Refunds, Cancellations & Disputes Policy

This policy governs cancellations, refunds and dispute resolution for orders placed and paid for through the Get Chow WhatsApp ordering service. Because payment is collected by Get Chow on behalf of the restaurant partner ("Partner"), all refunds are processed by Get Chow back to the Customer's original payment method.

Nothing in this policy limits a Customer's rights under the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008.

You may cancel for a full refund before preparation begins. Once payment has been made and the Partner has started preparing your food, change-of-mind cancellations and refunds are not available because the food is made to order and cancellation causes wastage.

If the Partner cancels a confirmed order or payment succeeds but the order is never confirmed because of a system error, you will receive a full refund.

Collection: After ordering and paying, you are responsible for collecting your order from the restaurant and branch you selected, during its collection hours. Check the location before paying. No refund is due solely because you fail to collect a correctly prepared order made available at your selected restaurant.

A full or partial refund will be provided, as appropriate, where the Partner is responsible for an unfulfilled order, missing or incorrect items, or unsafe food. Report the issue directly to the Partner promptly, with your order details and photos where relevant.

Refund grounds include orders that were:

• Paid for but not made available for collection during trading hours.
• Materially incomplete or incorrect, such as wrong items, ideally raised at the counter before leaving.
• Inedible, spoiled or unsafe.
• Charged incorrectly, for example a wrong amount or a duplicate charge.

Taste preference alone is not a refund ground, though the Partner may offer a goodwill credit.

Food returns and food-quality concerns: Contact the Partner named on your order directly. Your food purchase is with that restaurant, not Get Chow, and the Partner is responsible for handling physical food returns. Arrange any return directly with the Partner; Get Chow does not receive or handle returned food.

This responsibility for physical food returns does not change the refund process below, Get Chow's payment-related responsibilities, or your statutory consumer rights.

Duplicate charges and payment or system errors remain eligible for correction or refund, even where the restaurant is not at fault.

1. The Customer reports the issue in the same WhatsApp thread, with photos where relevant.
2. Get Chow logs the complaint and notifies the Partner within 1 business day.
3. The Partner has 24 hours to respond. If the Partner does not respond in time, Get Chow decides the claim on the evidence available.
4. Approved refunds are processed by Get Chow to the original payment method within 5 to 10 business days. Bank processing times may apply.
5. Refunded amounts, and any applicable payment-processing costs, are deducted from the Partner's next weekly settlement. If a Partner's settlement balance is insufficient, the amount is carried forward or invoiced.

If a Customer raises a chargeback with their bank instead of using this process:

• Get Chow responds to the chargeback with order evidence, including the WhatsApp order thread, payment confirmation, and collection or ready notifications.
• If the chargeback is upheld, the amount plus any chargeback fee is deducted from the relevant Partner's next settlement.
• Repeated fraudulent chargebacks by a Customer result in removal from the Service.

1. The first step is resolution in the WhatsApp thread, with Get Chow support mediating.
2. If the matter is unresolved after 5 business days, Get Chow makes a final determination on the refund based on the evidence.
3. This does not prevent either party from pursuing rights under the Consumer Protection Act, with the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (cgso.org.za), or in the courts.

Settlement disputes must be raised within 30 days of the relevant payout statement, and are handled in line with the Partner Agreement.

Refunds and disputes: hello@getchow.co.za or +27 82 683 9470 (WhatsApp). We aim to acknowledge all complaints within 1 business day.