Refund policy

Last updated: 3 November 2026

We want every can of Absolute Zero to arrive sealed, cold-ready and perfect. If something isn't right, we'll fix it. This policy explains how returns, exchanges and refunds work for orders placed on absolutezero.co.za. Nothing in this policy limits your rights under the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (CPA) or the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 (ECTA).

1. At a glance

  • Damaged, defective or wrong items: tell us within 48 hours of delivery, with photos. We replace or refund, at our cost.
  • Changed your mind: return unopened, sealed products within 7 days of delivery. You pay the return delivery.
  • Opened products: no returns, unless the product is defective.
  • Refunds: paid to your original payment method within 10 business days of approval.

2. Your rights under the law

Under sections 55 and 56 of the CPA, you are entitled to goods that are safe, of good quality, free of defects and fit for their purpose. If a product is defective, unsafe or not of good quality, you may return it within six months of delivery, at our risk and expense, and choose a replacement or a refund. (Because our drinks are consumable, we cannot repair them, so a replacement or refund is how we resolve it.)

This right does not cover products damaged after delivery through misuse or incorrect storage, for example cans that were frozen, left in direct sun or a hot car, or opened and left standing.

3. Damaged, defective or incorrect items

Please check your order as soon as it arrives. Contact us if:

  • a can is dented, punctured, bulging or leaking, or the outer packaging is badly damaged;
  • the drink is flat, tastes or smells off, contains foreign matter or is otherwise defective;
  • the product was past its best-before date when delivered; or
  • we sent the wrong flavour, the wrong quantity or someone else's order.

Please tell us within 48 hours of delivery so we can sort it out quickly and lodge any claim with the courier. Email hello@absolutezero.co.za with:

  • your order number;
  • a short description of the problem;
  • clear photos of the affected cans (including the batch code and best-before date printed on the can), the outer packaging and the courier label.

Keep the product until we confirm what to do. We may ask you to return it, arrange collection, or simply accept your photos. We cover the full cost of returning or collecting damaged, defective or incorrect items, and you may choose a replacement or a full refund.

The 48-hour window helps us act fast; it does not remove your CPA rights. If you only discover a defect later, contact us anyway; within six months of delivery we will deal with it under section 56 of the CPA.

For your safety, please do not drink from a can that is bulging, leaking, punctured or that smells or tastes wrong. Keep it and contact us.

4. Changed your mind? Unopened products

Because our drinks are food products, change-of-mind returns are limited to stock we can safely accept back. You may return products for a change of mind if:

  • you tell us within 7 days of delivery;
  • the cans are unopened, sealed and undamaged, and still within their best-before date;
  • any shrink-wrap or outer packaging is intact (or the individual cans are clean and unmarked); and
  • the products have been stored as the label directs: in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight, and not frozen.

You pay the cost of sending the products back to us. Once we receive and check the returned stock, we refund the full price you paid for the returned items. If you return the whole order, we also refund the delivery fee you originally paid. If you return part of a pack or case, we refund the price you paid per can (the pack price divided by the number of cans in it).

Please contact us before sending anything back so we can give you a return reference and the return address. We may decline a change-of-mind return that doesn't meet the conditions above; if we do, we'll explain why and return the goods to you.

About ECTA's cooling-off period: section 44 of ECTA gives online buyers a seven-day cooling-off right, but section 42(2) of ECTA excludes certain transactions, including foodstuffs and beverages intended for everyday consumption delivered to your home or workplace, and goods likely to deteriorate or expire rapidly. Our change-of-mind return option is offered regardless, on the terms above. Where section 44 does apply to an order, you may cancel within seven days of delivery without reason or penalty, the only charge will be the direct cost of returning the goods, and we will refund you in full well within the 30 days the Act allows.

5. Opened products

For food-safety reasons, we cannot accept returns of opened or partly consumed products for a change of mind or taste preference. Opened products that are defective are covered under section 3 and the CPA.

6. Cancelling an order

  • Before dispatch: contact us as soon as possible and we'll cancel the order and refund you in full.
  • After dispatch: we can no longer stop the parcel. Once it arrives, you can return unopened products under section 4.
  • If we cannot fulfil your order (for example, if an item is out of stock), we will tell you and refund you in full for anything we cannot supply.

7. How refunds are paid

  • Refunds go back to your original payment method. We do not give store credit unless you ask for it.
  • We process approved refunds within 10 business days of approving your claim or receiving your returned items, whichever applies.
  • Your bank or card provider may take a few extra days to show the refund on your statement.
  • We'll email you when the refund has been processed.

8. Things this policy doesn't cover

  • Free samples and promotional gifts may be replaced if defective but cannot be refunded for cash.
  • Products bought from a retailer or stockist must be returned to that store under its own policy; your CPA rights against the retailer still apply. We're always happy to help, so let us know.

9. Contact us

Email hello@absolutezero.co.za, quoting your order number. We aim to reply within 1 business day (Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays).

Absolute Zero is a brand of Purifi Solutions (Pty) Ltd (registration number 2023/943012/07), 25 Silky Thorn Road, The Hills Game Reserve Estate, Pretoria, 0002.

If we can't resolve a complaint together, you may refer it to the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (CGSO, www.cgso.org.za) or the National Consumer Commission (www.thencc.org.za).