Refund policy

Effective date: 26/11/2025

This Returns & Refunds Policy explains how returns, refunds and exchanges work for purchases made on dr-akita.com by customers in the United Kingdom.

It should be read alongside our Terms & Conditions of Sale (especially the sections on your right to cancel and defective products).

“We”, “us” and “our” mean Dr. Akita. “You” means the person purchasing from us.

1. Your rights in a nutshell

You have two layers of protection:

1. Your statutory rights under UK consumer law
    - including the right to cancel most online purchases within 14 days and the right to a refund, repair or replacement for faulty goods. We choose to extend this to a 30-day change-of-mind period for unopened products, subject to the conditions below. 
   

2. Our Dr. Akita returns promise
   - we extend the change-of-mind period to 30 days for eligible items (see below), even though consumable pet products are often excluded once opened.
   
   

Nothing in this policy affects your statutory rights.

2. Change-of-mind returns (30 days)

If you change your mind about a purchase:

• You have 30 days from the date you receive your order to tell us you’d like to return one or more items.
• To be eligible for a change-of-mind return, items must be:

- Unopened with any seals intact;
- In their original packaging; and
- In a resellable condition (no obvious signs of use, damage or contamination).

Because our products are pet food, treats and supplements, they are considered items sealed for health/hygiene reasons. Once a product has been opened or unsealed after delivery, your change-of-mind right no longer applies to that product, unless it is defective.

You are responsible for the cost of returning items under a change-of-mind return (unless we explicitly offer free returns for a particular promotion).

3. How to start a return

To request a return:

1. Email us at woof@dr-akita.com with:

• Your name;
• Your order number;
• The item(s) you want to return;
• The reason for the return; and
• Photos if there is any damage or issue.

2. We’ll confirm whether your return is eligible and provide:

• The appropriate returns address; and
• Any specific instructions (for example, including your order number inside the parcel).
  
  

Items sent back to us without first contacting us may not be identified correctly and will not be accepted or refunded.

4. Returning your items

Once your return has been authorised:

• You should send the items back to the address we provide within 30 days of telling us you wish to cancel/return.
• Please pack them securely in suitable outer packaging.
• We recommend using a tracked service and keeping your proof of postage until your return has been processed.
  
  

For change-of-mind returns:

• You are responsible for the cost of postage and safe return of the items to us.
  
  

For faulty, damaged or incorrectly supplied items:

• We will either provide a pre-paid label or reimburse reasonable return postage costs, as agreed with you in advance (see section 6).
  
  

5. Refunds

Once we receive your return:

1. We will inspect the items to confirm they meet the conditions for a refund (for example, unopened, in original packaging, within the allowed timescales).
   

2. We will email you to confirm whether your refund has been approved or rejected.
   
   

If approved:

• We will process the refund to your original payment method.
• Refunds are usually processed within 7 business days of approval.
• Your bank or card issuer may take additional time to post the funds to your account. This is outside our control.
  
  

What we refund:

• For change-of-mind returns of eligible items:
  • The price paid for those items; and
  • The standard delivery cost for your order where required by law (for example, if you return the whole order within the cancellation period). We will not refund any extra you paid for premium/express delivery.

• For defective, damaged or wrongly supplied items:
  • A full refund or replacement, plus any applicable delivery and agreed return postage costs, in line with your legal rights.
    
    

We may reduce your refund if the value of the items has been reduced due to handling beyond what is necessary to check them (for example, damaged packaging).

6. Damaged, faulty or wrong items

We want every Dr. Akita box to arrive in great condition. Please:

• Inspect your package when it arrives; and
• Contact us as soon as possible at woof@dr-akita.com if:
  - Items are damaged in transit;
  - You receive the wrong product; or
  - You believe the product is faulty.

Please include:

• Your order number;
• A description of the issue; and
• Clear photos (for example, of the product, batch number, expiry date and packaging).
  
  

Depending on the issue, we may:

• Offer a replacement;
• Offer a refund; and/or
• Ask you to return the affected items (at our cost) or safely dispose of them.
  
  

If we ask you to return a faulty or incorrect item, we will:

• Provide a pre-paid return label; or
• Reimburse reasonable return postage costs, as agreed with you in advance.
  
  

Your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (including the short-term right to reject faulty goods) apply in addition to anything set out in this policy.

7. Non-returnable items

Because of the nature of our products, the following are typically non-returnable, except where they are faulty:

• Any opened or unsealed pet food, treats or supplements;
• Items that have been damaged or contaminated after delivery due to misuse, poor storage (for example, exposure to heat or moisture) or failure to follow usage instructions;
• Products purchased from third-party retailers or marketplaces (please contact the original seller for their returns process).
  
  

We also cannot accept returns of:

• Gift cards (if offered); and
• Any items clearly marked as non-returnable or final sale at the time of purchase, unless they are faulty.
  
  

8. Exchanges

We do not currently operate a formal “exchange” system.

If you would like a different product:

1. Follow the steps above to return the product you no longer want (if eligible); and

2. Place a new order on dr-akita.com for the product you’d like instead.
   
   

This helps ensure that stock levels and pricing are clear and up to date.

9. Product-specific guarantees & promotions

From time to time, we may offer product-specific guarantees (for example, a “money-back guarantee” on certain SKUs) or promotional trials.

• Any such guarantee will be clearly described on the specific product page, in marketing materials or in the offer terms.
• Those guarantee terms apply in addition to your statutory rights and this Returns & Refunds Policy.
• Where there is a conflict between an individual product guarantee and this policy, the guarantee terms for that product will apply for that specific promotion.
  
  

We reserve the right to refuse or limit refunds under any discretionary guarantee if we reasonably suspect abuse (for example, repeated claims that are inconsistent with normal use).

10. Orders from third-party sellers

This policy applies only to purchases made directly on dr-akita.com.

If you purchased Dr. Akita products from a third-party retailer, marketplace or platform (for example, another website, shop or marketplace seller), please:

• Follow that seller’s own returns and refunds policy; and
• Contact them directly with any issues relating to your order.
  
  

We may still be able to help with product-related questions, but we cannot process refunds for purchases we did not sell directly.

11. Changes to this Returns & Refunds Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be available on dr-akita.com.

Any changes will apply to purchases made after the date the updated policy is published. For orders placed before that date, the version in force at the time of your purchase will apply.

12. Contact us

If you have any questions about returns, refunds or this policy, please contact us:

• Email: woof@dr-akita.com
  
  

Please include your order number so we can help you faster.