Returns & Refunds

Last updated: 16 October 2026

If a bottle's off, it's on us. If you've changed your mind, that's fine too. Here's how returns and refunds work, in plain English. This page forms part of our Terms of Service, and words like "business day" and "delivery" mean what they mean there.

1. At a glance

What happened	Tell us within	What you get	Who pays to send it back
Changed your mind (unopened bottles)	7 calendar days of delivery	Full refund	You (the direct cost of returning it)
Corked or faulty wine	6 months of delivery	Replacement or refund, your choice	Us
Broken in transit or wrong item	3 business days of delivery	Replacement or refund	Us
Bottle sold out or wrong vintage	We tell you before delivery	Swap you approve, or refund	Nothing to send back
Event you can't attend	At least 5 business days before	Refund or credit, or send a friend any time	n/a
Subscription	Before your next billing date	No further charges; no cancellation fee	n/a

2. Changed your mind

2.1 You can cancel an online order within 7 calendar days of delivery, without giving a reason. This is your right under the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act.

2.2 Bottles must be unopened, with seals and capsules intact, in a condition we can resell.

2.3 Let us know in writing within the 7 days. Drop the bottles back at Open Bottle, or we'll arrange collection; the only cost to you is the direct cost of getting them back to us.

2.4 We refund you to the card you paid with within 30 calendar days of your cancellation. In practice, we aim for 5 business days once the bottles are back with us.

2.5 This doesn't cover event tickets, or a subscription box that's already been delivered and opened.

3. Corked or faulty wine

3.1 Everything we sell must be of good quality. If a bottle is corked, oxidised, cooked or otherwise faulty, you can return it within six months of delivery. You choose: a replacement or a refund.

3.2 Please bring or send back the bottle with at least half its contents, recorked, so we can taste it and claim from the producer. We'll collect it locally or arrange a courier at our cost.

3.3 We refund faults within 10 business days of confirming the fault.

3.4 "I didn't love it" isn't a fault; taste is personal. Tell us anyway. We'd rather talk it through and steer your next pick than have you stuck with a bottle you won't open.

3.5 Older and rare vintages can show bottle variation (a little sediment or a low fill level is normal). Where a listing describes a bottle's condition and you buy it on that basis, that condition isn't a fault.

4. Broken or wrong deliveries

4.1 If anything arrives broken, leaking, or isn't what you ordered, tell us within 3 business days of delivery, with a photo. Claims submitted after this period may not qualify for a refund or replacement.

4.2 We'll replace it or refund you, at no cost to you, and collect any wrong items ourselves.

4.3 Your six-month rights for faulty wine (section 3) still apply after the 3 business days.

5. Sold out, wrong vintage or a pricing error

5.1 Sold out: bottles sometimes sell in the bar before your online order is packed. We'll contact you before delivery to offer a swap you approve, or a refund for that item.

5.2 Different vintage: if the vintage we can send differs from the one listed, we'll tell you before dispatch and you can cancel that item for a full refund.

5.3 Pricing error: if a price was obviously wrong, we'll contact you before dispatch. You can pay the correct price or cancel for a full refund.

6. Events

6.1 Cancel in writing at least 5 business days before the event date (the event day itself doesn't count) and you get a full refund or credit, your choice.

6.2 After that, seats are committed to producers and the kitchen, so we can't refund. You can send someone in your place at any time; just tell us their name. They must be 18 or older.

6.3 Death in the family, hospitalisation or similar serious circumstances: contact us and we'll refund you in full.

6.4 If we cancel or move an event, you choose a full refund or a seat on the new date.

6.5 If you're asked to leave an event because of intoxication or unsafe behaviour, there's no refund.

7. Subscriptions

7.1 Cancel your Sip Society subscription in your account or by emailing hello@openbottle.co.za. It ends at the close of the month you've already paid for; we don't refund part-months.

7.2 A box that's been dispatched can't be cancelled under the 7-day rule once opened. Faulty or broken bottles in a box are covered by sections 3 and 4.

8. Gift vouchers

8.1 Vouchers are valid for 3 years from purchase and can be used on bottles, subscriptions and events. They can't be exchanged for cash.

8.2 If you return something bought with a voucher, we refund it to a voucher.

8.3 We can't replace a lost or stolen voucher unless it was bought online in your name, in which case we'll reissue the unused balance.

8.4 Gifts: if you received bottles as a gift, we can swap them or give you store credit. Cash refunds go back to the person who paid.

9. Undelivered and uncollected orders

9.1 If we couldn't deliver because nobody aged 18 or older with ID was available, or you didn't rebook or collect, we hold your order for 30 calendar days. After that we cancel it and refund you, less delivery attempts already made and a R50 handling fee.

9.2 If the delay was our fault or the courier's, you get a full refund with no deductions.

10. How to ask for a return or refund

1. WhatsApp +27737875335 or email hello@openbottle.co.za with your order number and what's wrong (a photo helps for breakages and wrong items).
2. We'll reply within 1 business day with next steps: drop-off at Open Bottle, or collection.
3. Once we have the bottles back (or have confirmed the fault), we refund to your original payment method. Card refunds can take a few extra days to show, depending on your bank.

Still not sorted? Our Terms of Service explain how to escalate a complaint, including to the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud. But talk to us first. We'd genuinely rather fix it.