Terms & Conditions
Welcome to Chapter Drop & Co.
These Terms & Conditions govern your use of the Chapter Drop & Co. website and purchases made through our online store.
By accessing our website, placing an order or purchasing products from Chapter Drop & Co., you agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions together with the policies referred to in this document.
These documents are intended to be read together and form the framework governing purchases made through the Chapter Drop & Co. website.
Nothing in these Terms & Conditions is intended to exclude, restrict or limit any right or remedy that a consumer has under applicable South African law.
1. About Chapter Drop & Co.
We operate primarily on an order-on-demand basis, which means that we do not keep our entire catalogue in physical stock.
Products displayed on our website may therefore be:
- Available for immediate fulfilment;
- Ordered from a supplier after a customer places an order;
- Specially sourced at a customer’s request; or
- Subject to supplier availability.
The availability and estimated fulfilment timeframe for a product may vary depending on the product.
2. Definitions
For purposes of these Terms:
“Chapter Drop & Co.”, “we”, “us” or “our” means Chapter Drop & Co.
“Customer”, “consumer”, “you” or “your” means the person placing an order or purchasing a product through our website.
“Order” means a request submitted by a customer to purchase one or more products.
“Order-on-demand” means a product that may be sourced from a supplier after a customer places an order and payment has been received.
“Supplier” means a third-party wholesaler, distributor, publisher, importer or other source from whom Chapter Drop & Co. obtains products.
“Special-order goods” has the meaning assigned to that term under applicable South African consumer law.
“Business day” means a day other than a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday in South Africa.
3. Website Information
We make reasonable efforts to ensure that product descriptions, photographs, prices, availability information and other website content are accurate and up to date.
However:
- Product photographs may differ slightly from the actual product;
- Publishers or suppliers may change covers, editions, packaging or product specifications;
- Product availability may change;
- Supplier information may change after an order has been placed; and
- Minor differences that do not materially affect the product may occur.
Where a material error is identified before an order is fulfilled, we will contact the customer where reasonably practicable to address the issue.
4. Product Editions, Formats and Specifications
Customers are responsible for reviewing the product information provided on the relevant product page before purchasing.
Where applicable, product information may include:
- Title;
- Author;
- ISBN;
- Edition;
- Format;
- Language;
- Publisher;
- Publication date; and
- Other relevant specifications.
Where a particular edition, format or specification is important to a customer, the customer should ensure that the relevant product information corresponds with what they require before placing an order.
Nothing in this section limits a customer’s rights where goods supplied are materially different from the goods agreed upon or otherwise fail to comply with applicable consumer law.
5. Placing an Order
An order is placed when the customer completes the online checkout process and submits the order.
Chapter Drop & Co. may verify the order and payment before proceeding with fulfilment.
An order confirmation confirms that we have received the order. It does not necessarily mean that every product has already been sourced or dispatched.
Where there is an issue affecting the fulfilment of an order, we will communicate with the customer as reasonably practicable.
6. Payment
Payment must be successfully received before Chapter Drop & Co. proceeds with an order-on-demand purchase unless otherwise expressly agreed.
Prices displayed on the website are the prices applicable at the time of purchase, subject to obvious errors or circumstances where a correction is required by law.
Where an order cannot be fulfilled and a refund is required, the refund will be handled in accordance with our Returns & Refunds Policy and applicable law.
7. Order-on-Demand Products
Many books sold by Chapter Drop & Co. are sourced from suppliers only after an order has been placed.
This means that a product appearing on our website does not necessarily mean that it is physically held by Chapter Drop & Co.
The estimated supplier lead time applicable to books is set out in our Shipping & Delivery Policy and, where appropriate, on the website before purchase.
Customers acknowledge that an order-on-demand product may require additional fulfilment time compared with a product already physically in stock.
8. Special Orders and Pre-Orders
Certain products may be specially sourced at a customer’s request or may be purchased before their official publication or release date.
Where a product is specifically identified as a pre-order or special-order product, the applicable information and timeframe will be communicated on the website or to the customer before purchase where reasonably practicable.
The legal rights applicable to special-order, pre-order and ordinary order-on-demand products may differ depending on the circumstances.
Nothing in these Terms is intended to remove rights that cannot legally be excluded.
9. Estimated Lead Times
Estimated lead times are provided in good faith based on information available from our suppliers and fulfilment partners.
Unless a different timeframe is expressly stated, the standard estimated supplier lead time for books is:
6–8 weeks.
The 6–8 week period is an estimated supplier lead time and not a guaranteed delivery date.
The operation of supplier lead times, dispatch, delivery and delays is explained in greater detail in our Shipping & Delivery Policy.
10. Orders Containing Multiple Products
An order may contain products with different availability or fulfilment timeframes.
Where some products become available before others, Chapter Drop & Co. may offer the customer the option of receiving available products separately.
The process applicable to partial shipments is explained in our Shipping & Delivery Policy.
Where a customer chooses to wait for a complete order, the available products may remain with the order until the outstanding products become available, subject to applicable law.
11. Customer Information
Customers are responsible for providing accurate information when placing an order.
This includes:
- Full name;
- Delivery address;
- Contact number;
- Email address; and
- Any other information required to process the order.
Chapter Drop & Co. cannot be responsible for delays or additional costs caused by incorrect or incomplete information supplied by the customer, subject to applicable law.
Customers should notify us as soon as possible if their contact or delivery information changes before dispatch.
12. Shipping and Delivery
Shipping and delivery are governed specifically by our Shipping & Delivery Policy, which forms part of the Chapter Drop & Co. website’s purchasing framework.
The Shipping & Delivery Policy explains:
- Estimated fulfilment periods;
- Supplier lead times;
- Dispatch;
- Courier delivery;
- Tracking;
- Partial shipments;
- Delivery delays;
- Failed deliveries;
- Incorrect addresses;
- Lost or damaged parcels; and
- Other delivery-related matters.
13. Returns, Cancellations and Refunds
Returns, cancellations and refunds are governed specifically by our Returns & Refunds Policy.
The Returns & Refunds Policy explains the procedures applicable to:
- Change-of-mind requests;
- Applicable cooling-off rights;
- Cancellations;
- Supplier delays;
- Damaged goods;
- Defective goods;
- Incorrect products; and
- Refunds.
Nothing in the Returns & Refunds Policy or these Terms limits a consumer’s statutory rights.
14. Consumer Rights
Chapter Drop & Co. is committed to complying with applicable South African consumer protection legislation.
Where a statutory consumer right applies to a transaction, that right takes precedence over any conflicting provision of these Terms & Conditions.
These Terms do not exclude or limit rights relating to, among other matters:
- Quality of goods;
- Defective goods;
- Goods that are materially different from what was agreed;
- Applicable cancellation rights;
- Applicable cooling-off rights;
- Delivery rights; or
- Other mandatory consumer protections.
15. Complaints
If a customer has a problem with an order, the customer should contact Chapter Drop & Co. as soon as reasonably practicable.
We encourage customers to provide:
- Order number;
- Description of the issue;
- Relevant photographs where applicable; and
- Any other information reasonably required to investigate the matter.
We will investigate complaints in good faith and communicate the outcome or next steps.
16. Website Availability
We aim to keep the website available and functioning properly but cannot guarantee uninterrupted or error-free access.
Website availability may occasionally be affected by:
- Maintenance;
- Hosting issues;
- Technical faults;
- Software updates;
- Security incidents;
- Third-party services; or
- Circumstances beyond our reasonable control.
Nothing in this section limits any rights a consumer may have under applicable law.
17. Intellectual Property
Unless otherwise stated, the content of the Chapter Drop & Co. website, including text, graphics, logos, photographs, branding, designs and other material, is owned by or licensed to Chapter Drop & Co.
Website content may not be copied, reproduced, modified, distributed or commercially exploited without appropriate permission, except where permitted by law.
18. Third-Party Suppliers and Service Providers
Chapter Drop & Co. may rely on third parties including:
- Book suppliers;
- Publishers;
- Distributors;
- Importers;
- Payment providers;
- Courier companies;
- Website hosting providers; and
- Other service providers.
Third-party services may affect fulfilment or delivery times.
Where a third-party issue materially affects a customer’s order, Chapter Drop & Co. will take reasonable steps to address the matter and communicate relevant information to the customer.
Nothing in this section excludes any obligation Chapter Drop & Co. has directly to the customer under applicable law.
19. Events Outside Our Reasonable Control
Circumstances outside our reasonable control may affect the fulfilment or delivery of an order.
These may include:
- Supplier disruptions;
- Stock shortages;
- International shipping disruption;
- Customs or import delays;
- Port or airport disruption;
- Courier disruption;
- Severe weather;
- Natural disasters;
- Strikes or industrial action;
- Government restrictions;
- Infrastructure failures;
- Cybersecurity incidents; or
- Other unforeseen events.
Where such circumstances affect an order, we will take reasonable steps to minimise the impact and communicate material developments to the customer.
This section does not remove any statutory rights available to the customer.
20. Privacy
Personal information collected through the website is handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable privacy legislation.
Customers should review our Privacy Policy for information about the collection, use, storage and protection of personal information.
21. Electronic Communications
When customers place an order or communicate with Chapter Drop & Co. electronically, they consent to receiving communications electronically where permitted by law.
Electronic communications may include:
- Order confirmations;
- Payment confirmations;
- Shipping updates;
- Supplier-delay notifications;
- Customer-service communications; and
- Other communications relating to an order.
Customers should retain important order-related communications for their records.
22. Changes to These Terms
Chapter Drop & Co. may update these Terms & Conditions from time to time.
The version applicable to an order will be the version in force at the time the order is placed, subject to any changes required by law.
The date of the latest update will be displayed at the top of this page.
23. Governing Law
These Terms & Conditions are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.
Any dispute will be dealt with in accordance with applicable South African law and the consumer’s applicable statutory rights.
24. Related Policies
The following policies form part of the Chapter Drop & Co. website’s purchasing framework and should be read together:
Explains order fulfilment, supplier lead times, dispatch, courier delivery and delivery-related issues.
Explains cancellations, applicable cooling-off rights, returns, defective or incorrect goods and refunds.
Privacy Policy
Explains how personal information is collected, used, stored and handled.
Where there is a conflict between any website policy and a mandatory consumer protection under South African law, the applicable law will prevail.
25. Contact
If you have any questions regarding these Terms & Conditions, your order or our policies, please contact Chapter Drop & Co. using the contact details published on our website.
Chapter Drop & Co.
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