Your money is held in escrow until you confirm delivery, so a problem with an order can be resolved before the seller is paid. You have 48 hours after delivery to raise a problem with an order, and up to 7 days to request a return.
Cancel before dispatch
If you change your mind before the seller dispatches the order or hands it to a driver, cancel from your Orders page or contact the seller. You get a full refund of the item price and delivery fee.
Cooling-off right (online sales)
Under section 20 of the Consumer Protection Act you may cancel an online purchase within 7 business days after delivery and get a refund, provided the goods are unused and still in their original packaging. You are responsible for the cost of returning the goods, and the cooling-off right does not apply to custom-made goods, perishable items, sealed items that have been opened for hygiene reasons, or goods that cannot be returned for health or safety reasons.
Defective or unsafe goods
If goods are defective, unsafe or not fit for purpose, you may return them within 6 months of delivery and choose a repair, a replacement or a full refund. The seller may not charge you for returning defective goods.
If a dispute is valid (wrong item, damaged, not delivered or not as described)
You get a full refund of the item price and delivery fee, paid back to your original payment method through Paystack within 5 business days of approval. The seller is notified and must arrange collection of the item. Where a return has been approved, we arrange the return and the seller's payout is adjusted accordingly.
Food orders
Perishable food cannot be returned. If your food order is wrong, cold, damaged, missing items or never delivered, report it within 48 hours of the delivery or collection time for a refund or a replacement. Food is paid in the app before preparation, so there is no cash on delivery.
Delivery fees
A Sailor Delivery fee is refunded where the order was not delivered to you. It is not refunded where the delivery was completed, or where it could not be completed because you were unreachable, refused the order, or gave an incorrect address.
Auto-release
If no dispute or return is logged within 7 days after delivery, the escrow funds are automatically released to the seller and the sale is treated as final.
Non-refundable items
Digital services, custom or personalised goods, perishable food, and personal-hygiene items that have been opened are non-refundable unless they were not delivered, are defective, or are not as described.
How to raise a dispute or return
Open the order on your Orders page and use the dispute or return option, with photos where possible. You can also email sailormarketplacesa@gmail.com. We review evidence from both sides before deciding, and we may act against sellers who repeatedly cause valid disputes — see our Seller Terms.
Subscription plan and listing pack fees
Seller plan fees are paid in advance through Paystack for the billing cycle chosen. Plan fees are not refundable for a part-used cycle, but we will refund a charge where the platform could not provide the plan service you paid for.
A Special Listing pack is billed at R5 per listing per month, from 12 listings, and covers one month from the date of payment. It does not renew automatically. The pack fee is not refunded for a part-used month, including where you listed fewer items than your allowance or stopped selling during the month. If a pack is bought twice in error, or a payment was taken without the pack being activated, contact us and we will refund the duplicate or failed activation in full.