Refund & Returns Policy

Family Marketplace (Pty) Ltd (“we”, “us”, “our”) operates as a classified marketplace platform connecting buyers and sellers across South Africa. This policy outlines how refunds are handled for platform subscription fees and paid services, as well as guidance for buyer-seller disputes.

This policy complies with the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (CPA) and applies to all transactions processed through our platform via PayFast and Paystack.

Cooling-Off Period:

• You have 5 business days from the date of purchase to cancel a new subscription and receive a full refund, in accordance with the Consumer Protection Act.
• This cooling-off period applies to first-time purchases of any membership tier.
• Renewals are not eligible for the cooling-off period unless required by law.

Refund Eligibility:

• Full refund if the subscription is cancelled within the 5-business-day cooling-off period.
• Pro-rata refund if we permanently shut down a paid feature you subscribed for.
• Full refund if you were incorrectly charged due to a technical error on our platform.
• No refund for partial months after the cooling-off period has elapsed.
• No refund if your account is suspended due to violation of our Terms of Service.

How to Request a Subscription Refund:

1. Email support@familymarketplace.co.za with subject line: “Refund Request – [Your Account Email]”
2. Include your full name, account email, transaction reference number, and reason for refund.
3. We will respond within 3 business days.
4. Approved refunds are processed within 7–10 business days to your original payment method.

Family Marketplace is a classified listing platform. Most transactions occur directly between buyers and sellers. We are not a party to individual sale agreements between users.

Your rights as a buyer:

• Under the Consumer Protection Act, goods must be of good quality, fit for purpose, and as described.
• If goods are defective, not as described, or not delivered, you may be entitled to a refund, repair, or replacement from the seller.
• You have the right to return defective goods within 6 months of purchase for a repair, replacement, or refund at your election.

Dispute Resolution:

• First, contact the seller directly through our messaging system to resolve the dispute.
• If unresolved within 5 business days, submit a dispute via our Report page or email disputes@familymarketplace.co.za.
• We will mediate but cannot guarantee outcomes as we are not a party to the transaction.
• Unresolved disputes may be escalated to the National Consumer Commission (NCC) at www.thencc.gov.za.

The following are not eligible for refunds:

• Listing promotion or boost fees once the promotion has commenced.
• AI search credits that have been consumed.
• Subscription fees after the 5-business-day cooling-off period has elapsed.
• Accounts suspended for violation of our Terms of Service.
• Transaction fees charged by PayFast or Paystack (these are the payment gateway's fees, not ours).

For all refund and return queries:

• Email: support@familymarketplace.co.za
• Disputes: disputes@familymarketplace.co.za
• Response time: Within 3 business days
• Online form: Contact Us