Customer care

Cancellations,
Returns & Refunds

Considered furniture. Clear expectations. Here is how we handle changes to your order and put things right when something goes wrong.

Version 1.2 · 18 September 2026

This policy applies to new orders placed after it is first made available to you before ordering. New restrictions do not apply retrospectively to existing orders. Nothing here limits your rights under applicable South African consumer law, including the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) and Electronic Communications and Transactions Act (ECTA).

Before work starts

Full refund if neither production nor purchasing materials specifically for your order has begun.

Check delivery access

Measure the full route to the intended position before ordering. Customer access errors do not create a discretionary refund right.

Something wrong?

Order details & customer approval

Please check the product, dimensions, timber, finish, quantity, delivery address and access requirements before confirming your order. Tell us before ordering if the piece must be suitable for a particular purpose so that we can confirm what is agreed.

For bespoke orders, we require your written approval of the final specifications before production. Request changes in writing; they become binding only when accepted by VanSoul. Any additional price and revised completion date must be agreed with you before we proceed. We will not materially change an approved design without your agreement.

Cancellations before production

As a voluntary policy, we offer a full refund if, when your cancellation request is received, neither production nor purchasing materials specifically for your order has begun. This applies to ordinary and bespoke orders.

Send your request promptly to info@vansoul.co.za. We record the date and time it reaches us; the effective request date does not depend on when we reply. Once work or committed purchasing has begun, the ordinary or bespoke rules below apply, subject always to any statutory right to cancel.

Ordinary orders & cancellation charges

Ordinary catalogue goods and goods manufactured only after an order is placed are not automatically bespoke. Selecting a standard size, timber or finish does not, by itself, remove cancellation rights. Where classification is uncertain, we preserve applicable statutory rights rather than assume an exemption.

Where CPA section 17 applies, you may cancel an advance order. After work or committed purchasing begins, we may charge only a lawful, reasonable cancellation amount based on the circumstances: the nature of the goods, work completed, committed materials, notice given, the reasonable opportunity to find another buyer and relevant industry practice.

We will explain any deduction in writing, taking account of materials that can be reused and goods that can be resold, without recovering the same loss twice. There is no automatic forfeiture of your entire deposit, fixed percentage penalty or universal administration fee. No section 17 cancellation fee applies where the order cannot be honoured because of the death or hospitalisation of the person for whose benefit it was made.

These charges do not apply where the law prohibits a cancellation charge.

Bespoke & personalised orders

A genuinely bespoke order is created, procured or altered specifically to meet your individual requirements, such as a unique design or personalisation. Special-order classification depends on the actual requirements of your order; the label “made to order” alone is not enough.

Before committing to a bespoke order: review the final written specifications and any applicable cancellation restrictions before payment. Where the legal exclusions apply, advance-order cancellation rights may be restricted.

After bespoke production or committed procurement begins, we may decline voluntary cancellation where legally permitted. If we agree to cancel, we will confirm the settlement in writing, including any justified, lawful deduction and the remaining refund. Deposits are not automatically non-refundable.

Applicable statutory consumer rights remain unaffected.

Change-of-mind returns

VanSoul does not offer voluntary change-of-mind returns or exchanges after delivery, including for changed décor preferences or customer-selected dimensions that do not suit the space. Our pre-production cancellation policy remains available on its stated terms.

Applicable statutory consumer rights remain unaffected. Claims involving misleading descriptions, defects, incorrect goods or suitability for a purpose expressly agreed with us remain available.

Defective, damaged or incorrect goods

Contact us about genuine defects, poor workmanship, damage during delivery by VanSoul or our appointed carrier, or furniture supplied incorrectly or contrary to the agreed specifications. These are distinct from damage caused after delivery by the customer.

Damage caused by accidents, misuse, incorrect cleaning, unsuitable storage, excessive moisture or heat, or alterations is not covered as a manufacturing defect. An alteration does not exclude a claim for an unrelated genuine defect. VanSoul may reasonably assess the furniture and the cause of the issue.

Please inspect furniture on delivery and report visible damage preferably within 48 hours, with photographs where possible. This request does not limit statutory rights or exclude later-discovered defects. Signing a delivery note does not waive defect claims.

Natural materials & product images

Natural timber varies in grain, knots and tone. Screens and lighting also affect perceived colour. These characteristics are not automatically defects, but they do not excuse structural faults, poor workmanship, unreasonable cracking or material departures from the approved specifications.

Our timber and finish swatches include generated visual references rather than photographs of your actual piece. Styled room images show furniture in a setting; decorative accessories are not included unless expressly listed. Confirm your selected timber, finish, dimensions and included items in the order details. Images and descriptions must fairly represent the product; this guidance does not excuse misleading representations.

Care & damage after delivery

Follow the care guidance supplied for your timber and finish. Our existing guidance includes dusting with a soft, dry cloth, wiping spills promptly, avoiding abrasive cleaners and silicone polishes, protecting surfaces from moisture and heat, and keeping furniture away from prolonged direct sunlight. See our materials and care guidance.

Damage actually caused by accidents, misuse, incorrect cleaning, unsuitable storage, excessive moisture or heat, outdoor exposure of indoor furniture, or alterations is not covered as a manufacturing defect. An alteration does not exclude an unrelated genuine defect. See Defective, damaged or incorrect goods for reporting an issue.

Delivery access & failed delivery

Before ordering, customers must measure the entire delivery route, including entrances, doors, passages, stairs, landings, lifts and tight turns. Check that the furniture can reach its intended position. Disclose access restrictions before delivery, including building rules, booking requirements and any need for specialist handling.

Customers are responsible for checking that the furniture’s agreed dimensions are suitable for their property and its access points before placing an order. Where furniture matches the agreed dimensions and delivery fails solely because the customer measured incorrectly or failed to disclose access restrictions, VanSoul does not offer a discretionary refund, return or cancellation on that basis. Applicable statutory rights remain unaffected.

This restriction does not apply if VanSoul supplied incorrect measurements, delivered furniture that differs from the agreed dimensions, or undertook an access assessment and made an error. It does not remove remedies where we expressly agreed that the furniture would be suitable for the stated space or access route and it is not.

It also does not override our pre-production refund policy, applicable advance-order cancellation rights under CPA section 17, or other applicable statutory consumer rights. Where CPA section 20 applies, goods unsuitable for a particular purpose communicated to and accepted by us may be returned within ten business days after delivery.

Reasonable additional delivery or specialist handling costs caused by the customer’s access error may apply only where lawfully disclosed and agreed. There are no fixed fees under this policy. We do not charge you for errors by VanSoul or our appointed carrier, impose an automatic storage fee or transfer our statutory delivery risk to you.

Delays or cancellation by VanSoul

If a delay arises, we will contact you, explain the situation and offer revised arrangements for your agreement. You retain applicable rights to cancel for non-delivery or failure to meet an agreed delivery arrangement.

Where ECTA section 46 applies, we must fulfil the order within 30 days after receiving it unless a different period is agreed. If we fail to do so within that period, you may cancel with seven days’ written notice. Where CPA section 19 applies, its remedies for delivery at a different place, date or time include cancellation without penalty.

If we cannot fulfil the order, we will notify you and refund payments for the unfulfilled goods and associated unprovided services. Where goods or services are unavailable under ECTA section 46, notification must be immediate and the refund made within 30 days of that notification. We will not require you to accept store credit. Any other statutory entitlement, including applicable interest or compensation, is preserved.

How refunds work

We aim to process a refund within 7–10 business days once it is due, using the original payment method where practicable or another method agreed with you. This target never extends a statutory deadline, and a legally owed refund does not depend on discretionary approval.

We explain any permitted deductions separately and in writing. Payment gateway fees are not automatically deducted. Store credit may be offered as an option, but never as a compulsory replacement for a refund legally owed.

How to request assistance

Email info@vansoul.co.za with:

Your order number or available proof of purchase.
Your name and contact details.
A description of your cancellation request or the problem.
Relevant photographs, where available.

We will help identify your order if you cannot find the order number. Unnecessary documents or unavailable photographs will not be a barrier to exercising your legal rights.

If a complaint remains unresolved, you may approach the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud for matters within its jurisdiction. Its consumer complaint service is free. You may also approach the National Consumer Commission or the relevant provincial consumer protection authority, following the applicable process. These options do not remove other legal remedies.

Read the Consumer Protection Act and Electronic Communications and Transactions Act.