FAQ — the questions we get most often

Buying

Q: Do I need an account to browse? A: No. Browsing is public. You only need an account to add to cart, checkout, or open a dispute.

Q: Do you ship outside South Africa? A: Not yet. International buyers can use a nominated SA forwarding address (AfricaMail, ExpressLine). Onward international shipping is your responsibility.

Q: What's the minimum order? A: R150 on the discounted product subtotal (excluding shipping).

Q: Can I pay in installments? A: Yes — Mobicred is offered as a payment method at our secure checkout (subject to Mobicred approval).

Q: Can I combine sellers into one shipping fee? A: No. Every seller ships independently. Multi-seller carts show each shipping line separately.

Custom orders

Q: How long does a custom order take? A: 7–21 business days is typical. The tailor quotes a specific lead time before you accept.

Q: What if I gave wrong measurements? A: Measurement errors that meaningfully affect fit are the buyer's responsibility. Alterations may be negotiated in the chat but are at your cost.

Q: Can I cancel a custom order after paying? A: Depends on the stage. Before materials-advance release: yes (pre-shipping). After advance release: opens a dispute; admin decides.

Q: Can I return a ready-made garment because I changed my mind? A: Yes, under the ECTA s44 7-day cooling-off right — if you're a natural-person consumer, the item is unworn, unwashed, unaltered and has its original tags, and you notify us within 7 business days of delivery. You pay return shipping; the original outbound shipping fee isn't refunded. Refund is processed after the seller receives and inspects the return. Change-of-mind returns are not available on custom / made-to-measure garments, cut fabric, or B2B / wholesale orders.

Q: Is there a 7-day cooling-off on custom orders? A: No — ECTA section 42(2)(f)(i) exempts goods made to the buyer's specifications. Defect and non-delivery remedies under the Consumer Protection Act still apply on the same evidence-based basis.

Selling

Q: How much does it cost to list? A: R0. Listings are free. You only pay when you sell — a flat 15% platform commission on every sale (garments, fabric, and custom orders).

Q: Can I have multiple storefronts on one account? A: No, one storefront per approved seller account. Contact us if you legitimately need to operate two brands.

Q: How long does verification take? A: 3–5 business days typically. Faster if you attach an established Instagram handle.

Q: Do I need to be VAT-registered? A: Only if your annual turnover exceeds the SARS threshold (R1,000,000 as of 2026). Below that, you can trade VAT-exempt.

Payments & payouts

Q: When do I get paid? A: 5 business days after the customer confirms delivery, batched on the following Friday.

Q: Can I withdraw pending escrow early? A: No — escrow is protected buyer-side. Held funds are released by SA Fashion Mall on delivery confirmation or after admin review; there is no automatic timer.

Q: Do you charge for payouts? A: No. Bank EFT fees are absorbed by SA Fashion Mall.

Q: My payout hasn't landed after 10 days. What do I do? A: Email support@safashionmall.co.za with your payout reference — usually a bank-side mismatch on the account holder name.

Disputes

Q: Who decides disputes? A: An SA Fashion Mall administrator, within 2 business days. Both parties get a written explanation of the outcome.

Q: Can I appeal an outcome? A: Yes — reply to the dispute email requesting escalation. A senior team member re-reviews within 3 business days.

Q: Does opening a dispute affect my seller rating? A: One dispute doesn't. A pattern of disputes (>10% of your orders in a 90-day window) triggers admin review.

Data & privacy

Q: Do you sell my data? A: No. We do not run behavioural advertising or sell to third parties.

Q: Can I download my data? A: Yes — GET /api/me/export from your account profile downloads everything as JSON.

Q: Can I delete my account? A: Yes — Account Security → Delete account. Open orders must complete first.