Sanction Policy

Warning:

• First confirmed incident of delivering a defective product within a month:

Any product delivered to a customer must meet quality standards. The first occurrence of delivering a defective product within a month triggers a warning.

• First case of order cancellation within a month:

Cancelling an order negatively impacts customer experience on the platform. The first case in a month results in a warning.

• First case of incomplete or wrong item:

Customers expect the correct and complete items. The first occurrence of delivering incomplete or wrong items leads to a warning and inclusion in the QA list. The merchant is to ship out the correct item at their own cost.

Product Disabled:

• 2 or more confirmed cases of the same product defect in a month:

Repeated defects in the same product indicate a serious quality issue. Two confirmed cases of the same product defect in a month will lead to the product being disabled.

• 30% of products delivered in a month are confirmed defective from the same store:

A high percentage of defective products in a month harms customer trust. If 30% of products delivered in a month are confirmed defective from the same store, the affected products are disabled. The merchant may also be reported to the relevant regulatory agency for violation of quality standards.

• Copyright infringement or unauthorized sale:

Violating copyright or selling unauthorized products leads to the immediate disabling of the product, and a report is sent to the relevant regulatory authority.

• Order is auto-cancelled:

Auto-cancellation may occur for various reasons. Merchants are required to closely monitor their store alerts and ensure product prices and quantities are always updated. If a merchant is unable to fulfill an order, the quantity should be set to zero.

Monetary Fine:

• Replacement orders:

Shipment of a replacement order for incomplete or wrong items and defective products will result in the merchant bearing the shipping fee and the cost of retrieval.

• Failure to pick up returned orders within 7 days:

Timely retrieval of returned orders is crucial to prevent additional costs and maintain efficient order management. Failure to pick up returned orders from the designated location after 7 days will result in a daily demurrage charge of KSH 80.

• QA Charge:

Upon confirmed shipment of an incomplete/wrong item:

The merchant will be placed on Quality Assurance (QA) for a 3-month period. This evaluation ensures that the merchant's processes are thoroughly assessed after shipping an incomplete or wrong item. A QA charge of KSH 80 will apply to every order shipped from Airsoko FBA locations.

• Orders cancelled on the merchant's store:

Order cancellations affect customer trust and disrupt the platform's experience. Orders cancelled due to reasons such as "Out of stock" or "Price change" will attract quadruple the commission charge with a minimum of KSH 20 and a maximum charge of KSH 4000.

• Second confirmed case of wrong/incomplete/defective item within a month:

A second case indicates recurring quality issues and will result in a fine of KSH 800 and an extended QA period of 6 months.

• First case of selling a fake/counterfeit/expired product:

Selling fake, counterfeit, or expired products endangers customers' health and safety. The first instance will result in a fine of KSH 4000.

Store Suspension:

• False order status update:

Providing false or inaccurate order status misleads customers and damages transparency. The merchant’s store will be suspended for one month.

• Second case of order cancellation in a month:

A second cancellation in the same month signals issues with inventory management or pricing. The store will be suspended until the product quantities and prices are properly updated. Repeated cancellations within a quarter may lead to permanent store closure.

• Delay in responding to arbitration and issue resolution:

Delays in resolving disputes damage customer trust. If the merchant delays beyond the agreed Service Level Agreement (SLA), the store will be suspended until the case is closed.

• Refusal to accept bulk prepaid orders at the verified price:

Merchants must honor bulk prepaid orders at the agreed price. Canceling a bulk order after price verification via a phone call will result in the store being suspended for one month.

• Inaccurate product listing:

Repeatedly listing products inaccurately confuses customers and affects the overall shopping experience. Merchants with more than two cases of inaccurate listings within a month will have their stores suspended until they complete mandatory product listing training.

Store Suspension:

• Selling refurbished/used items described as brand new:

Misleading customers by selling refurbished or used items as brand new damages trust. The first case will result in the store being suspended for 2 weeks.

• Failure to customize delivery fees for merchants with self-fulfillment access:

If a merchant with self-fulfillment access fails to adjust delivery fees, leading to poor customer experience or order cancellations, the store will be suspended until the prices are reviewed and corrected.

• First case of selling a fake/counterfeit/expired product:

Selling fake, counterfeit, or expired products is a serious offense with significant health and safety risks. The first confirmed case will result in a 1-month store suspension, and the merchant will be placed on a watchlist for future infractions.

• Store Closure:

• Second case of selling a fake/counterfeit/expired product:

A second offense emphasizes the gravity of the issue. The merchant's store will be closed permanently, and legal action may be pursued.

• Second case of selling refurbished/used items described as brand new:

A second occurrence of this violation will result in store closure.

• Diverting orders off the platform to avoid commission charges:

Diverting orders off the platform to evade commission charges is a violation of fair business practices. This will trigger the immediate closure of the merchant's store.

Item Forfeiture:

• Non-retrieval of returned items:

If a merchant does not retrieve returned items after 1 month in the demurrage location, daily demurrage fees of KSH 40 will be applied, and after an extended period, the items will be forfeited.

Legal Action:

• Selling fake/counterfeit/expired products:

Legal action will be taken against any merchant found selling fake, counterfeit, or expired products on Airsoko.