Refund, Security & Privacy Policies

I. Refund & Return Policy

At Thrifts, we are committed to protecting both buyers and sellers while ensuring a transparent and fair process.

1. General Provisions
i. Buyers may initiate a return request within forty-eight (48) hours of receiving an item if the product differs materially from the description or images provided on the platform.
ii. Refund requests must be lodged through the official Thrifts platform to qualify for buyer protection.
iii. No direct arrangements outside the platform will be recognized or protected under this policy.

2. Condition of Returned Items
i. Items must be returned in substantially the same condition as received.
ii. Sellers are entitled to reject items that are returned damaged, altered, or not in the same condition as shipped.

3. Costs & Fees
i. Return shipping costs shall be borne by the buyer unless expressly agreed otherwise with the seller.
ii. Where sellers fail to dispatch goods, or where counterfeit or fraudulent products are supplied, Thrifts shall issue a full refund including all applicable fees to the buyer.

4. Mediation
i. Thrifts reserves the right to act as an independent mediator where disputes cannot be amicably resolved between the buyer and seller.
ii. Mediation decisions may include a refund, partial refund, or release of funds to the seller depending on the merits of the claim.

II. Security Policy

Ensuring the safety of all users transacting on Thrifts.co.za is a primary priority.

1. Transaction Processing
i. All payments are processed exclusively in South African Rand (ZAR).
ii. Thrifts partners only with secure, PCI DSS-compliant payment gateways.

2. Escrow & Payout System
i. Buyer funds are held in escrow by Thrifts until confirmation of receipt of goods.
ii. Payouts to sellers are released only after the buyer has marked the item as received, ensuring fraud prevention.

3. Data & Platform Security
i. All sensitive transactions are secured with SSL encryption.
ii. Users must conduct all communication and payments exclusively on the Thrifts platform. Transactions outside the platform are not covered under Buyer Protection.
iii. Thrifts actively monitors suspicious activity and reserves the right to withhold payments or suspend accounts pending investigation.

4. Fraud Prevention
i. Thrifts maintains internal fraud detection protocols to identify unusual or suspicious transaction patterns.
ii. Users flagged for fraudulent activity will be suspended, pending further investigation, and may face permanent removal.

III. Data Privacy Policy

Thrifts respects user privacy and complies with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and related South African data protection laws.

1. Data Collection
i. Thrifts collects only essential personal data required for transactions, including but not limited to: name, contact details, shipping address, and banking information for payouts.
ii. Additional data may be collected to improve platform functionality and user experience (e.g., browsing preferences, purchase history).

2. Use of Data
i. Collected data is used to process payments, fulfill orders, provide customer support, and enhance platform services.
ii. Data may also be used to develop personalized services and promotional offers relevant to the user.

3. Data Sharing
i. Thrifts will not sell, rent, or trade user data to third parties.
ii. Data may be shared with authorized third-party service providers such as payment processors (Ozow, Payfast, Yoco, iKhokha, PeachPayments, etc.) solely for the purpose of transaction processing.

4. User Rights
i. Users have the right to access, correct, or request deletion of their personal data at any time by contacting Thrifts via support@thrifts.co.za.
ii. Users may withdraw consent for data processing; however, this may affect the ability to use Thrifts’ services.

5. Supervisory Authority
i. Users may escalate unresolved data privacy concerns to the Information Regulator of South Africa at enquiries@inforegulator.org.za.

IV. Final Provisions

1. These policies are binding on all users of Thrifts.co.za.
2. Thrifts reserves the right to amend these policies from time to time. Updates will be published on the website and deemed accepted upon continued use of the platform.
3. Users are encouraged to review these policies periodically to remain informed of their rights and obligations.