Cotopaei Refund Policy: Clear Terms for Your Peace of Mind

At Cotopaei, we want you to love your outdoor gear as much as we do. If your purchase doesn’t meet your expectations—whether it’s the wrong size, a defect, or a change of plans—our Refund Policy is designed to make the process simple, fair, and stress-free. Below, we break down everything you need to know about eligibility, timelines, and how to request a refund.

1. Eligibility for Refunds

To qualify for a refund, your item(s) must meet the following criteria—we’ve tailored these rules to balance fairness for you and protection against misuse of our gear:

A. General Eligibility (Most Products)

  • Timeframe: You must request a refund within 30 days of the delivery date (check your shipping confirmation email for the exact delivery date).
  • Condition: Items must be unused, unworn, and undamaged, with all original tags, packaging, and accessories (e.g., tent stakes, shoe boxes, gear storage bags) intact. This ensures the gear can be resold to another adventurer in like-new condition.
  • Proof of Purchase: You’ll need to provide your order number (found in your order confirmation email) or a copy of your receipt when requesting a refund.

B. Exceptions & Special Cases

Some items have unique refund rules due to their nature or customization:

  • Final Sale Items: Products marked “Final Sale” on the product page (often discounted or limited-edition gear) are not eligible for refunds—this is clearly noted before you add the item to your cart.
  • Custom/Personalized Gear: Items with custom engravings (e.g., backpacks with your name) or made-to-order specifications (e.g., tailored hiking pants) can only be refunded if they arrive with a manufacturing defect (see Section 2 below).
  • Used or Damaged Gear: If you’ve used the gear (e.g., taken a tent camping, worn hiking boots on a trail) or damaged it accidentally, refunds are not available—but we may help you with repairs (see our Warranty Policy) or offer a partial store credit in some cases (email us to discuss).

2. Refunds for Defective or Incorrect Items

We stand behind the quality of our gear—and if something goes wrong, we’ll make it right:

A. Manufacturing Defects

If your gear arrives with a defect (e.g., a broken zipper on a jacket, a leaky tent, faulty stitching on a backpack) or fails to perform as described within the warranty period (1–3 years, depending on the product—check the product page for details):

  • You’re eligible for a full refund, free replacement, or repair (your choice).
  • No need to keep the gear unused—we understand defects may only show up when you use the product (e.g., a sleeping bag that doesn’t insulate properly on a cold night). Just send us photos of the defect, and we’ll waive the “unused” requirement.

B. Incorrect Items (Our Mistake)

If we send you the wrong product (e.g., you ordered a blue tent but got a green one) or the wrong size (e.g., you ordered a size 10 hiking boot but got a size 8):

  • We’ll cover all shipping costs for returning the incorrect item and sending the correct one.
  • If you’d prefer a refund instead of a replacement, we’ll process a full refund immediately—no waiting for us to receive the incorrect item.

3. How to Request a Refund

Requesting a refund takes just a few steps—we’ve streamlined the process to get your money back as quickly as possible:

  1. Contact Our Team: Email us at [email protected]:
  • Your order number.
  • The name of the item(s) you want to refund.
  • The reason for the refund (e.g., “wrong size,” “defective zipper,” “changed plans”).
  • For defects: Photos or a short video of the issue (this helps us process your request faster).
  1. Receive Your Return Label: Within 24 business hours, we’ll email you a pre-paid return label (for U.S. orders) or instructions for shipping the item back (international customers: we’ll reimburse your return shipping costs once we receive the item—save your shipping receipt).
  2. Ship the Item Back: Pack the item securely (use the original packaging if possible) and attach the return label. Drop it off at the carrier’s location (USPS, UPS, FedEx—whichever is on the label).
  3. We Process Your Refund: Once we receive and inspect the item (usually 2–3 business days after delivery to our warehouse), we’ll process your refund.

4. Refund Timelines & Methods

We know you want your money back quickly—and we work to minimize delays:

A. When You’ll Get Your Money

  • Refund Processing Time: We initiate refunds within 1–2 business days of inspecting your returned item.
  • Bank/Card Processing Time: It may take 3–5 business days for the refund to appear in your account—this depends on your bank or credit card issuer (some may take up to 7 days for international orders).

B. Refund Method

  • Refunds are issued to the original payment method you used (e.g., credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay). If you paid with a gift card, the refund will go back to the gift card (or a new gift card if the original one expired).
  • If you’d prefer store credit instead of a cash refund, let us know in your email—we’ll add the full amount to a Cotopaei store credit that never expires, which you can use for future purchases.

5. Shipping Costs for Returns

Who covers return shipping depends on why you’re returning the item:

  • Your Reason (e.g., wrong size, changed plans): For U.S. orders, we provide a pre-paid return label, but a $5 restocking fee (deducted from your refund) covers the cost of the label. For international orders, you’ll pay for return shipping upfront, but we don’t charge a restocking fee.
  • Our Reason (e.g., defective, incorrect item): We cover 100% of return shipping costs (no restocking fee) for U.S. and international orders.

6. Canceled Orders

If you need to cancel an order before it ships:

  • Email us at [email protected] with the subject line.
  • If we haven’t shipped the order yet, we’ll process a full refund within 24 hours (no fees).
  • If the order has already shipped, you’ll need to follow the regular refund process (Section 3) once you receive the item—we can’t cancel shipped orders, but you’ll still be eligible for a full refund if the item meets the eligibility criteria.

7. Questions? Contact Us

If you have questions about refunds—whether you’re unsure if your item qualifies, need help with your return label, or want to check the status of a refund—email our team at [email protected]. We respond within 24 business hours and will guide you through every step.

At Cotopaei, we believe shopping for outdoor gear should be stress-free—even if you need a refund. Our policy is designed to be clear, fair, and focused on getting you back to planning your next adventure, no hassle involved.