Refund policy

At Smoking Beards®, we want every product that reaches you to be safe, correctly supplied and in the condition you expect. This Refund & Returns Policy explains what to do if there is a problem with an order purchased through smokingbeards.com. This policy forms part of our Website Terms & Conditions and does not limit any mandatory rights available to consumers under applicable United Arab Emirates law.

1 FOOD PRODUCTS AND CHANGE OF MIND
Smoking Beards® primarily sells food products, including seasonings, spice blends, sauces and related products. Because food products are subject to hygiene, food-safety, traceability and tamper-control requirements, we do not ordinarily accept returns or exchanges simply because you have changed your mind, particularly once a food product has been opened, used or its seal or packaging integrity has been compromised. This does not affect your rights where a product is defective, damaged, incorrectly supplied, unsafe, materially different from its description or otherwise does not comply with applicable law or the terms of your purchase.

2 WHEN WE WILL HELP
Please contact us if a product you receive is: 
• Damaged during delivery
• Leaking or otherwise physically compromised
• Missing from your order
• Different from the product you ordered
• Incorrect in quantity
• Defective
• Past its stated expiry or best-before date when delivered
• Supplied with broken, damaged or suspicious tamper-evident packaging
• Materially different from the description on our website
• Suspected to be contaminated or unsafe
• Subject to a product recall or safety notice
• Otherwise not compliant with the agreed order or applicable consumer-protection requirements UAE e-commerce legislation protects consumers in circumstances including where goods are defective, incomplete, damaged, contrary to their description, delivered too late to serve their intended purpose, or inconsistent with the terms of the digital contract. Ministry of Education

3 FOOD SAFETY COMES FIRST
If you believe that a Smoking Beards® food product may be unsafe, contaminated, tampered with or otherwise unsuitable for consumption: Stop using or consuming the product immediately.
Do not consume a product where, for example:
• The container or packaging appears damaged
• A tamper-evident seal appears broken or altered
• There is unexplained leakage
• The product appears contaminated
• The product has an unusual appearance, smell or condition inconsistent with the product
• The product was delivered beyond its stated expiry or best-before date
• You have received a recall or safety notification relating to the product
Please keep the product and its original packaging where it is safe and reasonable to do so.
Do not send a potentially unsafe or contaminated food product back to us unless we specifically ask you to do so and provide appropriate instructions. If you experience a serious adverse health reaction, seek appropriate medical assistance promptly. Customer service should not be used as a substitute for medical advice or emergency care.

4 REPORTING A PRODUCT PROBLEM
Please contact us as soon as reasonably possible after discovering an issue.
Email: info@smokingbeards.com
Please provide, where available:
• Your name
• Order number
• Product name
• Quantity affected
• Description of the issue
• Photographs of the product and packaging
• Photograph of any visible damage or leakage
• Batch or lot number
• Best-before or expiry date
• Photograph of the product label
• Date the problem was discovered
• Any relevant delivery information

For a food-safety concern, batch, date and packaging information are particularly important because they allow us to investigate traceability and determine whether other products may be affected. We may request additional reasonable information as part of our investigation.

5 DAMAGED DELIVERIES
If your order is visibly damaged when delivered, please photograph:
• The outer delivery packaging
• The affected products
• Any leakage or breakage
• The shipping label where possible
Contact us as soon as reasonably possible.
Where the damage occurred before or during delivery and the product is no longer suitable for sale or consumption, we will assess the appropriate remedy, which may include replacement or refund.

6 INCORRECT OR MISSING PRODUCTS
If we have sent you the wrong product, wrong quantity or an incomplete order, please contact us with your order number and details of what was received. Once verified, we will arrange the appropriate correction, replacement or refund. You should not be required to consume, open or use an incorrectly supplied food product in order to establish that the order was incorrect.

7 OPENED FOOD PRODUCTS
Opening a food product does not prevent you from contacting us where opening or reasonable use was necessary to discover a defect or safety issue. For example, a quality, contamination or product-condition issue may only become apparent once the container is opened.
However, we do not ordinarily provide refunds for an opened or partly consumed product simply because:
• You changed your mind
• You personally dislike the flavour
• The product is hotter, sweeter or otherwise different from your personal preference where it corresponds with its description
• You ordered the wrong product
• The product was stored or handled contrary to the instructions provided
Each case involving an alleged defect or food-safety concern will be assessed on its circumstances. UAE e-commerce legislation provides that use of a product can affect a return right, except where use was necessary to verify whether a defect existed. Ministry of Education

8 ALLERGIES AND DIETARY REQUIREMENTS
Customers are responsible for reviewing the product label, ingredient list and allergen information before consumption. Product information displayed on our website is provided to assist with purchasing decisions, but the label supplied on the physical product should be checked before consumption, particularly where you have an allergy, intolerance or specific dietary requirement. If the ingredient or allergen information on a product you receive appears inconsistent with the information provided at the time of purchase, do not consume the product and contact us. If you believe you have experienced an allergic or other adverse reaction, stop consuming the product and seek appropriate medical advice where necessary.

9 STORAGE AND HANDLING
Customers should follow any storage, handling and use instructions stated on the product packaging. We may be unable to provide a refund or replacement where a product deteriorated because, after delivery, it was:
• Stored incorrectly
• Exposed to inappropriate heat, moisture or contamination
• Left open or unsealed
• Altered or transferred into unsuitable packaging
• Used contrary to the supplied instructions
This does not affect rights relating to a defect or problem that existed before the product was delivered.

10 RETURNS OF FOOD PRODUCTS
For food-safety and traceability reasons, please do not physically return food products unless instructed by Smoking Beards®.
Depending on the issue, we may instead ask you to:
• Retain the product temporarily for investigation
• Provide photographs
• Provide the batch/lot and date information
• Safely dispose of the product
• Make the product available for collection
• Return it through an approved method
We will tell you what action is required. Where a return is legally required or requested by us because of a verified defect or error, we will provide appropriate return or collection instructions.

11 REFUNDS
Where a refund is approved, it will normally be made to the original payment method used for the purchase. Once we issue the refund, the time required for the funds to appear in your account depends on the payment provider, card issuer or financial institution. Payment providers may include Paymob, Stripe or other Shopify-supported payment services. Where only part of an order is affected, we may refund the affected item or items together with any other amount required under applicable law.

12 REPLACEMENTS
Where appropriate, we may offer replacement of an affected product instead of a refund.
A replacement may be appropriate where:
• A product was damaged in transit
• The wrong product was supplied
• Part of the order was missing
• A product defect affects an individual item
• A replacement is reasonably available and acceptable to the customer
Where the affected product is no longer available, we may offer an alternative or refund, as appropriate.

13 PRODUCT RECALLS AND SAFETY NOTICES
If Smoking Beards®, a manufacturer, supplier or competent authority identifies a safety issue affecting a product or batch, we may contact customers who purchased the affected product where reasonably possible.
A recall notice may instruct you to:
• Stop using the product
• Check a batch or lot number
• Safely dispose of the product
• Return the product
• Make it available for collection
• Contact us for replacement or refund
Please follow any recall instructions promptly. A product recall or food-safety investigation may also require us to share relevant traceability information with suppliers, manufacturers, logistics providers or competent authorities where permitted or required by law.

14 PROMOTIONS, BUNDLES AND GIFTS
If an affected product formed part of a promotional bundle, multi-buy offer or gift-withpurchase arrangement, the value of any refund may take account of the original promotional structure. This will not reduce any remedy that you are legally entitled to receive. Where a free promotional item itself is defective or unsafe, please contact us so that we can determine the appropriate remedy.

15 NON-FOOD MERCHANDISE
If Smoking Beards® sells merchandise or other non-food items, different return conditions may apply depending on the nature of the product. Any additional return rights or conditions applicable to non-food merchandise will be stated on the website, product page or at the time of purchase. Mandatory consumer rights remain unaffected.

16 DELIVERY CHARGES
Where a refund results from an error attributable to Smoking Beards®, a defective or damaged product, or another circumstance in which applicable law requires reimbursement of delivery costs, we will apply the appropriate remedy. Original delivery fees are not ordinarily refundable where the products themselves were correctly supplied and no legal entitlement to reimbursement exists.

17 ABUSE OF THE RETURNS PROCESS
We reserve the right to investigate unusual or repeated claims where reasonably necessary to prevent fraud or abuse. This does not affect a customer's right to make a genuine claim concerning a defective, damaged, unsafe or incorrectly supplied product.

18 CONSUMER RIGHTS
Nothing in this policy limits or excludes rights granted under applicable UAE consumerprotection legislation. The UAE consumer-protection framework includes the right to accurate information, safe products and fair compensation for damage resulting from defective goods. Contractual terms that unlawfully remove supplier obligations or harm mandatory consumer rights are not enforceable. U.ae Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2023 on Trading by Modern Technological Means also sets out specific circumstances in which goods purchased online may be returned or exchanged. Ministry of Education

19 CONTACT US
For returns, refunds, damaged orders, incorrect deliveries or food-safety concerns, please contact:
SB F&B Trading Co. L.L.C. Trading as Smoking Beards® United Arab Emirates
Email: info@smokingbeards.com
Telephone: +971 54 571 8599
Address: IDS GROUP Building, Al Karama, Dubai, U.A.E.
Please include your order number whenever possible.