Refund and Returns Policy

Refund and Return Policy – Nottingham Road Meats (Pty) Ltd

Last updated: 2025-11-25

This Refund and Return Policy applies to all purchases made on nottinghamroadmeats.co.za and must be read with our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

We sell meat and related products, which are perishable goods. Some return rights are restricted by law for perishable food, but we have chosen to offer a clear and generous policy, while still protecting food safety.

1. Our 10-day full refund promise

We will refund any purchase in full within 10 calendar days of purchase, subject to the conditions below.

Within 10 days of purchase, you may choose between:

1. Full refund (to your original payment method), or
2. Credit towards the next available delivery date (re-scheduling your order).

This applies even though animals may already have been slaughtered or meat allocated based on your order. Once we refund you, we remain the owner of any returned products and will handle them according to food safety rules.

2. Conditions for a refund or re-delivery within 10 days

To qualify for our 10-day policy:

1. You must contact us within 10 calendar days of purchase (order date).
2. You must provide:
   • Your name and contact details;
   • Order number; and
   • A clear explanation of whether you want a refund or credit / next delivery.
3. If the meat has already been delivered:
   • You must keep it refrigerated or frozen, and not use or cook the portion you plan to return.
   • We may ask for photos to verify condition and packaging.
   • We may collect the product from you, or instruct you to dispose of it safely, depending on practicality and food safety.

If we reasonably believe the products have been mishandled, not refrigerated or not fit for safe return or reuse, we may still refund you (at our discretion), but we are not obliged to do so.

Additional terms for box schemes and carcass share orders

1. Orders slaughtered to your specification
   • For half/quarter animals and other box schemes, we plan animals and slaughter dates in advance based on confirmed orders.
   • Once your payment is received, we may allocate animals and book slaughter on that basis.
2. Cancellations before slaughter
   • If you request a refund before slaughter has taken place, we will:
     • Refund you in full, and
     • Cancel or reallocate your slot.
   • This still falls under our 10-day full refund promise where the timing fits inside 10 days of purchase.
3. Cancellations after slaughter or packing
   • If you request a refund after slaughter and/or packing has already taken place, we will still honour our 10-day full refund promise, subject to:
     • We may need to collect the meat from you if it has already been delivered, or
     • Where collection is not practical or safe, we may instruct you to dispose of it safely.
   • Once refunded, the meat remains ours and we will decide how it is handled, donated, reallocated or destroyed in line with food safety rules.
4. Weight variation and composition
   • Because box schemes are based on whole animals, exact weights cannot be guaranteed. Normal, reasonable variations in carcass size and individual cut weights do not by themselves constitute “defective goods”.
   • You may still rely on our 10-day policy or CPA rights where:
     • The box is substantially short of what was described;
     • You receive a materially different product (e.g. wrong species or clearly different box than ordered); or
     • The meat is off, spoiled or unsafe on delivery.
5. Substitutions and complaints
   • If you are unhappy with any substitution or box composition, contact us within a reasonable time after delivery (ideally within 24 hours):
     • We may offer partial refund, top-up product, or, if appropriate, a full refund or re-delivery, depending on the scale of the issue and food safety considerations.
   • We will always act reasonably, but we will not compromise on food safety requirements.

3. How to request a refund or return

To request a refund or re-delivery:

• Email: hello@nottinghamroadmeats.co.za
• Include:
  • Full name
  • Order number
  • Date of purchase
  • Reason (optional – but helps us improve)
  • Whether you want a refund or re-delivery / credit

Once your request is approved, we will process:

• Refunds: within a reasonable period, usually within 10 business days, back to the original payment method; or
• Credits: we’ll confirm the next available delivery date and apply your full order value to that delivery.

4. Defective, unsafe, or wrong products (your CPA rights)

Independently of our 10-day policy, the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) gives you rights if goods are:

• Defective;
• Unsafe;
• Of poor quality; or
• Not the products you ordered.

If you receive meat that:

• Is clearly off, spoiled or unsafe upon delivery;
• Does not match what you ordered (wrong cut, incorrect product, substantially wrong weight beyond reasonable tolerance);

then:

1. Contact us as soon as possible after delivery, ideally within 24 hours for perishable meat.
2. Provide photos and details of the problem.
3. We may collect the product or ask you to dispose of it safely.

You may then choose (subject to law):

• A replacement;
• A re-delivery on a later date; or
• A full refund.

We will not be responsible where problems arise because you:

• Failed to refrigerate or freeze the meat promptly;
• Stored it incorrectly;
• Kept it beyond its recommended use-by date;
• Cooked or handled it in an unsafe way.

5. Cooling-off period for electronic purchases

Under certain circumstances, South African law gives consumers a cooling-off period for transactions concluded as a result of direct marketing or certain electronic transactions (for example under section 16 of the CPA and relevant parts of the ECT Act). This can allow cancellation within a specific number of days, subject to conditions and charges.

Where these legal rights apply:

• You are still entitled to cancel within the statutory cooling-off period; and
• We may deduct allowed charges (such as the cost of delivering and collecting the goods, or any use of the goods) if the law permits.

Our 10-day full refund policy will never give you less protection than the law. If the law gives you more, the law applies.

6. Non-returnable situations

To protect food safety, we may refuse a refund or replacement where:

• You notify us after the 10-day period (unless CPA rights still apply, e.g. for defects discovered within a reasonable time).
• The meat has been cooked, significantly used or altered.
• The meat has clearly been left unrefrigerated, contaminated, or otherwise mishandled.
• You simply changed your mind long after delivery and the product is near or past its safe use-by date.

We apply common sense and fairness, but we will not compromise food safety.

7. Delivery issues and delays

If:

• Your order does not arrive; or
• There is a significant delivery delay attributable to us or our courier,

then we will:

• Offer you a new delivery date; or
• Offer you a full refund if you no longer want the order.

8. How refunds are made

• Refunds are processed to the original payment method wherever possible.
• If an original payment method is not available (for example, expired card), we may arrange an EFT refund into a bank account in your name.
• Refund timing depends on payment gateway and banks, but is usually visible within a few working days after we process it.

9. Contact for returns and refunds

All refund and return queries must be directed to:

• Email: hello@nottinghamroadmeats.co.za