Customer Complaints Policy

1. PURPOSE AND SCOPE

This Customer Complaints Policy explains how Health Equilibrium SA (Pty) Ltd (“Health Equilibrium”, “we”, “us” or “our”) receives, handles and resolves customer complaints.

It applies to complaints relating to purchases, products, delivery, collection, refunds, returns, customer service, website transactions, staff interactions and other matters connected with Health Equilibrium.

The purpose of this Policy is to provide customers with a clear route to raise concerns and to provide Health Equilibrium with a consistent process for investigating and responding to them.

Nothing in this Policy limits or excludes any consumer right, remedy or right to approach a competent authority, court, tribunal, ombud or other dispute-resolution forum available under South African law.

2. OUR COMMITMENT

We will aim to handle complaints fairly, respectfully and without unnecessary delay.

We will listen to the customer's concern, consider the relevant information and provide a clear response.

We will avoid making promises about an outcome before the relevant facts have been considered.

Where we identify that Health Equilibrium made an error, we will take reasonable steps to correct it and prevent unnecessary recurrence.

Complaints may be used internally to identify training, operational, product, website or service improvements.

3. WHAT IS A COMPLAINT?

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about a product, service, transaction, process, staff interaction or other aspects of the customer's experience where the customer expects Health Equilibrium to investigate or respond.

Examples include complaints about:

• Incorrect, damaged, defective or unsafe products.
• Returns, refunds or exchanges.
• Delivery delays, missing parcels or incorrect deliveries.
• Click & Collect arrangements.
• Pricing, promotions or website information.
• Customer service or staff conduct.
• Privacy or the handling of personal information.
• Marketing communications or unwanted marketing.
• A website transaction or payment-related problem.

4. HOW TO SUBMIT A COMPLAINT

Customers may submit a complaint through any of the following channels:

E-Mail: info@health-equilibrium.co.za
Tell: (012) 5480933

5. INFORMATION TO INCLUDE

Customers are encouraged to provide enough information for Health Equilibrium to identify and investigate the issue.

6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND RESPONSE TIME

Health Equilibrium aims to acknowledge a complaint within two business days.

An acknowledgement may confirm receipt, request additional information or explain the next step in the investigation.

We aim to resolve complaints as soon as reasonably possible. The time required may depend on the nature and complexity of the complaint, whether a supplier or courier must be contacted, whether a product needs to be inspected, and whether additional information is required.

If a complaint cannot reasonably be resolved within a short period, we will aim to keep the customer informed of material developments.

7. HOW WE INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS

Depending on the complaint, Health Equilibrium may review:

• The customer's order, invoice, receipt or account information.
• Relevant delivery or courier tracking information and proof of delivery.
• Product details, batch or lot information, expiry dates and photographs.
• Payment, refund or transaction records.
• Relevant communications between the customer and Health Equilibrium.
• Information from suppliers, manufacturers, couriers or service providers where necessary.
• Internal records relevant to the complaint.

8. FAIR TREATMENT AND CUSTOMER COMMUNICATION

Customers will be treated respectfully regardless of the outcome of a complaint.

Health Equilibrium will not intentionally disadvantage a customer merely because the customer has raised a genuine complaint or exercised a lawful consumer right.

We ask customers to communicate respectfully with our staff. Threatening, abusive, discriminatory or harassing behavior is not acceptable and may be managed appropriately while the underlying complaint is still considered.

We will communicate the outcome in clear and reasonably understandable language.

9. POSSIBLE OUTCOMES

Depending on the facts and applicable law, an outcome may include:

10. COMPLAINTS ABOUT RETURNS, REFUNDS AND EXCHANGES

Complaints relating to returns, refunds and exchanges will be considered together with our Returns, Refunds & Exchanges Policy and applicable consumer law.

Where a customer alleges that a product is defective, unsafe, materially unsuitable or otherwise non-conforming, the matter will be assessed under the applicable statutory and operational process.

Where the customer has a statutory right to a particular remedy, Health Equilibrium will not use this complaints process to contract out of that right.

11. COMPLAINTS ABOUT DELIVERY

Delivery complaints will be investigated with reference to our Delivery & Collection Policy.

Where appropriate, Health Equilibrium may contact the courier to investigate tracking, delivery attempts, proof of delivery or other relevant information.

If a parcel is lost in transit and the loss is not attributable to the customer, Health Equilibrium will take the appropriate steps required by applicable law and our policies.

12. PRIVACY AND POPIA COMPLAINTS

If a complaint concerns personal information, privacy, marketing consent, access to personal information, correction/deletion requests or an alleged privacy breach, it will be handled with appropriate confidentiality and referred internally to the person responsible for privacy/POPIA matters.

Customers should avoid including unnecessary sensitive personal information in an ordinary complaint email.

Where a complaint concerns an alleged interference with the protection of personal information, the customer may also have rights to complain to the Information Regulator. The Regulator provides a POPIA complaints process and advises that complaints concerning personal information violations can be lodged through its prescribed process.

Health Equilibrium will not prevent a customer from exercising a lawful right to complain to the Information Regulator.

13. ESCALATION

If a customer is not satisfied with the initial response, the customer may request that the matter be reviewed by management.

Where appropriate, management may reconsider the relevant records, obtain additional information and issue a further response.

An internal escalation does not remove the customer's right to use any external complaint, dispute-resolution or legal process available under South African law.

14. EXTERNAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION AND CONSUMER AUTHORITIES

Health Equilibrium encourages customers to give us an opportunity to resolve a complaint directly, but customers retain their statutory rights to approach an appropriate external forum.

The Consumer Protection Act provides consumers with access to redress and permits complaints concerning alleged infringement of consumer rights or prohibited conduct to be pursued through the mechanisms provided by the Act.

Depending on the nature of the complaint, relevant external bodies may include the National Consumer Commission, an applicable accredited industry ombud or dispute-resolution scheme, a competent court or tribunal, or the Information Regulator for POPIA/PAIA matters.

Health Equilibrium will provide reasonable information about the relevant route where a customer asks us how to escalate a matter.

15. URGENT PRODUCT SAFETY COMPLAINTS

If a customer believes a product may be contaminated, tampered with, incorrectly labelled or otherwise unsafe, the customer should stop using or consuming it and contact Health Equilibrium promptly.

Where appropriate, Health Equilibrium may quarantine affected stock, contact the supplier/manufacturer and take other reasonable steps to investigate and protect customers.

Customers should retain the affected product and packaging where it is safe to do so, including batch/lot and expiry information.

16. INTERNAL COMPLAINT RECORDS

Health Equilibrium may keep reasonable records of complaints and their outcomes for purposes including resolving disputes, monitoring service quality, identifying recurring problems, training staff and meeting legal or regulatory obligations.

Personal information contained in complaint records will be handled in accordance with our Privacy & POPIA Policy and applicable law.

Access to complaint information will be limited to people who need it for legitimate business, legal or compliance purposes.

17. FALSE, ABUSIVE OR FRAUDULENT COMPLAINTS

Health Equilibrium will take genuine complaints seriously.

Where there is evidence that a complaint is deliberately fraudulent, materially misleading or part of an abusive attempt to obtain goods, money or benefits improperly, Health Equilibrium may investigate and take reasonable protective measures.

These measures will not be used to deny a genuine statutory consumer right merely because a customer has made a complaint.

18. STAFF RESPONSIBILITIES

Staff who receive a complaint should listen carefully, remain professional and avoid arguing with the customer.

Staff should not promise a refund, replacement, discount, compensation or other remedy unless they are authorized to do so.

Staff should record or escalate complaints where the matter cannot be resolved within their authority.

Complaints involving safety concerns, alleged discrimination, privacy/POPIA matters, serious staff misconduct or significant financial disputes should be escalated to management.

19. WHAT CUSTOMERS CAN EXPECT FROM US

You can expect us to:

•Listen to your concern.

•Treat you respectfully.

•Protect your personal information.

•Investigate the facts relevant to the complaint.

•Explain our decision or proposed remedy clearly.

•Tell you if we need additional information.

•Correct genuine errors where appropriate.

•Tell you how to escalate the matter if you remain dissatisfied.

20. WHAT WE ASK FROM CUSTOMERS

To help us resolve complaints efficiently, we ask customers to:

•Provide your name and contact details.

•Provide an order number, receipt, invoice or other proof of purchase where relevant.

•Explain what happened and when it happened.

•Provide photographs and/or supporting documents where relevant.

•Keep relevant packaging, products and delivery information where the complaint concerns a product or delivery.

•Allow reasonable time for us to investigate, particularly where a courier, supplier or manufacturer must be contacted.

Communicate respectfully with our staff.

21. CONTACT DETAILS

Email: info@health-equilibrium.co.za

Telephone: 012 548 0933

In person: Shop U30, Kolonnade Shopping Centre, Corner of Sefako Makgatho Drive and Enkeldoorn Avenue, Montana Park, Pretoria, Gauteng, 0182.

Complaints may be raised during normal store trading hours for in-person matters.

22. POLICY DETAILS

Health Equilibrium SA (Pty) Ltd

Registration No. 2026/267330/07

Effective date: 21 September 2026

Website: Website: https://health-equilibrium.co.za/