Farm Products Express Refund & Returns Policy

REFUND & RETURNS POLICY

Cancellations, Refunds & Dispute Resolution

Effective: June 2026 | Version 3.0 | farmproducts-ex.co.bw

This policy governs all refund, return, replacement, and cancellation requests on the Farm Products Express platform. It applies to orders placed via farmproducts-ex.co.bw, our WhatsApp ordering channel, and the auction module. Orders placed via WhatsApp are subject to the same terms as web orders unless otherwise confirmed in writing by FPE.

1. Our Commitment

Farm Products Express is committed to fair, prompt, and practical resolution of all refund and return claims. We recognise the unique challenges of fresh agricultural produce — perishable goods, long-distance transport, and varying quality — and our policy reflects what is genuinely achievable in the Botswana context.

2. Key Definitions

Term	Meaning
Refund	A full or partial return of the purchase price to the buyer.
Handling Fee	The FPE Handling & Coordination Fee charged to buyers as a percentage of the product subtotal.
Delivery Fee	The distance-based fee charged for transporting the order from the supplier to the buyer’s chosen delivery location.
Self-Collection	A delivery option where the buyer collects directly from the farm using their own transport.
Claim Window	The period within which a buyer must report an issue to be eligible for a refund. All claim windows are measured in calendar hours or calendar days from the time of delivery or collection, unless stated otherwise.
Proof of Issue	Photographs, video, or written evidence submitted by the buyer documenting the reported problem.
FPE-Side Failure	A failure attributable directly to FPE, including vehicle breakdown, incorrect routing by FPE dispatch, failure to collect from the vendor on the agreed date, or a platform error. Vendor delays, supplier shortfalls, and buyer errors do not constitute FPE-side failures.

3. Quick Reference Summary

Product Category	Refund Eligible?	Claim Window	Typical Resolution	Ref.
Fresh Vegetables & Fruits	Yes	24 calendar hours of delivery	Full refund or replacement	Sec. 8
Dry Grains & Beans	Yes	48 calendar hours of delivery	Refund or exchange	Sec. 8
Livestock	Yes	12 calendar hours of delivery	Negotiated refund	Sec. 9
Agricultural Inputs	Yes – unused, sealed	14 calendar days of delivery	Refund or exchange	Sec. 10
FPE Handling Fee	Non-refundable once stock reserved	—	See Section 5	Sec. 5
Delivery Fee	Refunded if FPE-side failure	See Section 6	See Section 6	Sec. 6
Self-Collection	Deposit may be forfeited after 5 business days	See Section 7	See Section 7	Sec. 7

4. How to Submit a Claim

Take clear photographs or video of the product showing the issue. For weight shortfalls, photograph the product on a clearly readable scale alongside the original packaging label.
Contact FPE by email at [email protected] or WhatsApp +267 72 808 317. Include your full name, order number, product(s) affected, a description of the issue, and your evidence.
FPE will acknowledge your claim within 4 business hours.
FPE will assess the evidence and contact the vendor. The vendor has 2 business days to respond from the date FPE forwards the claim.
FPE will issue a written determination within 5 business days of claim submission. Approved refunds are processed within 5–10 business days of the determination. Replacements are dispatched within the next available delivery window.

Dispute Appeal Process

If a buyer disagrees with FPE’s determination, they may submit a written appeal to [email protected] within 5 business days of receiving the determination. A senior member of FPE management will review the appeal and issue a final decision within 5 business days. FPE’s final decision does not affect the buyer’s rights under Botswana consumer protection law.

5. FPE Handling & Coordination Fee Refund Policy

The FPE Handling & Coordination Fee covers services rendered by FPE in coordinating your order, including supplier confirmation, dispatch planning, buyer communication, payment processing, and documentation. These services commence from the moment your order is placed.

All approved handling fee refunds are processed within 5–10 business days of the determination.

5.1 When the Handling Fee is Non-Refundable

If you cancel after your 80% deposit has been received and FPE has confirmed stock with the vendor — the Handling Fee is forfeited.
If you cancel after dispatch — the Handling Fee is non-refundable in full.

5.2 When the Handling Fee is Refundable

If you cancel before your deposit is paid — no fee is charged.
If you cancel after deposit but before FPE has confirmed stock with the vendor — the full Handling Fee is refunded.
If goods are refunded due to a quality failure by the vendor — the full Handling Fee is refunded by FPE.
If the order is cancelled due to a platform error or an FPE-side failure — the full Handling Fee is refunded.

6. Delivery Fee Refund Policy

6.1 Standard Delivery

The delivery fee is charged for FPE’s logistics service and is non-refundable once dispatch has occurred. If delivery fails due to an FPE-side failure (as defined in Section 2), FPE will reschedule delivery at no additional cost or, at the buyer’s election, refund the delivery fee in full within 5–10 business days.

6.2 Partial Deliveries

If only part of an order is delivered due to an FPE-side failure, FPE will arrange delivery of the outstanding items at no additional cost or refund a proportionate share of the delivery fee calculated on the weight of the undelivered portion relative to the total order weight.

6.3 Delivery Quote Orders (Above 41 Tonnes)

For orders requiring a custom delivery quote, the delivery cost is agreed with the buyer before dispatch. If the buyer cancels after delivery has been scheduled and a vehicle committed:

Cancellation more than 48 hours before scheduled dispatch: Full delivery deposit refunded.
Cancellation within 48 hours of scheduled dispatch: A cancellation fee of 30% of the agreed delivery cost applies to cover vehicle commitment costs.
Cancellation after dispatch: No refund of delivery cost.

6.4 Incorrect Delivery Address

FPE is not liable for failed deliveries or redelivery costs arising from an incorrect delivery address provided by the buyer. Redelivery to the correct address will be charged at the standard delivery rate.

7. Self-Collection Policy

7.1 Buyer Obligations

When a buyer selects Self-Collection, they accept full responsibility for all transport, timing, and collection arrangements. FPE confirms the farm address and agreed collection window after the 80% deposit is received.

7.2 Failure to Collect

If a buyer fails to collect within the agreed collection window:

FPE will contact the buyer to arrange an alternative collection time.
Where the vendor incurs storage costs for holding the order, these costs will be passed to the buyer at cost, with supporting documentation.
If the buyer does not collect within 5 business days of the agreed window, FPE reserves the right to return the goods to the vendor. In this case, the 80% deposit may be applied to cover actual, documented vendor handling and storage costs. Any remaining balance will be refunded to the buyer within 5–10 business days.

7.3 Damage During Self-Collection

FPE is not liable for any damage to products that occurs after the buyer takes possession at the farm gate. Buyers must inspect goods before loading and raise any quality concerns with FPE before departing. Once the buyer departs the collection point, no further claims for that delivery will be accepted.

8. Fresh Produce (Vegetables & Fruits)

Fresh produce is perishable. Claims must be submitted within 24 calendar hours of delivery with photographic evidence. The following are eligible refund scenarios:

Products arrive visibly damaged, rotting, or spoiled on delivery.
Wrong product or variety delivered.
Significant quantity short weight, defined as more than 5% below the stated weight, evidenced by a photograph on a clearly readable scale alongside the original packaging label. FPE may request additional verification where evidence is unclear.

Physical return of fresh produce is not required. Photographic evidence is sufficient for assessment.

Dry goods (grains, beans) claims must be submitted within 48 calendar hours of delivery under the same evidence requirements.

9. Livestock

Livestock claims must be submitted within 12 calendar hours of delivery. Eligible scenarios include:

Animal materially misrepresented in terms of breed, age, or health status.
Animal injured in transit due to inadequate transport arrangements by FPE.

A written veterinarian’s report is required for health-related claims. Where a veterinarian is not accessible within 12 hours — which FPE acknowledges may occur in rural areas — the buyer must submit photographic or video evidence within the 12-hour window as a provisional claim. The formal veterinarian’s report must then be submitted within 72 calendar hours of delivery to complete the claim.

Breeding condition disputes must be raised before the animal is used for breeding. Post-use claims will not be considered.

10. Agricultural Inputs

Unused, sealed agricultural inputs (including seeds, fertiliser, and livestock feed) may be returned within 14 calendar days of delivery. Physical return of the goods is required. The buyer bears the cost of return transport. Opened or partially used inputs are not eligible for return unless the product is demonstrably defective.

11. Force Majeure

FPE is not liable for delays or non-fulfilment caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including floods, droughts, government travel restrictions, road closures, civil unrest, or extreme weather conditions.

In a force majeure event, FPE will communicate with affected buyers and vendors promptly and work to reschedule fulfilment where possible. Where fulfilment is genuinely impossible, all deposits paid will be refunded in full within 10 business days of FPE determining that fulfilment cannot proceed.

12. Contact

Refunds & Returns: [email protected]
Appeals: [email protected]
WhatsApp: +267 72 808 317
Website: farmproducts-ex.co.bw
Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 08:00 – 17:00
Saturday: 08:00 – 13:00

Connecting Farmers, Suppliers & Buyers Across Botswana