Last updated: 4 October 2026
We want you to love every bar you buy from us. If something isn’t right, we’ll sort it out. Here’s how returns and refunds work, in line with South African consumer law.
1. Changed your mind? (7-day cooling-off period)
Under the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act (ECTA), you may cancel an online order for any reason within 7 days of receiving it.
- Products must be unused, unopened and still sealed in their original packaging, in the same condition you received them.
- Please contact us first at info@thymenthistle.co.za or on WhatsApp +27 62 267 9583 with your order number, then send the items to: Thyme & Thistle Apothecary, 9 Kirstenbosch Street, Secunda, 2302, Mpumalanga, South Africa.
- You pay for return shipping. We recommend a trackable service, because the parcel stays your responsibility until it reaches us.
- Once we’ve received and checked the returned items, we’ll refund what you paid for them. The cost of sending the items back to us is the only cost for your account.
2. Opened or used soap
For hygiene and safety reasons, we can’t accept returns of soap that has been opened, used or unwrapped, unless it’s faulty (see below). Once a bar has been unwrapped or used, we can’t safely sell it to anyone else. This does not affect your rights if a product is defective.
3. Damaged, defective or wrong items
If your order arrives damaged, a product is defective, or we’ve sent you the wrong item, we’re sorry and we’ll put it right.
- Please let us know within 7 days of delivery if possible, with your order number and clear photos of the product and packaging. Telling us quickly helps us claim from the courier.
- Once we’ve checked your photos, you can choose a replacement or a full refund of the affected item(s), including the delivery cost where applicable.
- If we need the item back, we’ll cover the return shipping to 9 Kirstenbosch Street, Secunda, 2302.
Your rights under the Consumer Protection Act are not affected. Under section 56 of the CPA, if a product is defective or not of good quality, you may return it within 6 months of delivery for a replacement or refund. The 7-day request above is only to help us deal with courier damage quickly. It doesn’t shorten your legal rights.
4. What isn’t covered
- Natural variation in colour, swirl, scent or shape between batches. Each bar is handmade, and this is part of its character, not a defect.
- A personal reaction to an ingredient when the ingredient list was shown on the product page. This is why we ask you to read the ingredients and patch test before first use.
- Damage from normal wear, or from leaving a bar sitting in water. Handmade soap softens if it isn’t allowed to dry.
- The Lemon Kitchen Soap Bar used on skin. It’s a household cleaning bar for floors, bathrooms, dishes and surfaces, and is clearly labelled “Not for body use”.
5. How refunds are paid
- All refunds are paid by EFT into the bank account you choose, within 10 working days of approving your refund (or of receiving your returned item, where a return is needed).
- Please send us your account holder name, bank, account number and account type. Please don’t send your banking PIN or passwords. We will never ask for them.
6. How to contact us
- Email: info@thymenthistle.co.za
- WhatsApp: +27 62 267 9583
- Please include your order number, what went wrong and, where relevant, photos.
We’ll reply within 2 working days.
If we can’t resolve a complaint together, you may contact the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (CGSO) at www.cgso.org.za.