Returns & Refunds Policy
Our USA GEMS Returns & Refunds Policy explains your rights when shopping at www.usagems.co.uk, including change-of-mind returns, return postage costs, damaged or incorrect items, refunds and statutory consumer rights for UK and European customers.
At USA GEMS, we want you to be happy with your purchase. This policy explains your rights when ordering from www.usagems.co.uk, including when goods can be returned, who pays return postage, and how faulty or damaged items are handled.
1. Change of Mind Returns
If you purchase goods from us online, you may have the legal right to cancel your order within 14 days of receiving your goods.
If you wish to cancel an eligible order, you must tell us within this 14-day period.
Once you have notified us that you wish to cancel, you must return the goods to us within a further 14 days.
You do not need to give us a reason for cancelling an eligible order.
2. Condition of Returned Items
To receive a full refund, returned goods should be:
- unused and in their original condition;
- unopened where applicable;
- complete with the original packaging;
- returned with any seals, labels, accessories or documentation supplied with the product.
You may examine an item only to the extent reasonably necessary to establish its nature, characteristics and condition.
If an item has been handled more than would reasonably be permitted in a physical shop and this reduces its value, we may be entitled to reduce the amount refunded.
3. Health, Hygiene and Personal Care Products
USA GEMS sells a range of personal care, beauty, dental, skincare and hygiene products.
For health and hygiene reasons, sealed products that are not suitable for return once unsealed cannot be returned for a change of mind after the seal has been broken, where the applicable consumer law permits this exemption.
This may include certain products such as:
- deodorants and antiperspirants;
- skincare products;
- lip products;
- body creams and lotions;
- body washes and scrubs;
- shaving and personal care products;
- oral and dental care products;
- toothpaste and similar personal-use products;
- other sealed health or hygiene products.
The exemption applies only where the product is genuinely unsuitable for return for health protection or hygiene reasons after being unsealed.
This does not affect your rights if an item is faulty, damaged, incorrect or not as described.
4. Food, Drinks, Gummies and Consumable Products
Some food, drink, supplement and other consumable products may not qualify for the normal change-of-mind cancellation right where they are liable to deteriorate or expire rapidly.
For other eligible food, drink or consumable products, they must normally be returned unopened, unused and in their original saleable condition.
For hygiene and safety reasons, we cannot normally accept a change-of-mind return of a consumable product once it has been opened.
Your statutory rights remain unaffected where a product is faulty, unsafe, damaged, incorrect or not as described.
5. Return Postage for Change-of-Mind Returns
Where you are returning an eligible item simply because you have changed your mind, you are responsible for the cost of returning the goods to USA GEMS.
Return postage is not refundable unless the goods are faulty, damaged, incorrect or otherwise not as described.
We strongly recommend using a tracked postal or courier service.
You are responsible for taking reasonable care of the goods until they are received by us.
Please obtain and retain proof of postage.
6. Original Delivery Charges
Where you validly exercise your statutory right to cancel an eligible order, we will refund the cost of our standard delivery service, where you paid a delivery charge.
If you selected a more expensive delivery option, such as express or premium delivery, we are only required to refund an amount equivalent to our standard delivery charge.
7. Faulty, Damaged or Incorrect Items
If you receive an item that is:
- faulty;
- damaged;
- incorrect;
- incomplete; or
- materially different from its description,
please contact USA GEMS as soon as reasonably possible.
Do not dispose of the product or packaging until we have had an opportunity to review the issue.
We may ask you to provide photographs of the product, packaging and shipping label to help us investigate.
Where the goods are faulty, damaged, incorrect or otherwise fail to meet your statutory rights, USA GEMS will be responsible for reasonable return postage costs where a return is required.
Depending on the circumstances and your legal rights, we may offer a replacement, repair, price reduction or refund.
8. Items Damaged in Transit
Please inspect your order as soon as possible after delivery.
If your parcel or an item inside it has been damaged during transit, please contact us and provide:
- your order number;
- details of the damaged item;
- photographs of the item;
- photographs of the outer and inner packaging; and
- photographs of the shipping label where possible.
This helps us deal with the matter and any claim against the delivery company.
9. Incorrect Items
If we have sent you an item that you did not order, please contact us before returning it.
We will provide instructions for the return or replacement of the incorrect item.
You will not be responsible for reasonable return costs where the mistake was made by USA GEMS.
10. How to Request a Return
Please contact us before returning an item.
When contacting us, please provide:
- your full name;
- your order number;
- the product you wish to return; and
- whether the return is a change of mind, damaged item, faulty item or incorrect item.
We will provide you with the appropriate return instructions and return address.
Please do not send products back without obtaining the correct return information first.
11. Refunds
Where a refund is due, it will normally be made to the original payment method used to place the order.
For a change-of-mind cancellation, we may withhold the refund until:
- we have received the returned goods; or
- you provide evidence that you have sent the goods back,
whichever occurs first.
Once the applicable conditions have been met, refunds will be processed within the period required by law.
Your bank, card provider or payment service may take additional time to credit the funds to your account.
12. Products We Cannot Resell
Where an eligible product is returned under the statutory cancellation right, please take reasonable care of it.
Products should not be used, consumed or opened unnecessarily.
Where handling beyond what is necessary has caused a reduction in the value of the goods, we reserve the right to make a deduction from the refund where permitted by law.
13. European Customers
USA GEMS sells to selected European destinations.
Customers purchasing from EU countries may have additional rights under the consumer protection laws applicable in their country.
For many online purchases, EU consumers have a 14-day right of withdrawal from the date the goods are received.
For a normal change-of-mind return, the customer may generally be required to pay the cost of returning the goods where they were informed of this responsibility before purchase.
Where goods are defective, applicable EU consumer protections may require the trader to bear the cost of the return.
Nothing in this policy is intended to remove rights that cannot legally be excluded under the law applicable to your purchase.
14. Your UK Consumer Rights
For UK online purchases, consumers generally have 14 days after receiving their goods to notify the seller that they wish to cancel, followed by another 14 days to return the goods. Standard delivery charges must generally also be refunded when a valid cancellation is exercised.
There are legal exceptions, including certain goods that deteriorate or expire rapidly and sealed goods which are unsuitable for return for health or hygiene reasons once they have been unsealed.
Faulty goods, goods that are not as described, or goods that do not perform as they should remain subject to statutory consumer protections.
15. Statutory Rights
Nothing in this Returns & Refunds Policy is intended to exclude, restrict or reduce any rights you have under applicable consumer law.
Where there is any conflict between this policy and a statutory right that cannot legally be excluded, the statutory right will apply.
Website: www.usagems.co.uk
Business: USA GEMS