Refund policy

Returns & Refunds Policy

Dirty Pawz trading as Dirty Pawz
Last updated: 28 July 2026

This policy explains how returns, refunds and exchanges work at Dirty Paws. It is written to comply with the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 ("CPA") and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 ("ECTA").

Nothing in this policy limits, waives or takes away any right you have under South African law. Where anything here conflicts with the CPA or ECTA, the law applies.

1. Your rights at a glance

Situation	Timeframe	Who pays return shipping
Changed your mind	7 days from delivery	You
Wrong or damaged on arrival	7 days from delivery	We do
Item is defective or fails	6 months from delivery	We do
Order not yet dispatched	Any time before dispatch	N/A

2. Changed your mind (7-day cooling-off period)

Because you bought online, section 44 of ECTA gives you the right to cancel your order within 7 days of receiving it, for any reason, without penalty and without having to explain yourself.

To use this right:

Email us at [RETURNS EMAIL] within 7 days of delivery with your order number.
Send the item back to the address we give you.
You pay the cost of returning the item. This is the only charge you'll carry.
We refund the full purchase price, including the original delivery fee you paid, within 30 days of receiving your cancellation.

Please return the item with its packaging and any included parts where you can. This isn't a condition of your cooling-off right, but it helps us process the refund quickly.

This right does not apply to goods made or personalized to your specification, and goods that by their nature cannot be returned once opened. We'll tell you clearly on the product page if anything falls into these categories.

3. Damaged, incorrect or missing items

Please check your parcel when it arrives.

If something arrived damaged, is the wrong item, or is missing from your order, contact us within 7 days of delivery at dirtypawsza@gmail.com with:

Your order number
A photo of the item and the packaging it arrived in

We'll arrange collection or reimburse your return postage, and then either replace the item or refund you in full — your choice. You pay nothing.

4. Faulty or defective items (6-month warranty)

Section 56 of the CPA gives you a 6-month implied warranty on everything we sell. If, within 6 months of delivery, an item fails, breaks under normal use, or turns out not to be suitable for its ordinary purpose, you may return it at our risk and expense.

You choose which of these you'd like:

a repair, or
a replacement, or
a full refund

We don't get to choose for you. If we repair an item and the same problem happens again within 3 months of the repair, you're entitled to a replacement or a full refund.

To claim, email dirtypawsza@gmail.com with your order number and a short description of the fault, with photos or a short video if you can.

5. What the warranty doesn't cover

The 6-month warranty in section 4 covers defects — a fault in the materials, workmanship or design that makes an item fail under normal use. It doesn't cover damage or deterioration that happens for other reasons. Specifically:

Normal wear and tear. Scratches, scuffs, fading, and wear to seals, hinges, clips and moving parts from ordinary use over time is expected and isn't a defect.

Damage from use outside the product's normal purpose, including:

drops, knocks, crushing or being run over
chewing, clawing or other damage caused by an animal
dishwasher, microwave, freezer or steriliser use where the product isn't marked as safe for it
cleaning with solvents, bleach, or abrasive scourers
leaving the product in a hot car, in direct sun for long periods, or exposed to extreme heat

Items that were:

altered, dismantled, or repaired by anyone other than us or a repairer we approved
damaged by misuse, accident or neglect after delivery
sold to you with a specific fault or condition disclosed on the product page, which you accepted at the time of purchase

We also can't refund or replace:

gift cards or vouchers
an item you simply no longer want, outside the 7-day cooling-off period in section 2

None of the above removes a right the CPA gives you. These points describe damage and situations that fall outside the section 56 warranty in the first place — they don't shorten it, waive it, or contract out of it. If an item has a genuine defect, your rights under section 4 apply in full, regardless of anything in this section.

6. How to return something

Email dirtypawsza@gmail.com with your order number and what's wrong. Please don't post anything back before you hear from us — we need to log it first.
We reply within 1-3 business days with a return reference and the return address.
Pack the item securely. Write your return reference on the outside of the parcel.
Send it and email us the tracking number.
We inspect and process within 1-3 business days of the parcel arriving.

Returns sent without a return reference may take longer to process, as we may not be able to match the parcel to your order.

7. Refunds

Refunds go back to the original payment method. We can't refund to a different card or account.
Once approved, we process the refund within 1-3 business days. Your bank or card provider may take a further 3–10 business days to show it.
Where the law sets an outer limit — such as the 30-day period for cooling-off cancellations under ECTA — we'll always refund within it.
If you'd prefer store credit or an exchange instead of a refund, just say so when you contact us.

8. Exchanges

We're happy to exchange an item, subject to availability. Follow the return process above and tell us what you'd like instead. If the replacement costs more, we'll send you a payment link for the difference. If it costs less, we refund the difference.

9. Cancelling before dispatch

If you'd like to cancel before your order has shipped, email dirtypawsza@gmail.com as soon as you can and we'll cancel it and refund you in full. Once a parcel has been handed to Aramex, the return process above applies instead.

10. Our leak-proof promise

Separately from your legal rights, we promise that if a Dirty Paws bottle leaks in your bag under normal use, we'll replace it. Message us and we'll sort it out. This promise is in addition to everything above, and it doesn't replace or reduce any right the CPA gives you.

11. Getting hold of us

Email: dirtypawsza@gmail.com
Hours: Monday–Friday, 09:00–17:00

If you're unhappy with how we've handled a return, you may refer the matter to the National Consumer Commission or the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (cgso.org.za).