashed;
unused;
unaltered;
free from stains, scents, pet hair or other signs of use;
accompanied by all original tags; and
otherwise suitable for resale as new.

Any voluntary exchange remains subject to stock availability.

Where Bell & Barter sends the wrong size or product, the return will not be treated as a customer change-of-mind return.

PREORDERS, BACKORDERS & SPECIAL ORDERS

18. Preorders

A preorder reserves stock expected to become available at a future date.

Estimated release, arrival and dispatch dates are based on information available to Bell & Barter and may change due to manufacturers, distributors, international freight, customs, licensing, production delays or other circumstances outside Bell & Barter’s reasonable control.

Where a revised delivery date is necessary, Bell & Barter will communicate material delays where reasonably practicable.

A preorder is not automatically a non-refundable special order merely because it is called a preorder.

Where section 17 of the CPA applies to an advance order, a customer may cancel subject to a reasonable cancellation charge where such a charge is permitted by law.

Any such charge will be determined reasonably, taking into account circumstances such as:

the nature of the goods;
the notice given;
costs already reasonably incurred;
the likelihood of Bell & Barter being able to sell the goods to another customer; and
relevant industry practice.

Bell & Barter will not impose an arbitrary or punitive cancellation charge.

19. Genuine special-order and personalised goods

Goods specifically procured, created, altered or personalised to satisfy a particular customer’s requirements may constitute special-order or customised goods.

Different cancellation provisions may lawfully apply to these goods.

Customised or clearly personalised goods may also be excluded from the ECTA cooling-off right where section 42 applies.

Bell & Barter will identify material special-order or custom terms before the customer completes the transaction wherever reasonably practicable.

Nothing in this section removes rights relating to defective, incorrectly supplied or misdescribed goods.

20. Products that cannot be supplied

If Bell & Barter is unable to supply a paid order, we will notify the customer and provide the refund required by law.

Where a preorder or backorder has an agreed future delivery estimate, that agreed arrangement will apply.

Bell & Barter will not retain payment for goods that we have finally determined cannot be supplied.

SALE, CLEARANCE & DISCOUNTED GOODS

21. Sale items

A product does not lose its statutory protections simply because it was discounted, placed on sale or cleared.

However, where a particular fault, mark, imperfection, packaging defect or other condition was specifically disclosed to the customer before purchase and the customer knowingly accepted the product in that condition, the disclosed condition will not ordinarily provide grounds for a later claim as though it had been undisclosed.

Other unrelated statutory rights remain unaffected.

DELIVERY & COURIER DAMAGE

22. Responsibility before delivery

Where the CPA applies, goods remain at Bell & Barter’s risk until the customer or the customer’s authorised recipient accepts delivery, subject to applicable law.

If an order is lost or materially damaged by the courier before lawful delivery, Bell & Barter will deal with the courier and the customer should not be required to pursue our courier merely to exercise a valid claim against Bell & Barter.

23. Checking deliveries

Customers are requested to inspect deliveries as soon as reasonably possible.

If a parcel arrives:

visibly damaged;
crushed;
opened;
wet;
resealed;
tampered with;
missing goods; or
containing an incorrect product,

please notify Bell & Barter as soon as possible, preferably within 48 hours, and provide clear photographs of:

the outer courier packaging;
the shipping label;
internal packaging;
the affected product; and
any visible damage.

This early notification helps us preserve evidence and lodge claims against couriers and upstream suppliers.

The 48-hour request is an administrative and evidence-preservation measure. It does not extinguish a statutory consumer right merely because the customer notified us later.

Customers should retain all packaging until the matter has been resolved.

24. Incorrect delivery information

Customers are responsible for providing complete and accurate delivery details.

Where additional courier charges arise solely because the customer supplied an incorrect or incomplete address, was unavailable despite reasonable delivery attempts, or requested an address change after dispatch, Bell & Barter may recover reasonable additional costs to the extent permitted by law.

HOW TO REQUEST A RETURN

25. Contact us before sending goods

To request a return, cancellation or warranty assessment, contact Bell & Barter through our website Contact page or at:

Returns email: returns@bellandbarter.co.za

Please provide, where applicable:

your order number or other reasonable proof of purchase;
the product concerned;
the reason for the request;
the date the issue was discovered; and
clear photographs or video where these can reasonably demonstrate the problem.

We may issue return instructions or a return authorisation reference.

Please do not send goods directly to one of our distributors or manufacturers unless Bell & Barter specifically instructs you to do so.

A customer’s failure to obtain a return-authorisation number will not by itself extinguish a statutory right that the customer is otherwise entitled to exercise, but contacting us first allows the return to be identified and processed correctly.

26. Proof of purchase

Bell & Barter may require reasonable proof that the goods were purchased from us.

Suitable proof may include an:

order confirmation;
invoice;
receipt;
payment record;
customer-account order history; or
other reliable evidence of purchase.

27. Condition of returned goods

Different requirements apply depending on the legal basis for the return.

For voluntary returns outside a statutory right, Bell & Barter may require the product to be unused, complete, undamaged and in original saleable condition with all seals, tags, accessories and packaging intact.

Where a return arises under the CPA or ECTA, the condition of the goods and any permitted deduction or charge will be dealt with according to the applicable legislation.

Original packaging is strongly requested wherever available, particularly for collectibles, but Bell & Barter will not use a packaging requirement to unlawfully defeat a consumer’s statutory defective-goods remedy.

RETURN COSTS

28. Who pays for return shipping?

Responsibility depends on why the product is being returned.

Defective, incorrect or qualifying non-conforming goods

Where applicable law requires the return to occur at Bell & Barter’s risk and expense, Bell & Barter will bear the reasonable return cost or arrange collection.

ECTA change-of-mind cancellation

Where the seven-day ECTA cooling-off right applies, the customer may be required to pay the direct cost of returning the goods, as permitted by ECTA.

Voluntary returns

Where Bell & Barter voluntarily accepts a return for which no statutory right exists, the customer will normally be responsible for:

return shipping; and
any original delivery charge, which will ordinarily not be refundable.

Additional deductions may only be imposed where permitted by law and disclosed or agreed as applicable.

29. Return courier

Where the customer is responsible for returning a product, we strongly recommend using a tracked and adequately protected courier service.

Products should be packaged carefully to prevent damage during return transit.

Where Bell & Barter arranges a courier for a return for which the customer is legally responsible for the direct return cost, that cost may be deducted from the refund where permitted by law.

REFUNDS

30. How refunds are paid

Where a customer is legally entitled to a monetary refund, Bell & Barter will not force the customer to accept store credit in place of that refund.

Unless another arrangement is agreed, refunds will ordinarily be made using the original payment method where reasonably practicable.

Banking, card-acquirer and payment-provider processing times are outside Bell & Barter’s direct control once a refund has been successfully submitted.

31. Refund timeframes

Refunds will be processed as promptly as reasonably possible after the applicable requirements have been met.

Where ECTA section 44 applies, refunds will be made within the statutory period, currently no later than 30 days after cancellation.

Where the CPA’s direct-marketing cooling-off provisions apply, Bell & Barter will comply with the applicable statutory refund period.

For ordinary approved refunds where no shorter statutory requirement applies, Bell & Barter aims to initiate payment within 5–10 business days after the returned goods have been received and any reasonable verification has been completed.

A statutory deadline will always take precedence over an internal processing target.

32. Store credit and exchanges

Bell & Barter may offer store credit or an exchange as a convenient alternative.

Where the customer has a statutory right to a cash or payment-method refund, store credit will only be substituted if the customer agrees.

Where no statutory refund right exists, Bell & Barter may make any voluntary exchange or store-credit offer subject to reasonable conditions.

PROMOTIONS, BUNDLES & FREE ITEMS

33. Promotional purchases

Where a purchase included a free item, bundle discount, multi-buy discount, promotional reward or similar benefit, Bell & Barter may require the related promotional goods to be returned with the qualifying product or may recalculate the transaction where permitted by law.

This prevents a return from being used solely to retain a promotional benefit that depended upon a purchase that has subsequently been cancelled.

Any adjustment will be reasonable and subject to applicable consumer law.

FRAUD, TAMPERING & RETURN ABUSE

34. Verification of returned goods

Bell & Barter reserves the right to inspect returns and verify identifiers, condition and contents.

A return may be refused where evidence reasonably establishes that, for example:

the returned product is not the product Bell & Barter supplied;
an item has been substituted;
serial numbers or identifying marks have been altered;
factory seals have been fraudulently reproduced;
goods have been deliberately damaged;
components or accessories have been removed;
counterfeit goods have been substituted for authentic goods; or
the claim is otherwise fraudulent.

Nothing in this clause permits Bell & Barter to refuse a legitimate statutory claim merely by labelling it suspicious. Decisions will be based on reasonable evidence.

Bell & Barter reserves all rights available in cases of suspected fraud or criminal conduct.

MANUFACTURER & DISTRIBUTOR WARRANTIES

35. Upstream warranty claims

Some goods may carry an additional manufacturer, importer or distributor warranty.

Bell & Barter may liaise with the relevant supplier or manufacturer, request information required for a warranty assessment, or facilitate an authorised warranty process.

However, where the customer has a remedy directly against Bell & Barter under the CPA or other applicable law, that remedy will not be made conditional upon our distributor first approving Bell & Barter’s own claim against it.

COMPLAINTS

36. Resolving a dispute with Bell & Barter

If you believe a return, refund or warranty claim has not been dealt with correctly, please contact us and ask for the matter to be reviewed.

We will endeavour to investigate and respond to consumer complaints fairly and within the timeframes contemplated by the applicable Consumer Goods and Services Industry Code.

If a matter cannot be resolved directly, an eligible consumer may refer the complaint to the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (CGSO) and, where appropriate, the National Consumer Commission (NCC) or another competent authority.

Nothing in this Policy prevents either party from exercising any further right available under South African law.

PERSONAL INFORMATION

37. Information used when processing returns

Bell & Barter may process information such as the customer’s name, contact information, order information, photographs, payment information and communications where reasonably necessary to:

investigate a return;
arrange courier collection;
process a refund;
submit a supplier, manufacturer or courier claim;
prevent fraud; or
comply with legal obligations.

Personal information will be processed in accordance with applicable data-protection law and Bell & Barter’s Privacy Policy.

GENERAL

38. Relationship with our other policies

This Policy should be read together with Bell & Barter’s:

Terms & Conditions;
Shipping & Delivery Policy;
Privacy Policy; and
any product-specific terms disclosed before purchase.

If there is a conflict between a Bell & Barter policy and a non-waivable right under applicable South African law, the law will prevail.

39. Changes to this Policy

Bell & Barter may update this Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legislation, our operations, products, suppliers or fulfilment processes.

The version applicable to a transaction will be determined in accordance with applicable law and the terms made available when the transaction was concluded.

40. Bell & Barter details

Before publication, the following information should be completed:

Trading name: Bell & Barter
Legal entity / proprietor: Bell and Barter (Pty) Ltd
Website: Bell & Barter
Returns / customer support email: returns@bellandbarter.co.za
Physical / legal service address: Roodepoort, Gauteng, Johannesburg, 1709
Company / registration number, if applicable: 2026/708041/07

These details should remain readily accessible to customers together with Bell & Barter’s other legally required e-commerce information.

Bell & Barter

Good wares deserve fair dealing — on both sides of the counter.

Refunds, Returns & Cancellations Policy