Refunds & delivery policy

Each lot shows its delivery options before you bid:

• Courier to your address anywhere in South Africa, for the fixed courier fee the seller has set. The fee is shown on the lot and added at checkout.
• Collection from the seller, free of charge, in the town shown on the lot.

You choose courier or collection at checkout, for each lot. All amounts are shown before you pay.

After you pay, the seller must hand your item over within 3 working days: either give it to the courier or arrange a collection time with you. Courier transit time comes on top of this and is usually a few working days, depending on the courier and your area.

For courier delivery the seller adds the waybill (tracking) number on the platform, and you can see it in My account. For collection, you'll see the seller's name, phone number and town after payment, so you can arrange a time. Please meet in a safe place.

We email you when the seller has handed your item over, and remind the seller if they haven't.

When the item arrives, check it against the photos and description, then press Confirm I've received it in My account. Only then is the seller paid. Until you confirm (or report a problem), your money stays with Arete Equestrian.

If you don't confirm or report a problem in time, we treat the item as received and pay the seller:

• Collection: 3 days after the seller marks it as collected.
• Courier: 5 days after it's delivered, or 10 days after the seller sends it if no delivery date is recorded.

The exact date is shown in My account, and we email you a reminder the day before. This keeps things fair for sellers, who can't be paid until the sale is complete.

Risk in the item passes to you when the courier delivers it to your address, or when you collect it.

You will get a full refund of what you paid for the lot (the winning bid, Arete's commission and any courier fee) if:

• the seller does not hand the item over, or
• the item is lost or not delivered by the courier, or
• the item is materially different from its description (for example, the wrong size, undisclosed damage or missing parts) and is returned to the seller.

Where an item has a smaller problem that you're willing to keep it with, we may agree a partial refund with you instead.

• Change of mind. Every bid is a binding offer and auction sales are final. Because lots are sold by auction, the 7-day cooling-off period for online purchases does not apply.
• Normal wear that matches the photos, description and condition grade. Most items are pre-loved.
• Fit or suitability, for example a saddle that doesn't suit your horse, where the size and details were described correctly.
• After you've confirmed receipt, or after the item has been treated as received (section 3).

Nothing in this policy takes away rights you have under the Consumer Protection Act where it applies.

1. In My account, open the item and press Report a problem, before confirming receipt and before the date shown there. Tell us what's wrong; photos help.
2. The seller's payment is put on hold straight away.
3. We hear both sides and may ask for more photos or for the item to be sent back. Keep the item, its packaging and any labels until it's resolved.
4. We decide fairly and in good faith whether to refund you (fully or partly) or release the payment to the seller, and tell you both.

Returns: if an item has to go back, we'll tell you how to return it. Once a return is agreed, please send the item back within 5 working days and give us the tracking number; if it isn't sent back in time, we may close the problem and pay the seller. If the item was not as described, the seller pays the return courier; otherwise the buyer does. The refund is paid once the seller has the item back.

Refunds go back to the card you paid with, through our payment provider Yoco. We process a refund within 3 working days of our decision; your bank may take a few more days to show it.

Describe items honestly, show any wear or damage in the photos, pack courier items properly and hand over within 3 working days. You're paid 100% of the winning bid (plus the courier fee, if the buyer chose courier) by EFT once the buyer confirms receipt or a dispute is resolved in your favour. If you don't hand a paid item over, the buyer is refunded, the sale is cancelled and your account may be suspended.

Questions about a delivery or refund? Contact Uvonique van Heerden on 079 504 0110 or info@areteequestrian.co.za.