Returns & Dispute Resolution Policy for Naiya.ng

1. Our Guiding Principle: A Marketplace Built on Trust

Welcome to Naiya.ng. Our primary role is to connect buyers and sellers across Nigeria, fostering a community built on trust, transparency, and accountability. While the sales contract is a direct agreement between the buyer and seller, we provide this robust framework to guide the resolution process when a product doesn't meet expectations.

This policy empowers our users to manage returns directly while clarifying the specific, supportive role Naiya.ng plays when our intervention is required.

2. The Seller's Responsibility: Your Policy is Your Promise

As a seller on Naiya.ng, you are the architect of your customer's experience. Your return policy is a cornerstone of your reputation and a binding agreement with your buyers.

Crafting a Clear Policy

We provide a dedicated "Return Policy" section in your store settings. A comprehensive policy builds immediate trust. We strongly recommend you define:

• Acceptance of Returns: A simple "Yes" or "No".
• Return Window: The number of days a buyer has to initiate a return (e.g., 7, 14, or 30 days from delivery).
• Item Condition: The required state for a return (e.g., "unopened," "with original tags," "in original packaging").
• Return Shipping Cost: Who bears the cost—the buyer or the seller.
• Refund Method: The form of compensation (e.g., full monetary refund, exchange, store credit).
• Policy Visibility: We make your return policy easily noticeable on your store page. Stores with a clear, fair return policy are often viewed as more trustworthy by buyers, potentially leading to increased sales.

Policy Integrity and History

Your trust score is paramount. To ensure transparency and prevent misuse:

• Tracked Changes: Naiya.ng automatically records and stores the history of your return policy. Every time you save a change, we log it.
• Undeletable Record: Each saved version of your policy becomes undeletable for a minimum of 30 days. While only your latest policy is displayed on your storefront (along with the "Last Revised" date), this historical log is maintained indefinitely.
• Binding Agreement: The policy in effect at the moment a buyer makes a purchase is the one that governs that transaction. Our historical log serves as the definitive record in case of a dispute.
• Legal Standing: The Naiya.ng platform is designed to provide a clear and verifiable record of the terms of sale. In the event of a legal dispute between a buyer and a seller, the logged return policy history can be made available upon formal request to support legal action taken outside of our platform.

2.1. Recommended Best Practices by Category

While you, the seller, have ultimate control over your policy, understanding common standards can help you meet customer expectations and build trust. To help you create a fair and effective policy, consider the following guidelines.

• Categories Typically Not Eligible for Returns: Due to their nature, items in these categories are often sold as final sale. If you sell in these areas, it is standard practice to have a "No Returns" policy, which you must state clearly.
  • Real Estate & Building & Construction: Transactions are governed by complex legal contracts, not standard retail returns.
  • Agriculture and Foodstuffs: Perishable goods cannot be returned due to health, safety, and spoilage concerns.
  • Services: A service, once rendered, cannot be returned. Disputes here are typically handled based on the service agreement.
• Categories with Common Return Restrictions: For these items, you can accept returns but with specific conditions to protect yourself and for hygiene reasons.
  • Beauty & Health: Often non-returnable if the hygiene seal is broken or the product has been opened, unless it is faulty.
  • Baby, Kids & Toys: Items like pacifiers, feeding bottles, or breast pumps may have return restrictions if opened due to hygiene standards.
  • Arts & Crafts: Customized or personalized items are generally non-returnable unless the seller made an error or the item is defective.
• Categories Where Return Policies Are Standard: For these goods, buyers generally expect the option to return an item if it's the wrong size, defective, or not what they wanted. A clear return policy is a strong selling point here.
  • Electronics, Gadgets and Computers
  • Home & Appliances, Furniture
  • Vehicles
  • Fashion
  • Tools and Equipment, Musical Equipment
  • Books, Stationery & Laboratories
  • Sports & Fitness

Important Note: These are guidelines, not rules. You determine your own policy. However, regardless of your stated policy, a buyer is always protected if an item is faulty, counterfeit, or significantly not as described. As we add new categories to Naiya.ng in the future, we encourage sellers to apply these same principles.

3. The Buyer's Responsibility: Shop with Confidence and Clarity

We empower buyers to make informed decisions. A few moments of diligence can ensure a positive shopping experience.

• Review Before You Buy: Before committing to a purchase, locate and carefully read the seller's return policy on their store page. Pay attention to the "Last Revised" date. Your purchase signifies your acceptance of these terms.
• Inspect Your Order: Upon delivery, immediately inspect your item(s) to ensure they are as described in the listing and are not damaged.
• No Policy? Proceed with Caution: If a seller has not specified a return policy, assume they do not accept returns. For clarity, we strongly advise messaging the seller directly through the Naiya.ng platform to inquire about their terms before you finalize your purchase.

4. The User-Led Resolution Process: A Step-by-Step Guide

Direct communication is the most effective way to resolve nearly all issues. Please follow these steps in order.

Step 1: Initiate Direct Contact with the Seller

This is your mandatory first step.

• Use the official Naiya.ng messaging system to create a record of your communication.
• Politely and clearly state the issue. Include your order number and why you wish to return the item.
• Provide Evidence: Attach clear photographs or videos. If the item is damaged, show the damage. If it's the wrong item, show what you received next to a screenshot of the listing. Strong evidence is your best asset.

Step 2: Allow Time for Negotiation

Sellers need time to review your claim. Please allow 2-3 business days for a response. Engage in a good-faith discussion to agree on a solution, such as arranging a return, an exchange, or a partial refund.

Step 3: Escalate to Naiya.ng for Mediation

You should only escalate the issue to Naiya.ng Customer Support if you have completed the steps above and are facing a clear roadblock:

• The seller has been unresponsive for more than 3-5 business days.
• The seller is actively refusing to honor their own stated return policy (the one active at the time of your purchase).
• The item is significantly not as described (e.g., counterfeit, wrong size/color, missing parts not mentioned in the listing) and the seller refuses to offer a fair resolution.

To escalate, contact our support team with all relevant evidence, including screenshots of your conversation.

5. Naiya.ng's Role: Facilitator and Platform Guardian

When a dispute requires our intervention, Naiya.ng acts as a neutral mediator. Our role is to ensure our platform's rules are followed, not to handle funds.

Our Mediation Process:

1. Thorough Review: We will investigate the dispute by reviewing the item listing, the message history, and, crucially, the seller's logged return policy history to confirm the terms at the time of purchase.
2. Guided Intervention: If our review indicates the buyer's claim is valid, we will contact the seller directly. We will present the evidence and strongly persuade them to honor their policy and resolve the matter amicably.

Limitations of Our Role:

Naiya.ng does not process refunds or manage financial transactions between users. All refunds must be handled directly between the buyer and seller. We do not arrange or cover the cost of return shipping.

6. Consequences for Violations: Upholding Platform Integrity

Adherence to this framework is not optional. To protect our community, we will enforce the following consequences for sellers who violate our trust and safety standards.

• Formal Warning: For minor or first-time infractions.
• Temporary Store Suspension: For repeated issues or refusal to cooperate with mediation.
• Immediate and Permanent Ban: Naiya.ng reserves the right to issue an immediate ban without prior warning for severe violations. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Evidence of selling counterfeit goods.
  • Clear patterns of fraudulent activity (e.g., bait-and-switch).
  • Systematic refusal to honor stated policies.
  • Abusive behavior towards buyers.
• Forfeiture of Promotional Fees: If a seller's store is banned while they have an active, paid promotional plan (e.g., featured listings, store ads), no refund, pro-rated or otherwise, will be issued for the remaining duration of that plan.