Refunds & Returns Policy

1. Our Commitment

At 2 Penguins, we take pride in delivering quality products and personalised experiences. If something is not right with your order, we want to hear from you and will do our best to make it right within the framework of this policy and the Consumer Protection Act, 68 of 2008 (CPA).

2. Eligibility for Returns

To be eligible for a return or refund, the following conditions must be met:

• You must notify us within 7 days of receiving your order by emailing returns@2penguins.co.za.
• The item must be unused, unworn, and in its original condition, with all original packaging intact.
• Proof of purchase (order confirmation or receipt) must be provided.
• Items must be returned within 14 days of the date you notified us.

3. Non-Returnable Items

The following items are not eligible for return or refund, unless they are defective or not as described:

• Custom or personalised items made to your specifications (names, logos, custom text, bespoke designs).
• Digital products or downloadable content.
• Items that have been used, washed, or altered after delivery.
• Items returned without prior notification or authorisation.

4. Defective, Damaged, or Incorrect Items

We take great care in preparing and packaging every order before dispatch. If there is an issue with your item, please use the correct notification window below — claims submitted outside these timeframes may not be accepted.

4a. Transit Damage (Damaged in Transit)

If your order arrives visibly damaged, you must notify us within 48 hours of delivery by emailing returns@2penguins.co.za. This timeframe is required because couriers impose strict claim windows, and late notifications cannot be processed.

To support your claim, please provide:

• Your order number.
• Photographs of the damaged item.
• Photographs of the outer packaging and all inner packaging (bubble wrap, tissue paper, etc.) exactly as received — please do not discard any packaging before photographing it.
• Where possible, a short unboxing video — this provides the clearest possible evidence of the condition of your parcel upon arrival and will significantly speed up your claim.

We photograph and document every order prior to dispatch. If an item left us in perfect condition and was damaged in transit where 2 Penguins arranged the courier, we will lodge a claim against the courier and provide you with a remedy at no cost to you.

Where a customer arranges their own courier or collection, risk passes to the customer at the point of handover, and 2 Penguins cannot be held liable for damage occurring after that point.

4b. Manufacturing Defects or Incorrect Items

If your item has a manufacturing defect, production fault, or was not produced as per your confirmed order (wrong item, wrong personalisation), please notify us within 7 days of delivery by emailing returns@2penguins.co.za.

Please provide:

• Your order number.
• A clear description of the defect or discrepancy.
• Photographs clearly showing the issue.

Important: This 7-day window applies to defects and errors only. It does not apply to change-of-mind situations, which are addressed in Section 5.

Remedies

Once we have assessed your claim, we will offer one of the following at our discretion:

• Replacement of the item.
• Repair of the defect (where applicable).
• Full or partial refund, depending on the nature of the issue.

We will not require you to return a defective item at your own expense where 2 Penguins arranged the courier.

5. Change of Mind

We do not accept returns for change of mind on personalised or custom items under any circumstances.

For standard (non-personalised) products, a change-of-mind return may be considered at our discretion, provided the item is unused and in its original packaging. If approved, please note the following deductions will apply:

• A 15% handling and restocking fee will be withheld from the refund.
• The actual payment processing fee charged by the payment gateway (Payfast, Yoco, or similar) at the time of purchase is non-refundable. These fees are retained by the payment provider and cannot be recovered by 2 Penguins.
• Original shipping costs are not refunded for change-of-mind returns.

The remaining balance, after these deductions, will be refunded to your original payment method within 7–10 business days of receiving and inspecting the returned item.

If you are unsure about a product before purchasing, please contact us at info@2penguins.co.za before placing your order.

6. Return Process

To initiate a return, follow these steps:

1. Email us at returns@2penguins.co.za with your order number and reason for return.
2. Wait for our written authorisation before sending anything back — unauthorised returns will not be accepted.
3. Once authorised, securely package the item and send it to the address provided in our response.
4. We recommend using a trackable delivery service, as we cannot be held responsible for items lost in return transit.

Return shipping costs are the customer’s responsibility, except where the item is defective or we made an error with your order.

7. Refund Processing

Once your return is received and inspected, we will notify you by email of the outcome. If approved:

• Refunds will be processed within 7–10 business days.
• Refunds will be issued to your original payment method (credit card, EFT, Payfast, Yoco, etc.).
• Please allow additional time for your bank or payment provider to process the credit.

We do not refund original shipping costs unless the return is due to our error or a defective product. For clarity, “our error” is defined as one or more of the following:

• We dispatched the wrong item (incorrect product, size, or variant).
• The item has a manufacturing or production defect.
• The item was damaged in transit where 2 Penguins arranged the courier.
• The personalisation was incorrectly executed and differs from what was confirmed in your order.

The following do not constitute our error, and original shipping costs will not be refunded in these cases:

• The customer changed their mind.
• The customer ordered the wrong size or variant.
• The customer did not read the product description prior to purchasing.
• The personalisation is exactly as ordered but the customer is dissatisfied with the outcome.
• Colour variation resulting from differences in screen calibration between devices — please note that colours may appear slightly different on different screens, and this does not constitute a defect.

8. Exchanges

We do not offer direct exchanges at this time. If you require a different item, please return the original (if eligible) and place a new order.

9. Order Cancellations

9a. Cancellation Before Production Begins

If you need to cancel an order that has not yet entered production, please contact us immediately at cancelled@2penguins.co.za. We will do our best to accommodate the cancellation.

If the cancellation is confirmed before production has commenced, you will receive a full refund, minus the actual payment processing fee charged by the payment gateway, which is non-refundable regardless of cancellation.

9b. Cancellation of Personalised or Custom Items Mid-Production

Production is deemed to have commenced from the moment your order is confirmed and payment is cleared. By placing an order for a personalised or custom item, you acknowledge and agree to this condition — this acceptance is confirmed at checkout when you agree to our Terms and Conditions.

Once production has commenced on a personalised or custom item:

• The order cannot be cancelled.
• The item is non-refundable.
• A minimum of 60% of the order value will be withheld in the event of any dispute or exceptional circumstance considered at our sole discretion.

This position exists because 2 Penguins sources materials and engages suppliers or begins in-house production immediately upon order confirmation. Our suppliers do not accept mid-production cancellations, and materials and labour costs are committed from the outset. We appreciate your understanding of this necessary policy.

10. Personalisation Amendments

We understand that mistakes happen. To protect both our customers and our production process, the following amendment policy applies:

Amendment Window — 2 Hours from Order Confirmation

You have 2 hours from the time of your order confirmation email to contact us at cancelled@2penguins.co.za to request a correction to your personalisation details (spelling, names, dates, wording, etc.).

Amendments requested within this window will be accommodated at no charge, subject to production not having commenced.

Amendments After the 2-Hour Window

After the 2-hour window has closed, production is assumed to have commenced and amendments cannot be guaranteed. If you contact us after this window:

• If production has not yet started, an amendment may be possible but will incur an administration and amendment fee of R100 (inclusive of VAT).
• If production has already started, the original item will proceed exactly as per your confirmed order. A corrected version will be treated as a brand new order at full price.

Customer Responsibility for Personalisation Details

The customer is solely responsible for checking and verifying all personalisation details — including spelling, names, dates, punctuation, and wording — before submitting their order. 2 Penguins will produce items exactly as specified in the confirmed order. We cannot be held liable for errors in details submitted by the customer.

Please double-check everything carefully before completing your purchase. If you are unsure about anything, contact us at info@2penguins.co.za before placing your order.

11. Governing Law

This policy is governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa, including the Consumer Protection Act, 68 of 2008, and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, 25 of 2002. Any disputes will be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts in Johannesburg, Gauteng.

12. Contact Us

For any questions, concerns, or requests, please contact the correct department below:

General Enquiries: info@2penguins.co.za

Returns & Refunds: returns@2penguins.co.za

Order Cancellations & Amendments: cancelled@2penguins.co.za

Website: www.2penguins.co.za

We aim to respond to all queries within 1–2 business days.

2 Penguins | Personalised With Purpose