Effective Date: October 15, 2026 Version: 1.0 Applies to: All Buyers who return a Product or claim a refund for an Order through the Platform.
Article 1: Introduction and Scope
1.1 This document states how a Buyer exercises the return and refund rights that apply to a purchase through the Platform: how a return is initiated, the condition and packaging duties the Buyer bears, how the Product is sent back or collected, when and to which payment method a refund is paid, and the exceptions a Buyer encounters in practice.
1.2 The Returns and Refunds Policy states the platform rule for returns and refunds, including the return periods, the allocation of return shipping, restocking, and refund amounts; this document states the Buyer's rights and obligations under the same rule and incorporates the Returns and Refunds Policy by reference in its entirety. Where this document and the Returns and Refunds Policy differ on a return or refund right, the Returns and Refunds Policy controls.
1.3 If a provision of this document conflicts with the Terms of Use, this document controls for the subject it governs. If a provision of this document conflicts with the terms of a program in which the Buyer participates, the program terms control for that program. Policies and help pages explain this document; they do not amend it, and in any conflict this document prevails.
Article 2: Definitions
2.1 The definitions in the Terms of Use are incorporated into this document by reference and apply to this document. This article defines only the additional terms used in this document, in alphabetical order.
2.2 Delivery Date: the date delivery of a shipment is recorded by the carrier.
2.3 Return Authorization: the Company's or the Seller's approval of a return for an Order, including the return address, the label or collection method, and the period in which the return shall be sent.
Article 3: The Buyer's Return Rights
3.1 The Buyer may return a Product within the period stated in the Returns and Refunds Policy, measured from the Delivery Date and not from the date of the Order or of shipment. A Seller may offer a longer period for a Product; no Seller shall offer a shorter period than the platform period.
3.2 A Product that arrives damaged, defective, incorrect, or materially different from its listing is returnable within the period in clause 3.1, and return shipping for such a Product is borne by the seller, as stated in the Returns and Refunds Policy. No restocking fee applies to such a return.
3.3 The Buyer shall state the accurate reason for the return at initiation. The reason stated determines the allocation of return shipping and whether a restocking fee may apply under the Returns and Refunds Policy. A restocking fee applies to a voluntary return only where the fee was disclosed on the Product page before checkout, the Product is eligible for the fee, and the fee does not exceed the limit stated in the Returns and Refunds Policy.
3.4 A partial refund for a Product that arrived damaged, defective, incorrect, or not as described is not permitted unless the Buyer agrees to the lesser amount in writing. An agreement recorded through a pre-selected control is not an agreement under this clause.
3.5 A Product subject to a recall is returnable at any time at the Buyer's election under the Product Recall Policy, without regard to the period in clause 3.1, and the seller bears all return costs for a recalled Product.
Article 4: Exceptions the Buyer Encounters
4.1 The following Products are not returnable for a voluntary reason, except where the Product arrived damaged, defective, incorrect, or not as described, or where applicable law requires a return (a) a prescription Product that has been opened, because an opened prescription Product cannot be redispensed; an unopened prescription Product is returnable only as the Prescription Products Policy permits;
(b) a perishable Product, including opened food, treats, and consumables, where return is barred for hygiene and safety reasons; an opened perishable Product that is defective, contaminated, or not as described shall not be shipped back, and the Buyer shall document the condition and dispose of the Product as the Company directs;
(c) a Product marked Final Sale before checkout; a Final Sale designation added after payment has no effect;
(d) a custom Product made to the Buyer's specification that conforms to that specification; and
(e) a live animal, except as the Live Animal Policy provides for an animal that arrives in distress or outside the health terms of the sale.
4.2 An exception in clause 4.1 shall be stated on the Product page before checkout to be effective against the Buyer.
Article 5: How the Buyer Initiates and Completes a Return
5.1 The Buyer shall initiate a return through the Account or by notice to support@aapawz.com, stating the Order, the Product, and the accurate reason for the return. The Buyer shall provide the evidence the Returns and Refunds Policy requires for the reason stated, including contemporaneous photographs for a damaged or defective Product and the Order confirmation or packing record for an incorrect Product.
5.2 A statement of a return reason that the Buyer knows to be inaccurate, made to obtain free return shipping, to avoid a restocking fee, or to obtain another advantage, is return fraud and a violation of this document.
5.3 On approval of the return, the Company or the Seller shall issue a Return Authorization. A prepaid label issued with a Return Authorization is valid for fourteen (14) days from issue; a return sent after that period requires a new authorization. The Buyer shall send the return within the authorized period.
5.4 The Buyer shall package the Product to withstand transit, shall include every accessory and component supplied with the Product, and shall send the return with tracking. The Buyer shall retain the tracking receipt until the refund is posted. A return for which no carrier scan exists is treated as a return not sent.
5.5 For a voluntary return, the Product shall be unused and in its original condition, with original tags, packaging, and accessories. For a Product that arrived damaged, defective, incorrect, or not as described, the Buyer may return the Product in the condition in which it was received and after the use necessary to discover the defect, except where the Buyer caused the damage after delivery.
5.6 Where the Company directs collection of the Product, or directs drop-off at a stated carrier location, the Buyer shall make the Product available for collection at the agreed time or shall complete the drop-off within the authorized period and shall retain the collection or drop-off receipt.
5.7 The Buyer shall cooperate with a reasonable request for inspection or documentation of a return. Refusal to provide evidence required by the Returns and Refunds Policy is a ground for denial of the return. If the seller asserts that a returned Product fails a condition standard, the seller shall state the specific failure and the evidence for it; the Buyer may contest the assertion under the Buyer Dispute and Escalation Policy, and the burden of proving the condition failure rests on the party asserting it.
Article 6: Inspection, Refund Timing, and Method
6.1 The seller shall inspect a received return and initiate the refund within two (2) business days of receipt, as stated in the Returns and Refunds Policy. Where the Company directs that the Product be retained or disposed of without a return shipment, the refund shall be initiated without a shipment.
6.2 A refund shall be paid to the original payment method used for the Order. After initiation, the refund is posted within the processing period of the payment network and the Buyer's bank, typically five (5) to ten (10) business days from initiation. Where an Order was paid by more than one method, the refund is allocated to those methods as stated in the Returns and Refunds Policy.
6.3 If the original payment method is unavailable, including because the card has expired or the account has closed, the refund shall be paid as store credit, by gift card, or by another lawful method stated in the Returns and Refunds Policy. The Company shall state to the Buyer the method used and the reason the original method was unavailable.
6.4 The Company shall notify the Buyer at each stage of a return: requested, approved, shipped, received, and refunded. Silence beyond the period stated for a stage is a ground for escalation under the Buyer Dispute and Escalation Policy.
6.5 If the seller does not initiate a refund within the period in clause 6.1, the Company may issue the refund on the seller's behalf and recover the amount from the Seller under the Selling Terms of Service. The Buyer's refund does not depend on the Seller's cooperation after that period.
Article 7: Buyer Protection Backstop
7.1 Where a Product in a Third-Party Sale is not delivered, is materially not as described, or a refund owed under this document is not paid, and the Seller does not provide the remedy required, the Buyer may claim under the Buyer Protection Program, which states when the Company itself refunds the Buyer for a Third-Party Sale and recovers the amount from the Seller. A claim under that program is made through the escalation in the Buyer Dispute and Escalation Policy.
7.2 In a First-Party Sale, the Company is the seller, and the refund duties in this document are duties of the Company directly; no claim under the Buyer Protection Program is required.
Article 8: Suspected Counterfeit Products
8.1 A Buyer who receives a Product the Buyer believes to be counterfeit shall treat the Product as not as described under Article 3 and shall also report the Product as a suspected counterfeit to support@aapawz.com. For a counterfeit claim, return shipping is borne by the seller without condition.
8.2 The Buyer shall not return a suspected counterfeit Product to the Seller for inspection where the Seller has disputed authenticity and the Company has directed return to an address the Company states for preservation of evidence. The Buyer's refund is not contingent on the Seller agreeing that the Product is counterfeit; the Company determines that question on the evidence.
Article 9: Subscriptions and Program Purchases
9.1 A membership or subscription is a service and not a Product. Cancellation of a membership is governed by the Buyer Order and Payment Terms and not by this document. A physical Product purchased while the Buyer holds a membership is returnable under this document on the same terms as any other Order.
9.2 Free return shipping under a loyalty or membership program, where a program offers it, is funded as the program terms state and does not alter the allocation of return shipping in the Returns and Refunds Policy for a Product that arrived damaged, defective, incorrect, or not as described.
Article 10: Liability
10.1 To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither party is liable to the other for indirect, incidental, special, punitive, or consequential damages, or for lost profits, lost revenue, or loss of goodwill, arising out of or relating to this document, even if the party has been advised of the possibility of those damages.
10.2 To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company's total liability arising out of or relating to this document shall not exceed the greater of (a) the amounts the Buyer paid for the Order giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred dollars ($100).
10.3 This article does not limit (a) a party's indemnification obligations under this document; (b) liability for fraud or willful misconduct; (c) amounts the Buyer owes for Orders, fees, chargebacks, or refunds under this document; or (d) liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
10.4 The parties agree that this article allocates risk between them, that it is an essential part of the basis of their bargain, and that it applies even if a limited remedy fails of its essential purpose.
Article 11: Indemnification
11.1 The Buyer shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Company and its members, managers, employees, and agents from and against every claim, demand, action, loss, liability, judgment, settlement, cost, and expense (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to: (a) the Buyer's breach of this document, including a fraudulent return claim; (b) the Buyer's User Content submitted in connection with a return; (c) the Buyer's misuse of the return process; and (d) the Buyer's violation of any law or of the rights of any person.
11.2 The Company shall give prompt written notice of a claim under this article. The Buyer shall control the defense with counsel reasonably acceptable to the Company. The Company may participate in the defense at its own expense. The Buyer shall not settle a claim in a manner that imposes any obligation or restriction on the Company, or that does not release the Company fully, without the Company's prior written consent.
11.3 This article survives the termination of this document.
Article 12: Enforcement and Appeals
12.1 The Company may investigate any suspected violation of this document. The Buyer shall cooperate with an investigation and shall produce the records this document requires the Buyer to keep, including photographs, the Order confirmation, and the tracking or collection receipt for a return.
12.2 If the Company determines that the Buyer has violated this document, the Company shall give written notice stating the provision violated and the facts relied on, except where notice would compromise an investigation of fraud, a safety risk, or a legal obligation.
12.3 Where a violation is capable of cure, the Buyer has ten (10) business days from notice to cure it and to confirm the cure in writing. No cure period applies to fraud, counterfeiting, a risk to the safety of a person or an animal, unlawful conduct, or a violation that by its nature cannot be cured.
12.4 If a violation is established and is not cured within the period allowed, the Company may, proportionate to the violation: (a) issue a written warning; (b) deny the fraudulent return or refund; (c) restrict the Buyer's return privileges; (d) cancel an Order or a booking; (e) suspend the Account or a program participation, in whole or in part; (f) terminate this document and the Account; and (g) exercise any other right or remedy available under this document or at law.
12.5 The Buyer may appeal a measure under this article by written notice to legal@aapawz.com within thirty (30) days of the measure, stating the grounds and attaching the records relied on. The appeal is decided by a person who did not make the original decision. The Company's decision on appeal is final. A measure remains in effect during an appeal unless the Company directs otherwise in writing. A disagreement with a return denial or a refund amount that is not a measure under this article is raised under the Buyer Dispute and Escalation Policy.
12.6 The Company's delay in acting on a violation is not a waiver of the violation or of any later violation of the same kind.
Article 13: Term and Termination
13.1 This document takes effect when the Buyer first returns a Product or claims a refund through the Platform and continues until terminated under this article.
13.2 The Company may terminate this document and the Account on thirty (30) days' written notice for any reason, and immediately on written notice if the Buyer materially breaches this document, engages in fraud, or becomes ineligible to participate.
13.3 The Buyer may terminate this document on thirty (30) days' written notice to support@aapawz.com, provided the Buyer has no Order, booking, or investigation outstanding. Termination does not extinguish a return or refund right that accrued for an Order delivered before termination.
13.4 On termination: (a) the rights granted under this document end, subject to clause 13.3; (b) obligations that arose before termination: including payment, refund, chargeback, record-keeping, and indemnification obligations: survive until satisfied; and (c) the Company shall disburse amounts owed, less amounts the Company may set off under this document, within thirty (30) days, except amounts held in connection with an open investigation or dispute.
13.5 The Definitions, Liability, Indemnification, Enforcement and Appeals (for measures taken before termination), Dispute Resolution, and General Provisions articles survive termination.
Article 14: Dispute Resolution
14.1 Any dispute arising out of or relating to this document, or to the relationship it governs, is governed by the Dispute Resolution Policy, which is incorporated into this document by reference. A disagreement over a return or refund decision is first raised as a service escalation under the Buyer Dispute and Escalation Policy; that escalation is not a legal proceeding under this article.
Article 15: General Provisions
15.1 The Company may amend this document by posting the amended document in the Document Center and giving notice to the Buyer at the email address in the Account. An amendment that materially increases the Buyer's fees or obligations takes effect thirty (30) days after notice; other amendments take effect on posting. Continued use of the Platform after the effective date of an amendment is acceptance of it. If the Buyer does not accept an amendment, the Buyer's remedy is to terminate under the Term and Termination article before the amendment takes effect.
15.2 Legal notices under this document shall be sent to legal@aapawz.com. Operational notices and all other communications shall be sent to support@aapawz.com. A notice to the Company is effective when the Company acknowledges receipt or, for email, one business day after sending, whichever is earlier. Notices to the Buyer are effective when sent to the email address in the Account or posted to the Account's notice facility in the portal, whichever occurs first. The Buyer shall keep the email address in the Account current. Notices under the DMCA and Copyright Policy are given as provided in that policy, to the designated agent at legal@aapawz.com.
15.3 This document is governed by the laws of the State of Tennessee, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Subject to the Dispute Resolution Policy, any proceeding arising out of this document shall be brought in the state or federal courts located in Shelby County, Tennessee, and the parties consent to personal jurisdiction there.
15.4 If any provision of this document is held unenforceable, the provision shall be enforced to the fullest extent permitted, and the remaining provisions continue in full effect.
15.5 This document, together with the documents it incorporates by reference, is the entire agreement between the Company and the Buyer for the subject it governs and supersedes every prior or contemporaneous statement, communication, or agreement on that subject, whether written or oral.
15.6 The Buyer shall not assign this document or any right or obligation under it without the Company's prior written consent, and an assignment without consent is void. The Company may assign this document to an affiliate or in connection with a sale of all or part of its business, on notice to the Buyer.
15.7 A waiver of any provision of this document is effective only in writing and only for the instance stated. No waiver is a waiver of any other provision or instance.
15.8 Headings are for convenience only. "Including" means "including without limitation." This document shall not be construed against a party on the ground that the party prepared this document. The English-language text controls over any translation.
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