Return & Refund Policy

Afrimarts is a marketplace — we connect independent, verified vendors with buyers across Cameroon. We don't manufacture or stock the products sold on the platform, so each vendor sets a return, exchange, and refund policy that fits their own products and business (for example, a fresh-food vendor, a fashion boutique, and an electronics store each have very different needs). This page explains that framework, the baseline protections Afrimarts applies to every order regardless of a vendor's specific terms, and — importantly — what you need to know about payments and delivery confirmation to stay protected.

Overview

When you buy on Afrimarts, you're buying directly from the vendor operating that store — Afrimarts provides the platform, secure checkout, order tracking, and dispute support that sits over the top of that relationship.

Because vendors sell very different types of products — perishable food, made-to-order fashion, electronics, beauty products, and more — a single, rigid return window doesn't work well for everyone. Instead:

Vendors set their own terms

Each vendor publishes their own return window, conditions, and exceptions based on what they sell and how they run their business.

Afrimarts sets a baseline

Regardless of a vendor's stated policy, every buyer is protected against items that are damaged, defective, or not as described.

We help when things go wrong

If you and a vendor can't resolve a return between yourselves, Afrimarts support can step in and help mediate a fair outcome.

Vendor-Specific Return Policies

Return policies can and do vary from vendor to vendor, and even from product to product within the same store. A vendor selling made-to-order jewelry, for instance, may only accept returns for manufacturing defects, while a vendor selling packaged electronics may offer a longer window with proof of purchase.

Before you buy, always check:

The product page — many listings include product-specific return notes (e.g. "final sale," "returnable within 3 days if unopened").
The vendor's shop/profile page, where store-wide policies, processing times, and contact details are listed.
Any policy shared directly by the vendor when you message them about an order — keep this in writing through Afrimarts messenger so it's on record.

Why this matters

A vendor is free to set stricter or more generous terms than the platform baseline below, as long as those terms are clearly stated before you complete your purchase. If a vendor's listing doesn't specify anything, the Afrimarts baseline protections in this policy apply by default.

Items That Are Typically Non-Returnable

Across most vendors, the following categories are commonly excluded from returns unless the item arrives damaged, defective, or significantly different from its description — always confirm on the specific product or vendor page:

Perishable goods — fresh food, produce, and other items with a short shelf life.
Opened personal care, hygiene, or beauty products — for health and safety reasons.
Custom, made-to-order, or personalized items — produced specifically for your order.
Digital products or downloadable content, once accessed or delivered.
Clearance or "final sale" items, where clearly labelled as such at checkout.
Undergarments, swimwear, and similar intimate apparel, once tags are removed.

This list is a general guide, not an exhaustive rule — a vendor may extend returns to some of these categories, and product pages always take precedence over this general list.

Damaged, Defective, or Wrong Item

This is the one area where Afrimarts applies the same baseline protection to every order, no matter what the individual vendor's return policy says. If the item you received:

arrived damaged or defective,
is materially different from what was described or shown on the product page, or
is the wrong item entirely,

you're entitled to a replacement or a refund. Report this as soon as possible after delivery — ideally within 48 hours — with clear photos or a short video of the item and its packaging, and your order number. Reporting promptly makes it far easier for us to resolve the case in your favour.

How to Request a Return or Refund

Open your order. Go to My Account → My Orders and find the order you want to return.
Contact the vendor first. Use the "Message Vendor" / Afrimarts messenger option on the order to explain the issue and share photos if relevant. Most return requests are resolved directly with the vendor.
Follow the vendor's return steps. If the vendor accepts the return, they'll confirm how and where to send the item back, or arrange a pickup, and the applicable refund or replacement.
Escalate if needed. If the vendor is unresponsive or you can't reach a fair resolution together, open a dispute or contact Afrimarts support directly with your order number and message history — see Disputes below.

Refunds

Once a return or refund is approved — either by the vendor or by Afrimarts support following a dispute — refunds are processed back to you, typically as credit to your Afrimarts wallet or to the original mobile money / card payment method used at checkout, depending on the case.

Scenario	Typical outcome
Order cancelled before it ships	Full refund of the amount paid on Afrimarts.
Vendor approves your return	Refund or replacement, per the vendor's stated terms.
Item damaged, defective, or not as described	Full refund or replacement, regardless of the vendor's general return policy.
Dispute resolved by Afrimarts support	Refund (full or partial) or replacement, based on the evidence provided.

Refund processing times can vary by payment method and vendor responsiveness; support will keep you updated on the status of your case.

Payments & Buyer Assurance

Afrimarts' return, refund, and dispute protections only apply to payments made through Afrimarts' own checkout — by card, mobile money, or any other method offered directly at checkout on the platform.

Never pay a vendor outside of Afrimarts

Always complete payment through the Afrimarts checkout — this is what gives you Assurance: order tracking, buyer protection, and access to returns, refunds, and dispute resolution.
If you send money directly to a vendor — by mobile money, bank transfer, or cash — outside of the Afrimarts checkout, that transaction is strictly between you and the vendor.
Afrimarts has no visibility into off-platform payments and cannot process a refund, replacement, or dispute for them. Afrimarts bears no responsibility for money sent outside the platform, under any circumstances.
A vendor asking you to pay them directly instead of through Afrimarts checkout is a red flag — please report it to Afrimarts support immediately.

Confirming Delivery

Once your order is marked as shipped, you'll be asked to confirm delivery on the platform after you receive it. This confirmation matters more than it might seem:

Confirming delivery releases payment to the vendor

As soon as you mark an order as "Delivered" / "Received", Afrimarts treats the transaction as complete and releases the vendor's payment from escrow to their wallet. This happens immediately and is difficult to reverse.

Only confirm delivery once you have physically received the item and had a chance to check that it matches your order.
If you mark an order as delivered before it has actually arrived — or without checking it — and it later turns out to be missing, wrong, or damaged, that outcome is your own responsibility. Afrimarts and the vendor are entitled to treat the order as successfully completed once you've confirmed it.
If your item genuinely hasn't arrived, do not confirm delivery — instead contact the vendor or Afrimarts support so the order can be investigated while payment is still held safely in escrow.

Disputes & Escalation

Most return and refund requests are resolved directly between buyers and vendors through Afrimarts messenger. If that doesn't lead to a fair outcome:

Contact Afrimarts support with your order number, a summary of the issue, and any photos or messages exchanged with the vendor.
Support will review the case, may reach out to the vendor for their side, and will decide on a fair resolution — which can include a refund, partial refund, replacement, or upholding the vendor's decision.
Disputes are only possible for payments made through Afrimarts checkout — see Payments & Assurance above.

This policy describes how returns, refunds, and payment protection generally work on Afrimarts, and individual vendor policies may add further detail. It doesn't replace applicable consumer protection law, and Afrimarts may update this policy from time to time as the platform evolves; the "Last updated" date above reflects the most recent revision. For anything specific to your order, the fastest answer is usually the product page, the vendor's shop page, or our support team.

Need help with a return?

Message the vendor first — if you're stuck, our support team is ready to step in.

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