Refund & Cancellation Policy

1. Scope & Contracting Parties

This Refund & Cancellation Policy ("Policy") forms an integral, legally binding part of the Terms of Service between you ("Customer", "User", or "you") and CodeWays (Pty) Ltd trading as CarWallet ("CarWallet", "we", "us", or "our").

This Policy governs all purchases made through the CarWallet website (https://carwallet.co.za), web dashboard, sales invoices, and mobile applications, including the CarWallet Plug & Play 4G LTE OBD-II Telematics Tracker hardware, embedded IoT SIM connectivity, CarWallet Pro subscriptions, and cloud vault services.

2. Physical Hardware Returns & ECTA 7-Day Statutory Cooling-Off Period

In terms of Section 44 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act (No. 25 of 2002 - "ECTA"), you are entitled to cancel an electronic purchase of goods without reason and without penalty within seven (7) calendar days of confirmed delivery by our courier service, subject to the strict statutory conditions and limitations set out below:

• Pristine, Unused & Sealed Condition Requirement: To be eligible for a return under Section 44, the hardware unit must be completely unused, uninstalled, and in its original, undamaged retail packaging. The device serial number and IMEI barcode labels must be intact, and the factory security seal must not be broken or tampered with.
• IoT SIM Card Integrity: Each CarWallet tracker contains a factory-provisioned, machine-to-machine IoT SIM card locked to the tracker IMEI. If the device has been plugged into a vehicle OBD-II socket, powered on, or has transmitted cellular data packets over our telematics network, the digital cellular provisioning service has commenced with your express consent in terms of Section 44(2) of ECTA, and the first month's IoT data and software setup fee (R110.00) is strictly non-refundable.
• Direct Cost of Return Courier (Customer Responsibility): Under Section 44(2) of ECTA, you bear 100% direct financial responsibility for securely couriering the returned hardware back to our designated technical inspection facility in South Africa. Goods returned via South African Post Office, uninsured mail, or Cash-on-Delivery (COD) will be automatically rejected.
• Deductions on Cooling-Off Refunds: Where free express courier delivery was provided to you on the initial order, our actual outbound courier delivery cost of R150.00 will be deducted from your hardware refund. Additionally, an administrative restocking and IMEI de-provisioning fee of 10% of the hardware purchase price will be applied to inspect, re-test, and restock the unit.
• Strict 7-Day Window: Written notice of cancellation must be sent to [email protected] within seven (7) calendar days of signed or OTP-confirmed courier delivery. Notice received on day 8 or later is outside the statutory cooling-off period and will not be eligible for a non-warranty refund.

3. 12-Month Limited Hardware Warranty (CPA Sections 55 & 56)

In accordance with the Consumer Protection Act (No. 68 of 2008 - "CPA"), CarWallet warrants that the Teltonika FMC003 4G LTE OBD-II tracker hardware will be free from defects in materials and manufacturing for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of purchase.

• Mandatory Technical Bench Inspection: Every unit returned under a warranty claim must undergo standardized technical diagnostic bench testing at our laboratory. We will inspect internal surge-suppression components, moisture indicators, pin alignment, firmware logs, and communication health.
• "No Fault Found" (NFF) Diagnostic Fee: If a returned device tests 100% operational and healthy on our diagnostic bench—indicating that the reported issue was caused by a blown auxiliary fuse on your vehicle's OBD port, dead car battery, localized lack of cellular network coverage, or vehicle ECU incompatibility—no refund or warranty replacement will be granted. A diagnostic and return courier handling fee of R250.00 will be invoiced to you before the device is couriered back.
• Statutory Remedies Under CPA: If a verified manufacturing defect occurs within the statutory warranty period, CarWallet will, in accordance with Section 56 of the CPA, repair the defect or replace the unit with a tested, certified replacement unit. A refund will only be considered if the defect cannot be remedied by repair or replacement.

4. Software, Cloud Vault & Pro Telematics Subscriptions (Strict Non-Refundability)

CarWallet Pro telematics subscriptions (R110.00 per month per vehicle) are provided on a flexible month-to-month SaaS basis with zero 36-month lock-in contracts and zero cancellation penalties.

• Immediate Digital Performance: When you purchase or renew a CarWallet Pro subscription, digital services—including real-time cloud data ingress, Cloudflare D1/R2 encrypted storage, AI OCR receipt and licence disc processing, and dedicated IoT cellular SIM data connectivity—are immediately provisioned and continuously made available to you.
• Strict Prohibition on Subscription Refunds: Because digital telematics services and cellular data allocations are consumed continuously in real-time, all subscription fees paid for any started, active, or past monthly billing cycle are 100% non-refundable and non-creditable.
• Zero Pro-Rata or Partial Refunds: There are strictly no pro-rata refunds, partial refunds, or credit notes issued for unused days in a billing month, for periods where a vehicle was parked, un-driven, in for mechanical repair, or where you failed to plug in or calibrate the tracker.
• Cancellation Procedure: You may cancel your month-to-month subscription at any time without penalty via your CarWallet web dashboard or by emailing [email protected] at least 48 hours prior to your next scheduled billing date. Upon cancellation, your Pro telematics, cloud vault access, and IoT SIM connectivity will remain active until the end of the current pre-paid monthly billing period, at which point the subscription will terminate and no further charges will be levied.

5. In-App Mobile Store Subscriptions (Apple App Store & Google Play)

If you purchase a CarWallet subscription or in-app upgrade directly through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, the transaction is billed and processed directly by Apple Inc. or Google LLC, and is governed exclusively by their respective merchant terms:

• Apple App Store Purchases: Under Apple's developer guidelines, CodeWays (Pty) Ltd has no technical capability or legal authority to issue refunds or cancel in-app subscriptions on your behalf. To request a refund for an iOS purchase, you must submit a claim directly to Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com.
• Google Play Store Purchases: Subscriptions purchased via Google Play Billing must be managed, cancelled, or refunded through your Google Play account at Google Play Subscriptions in accordance with Google's refund policies.

6. Absolute Exclusions: SARS Tax Outcomes, Audits & Vehicle Theft

Under no circumstances will a return, refund, or reimbursement of hardware purchase costs, subscription fees, or courier charges be granted on any of the following grounds:

• SARS Assessment, Audit or Disallowance: CarWallet is a contemporaneous record-keeping tool. As set out in Section 2 & 3 of our Terms of Service, we are not a registered tax practitioner or an agent of SARS. In terms of Section 102 of the Tax Administration Act (No. 28 of 2011), the legal burden of proving a tax claim rests 100% on the taxpayer. If SARS, your employer, an accountant, or an auditor disallows, reduces, or audits your travel allowance claim (IRP5 Code 3701), company car fringe benefit reduction (Code 3802), or business expense claim, or levies penalties or interest, you are strictly ineligible for any refund.
• Stolen Vehicle Recovery (SVR) & Vehicle Theft: CarWallet is a business telematics platform—not an accredited PSIRA private security provider, Stolen Vehicle Recovery (SVR) operator, armed response unit, or insurance-accredited anti-theft system. If your vehicle is broken into, stolen, hijacked, or not recovered by police, or if a criminal unplugs the tracker, CarWallet accepts zero liability, and no hardware or subscription refunds will be issued.
• Vehicle Incompatibility & OBD-II Recessed Ports: While the Teltonika FMC003 is compatible with standard 16-pin OBD-II ports, automotive manufacturers implement varying physical port placements and CAN-bus ECU security gateways. If your vehicle's OBD-II port is recessed or obstructed (requiring an inexpensive OBD-II extension ribbon cable), or if your vehicle ECU does not broadcast a specific dashboard odometer PID to the OBD port (relying instead on our high-precision GNSS satellite distance logging), this does not constitute a defect in the CarWallet device and does not entitle you to a refund.

7. Chargeback Abuse, Payment Disputes & Friendly Fraud Policy

We are committed to resolving legitimate customer issues fairly, transparently, and swiftly through our formal RMA and support channels.

8. Step-by-Step Return & RMA Procedure

To ensure smooth, traceable handling of hardware returns, all returns must strictly follow our Return Merchandise Authorization ("RMA") protocol:

1. Step 1 – Request an RMA Number: Email [email protected] with the subject line "RMA Request – [Your Order Number]". Include your full name, order date, tracker IMEI (printed on the device label), proof of purchase, and a detailed explanation of the issue or return request.
2. Step 2 – Authorization & Shipping Instructions: Our support team will review your request within two (2) business days. If eligible, you will be issued a unique RMA reference number and secure dispatch instructions for our inspection center in Gauteng, South Africa.
3. Step 3 – Secure Return Packaging: Securely package the device inside its original retail box with all packaging inserts. Clearly write the RMA number on the outer courier packaging. Dispatch the package using a reputable door-to-door courier service (such as The Courier Guy, CourierIT, or Fastway) with tracking enabled, and email the tracking number to our support team.
4. Step 4 – Technical Bench Inspection: Within five (5) business days of physical receipt at our inspection facility, our technicians will inspect the hardware for physical trauma, moisture ingress, pin damage, and verify electronic functionality.
5. Step 5 – Resolution & Payout: If approved, your refund will be processed strictly back to the original payment method used during Stripe checkout within seven (7) to ten (10) business days. In accordance with South African anti-money laundering (FICA) regulations, cash refunds, cheque payments, or third-party bank transfers are strictly prohibited.

9. Statutory Severability, Governing Law & Contact Information

This Policy shall be governed by, interpreted, and enforced in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa. If any provision of this Policy is found by a competent South African court or arbitrator to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, such provision shall be severed from the remaining provisions, which shall continue in full force and effect.