Returns, Refunds or Exchanges

BUYBETTER NIGERIA | WHOLESALE DIVISION

Wholesale Refund and Returns Policy

Applies to all trade accounts purchasing through buybetterwholesale.com, the wholesale WhatsApp desk, and the Lekki trade counter.

1. Inspection and Claim Windows

Wholesale consignments must be inspected on receipt. Claim windows run from the date of delivery or collection, not the date of order or invoice.

Claim type	Window	What must be done
Shortages, over-supply or wrong item	Within 48 hours of delivery	Note the discrepancy on the delivery note at the point of receipt where possible, then submit a claim with photographs and the packing list.
Visible transit damage	Within 48 hours of delivery	Photograph the outer carton before opening, then the affected units. Do not discard packaging.
Latent or concealed defects	Within 7 calendar days of delivery	Applies where a fault could not reasonably have been seen on external inspection.
Manufacturer or quality defect	Within 14 calendar days of delivery	Batch number and photographic evidence required. May be referred to the brand partner.
Short-dated or expired stock on arrival	Within 7 calendar days of delivery	Photograph the batch and expiry markings on the affected units.

CLAIMS OUTSIDE THESE WINDOWS

Consignments not disputed within the applicable window are deemed accepted in full. Claims raised after the window may be declined, or considered at BuyBetter’s sole discretion as a commercial goodwill matter rather than as a matter of right.

2. What Qualifies for a Refund or Credit

A claim will be approved where BuyBetter is at fault, or the goods are not as ordered. Specifically:

• Goods delivered do not match the confirmed order, in item, variant, or size.

• Quantity delivered is short against the invoice and packing list.

• Goods arrived damaged in transit, where BuyBetter arranged the freight.

• Goods are defective, contaminated, or fail to meet the manufacturer's specification.

• Goods arrived expired, or with materially less shelf life remaining than represented at the point of sale.

• Goods were charged at a rate other than the confirmed wholesale price on the accepted order.

What does not qualify

• Change of mind, over-ordering, or a downturn in the account’s own resale demand.

• Goods that have been opened, used, decanted, relabelled, repackaged or tampered with, except where opening was necessary to identify a concealed defect.

• Goods no longer in their original sealed master carton or shipper, or with retail packaging defaced, priced or stickered.

• Goods stored outside the conditions stated on the product or in the brand guidance, including exposure to heat, damp or direct sunlight.

• Clearance, short-dated, discontinued and promotional stock, which is sold on a firm sale basis and is not returnable.

• Free of charge goods, promotional gifts and bundled items supplied at no cost.

• Damage occurring after delivery, or during freight arranged by the buyer or the buyer’s own courier.

• Shortfalls first raised after the applicable claim window has closed.

3. Required Documentation

Claims cannot be assessed without the following. Incomplete submissions are held, not processed, and the claim window continues to run.

• Wholesale invoice number and order reference. Verbal descriptions of an order are not sufficient.

• Signed delivery note or waybill, with any discrepancy annotated at the point of receipt.

• Photographic evidence: the sealed outer carton, the shipping label, and clear images of the affected units showing the fault.

• Batch and expiry codes for all affected units, for any quality, expiry, or manufacturer claim.

• Affected quantity, stated in units and in cartons.

• Registered account name and bank details held in the trading name of the account, for any cash settlement.

4. Standard Claim and Refund Timeline

Once a wholesale claim is submitted with complete documentation, the following applies. All references are to business days.

Step	Timeline	Detail
1. Claim submitted	Day 0	Account submits the claim to the wholesale desk with the documentation set out in Section 4.
2. Acknowledgement	Within 1 business day	The wholesale desk confirms receipt and assigns a claim reference.
3. Eligibility and commercial review	2–3 business days	The claim is reviewed against this policy, the invoice, and the despatch record. Brand partner referral may be required for quality claims.
4. Goods returned or recovered	3–7 business days	Lekki trade counter: immediate on presentation. Upcountry: dependent on the agreed carrier and location. BuyBetter may waive physical return and settle on evidence alone for low- value claims.
5. Inspection and verification	2–3 business days	Returned goods are counted and inspected against the claim. Batch codes are verified.
6. Credit note or refund issued	5–10 business days	Credit note applied to the account, or funds released to the registered account where a cash refund has been approved.
Total (typical)	12–21 business days	From complete claim submission to credit or funds received.

 

WHY WHOLESALE TIMELINES DIFFER FROM RETAIL

Wholesale claims involve carton-level reconciliation against despatch records, batch verification, and in quality cases, a referral to the brand partner. These steps protect both parties on higher-value consignments and are the reason the trade timeline is longer than the retail one.

5. Method of Settlement

Approved claims are settled in the following order of preference.

Method	When it applies	Notes
Credit note (default)	All approved claims, unless otherwise agreed in writing.	Applied to the trade account and offset against the next order. Standard practice for trade settlement.
Replacement stock	Shortages, wrong item and transit damage, where the item is in stock.	Despatched with the account’s next scheduled order unless urgency is agreed.
Cash refund to source	Where the account is closing, has no forward order, or where BuyBetter agrees in writing.	Paid to the original payment method, to an account in the registered trading name only. Third-party accounts are not paid.

 

Credit notes are valid for [12] months from the date of issue and are not transferable between accounts. Cash refunds are not issued against orders still within their credit terms; the amount is offset against the outstanding balance first.

6. Restocking and Freight

Restocking

Where BuyBetter agrees, at its discretion, to accept a return that is not the result of a BuyBetter fault, a restocking fee of [15%] of the invoiced value applies. Goods must be unopened, in the original sealed master carton, and in resaleable condition. Restocking fees are deducted from the credit issued.

Freight and collection

• BuyBetter at fault: BuyBetter arranges and pays for collection of the affected goods.

• Discretionary or goodwill returns: The account arranges and pays for return freight, and bears the risk in the goods until they are received and signed for at the BuyBetter warehouse.

• Unauthorised returns: Goods returned without an approved claim reference may be refused at the point of delivery or held at the account’s cost and risk.

7. What Can Delay a Claim

• Incomplete documentation, in particular a missing invoice number, delivery note, batch code or photographic evidence.

• A discrepancy between the quantity claimed and the quantity physically returned and counted at the warehouse.

• Goods returned in a condition inconsistent with the stated claim, for example, units recorded as sealed arriving opened.

• Referral to a brand partner for verification on manufacturer quality and counterfeit claims.

• Carrier and logistics delays on upcountry collections.

• An outstanding balance on the trade account, which must be reconciled before a cash settlement is released.

• Bank processing time once BuyBetter has released a refund. This final step sits with the receiving bank and is outside BuyBetter’s control.

8. Product Authenticity and Diverted Goods

BuyBetter sources directly from manufacturers and authorised distributors. Claims alleging a counterfeit or non-genuine product are investigated in full and referred to the brand partner where required.

• Goods presented for claim must be traceable to a BuyBetter invoice by batch code.

• Units that cannot be matched to a BuyBetter despatch record will be declined and retained pending investigation.

• BuyBetter reserves the right to suspend or close a trade account where goods not supplied by BuyBetter are submitted under this policy.

9. Tracking, Escalation and Contact

Each claim is assigned a reference at acknowledgement. Accounts are updated at eligibility review, at inspection, and at settlement, using the contact details registered to the account.

If a claim passes the timeline in Section 5 without an update, contact the wholesale desk rather than waiting.

Unresolved claims may be escalated to Wholesale Operations, and thereafter to the Growth and Partnerships Lead.

Channel	Detail
Wholesale desk (WhatsApp)	+234 902 693 4780
Email	wholesale@buybetter.ng
Trade counter	16A Aliu Animashaun Avenue, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos
Online	buybetterwholesale.com

 

10. General

• BuyBetter Nigeria reserves the right to amend this policy. The version in force at the date of the order applies to that order.

• Nothing in this policy excludes any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded under Nigerian law.

• Where a signed trading agreement exists, that agreement prevails to the extent of any inconsistency.