What does a money-back guarantee commit me to?
An advertised money-back guarantee commits your business to promptly refund consumers with valid claims. Make significant restrictions clear in the advert and provide full terms before commitment. Plan the refund process before publishing the promise. Discuss factory support separately with Cambridge China Bridge.
Define the promise before advertising it
This guide concerns promises your UK business advertises to consumers buying the products you source. Treat your trade purchase from a supplier as a separate arrangement. For that discussion, use our guide to agreeing warranty administration with a UK sourcing seller.
Write down whether your offer refunds dissatisfied customers or applies only when a product fails a stated test. ASA guidance says the meaning of a guarantee should be clear. As a practical wording check, avoid calling an offer 'no quibble' if your process requires customers to argue about whether the product is faulty.
Put significant conditions beside the promise
ASA guidance requires adverts to make significant limitations clear and full terms to be supplied before the consumer commits to taking up the guarantee. A general reference to terms is a poor substitute for explaining an important exclusion beside the claim.
Prepare a conditions sheet covering eligible products, the claim window, when that window starts, exclusions, return arrangements and what the refund includes. Check whether requirements about packaging, product use or return postage would materially narrow the promise. Bring important restrictions into the advert rather than leaving them only in the conditions sheet.
Make a valid claim easy to process
The CAP advertising rule requires prompt refunds for valid claims under an advertised money-back guarantee. Set up a working contact route, accessible return instructions and a member of staff authorised to approve refunds. Test the process before the advert goes live.
Match each claim to the terms advertised when the customer bought. Ask for information needed to identify the purchase and assess eligibility. Once the claim is valid, process the promised refund; avoid substituting a voucher, repair or discount for that refund. Record unresolved cases and chase internal delays.
Separate customer refunds from factory recovery
For imported stock, plan who funds customer refunds while a factory dispute remains unresolved. As an operating practice, do not make a valid customer claim wait for your supplier to approve reimbursement. Agree separately what evidence the factory wants, who examines returned goods and how supplier credits are reconciled.
Use investigating customer returns to organise the product investigation. If the factory offers reimbursement, follow reconciling supplier credit notes and refunds. Keep those workflows separate from the customer's advertised refund process.
Working out your own order? Send us the product on WhatsApp and we reply the same working day: WhatsApp us
Keep proof that the promise works
Retain the advert and terms associated with each purchase, the customer's request, the eligibility decision, return instructions and confirmation that the refund was processed. Review cases where customers abandon a claim or repeatedly chase a response. These records help you find obstacles before repeating the same guarantee on another product.
Before ordering, discuss likely failure modes, inspection records and support arrangements with Cambridge China Bridge and its staff in China. Use that information to design an offer your business can administer, rather than copying a factory's guarantee wording into your UK advert.
Frequently asked questions
Can a no-quibble guarantee have conditions?
Make the guarantee's meaning clear and disclose significant limitations. As a wording check, avoid 'no quibble' where customers must argue about faults or satisfy restrictive tests.
Can I put guarantee exclusions only in the terms?
Significant limitations must be clear in the advert. Supply full terms before the consumer commits to taking up the guarantee.
Can I offer a voucher instead of a guaranteed refund?
The CAP rule requires prompt refunds for valid money-back claims. Process the promised refund rather than substituting a voucher.
Should I wait for the factory before refunding?
Plan to fund valid customer refunds separately from factory recovery. Keep supplier investigations and credit negotiations out of the customer's refund workflow.