Return, Refund & Withdrawal Policy

Last Updated: June 21, 2026

This Return, Refund & Withdrawal Policy applies to purchases made through CorkMart.com. It explains when and how customers may request a return, refund, cancellation, replacement, or exercise their statutory right of withdrawal.

Nothing in this Policy limits any mandatory consumer rights that may apply under Portuguese law, European Union law, or other mandatory consumer protection laws applicable to your purchase.

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1. Definitions

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For the purposes of this Policy:

• “CorkMart”, “we”, “us” or “our” refers to the seller operating the online store CorkMart.com.
• “Consumer” or “B2C customer” means a natural person purchasing goods for purposes that are outside their trade, business, craft, or profession.
• “Business customer” or “B2B customer” means a customer purchasing goods for business, professional, wholesale, resale, construction, commercial, or industrial purposes.
• “Standard products” means products normally available in our catalogue and not made, cut, modified, engraved, printed, produced, or sourced specifically according to the customer’s individual instructions.
• “Customized products” means products made to the customer’s specifications, including but not limited to cut-to-size items, made-to-measure goods, laser-engraved products, printed products, personalized items, special production orders, or items modified at the customer’s request.

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2. Consumer Right of Withdrawal — 14 Days

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If you are a Consumer purchasing online, you have the right to withdraw from the contract within 14 calendar days without giving any reason, except where a legal exception applies.

For goods, the withdrawal period expires 14 calendar days after the day on which you, or a third party indicated by you other than the carrier, physically receive the goods. If your order is delivered in several shipments, lots, or pieces, the period starts from the day you receive the last good, lot, or piece.

To exercise your right of withdrawal, you must inform us of your decision by a clear statement sent to: info@corkmart.com. You may use the model withdrawal form included at the end of this Policy, but it is not mandatory.

After notifying us of your withdrawal, you must return the goods without undue delay and no later than 14 calendar days from the day on which you informed us of your decision to withdraw.

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3. CorkMart Commercial Return Window

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For eligible standard B2C orders, CorkMart applies a 14-day return window from the date of delivery. This commercial return process operates together with, and does not reduce, any mandatory statutory rights available to Consumers.

Non-EU customers may also request a return within 14 days of delivery for eligible standard products, subject to this Policy, customs requirements, and any applicable local law.

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4. Return Eligibility and Product Condition

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To be eligible for return, the product must be returned in a condition that allows it to be resold as new, unless the return relates to a confirmed defect, non-conformity, or shipping damage.

Returned items must be:

• unused, uninstalled, uncut, unmodified, and unaltered;
• free from marks, stains, scratches, glue, adhesive, moisture damage, odours, or signs of use;
• complete, including all parts, accessories, instructions, labels, and protective materials where applicable;
• returned in the original packaging whenever reasonably possible, or in equivalent protective packaging suitable for transport.

Customers may inspect the goods as they would reasonably be able to do in a physical shop. However, the customer may be responsible for any reduction in value caused by handling beyond what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics, and functioning of the goods.

Cork products must be protected from bending, compression, humidity, tearing, staining, and contamination during return transport. Items damaged due to inadequate return packaging may be refused or refunded only partially.

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5. Products and Orders That Cannot Be Returned

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The right of withdrawal and commercial return rights do not apply, or may be limited, in the following cases, where permitted by applicable law:

• Customized or personalized products: goods made to the customer’s specifications, including cut-to-size, made-to-measure, laser-engraved, printed, personalized, modified, or specially produced items.
• Special procurement or special production orders: items ordered, manufactured, imported, reserved, or sourced specifically for the customer and not normally held as standard stock.
• Installed, used, cut, altered, or damaged goods: products that have been installed, glued, cut, trimmed, drilled, painted, sealed, treated, stained, marked, exposed to unsuitable conditions, or otherwise changed after delivery.
• Incomplete packs or partial returns: product packs, tile sets, rolls, boards, or bundles must be returned complete unless we expressly agree otherwise in writing.
• B2B, wholesale, professional, or trade orders: business purchases are not covered by the consumer right of withdrawal and are generally considered final sale, except in cases of confirmed defect, non-conformity, incorrect item, shipping damage, or where mandatory law provides otherwise.
• Clearance, liquidation, or final-sale B2B goods: products expressly sold to business customers as clearance, liquidation, discontinued, or final-sale stock are not eligible for return unless defective or incorrectly supplied.

Important: Discount codes, promotional prices, or seasonal sales do not, by themselves, remove a Consumer’s statutory withdrawal rights where such rights apply.

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6. Natural Cork Variations Are Not Defects

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Cork is a natural material. Variations in colour, grain, density, porosity, pattern, texture, shade, and surface appearance are normal characteristics of genuine cork and are not considered defects.

Product photos, samples, and descriptions are intended to represent the product as accurately as possible, but natural variation may occur between batches, boards, rolls, sheets, tiles, and finished products.

Natural cork variations do not constitute a manufacturing defect, lack of conformity, or incorrect item. However, where the customer is a Consumer, this does not prevent the exercise of any statutory withdrawal right for eligible standard products within the legal period.

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7. How to Request a Return

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To request a return, contact us at info@corkmart.com before sending any product back.

Your return request should include:

• your order number;
• your full name and email address used for the order;
• the product or products you wish to return;
• the reason for the return, where applicable;
• photos, if the request relates to damage, defect, incorrect item, or transport issue.

If the return is accepted, we will provide return instructions and, where applicable, a Return Merchandise Authorization number or reference. We may provide a specific return address depending on the product type, warehouse, supplier, or logistics route.

Please do not send products to our head office, registered office, or any other address without prior return instructions. Unauthorized returns may be refused, delayed, lost, or returned to the sender.

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8. Return Shipping Costs

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Unless the product is defective, non-conforming, damaged in transit, or incorrectly supplied, the customer is responsible for the direct cost of returning the goods.

We recommend using a tracked and insured shipping service. The customer remains responsible for the goods until they are received by CorkMart or by the return location indicated in our return instructions.

We do not accept cash-on-delivery returns, unpaid postage returns, or returns that require CorkMart to pay unexpected carrier charges upon delivery, unless we have expressly agreed to this in writing.

If a return is required because of a confirmed defect, non-conformity, incorrect product, or transport damage, CorkMart will arrange a reasonable solution, which may include a replacement, repair, refund, return label, collection, or reimbursement of reasonable return shipping costs, depending on the circumstances and applicable law.

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9. Refunds

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Once your return is received, we will inspect the product and notify you whether the refund has been approved.

For valid Consumer withdrawals, we will reimburse the eligible payments received from you, including the standard delivery cost where required by law. However, we are not required to reimburse additional delivery costs if you expressly selected a more expensive delivery option than the least expensive standard delivery method offered at checkout.

We may withhold the refund until we have received the goods back or until you provide evidence that you have sent the goods back, whichever occurs first, where permitted by law.

Approved refunds will be made using the same payment method used for the original transaction, unless expressly agreed otherwise and provided that you do not incur any fees as a result of the refund.

After approval, refunds are normally processed within 10 business days. Please note that banks, card issuers, payment providers, and financing providers may take additional time to post the refund to your account.

If more than 15 business days have passed since we confirmed approval of your refund, please contact us at info@corkmart.com.

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10. Deductions From Refunds

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We may deduct amounts from your refund where permitted by law, including in the following cases:

• the product has been used, installed, cut, altered, damaged, stained, or handled beyond what is necessary for inspection;
• parts, accessories, labels, instructions, packaging, or components are missing;
• the product was returned inadequately packaged and arrived damaged;
• the return generated customs duties, import VAT, brokerage fees, carrier charges, storage fees, or administrative costs due to incorrect return documentation;
• the customer refused delivery or failed to collect the parcel and return costs were charged to CorkMart.

Where the condition of the returned product prevents resale, CorkMart may refuse the return or apply a partial refund, subject to mandatory consumer rights.

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11. Damaged, Defective, or Incorrect Items

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Please inspect your order as soon as it is delivered.

If the product is defective, damaged, or incorrect, contact us at info@corkmart.com as soon as possible, preferably within 48 hours of delivery, and include:

• your order number;
• a clear description of the issue;
• photos of the product;
• photos of the packaging;
• photos of the shipping label and any visible damage to the parcel.

Reporting transport damage quickly helps us open a carrier claim and resolve the matter faster. The 48-hour period does not limit any mandatory legal guarantee rights that a Consumer may have.

If the issue is confirmed, CorkMart will offer an appropriate remedy in accordance with applicable law. This may include repair, replacement, partial refund, full refund, or another reasonable solution depending on the product and circumstances.

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12. Legal Guarantee for Consumer Purchases

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Consumers may benefit from a statutory legal guarantee of conformity under applicable Portuguese and European consumer law.

For consumer sales of movable goods under Portuguese law, goods are generally covered by a legal guarantee period of 3 years from delivery, subject to the conditions, limitations, burden of proof rules, and remedies provided by applicable law.

A product is not considered defective or non-conforming merely because of:

• natural cork colour, grain, density, porosity, pattern, shade, or texture variations;
• normal wear and tear;
• incorrect installation, application, handling, storage, cleaning, or maintenance;
• exposure to humidity, heat, sunlight, unsuitable substrates, chemicals, adhesives, or environmental conditions not compatible with the product;
• damage caused by misuse, negligence, accident, third-party installation, or modification by the customer;
• differences resulting from customer-supplied measurements, specifications, files, drawings, or instructions.

To make a legal guarantee claim, contact us at info@corkmart.com with your order details, description of the issue, and supporting photos or documentation.

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13. Exchanges

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We do not offer automatic direct exchanges.

If you need a different size, thickness, colour, format, or product, the fastest solution is to request a return for the eligible item and place a new order for the desired product.

Replacement of defective, damaged, or incorrectly supplied products is handled separately and may be offered where appropriate.

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14. Order Cancellations Before Dispatch

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If you wish to cancel an order before dispatch, contact us as soon as possible at info@corkmart.com.

We will make reasonable efforts to cancel the order before it is shipped. However, if the order has already been processed, packed, produced, customized, collected by the carrier, or dispatched, cancellation may no longer be possible and the return rules in this Policy will apply.

Customized products, special production orders, cut-to-size items, and special procurement orders may not be cancellable once production, cutting, sourcing, preparation, or reservation has started.

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15. International Returns, Customs, Duties, and Taxes

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For returns from outside the European Union, the customer must clearly mark the parcel and customs declaration as “RETURNED GOODS” and, where possible, state that the goods are being returned to the original seller.

The customer is responsible for ensuring that customs forms are completed accurately. If CorkMart is charged import duties, VAT, brokerage fees, customs clearance fees, storage charges, or carrier administration fees because of incorrect or incomplete return documentation, those amounts may be deducted from the refund where permitted by law.

Original import duties, taxes, customs charges, brokerage fees, or local delivery charges paid by the customer to authorities, carriers, or brokers are not refunded by CorkMart. Customers may need to contact their local customs authority to ask whether any tax or duty refund is available.

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16. Refused, Unclaimed, or Undeliverable Shipments

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If a customer refuses delivery, fails to collect a parcel, provides an incorrect or incomplete address, or does not cooperate with customs clearance, the shipment may be returned to us, abandoned, destroyed, or stored by the carrier or customs authority.

In such cases, CorkMart may deduct from any refund the original shipping cost, return shipping cost, customs fees, duties, taxes, storage charges, brokerage fees, carrier administration fees, and any other costs incurred.

If the costs of return, customs, storage, or recovery exceed the value of the goods, or if the parcel is abandoned or destroyed by the carrier or customs authority, no refund may be available, subject to mandatory consumer rights.

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17. B2B, Wholesale, and Professional Orders

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Orders placed by business, trade, wholesale, professional, construction, resale, or industrial customers are not covered by the consumer right of withdrawal.

B2B orders are generally final once accepted, confirmed, produced, packed, dispatched, or delivered, unless otherwise agreed in writing by CorkMart or required by mandatory law.

For B2B orders, CorkMart may require the customer to inspect the goods immediately upon delivery and notify any visible damage, shortage, incorrect item, or delivery issue within a reasonable period, preferably within 48 hours of delivery, with supporting photos and documents.

This section does not exclude liability for confirmed defects, non-conforming goods, incorrectly supplied goods, or other rights that cannot be excluded under applicable law.

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18. Complaints and Alternative Dispute Resolution

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If you have a complaint, please contact us first at info@corkmart.com so that we can try to resolve the matter quickly and fairly.

Consumers may also have access to competent consumer protection authorities, alternative dispute resolution entities, or official complaint mechanisms under applicable law.

Where applicable in Portugal, consumers may use the Electronic Complaints Book: www.livroreclamacoes.pt .

The former European Commission Online Dispute Resolution platform has been discontinued. Consumers seeking information about consumer redress in the European Union may consult the European Commission’s consumer redress resources: consumer-redress.ec.europa.eu .

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19. Governing Law

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This Policy is governed by the laws of Portugal, without prejudice to any mandatory consumer protection rights that may apply in the consumer’s country of residence.

If any part of this Policy is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in effect.

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20. Contact

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For returns, refunds, cancellations, defective products, or withdrawal requests, contact:

Email: info@corkmart.com

Please include your order number and any relevant photos or documents so that we can assist you efficiently.

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Model Withdrawal Form

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You may use this form to exercise your right of withdrawal, but it is not mandatory. To withdraw from the contract, you may copy the text below, complete it, and send it to info@corkmart.com.

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