Refund policy

Last updated: 10 September 2026

At Exhale Nutrition, we want you to feel confident every time you order. This policy explains your rights, how returns work, and what we can and can't accept — in line with South Africa's Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (CPA) and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 (ECTA).

1. Our Promise

  • If something arrives damaged, defective, or wrong, we'll fix it — full stop. You choose a repair, replacement, or refund.
  • If you simply change your mind, you can return an unopened, sealed product within 7 days of delivery.
  • Because our products are consumable health and nutrition items, once a sachet or tub has been opened we can't resell it — so opened products can only be returned if something is genuinely wrong with them (see Section 3).

2. Change-of-Mind Returns (7-Day Cooling-Off)

You may cancel your order and return a product for any reason within 7 days of receiving it, under ECTA Section 44. To qualify:

  • You must notify us within 7 days of delivery.
  • The product must be unopened, unused, and in its original, sealed packaging with the hygiene seal intact.
  • You must provide proof of purchase (order number or receipt).
  • You cover the direct cost of returning the item to us.

Once we receive and inspect the returned item, we'll refund the product price to your original payment method within 7 business days — well within the 30-day maximum ECTA allows. Please see Section 7 for how our built-in delivery fee is treated in this refund.

Note: Because Exhale products are consumable nutrition items intended for regular, everyday use, ECTA's own exclusions (Section 42) already carve out this category of goods from the mandatory cooling-off right. We're extending this 7-day window anyway as a goodwill commitment to unopened products — it's not the legal minimum, it's simply how we'd want to be treated as a customer. This also means we can hold firm on the "unopened only" condition without it being unfair.

3. Faulty, Damaged, or Incorrect Items (6-Month Quality Warranty)

Under CPA Sections 55 and 56, you're covered by an implied 6-month warranty of quality. If your product is:

  • Defective or faulty (e.g. sealed incorrectly, contaminated, doesn't dissolve properly)
  • Damaged in transit
  • Not what you ordered (wrong flavour, wrong pack size, missing items)
  • Unsafe or not as described

You can return it within 6 months of delivery — even if it's been opened, since the issue relates to the product itself, not your change of mind. In these cases:

  • We cover the return shipping cost.
  • You choose: repair, replacement, or a full refund (your call, not ours).
  • Please report transit damage or incorrect items within 48 hours of delivery, with photos — this helps us resolve it fast and hold our couriers accountable.

4. Exchanges

We don't currently offer direct swap-for-swap exchanges (e.g. sending a new pack before we've received the old one). Instead:

  • If your item qualifies under Section 2 or 3 above, request a return.
  • Once approved, place a new order for the product, flavour, or size you want.
  • Your refund for the returned item is processed separately, per the timelines above.

As our range grows, we may introduce direct exchanges for size or flavour — this policy will be updated when that changes.

5. What We Can't Accept (Exclusions)

To keep this policy fair to every customer and protect product safety, the following are not eligible for a change-of-mind return or refund:

  • Sachets, tubs, or boxes that have been opened, used, or have a broken seal — for hygiene and safety reasons, we cannot resell these, and we can't verify what's happened to the product once it's left our control.
  • Requests made after the 7-day cooling-off window has passed (change-of-mind only — defect claims remain covered for 6 months).
  • Products with no proof of purchase or no valid Return Authorisation (see Section 6).
  • Returns based on personal results or effectiveness — supplements affect everyone differently based on diet, training, hydration, and individual response. “It didn't work for me” is not a product defect and isn't a valid return reason.
  • Damage caused by misuse, incorrect storage (e.g. left in heat, moisture, or direct sun), or use past the expiry/best-before date.
  • Items marked final sale or clearance at time of purchase (your statutory rights for genuinely defective goods still apply regardless).
  • Gift cards, discount vouchers, and free promotional items included with an order.

6. Return Process

  • Contact us first at care@drinkexhale.co.za within the applicable window, with your order number, reason for return, and photos if the item is damaged or incorrect.
  • We review your request and, if it qualifies, issue you a Return Authorisation (RA) number. Please don't send anything back without one — unauthorised returns won't be accepted or refunded.
  • Package the item securely (original packaging where possible) and post it to the address we provide, quoting your RA number.
  • We inspect the return on arrival, usually within 2–3 business days.
  • You're notified of the outcome — refund, replacement, or (if the item doesn't meet the criteria above) an explanation of why it can't be processed, with the item returned to you at your cost if you choose.

7. Refunds & Delivery Fees

Our product prices already include the cost of delivery — every order ships to you at no separate charge. This means the courier fee is not a line item we can refund independently; it is built into the price of the product itself and reflects a service (collection, transit, and delivery) that has already been carried out once your order is dispatched.

  • Change-of-mind returns: the portion of the price that covers our delivery cost (currently R80 per order) is non-refundable, in addition to you covering the cost of returning the item to us. The remaining product value is refunded to your original payment method within 7 business days of us receiving and approving the return.
  • Defective, damaged, or incorrectly supplied items: this deduction does not apply. You receive a full refund, including the built-in delivery amount, since the issue was not caused by you.
  • We don't charge restocking or admin fees on legitimate returns, over and above the delivery deduction described above.

Note: This clause protects Exhale from absorbing courier costs twice — once on the original outbound delivery, and again by refunding a fee that was never charged separately in the first place. It only applies to change-of-mind returns; customers are never out of pocket for our errors or for faulty goods.

8. Keeping This Fair for Everyone

  • Each order is eligible for one return request. Repeated or unusual return patterns on an account may be reviewed manually before approval.
  • We reserve the right to decline returns that don't meet the conditions above, or to offer store credit instead of a courier collection at our discretion for low-value items.
  • Deliberately false damage or defect claims may result in the order being declined and, for repeat cases, future orders being restricted.
  • None of the above limits your statutory rights under the CPA for genuinely defective, unsafe, or misrepresented products — those are always honoured.

9. Questions?

Reach out to us at care@drinkexhale.co.za.