Refund Policy

1. About this policy

This policy explains when you can get a refund on a donation made through HopeOrigins, and how refunds work. It forms part of our Terms of Use.

A donation is a gift to the organiser or beneficiary of a cause. It is not a purchase of goods or services. Because of this, donations are generally final, except in the cases set out below.

2. When we may refund a donation

We will consider a refund request in situations such as these:

• you made a duplicate donation or donated an amount in error
• your card or account was used without your permission
• the cause was removed for fraud or for breaking our rules before the funds were paid out to the organiser
• the cause is unable to go ahead

3. When refunds are not usually possible

Once funds have been paid out to the organiser, we are generally unable to refund them, because they are no longer held by us. This does not apply where the law requires us to make a refund.

We do not usually refund a donation simply because you have changed your mind.

If a payout has already been made and you have concerns about how the funds are being used, please report the cause so our team can look into it.

4. How to request a refund

Email our Finance team at finance@hopeorigins.co.za, or contact support at support@hopeorigins.co.za. Please include:

• the name or link of the cause you donated to
• the date and amount of your donation
• the email address you used when donating
• the reason for your request

5. Who processes refunds

All refunds are processed by our Finance team through our payment provider, Paystack. Organisers cannot issue refunds directly. If you ask an organiser for a refund, they will need to refer you to us.

We may contact you or the organiser for more information before we make a decision. We will let you know the outcome.

6. How refunds are paid and how long they take

Approved refunds are paid back to the original payment method you used to donate. We cannot refund to a different card or account.

Once we have processed a refund, it usually takes [5 to 10] business days to reflect in your account, depending on your bank.

If you added an optional tip to HopeOrigins with your donation, the refund will include the tip unless you ask us otherwise. [Confirm with Finance.]

7. What a refund means for the cause

A refunded donation is removed from the cause's total and from its available balance for payouts.

8. Chargebacks and card disputes

If you do not recognise a donation, you can dispute it with your bank. We encourage you to contact us first, as we can often resolve the issue more quickly.

When a donation is disputed with a bank, we may pause payouts for the related cause while the dispute is resolved.

If a chargeback is decided in the donor's favour, the amount is deducted from the cause's balance.

9. Your rights under consumer law

[Legal review required.] Donations made through the platform are gifts, not purchases of goods or services. For this reason, the cooling-off rights in the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act and the Consumer Protection Act may not apply to donations.

Nothing in this policy limits any rights you have under South African law that cannot be limited or excluded.

10. Contact us

Refunds and payments: finance@hopeorigins.co.za

General support: support@hopeorigins.co.za