Policy
Return policy
Last updated: 2026-09-27
Our return policy applies to orders placed through our retail catalog and to wholesale customers. The terms below cover refunds, replacements, and the conditions under which a return is accepted.
Retail returns
- Window: 30 days from delivery date.
- Condition: unopened, in original packaging, with the lot label intact.
- Refund: approved refunds are issued to the original payment method within 10 business days of the return arriving at our Cotonou warehouse. Bank processing can add further delay.
- Return shipping: at the customer’s cost unless the item arrived damaged, defective, or incorrect.
- Restocking fee: none.
Because returns travel to West Africa, return shipping on small retail orders can cost more than the item itself. If your order is low-value, contact us before shipping anything back. In many cases we will resolve it with a refund or replacement without asking you to return the goods.
Damaged, defective, or incorrect items
If your order arrives damaged or contains the wrong item, email contact@essentialcareplus.com within 48 hours of delivery with photos and your order number. We always find an arrangement with you, such as a replacement at our cost, a credit or a refund, and no return shipment is required.
First Lot Guarantee
Your first order with us, from 5 kg of an ingredient, is covered by our First Lot Guarantee. If the lot you receive does not match the specifications on its Certificate of Analysis, email contact@essentialcareplus.com within 14 days of delivery with your order number and your photos or test results. We replace the lot or refund it, and no return shipment is required.
Wholesale returns
Wholesale orders are reviewed case-by-case. Sealed cases of unopened product, returned within 30 days with the original CoA, are eligible for credit (less return freight). Open cases or relabelled stock are non-returnable. Contact contact@essentialcareplus.com first, do not ship returns without an RMA. See our wholesale program for the full terms applied to bulk and recurring orders.
Non-returnable items
- Custom private-label runs.
- Free samples.
- Opened consumables (food, supplements).
- Items returned without an RMA on wholesale orders.
How to start a return
- Email contact@essentialcareplus.com with your order number and the items you want to return.
- We will reply with an RMA number and the return address within a few hours, 24 hours at most.
- Ship the items with the RMA number on the outside of the box.
- Refund issued within 10 business days of receipt.
Read this before you order
We ship from Africa, not from a warehouse in the United States. That is the whole point of our model: the margin stays with the cooperatives instead of an intermediary. It also means one thing you should know upfront.
If you change your mind, the return journey is at your cost. DHL Express from the United States back to us starts around $125 for a 1 kg parcel and rises with weight. On a small order, sending the goods back can cost more than the goods themselves. We would rather you knew that now than discover it later.
If the problem is ours, we fix it. Damaged in transit, defective, or the wrong item: email contact@essentialcareplus.com within 48 hours of delivery with your order number and clear photos of the outer box, the shipping label, the seal, and the product itself, including the batch code printed on the pouch. We reply within a few hours, 24 hours at most.
Once the claim is confirmed, we always find an arrangement with you: a replacement sent with your next shipment, a credit toward a future order, a partial refund reflecting the affected quantity, or a full refund. No return shipment is required.
Do not ship anything back before we have confirmed it in writing. Unauthorised returns cannot be tracked to your order and cannot be refunded.
Related policies
For shipping times, customs, and DHL Express details, see our shipping policy. For payment methods and wholesale terms, see our payment policy. For other operational questions, our FAQ covers most cases. To understand the cooperative-direct sourcing model behind every order, read our story.