The short version
- Before you pay: you can cancel any order at any time. Nothing has been charged.
- After you pay: merch (clothing, mugs, branded gear) can be refunded. Consumables (tea, capsules, supplements) and event tickets cannot.
- Mixed orders: if you ordered both, we can refund just the merch portion — the consumables stay with you.
- To start: WhatsApp or email us. Refunds are admin-processed, not self-service.
1. Cancellation (before payment)
If you started checkout but haven't paid, the order sits as “pending” for up to 60 minutes. You can ignore it — we'll auto-cancel it after the hour and release the items back to stock. No further action needed from you.
If you'd like us to cancel sooner, send us a message with your order number.
2. What we refund
We accept returns of merchandise items — clothing, mugs, branded gear, and similar non-consumable products in our shop. These items can be returned within 7 days of delivery, provided they are unworn, unwashed, undamaged, and in their original packaging.
3. What we do not refund
For health, safety, and fairness reasons, we cannot accept returns of:
- Wellness consumables — teas, capsules, supplements, kits, functional foods, and personal-care products. Once these leave us, we have no way to verify seal integrity or that they haven't been tampered with.
- Bundles — because they typically contain consumables.
- Event tickets — once issued, tickets are a capacity allocation. Refunding them removes a spot from someone else who could've attended.
These exclusions apply across the board — a refundable item ordered alongside a non-refundable one does not transfer eligibility. The merch line can be refunded; the tea stays with you.
4. When refunds are possible (by stage)
Even for refundable merchandise, the timing of your request matters:
- Paid, not yet packed: we can refund before fulfilment with no return needed.
- Packed: we don't refund once an order has been packed. Packaging materials are already committed. You can still return the item after delivery.
- In transit: we don't refund while a package is in transit. Wait for delivery, then start a return.
- Delivered: return the unworn item to us; we refund after we receive and inspect it.
5. How to start a return
- Contact us within 7 days of delivery via WhatsApp (078 609 0960) or email (support@hbdistributors.co.za). Include your order number and which item(s) you'd like to return.
- We confirm eligibility and share return instructions. You cover return shipping costs unless the item arrived damaged, defective, or incorrect.
- Once we receive and inspect the returned item, we process the refund through Payfast.
- Funds usually appear in your account within 7–14 working days, depending on your bank.
6. Damaged, defective, or incorrect items
If your order arrives damaged, defective, or contains the wrong items, please contact us within 48 hours of delivery with a photo. We cover return shipping in these cases and we'll replace the item or refund — your choice.
7. Your statutory rights
South Africa's Consumer Protection Act (CPA) and Electronic Communications and Transactions Act (ECTA) give you certain refund rights on distance-sold goods, including a 5–7 day cooling-off period for unused merchandise. Our policy honours these rights — nothing here limits them.
For consumable goods unfit for return in their used state (open tea, opened supplements, etc.), CPA section 20 provides an exemption. That's why we can't accept consumables back — it's a legal carve-out, not a business choice.
Questions?
We're a small team. Get in touch and a real person will reply.