This returns policy (“Returns Policy”) of SOVIET DENIM (henceforth “SOVIET”) and the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (“CPA”) and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 ("ECT"), the latter being applicable to purchases from the SOVIET website, operates subject to, and in compliance with those Acts. However, some credits can be processed at the discretion of SOVIET’s management. This Returns Policy also applies to lay-by merchandise.

If the merchandise was purchased on sale or on promotion, then the exchange or refund will be to the value of the amount actually paid for the merchandise, being the discounted price as per the discounted value indicated on the till slip. 

Once an order has been placed and processed, no changes can be made to its delivery destination or the contents of the order. Any changes will be administered through the returns process, resulting in either a refund or an exchange. 

Website orders and purchases are all administered by using the SOVIET Customer Service email: support@sovietdenim.co.za. 

1. Non-Defective Merchandise:

1.1. Non-Sale and Non-Promotional Items
1.1.1. Non-sale and non-promotional items include merchandise not purchased on sale or on promotion.
1.1.2. Customers can return merchandise for a refund or exchange within 60 (sixty) days of the date of purchase if purchased at a store, or 14 (fourteen days) from date of delivery if purchased off the SOVIET website in line with the statutory cooling-off right under ECT, provided that:
1.1.2.1. The merchandise is in its original or the same condition and packaging (original packaging is required for footwear merchandise);
1.1.2.2. The merchandise has not been worn or used;
1.1.2.3. The price (swing) ticket and labels are attached to the merchandise or its packaging;
1.1.2.4. The original till slip or invoice that accompanied the website purchase, as proof of purchase, is presented;
1.1.2.5. Merchandise sold with promotional gifts is returned together with the promotional gift;
1.1.2.6. The merchandise is returned in the country of purchase.

1.2. Sale and Promotional Items
1.2.1. Sale and promotional items include all merchandise purchased on sale or on promotion.
1.2.2. Customers can return merchandise purchased on a sale or a promotion for a refund or exchange within 7 (seven) days of the date of purchase (this applies to change-of-mind returns and defective goods remain covered for 6 months), provided that:
1.2.2.1. The merchandise is in its original or the same condition and packaging (original packaging is required for footwear merchandise);
1.2.2.2. The merchandise has not been worn or used;
1.2.2.3. The price (swing) ticket and labels are attached to the merchandise or its packaging;
1.2.2.4. The original till slip or invoice that accompanied the website purchase, as proof of purchase, is presented;
1.2.2.5. Merchandise sold with promotional gifts is returned together with the promotional gift;
1.2.2.6. The merchandise is returned in the country of purchase.

2. Defective Merchandise:
2.1. Customers will be entitled, at their election, to a refund, repair or to exchange any purchased merchandise that does not comply with the provisions of Section 55 of the CPA (“Defective Merchandise”) provided that:
2.1.1. Such Defective Merchandise is returned within 6 (six) months of the date of purchase or date of delivery for lay-by purchases;
2.1.2. The customer presents proof of purchase;
2.1.3. The Defective Merchandise has been used for its intended purpose;
2.1.4. The Defective Merchandise is returned in the country of purchase.
2.2. The provisions of clause 2.1 above apply to all items, including sale items or items bought on promotion.

2.3. Should a customer elect to have the Defective Merchandise repaired, the repaired item will have a three-month warranty in respect of the repairs and if the repaired item is still defective after the repair the customer will be entitled to either a refund or an exchange.

2.4. Merchandise will not be regarded as defective and a customer will not be entitled to a refund or repair or an exchange in circumstances where the faults in the merchandise result from:
2.4.1. Normal wear and tear;
2.4.2. Negligence or damage arising from misuse and/or improper or inadequate care of the merchandise;
2.4.3. Where the items have been altered or dealt with or used contrary to the manufacturer’s instructions. 

3. Incorrect Merchandise or Incorrectly Delivered Merchandise:
3.1. Incorrect or incorrectly delivered merchandise purchased off the SOVIET website will be collected at no charge to the customer on the condition that:
3.1.1. The merchandise is in its original or the same condition and packaging;
3.1.2. The merchandise has not been worn or used;
3.1.3. The price (swing) ticket and labels are attached to the merchandise or its packaging;
3.1.4. Merchandise sold with promotional gifts is returned together with the promotional gift;
3.1.5. The merchandise is returned in the country of purchase.

3.2. An exchange, credit or refund, will be given within 30 days of receiving the parcel back from the customer, if the return is deemed valid.

3.3. SOVIET's Customer Service will provide the customer with a waybill for the collection, where this waybill or the waybill reference number must be used for all returns and exchanges. If the issued waybill number is not used then SOVIET will not reimburse alternative courier costs unless prior written approval is obtained.

4. Exclusions:
4.1. A customer may not return the following:
4.1.1. Merchandise that a customer or any other person has altered, repaired, incorporated or added to and such alteration, repair, incorporation or addition has not been authorised and agreed to in writing by SOVIET; and
4.1.2. Any soiled items (if also not defective).
4.1.3. For hygiene reasons undergarments will not be exchanged.

5. Return Charge:
5.1. Collection and courier charges for returns, referred to as a Return Charge, will be charged to the customer for returns of merchandise purchased from the SOVIET website, except for instances of defective merchandise, incorrect merchandise, or incorrectly delivered merchandise.

5.2. Collection and courier charges will be charged at the rate of R 65. If the initial order qualified for a free delivery, then the collection and courier charges will be charged at the same R 65.
5.3. The Return Charge will be deducted from the amount to be refunded to the customer, once the returned product has been processed by the SOVIET returns department.

5.4. Where the inspection of a returned product concludes that the reported damage or quality issue falls outside the scope of a manufacturing defect, including instances attributable to normal wear and tear, the customer will bear sole responsibility for, and all costs associated with, arranging the retrieval and transport of the returned merchandise from SOVIET’s head office. Items not collected within 30 working days may be disposed of.

6. Refunds:
6.1. In the event that a customer qualifies for a refund in terms of this Returns Policy and has complied with all the relevant provisions of this Returns Policy, SOVIET will refund the customer the full purchase price paid for the refunded merchandise, which does not include the shipping charges for either the initial order or the Returns Charge. 

6.2. Similarly, if the merchandise was purchased on sale or on promotion, then SOVIET will refund the customer the amount actually paid for the merchandise only, being the discounted price as per the discounted value as indicated on the till slip. 

6.3. Authorised refunds will be made as follows: 
6.3.1. Cash, debit card or SOVIET gift card purchases will be refunded to the customer in cash, or if the customer agrees, the refund may be made in the form of a SOVIET gift card (Regarding debit card refunds, the Payments Association of South Africa (PASA) discourages refunds being done with debit cards);
6.3.2. Gift card purchases will be refunded with gift cards to the value of the amount actually paid for the merchandise; 
6.3.3. Credit card purchases will be refunded to the credit card used to make the initial purchase.
6.3.4. For payments made through a payment gateway service provider, the refund will be done through the payment service provider only. This means that the payment gateway service provider (Pay Just Now, Payflex, or Payfast) will refund the credit to the customer’s account.

6.4. The SOVIET website’s administrators will only facilitate returns for orders purchased from the SOVIET website. SOVIET stores on the other hand will facilitate returns of merchandise purchased from physical stores as well as those purchased from the website.

7. Exchanges:
7.1. f a customer requires an exchange on an order, then customer can place a new order for the desired item while separately logging a return for the originally purchased item through SOVIET’s customer service. This ensures that the customer receives their correct order as quickly as possible. Once the return has been processed in accordance with SOVIET’s returns policy, the customer will be refunded the value of the returned item, minus the Return Charge.

Customer Service can be contacted by means of the support email, support@sovietdenim.co.za, or telephonically at +27.11.061.0500.

 
LOG A RETURN

LOGGING A HASSLE-FREE RETURN: YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS

1) Free In-Store Return
You can exchange or have an online order refunded at any of our physical Soviet retail stores within 14 days of the purchase date. Bring along your proof of purchase (your digital order confirmation email will do) and the return items in their original condition and original packaging. Read our Returns Policy for more detail.

2) Hassle-Free Online Return
Request an online return within 14 days of receipt of the order and we'll send a courier to collect your return. Follow the instructions below and email us using the contact form provided below. Read our Returns Policy for more detail.

Online Exchange
• In the contact form below, send us your order number, the item’s style name, colour, and the size that you are returning.
• For exchanges, place a new order for the product you now want. This ensures that you secure the item that you want. Once the returned items from the initial step are processed by SOVIET’s returns department, a refund will be done against the original purchase value of the product, minus the return charge of R65.
• An online exchange can take anywhere between 5 to 15 business days (excluding public holidays and weekends) from the date of a successful collection. This allows time to collect, receive, and quality check the return item before refunding you.

Online Refund
• In the contact form below, send us your order number, the item style name, colour, and size you are returning and the reason for your return.
• You will not be refunded for your original shipping fee but only for the returned item itself.
• You will be refunded via the payment gateway that you used to complete your purchase.
• An online return for a refund will take anywhere between 5 to 25 business days (excluding public holidays and weekends), from the date of a successful collection. This allows time to collect, receive, quality check the return, and initiate your refund via the relevant payment gateway. The payment gateway provider will then process your refund so that it reflects within 2 to 10 working days.
• Please note that should our quality check find that the reported damage or quality issue is not a manufacturing defect but is instead the result of normal wear and tear, you will not qualify for a refund. In this event, you will be solely responsible for arranging and covering the cost of having the returned item collected and transported back to you from our head office. Items not collected within 30 working days may be disposed of.
• In an event that a customer has opted for a store credit as a form of refund; the credit amount will be loaded directly on your account profile. Store credit is a digital balance tied directly to your customer account that works just like cash on our site. To use it, simply log in before you head to checkout; your available balance will be automatically suggested as a payment method. Please note that store credit is non-transferable, cannot be exchanged for cash, and (unless otherwise stated) never expires. You can check your current balance at any time by visiting your account profile page. 

STORE CREDIT TERMS & CONDITIONS

1) General Policy
• Nature of Credit: Store credit is a digital currency issued by Soviet that can be used solely for purchases on our website (www.sovietdenim.com). It is not a credit card, debit card, or legal tender.
• Account Requirement: To receive and use store credit, customers must have a registered account on our store. Credit is tied to the specific email address used at the time of issuance and is non-transferable.

2) Issuance & Refunds
• Returns: In the event of a return, you may be offered store credit instead of a refund to your original payment method. Once issued, store credit cannot be "cashed out" or converted back into a refund to your bank account.
• Promotional Store Credits: From time to time, we may issue promotional store credit (e.g. as a loyalty reward or promotion/marketing). These may be subject to additional specific campaign policy.

3) Usage & Redemption
• How to Redeem: When logged in, your available balance will appear as a payment option at checkout.
• Full Application: Our website system applies the full available balance toward your order. You cannot choose to use only a partial amount of your credit if the balance is less than the order total.
• Stackability: Store credit can typically be combined with discount codes and shipping promotions, unless otherwise stated.
• Exclusions: Store credit cannot be used to purchase Gift Cards.

4) Expiration & Balances
1.1 Expiration
a) Scenario 1 (No Expiry): Store credit issued for returns does not expire.
b) Scenario 2 (With Expiry): Promotional/marketing store credit expires in 3 months from the date of issuance.
1.2 Balance Tracking: You can view your current balance at any time by logging into your account profile page.

5) Legal Compliance
• Store credit is non-refundable and cannot be exchanged for cash, except where required by law.
• Soviet reserves the right to cancel store credit if we suspect fraudulent activity or a violation of our Terms of Service.

RETURNS POLICY ON RECEIPTS 

New text for till slips:

“We will gladly accept any return that is in line with the SOVIET Returns Policy, which can be found on our website (www.sovietdenim.com) and within stores.”