Returning or cancelling a KakoBuy order: the 120-hour window, what each return costs, and where your refund lands

The 5-day, 120-hour window

KakoBuy's return guarantee is a service offered with sellers on third-party platforms. You can ask to return or exchange an item within 5 days after the status changes to "Stocked in"; the clock starts at the next hour and ends at 120 hours. Three conditions apply: the seller offers returns, the item is in resalable condition, and the item has been in the warehouse for no more than 5 days.

Some products are not eligible: custom-made goods, clothes with tags removed, second-hand items, goods bought outside mainland China, underwear and socks, adult products and food, plus anything the seller excludes. For those, KakoBuy still negotiates, but the seller's answer is final. KakoBuy adds that some products have 7 to 10 days.

Because the window begins at stock-in, open your photos the day they arrive. Our QC photos page explains what the inspection covers, and the storage page shows how the same date starts the 100-day clock.

Decide within 120 hours of stock-in; the seller must agree.

What a return or exchange costs

KakoBuy states the cost as shipping to the seller, plus shipping from the seller, plus a service fee. All users except Prime members pay no service fee on the first return and first exchange of a month. Further requests use a tiered fee, which KakoBuy says it has applied since 20 September 2018 to limit excessive returns.

The shipping part is usually the larger cost. If the seller gave free shipping on the way in, KakoBuy says you pay the seller back for that freight, so you cover both directions. The return page (My Orders, Shopping Orders, Return/Exchange) shows your remaining free requests, and several requests submitted at once may display late.

The first return and first exchange each month are free of service fee; shipping is not.

Who pays: you or the seller

KakoBuy splits responsibility by cause. You pay when you no longer want the item, ordered the wrong one, find international shipping too expensive, or the seller concludes the item has no fault. The seller pays when it shipped the wrong item through its own negligence, for example the wrong colour or size, when there is a faulty item (holes, stains), or when domestic transit damaged the item. In those cases KakoBuy says the customer bears no return or exchange cost.

KakoBuy says a return request on an order that is "not shipped" costs nothing. It charges only when three conditions meet: no quality fault, the item already stocked in, and your free allowance used up. The fees page covers the other charges on an order.

Seller errors and transit damage are free to you; changes of mind are not.

A worked example: the second return in a month

Suppose you already used the free return this month and now return a hypothetical ¥200 item (about $28). Assume ¥8 domestic freight each way, an example figure. The service fee for the second return is ¥5. Arithmetic checked in Python, converting at ¥1 ≈ $0.14.

For the first return of the month the same item costs ¥16, since the service fee falls away, and a seller-fault return costs nothing. KakoBuy says the refund is based on what you actually paid for the product and that return shipping is deducted from the refund amount. A second exchange, by comparison, would carry a ¥10 fee instead of ¥5.

A second return costs ¥5 extra; shipping decides the real cost.

Cancelling by status

Our order status guide explains how the labels match across pages.

The earlier you cancel, the less it costs; after stock-in it is the seller's call.

Where the refund goes

KakoBuy's cancellation and return articles say money comes back to the available balance of your KakoBuy account. A separate article says online payments, whether PayPal or cards, are returned to the original account by the original method, that the handling fee is borne by you, and that you can apply only after more than 2 days have passed since the payment. We cannot tell from the pages how the two fit together, so ask support before assuming either.

This is the reason for our payment line, pay per order: settle each order and parcel at the time, so a refund has little money to wait on. If a refund does land in the account balance, ask support to return it to the original payment method under the refund terms, and expect the PayPal handling fee to be taken out. The insurance page covers lost or damaged parcels, which follow a different process.

Refund destination is unclear in the help pages; ask support for the original method.

The contradictions, listed

KakoBuy's help pages give more than one window. The main return terms say 5 days. The cancellation article mentions 14 days for exchanges when the status is Warehouse, and its next line says 5 days for returns. The compensation policy gives 7 days for goods that differ from the listing, and 5 days for unconditional returns of shopping-agent products. We treat 5 days as the working rule and report the rest as written. If a seller fault is clear and you are on day 6 or later, still ask: the policy says KakoBuy will negotiate, though it is not responsible for the result. For a second opinion before you file a request, try the QR code on the contact page.

Plan on 5 days; treat anything longer as a favour to ask for.

Questions buyers ask

How many days do I have to return a KakoBuy item?

Five days, or 120 hours, counted from the next hour after the status changes to "Stocked in", according to KakoBuy's return terms. A different article mentions 14 days for exchanges and another says 7 days for some products, but 5 days is the figure for shopping-agent orders and the one to plan around. The request may be refused once the time runs out.

Is the first KakoBuy return really free?

The service fee is free for the first return plus the first exchange of each calendar month for non-Prime users. You still pay shipping to and from the seller unless the fault is the seller's. Free shipping offers from the seller do not carry over to the return, because KakoBuy says you pay the seller back for the original freight, so both directions are charged.

What happens to my money after a KakoBuy return?

KakoBuy's cancellation article says refunds go to your available KakoBuy account balance, after the seller confirms, which usually takes 7 to 15 days. A separate refund article says online payments are returned to the original account by the original method, with the handling fee on you, and only if you apply more than 2 days after paying. Ask support which route applies to you.

Can I cancel a KakoBuy order after paying?

Yes, depending on status. When it is Paid, contact customer service to cancel. At Processing, KakoBuy's purchase is done but the merchant has not shipped, and KakoBuy cancels and refunds. At Mailed, it negotiates with the seller, who may agree if freight is covered. KakoBuy says a request while the order is still "not shipped" carries no charge.

Which items can't be returned under the 5-day rule?

KakoBuy lists custom-made products, items with tags or accessories removed, second-hand goods, goods from outside mainland China, underwear and socks, adult products, food and any item the seller excludes. For those, KakoBuy still negotiates with the seller, but the seller decides. Sealed categories such as perfume and cosmetics must stay sealed, and new sneakers need their anti-theft clasp or sticker intact.

Why do KakoBuy's refund pages contradict each other?

The articles were written at different times and nobody has merged them. Return windows appear as 5, 7 and 14 days across the help centre, and refunds are said to go both to account balance and to the original payment method. We follow the 5-day return terms as the main rule, report the others as written, and suggest you ask support to confirm before relying on a longer window.