Version 1 — Last updated: September 16, 2026
Returns, Refunds, Warranty and Shipping Framework — Appliance Parts North
This framework explains how returns, refunds, warranties and shipping work on Appliance Parts North (“APN”), operated by ELECTROFIABLE inc. It complements the Marketplace Terms of Use, the Seller Terms and the Offer Policy (including its Condition and Compatibility Disclosures). It does not repeat those documents.
How the Platform operates. APN operates the marketplace’s order, payment and fulfillment engine: buyers check out on the Platform, and payments are processed through Stripe (Stripe Connect Direct Charges). Each seller is the contracting merchant of its own sale. An order containing items from several sellers is split into independent per-seller vendor orders. Refunds are processed through the Platform order workflow (section 4), never arranged privately off-platform.
1. Four layers, and which one governs
| Layer | Who writes it | Where it appears | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. APN platform policy (this document) | APN | This page | Minimum rules that every seller must respect; how the other layers relate; disclosures buyers must read |
| 2. Seller-specific return policy | Each seller, mandatory before its first offer; versioned and immutable | Seller profile and every offer of that seller | Whether and how the seller accepts returns, and in what condition; the refund amount, the inspection and who bears the return cost follow the platform-level defaults of 2.B.13 to 2.B.18, and refunds themselves are processed through the Platform (section 4). An APN consumer-rights notice is displayed alongside every seller return policy |
| 3. Seller-specific warranty declaration | Each seller, per offer | The offer | Either a commercial warranty with its details (what is covered, for how long, how to claim) or “no commercial warranty” |
| 4. Transaction terms (future) | APN | Buyer Transaction Terms | Order, payment and refund mechanics, and dispute steps, for purchases made through the Platform |
Rules of precedence: layer 1 sets the floor; a seller policy (layer 2) or warranty (layer 3) may be more generous than layer 1 but never less. ELECTROFIABLE inc., when it sells, writes its own layer 2 and layer 3 exactly like any other seller and receives no exception.
Two strictly separate parts. Layer 1 is written in two parts that must never be confused: Part A — rights and deadlines that buyers hold under applicable law, which APN neither sets nor reduces (section 2.A); Part B — APN’s own operational defaults and service targets, which apply “subject to applicable law” and only organize how the marketplace works (section 2.B). Where the two differ, the law prevails; a Part B target never shortens a legal deadline or waives a legal right.
APN does not set any warranty duration and does not impose a platform-level return window for buyer remorse: buyer remorse is governed by the seller’s own return policy together with any mandatory rights (Part A). Paid extended warranties are out of scope of this version of the Platform.
2. Platform-level rules (layer 1)
2.A Part A — Mandatory rights under applicable law (never reduced)
2.A.1 Depending on who the seller is and where the buyer is, a purchase may be covered by mandatory rules that no seller policy, warranty declaration or APN default can reduce. For a business seller selling to a consumer in Québec, these may include the legal warranty of quality and of use under the Québec Consumer Protection Act and the Civil Code of Québec, the rules on distance contracts (including cancellation rights and time limits), rules on pre-contractual disclosure, and applicable tax rules. Other provinces and federal law may add their own rules.
2.A.2 Nothing in this framework, in a seller’s return policy, in a warranty declaration or in a “no commercial warranty” statement removes, shortens or conditions those rights. A “no commercial warranty” declaration only means that the seller offers no additional contractual warranty; legal warranties, where they apply, remain in full.
2.A.3 Where a Part B default (below) states a business target and the law gives the buyer more time or a stronger remedy, the law applies. Sellers are responsible for knowing and complying with the rules that apply to their sales; business sellers in particular may be subject to Québec consumer protection legislation regardless of what they declare.
2.B Part B — APN operational defaults, subject to applicable law
2.B.1 Every seller must have a return policy on file before publishing an offer; the version in force when the order is placed applies to that order. An APN consumer-rights notice is displayed alongside every seller return policy.
2.B.2 Every offer must state either a commercial warranty (with details) or “no commercial warranty”. The seller may freely choose “no commercial warranty” or offer one; either way it never claims to remove an applicable legal warranty (Part A).
2.B.3 Every offer must state its condition (new, open box, used), origin (OEM, compatible) and test status (not applicable, tested working), with the declarations required by the Offer Policy. A seller may not describe a part as more than it is.
2.B.4 A seller must honour what its return policy and warranty declaration say.
2.B.5 Fulfillment mode. Fulfillment is by shipping only at this stage of the Platform; pickup is not currently available. A historical offer that is not available for shipping is displayed as “Not available for shipping” and cannot be purchased.
2.B.6 Seller response to a claim — target 2 business days. When a buyer raises a claim (wrong item, non-conforming item, damage in transit, warranty claim), the seller is expected to respond within 2 business days.
2.B.7 Handling time. Each offer states a handling time chosen by the seller — 1, 2 or 3 business days — displayed as “Ships within N business days”. The handling time is the delay before the shipment is handed to the carrier; carrier transit time is additional. Neither APN nor the seller promises a delivery date.
2.B.8 Escalation to APN — target 5 business days. If a claim has received no seller response after 5 business days, the buyer may escalate it to APN, which may apply the measures described in the Marketplace Terms.
2.B.9 Seller error, wrong item, description error. Where a seller sends the wrong item, an item that does not match the offer as published, or the error otherwise lies with the seller, the seller must correct the situation (replacement or refund) and bears the return costs, where applicable.
2.B.10 Buyer remorse. Governed by the seller’s own return policy as to whether a remorse return is accepted at all and in what condition, together with the buyer’s mandatory rights (Part A). Where a return is accepted, the platform-level defaults of 2.B.13 to 2.B.18 apply to the refund amount, to the inspection and to who bears the return cost; a seller’s policy cannot set those aside.
2.B.11 Refunds. Processed promptly under the APN workflow described in section 4 and always within any mandatory deadline (Part A).
2.B.12 Warranties. APN sets no warranty duration and does not administer warranties. Paid extended warranties are out of scope of this version.
2.B.13 What a refund contains. Subject to applicable consumer protection laws, a refund covers the product price and the refundable product taxes. The shipping the buyer paid on the original order, and the tax on that shipping, are not refunded.
2.B.14 Inspection. Packaging that has simply been opened is not, on its own, a ground to refuse a refund. A part that has visibly been installed is not refundable. Where a refund is refused or reduced after inspection, the seller must provide one or more photographs; those photographs are kept in the APN return file, and the reason is communicated to the buyer. This clause does not displace any mandatory right the buyer holds under applicable consumer protection laws, including the legal warranty of quality and of use, for a part that is defective or not as described.
2.B.15 Who bears the return cost. The seller bears the cost of the return, on any accepted return and not only where the seller is at fault. Where the return travels on an APN return label, the real cost of that label is charged to the seller; where the seller uses their own carrier for the return, the seller pays that carrier directly.
2.B.16 Keep the item. A seller may authorise the buyer to keep the product instead of returning it. In that case there is no physical return, the refund covers the product price and the refundable product taxes, and the shipping the buyer paid on the original order is not refunded.
2.B.17 A return that has not arrived. Except where the seller authorises the buyer to keep the item under 2.B.16, a refund is finalised only once the returned part has been received and inspected. A return parcel that is lost or damaged in transit is handled with the carrier and under the label used for that return; it is never treated as a failed inspection, and it never removes a mandatory right the buyer holds while that carrier matter is resolved.
2.B.18 Commission and fees on a conforming return. Where a return is conforming, APN returns its 10 % commission to the seller. The fixed platform fee of 1.00 CAD is retained by APN. Payment processing fees that are genuinely not recoverable from the payment provider remain at the seller’s charge.
3. Typical cases
The table shows which layer applies and where the platform sets an operational default (Part B). Every line is subject to the buyer’s mandatory rights (Part A), which are never reduced. Where a line states a seller-response target, that target is an operational default that can never shorten a legal deadline.
| Case | Who is responsible | APN operational default (Part B, subject to applicable law) | Seller layers (2–3) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wrong item (reference, quantity or type differs from the offer) | Seller | Replacement or refund; return costs borne by the seller where applicable; seller response target 2 business days | Seller policy may add options | Applies to all conditions and origins |
| Item does not match its declared condition, origin or test status (description error) | Seller | Same as wrong item | — | Misleading declarations may also lead to graduated measures (Marketplace Terms) |
| Damaged in transit | Seller (packaging) unless the seller’s policy and the buyer agree otherwise | Seller must have packaged adequately; buyer must report promptly with photos; seller response target 2 business days | Seller policy states whether replacement/refund and how carrier claims are handled | Tracking expectations in section 5 |
| Buyer remorse / no longer needed (if applicable) | Buyer | No platform-level minimum; governed by the seller’s return policy plus mandatory rights (Part A) | Seller policy states whether accepted, condition, restocking fees, who pays return shipping | Buyer must check compatibility before buying |
| Used parts (OEM, tested working) | Seller for the accuracy of the test declaration | Test method must have been described; part must work as described on receipt; seller response target 2 business days | Seller states warranty (commercial or none) and return terms | “Tested working” is not a fitment guarantee for the buyer’s specific model |
| Compatible parts (new) | Seller for accuracy; buyer for verifying compatibility | Must be labelled “compatible”, never presented as OEM | Seller states warranty and return terms | Compatible ≠ OEM; open-box and used compatible parts are not allowed at launch |
| Commercial warranty declared | Seller | Seller must honour the declared coverage and process | Warranty text on the offer governs (scope, duration, claim method) | APN does not administer warranties; paid extended warranties out of scope |
| No commercial warranty | — | Seller must have stated it clearly; the statement never removes an applicable legal warranty | — | Legal warranties, where they apply, remain in full (Part A) |
| Shipping cost of a return | Depends on the cause | Seller bears return costs when the seller is at fault (wrong item, description error, seller error, inadequate packaging), where applicable | Seller policy sets who pays in other cases | Stated up front in seller policy |
| No seller response | Seller | Buyer may escalate to APN after 5 business days without seller response | — | Measures under the Marketplace Terms; dispute workflow future |
4. Refunds
4.1 Refunds are processed through the Platform. A refund on a sale is issued by the seller through the refund control on the platform order; refunds are never arranged privately off-platform. Returns follow the Platform’s return-request workflow: the buyer requests a return on their own completed order, the seller acknowledges the request, marks the item received, and closes it. Subject to applicable law, the seller is expected to process a refund it owes promptly, once the return or the claim is settled, and in any case within any mandatory deadline (Part A).
4.2 A refunded or returned sold unit never returns to APN inventory as the same unit; a later quantity increase on an offer is a new unit. How APN’s platform fee is treated when a sale is refunded is under review.
5. Shipping
5.1 Shipping only. Fulfillment is by shipping only at this stage of the Platform; pickup is not currently available. A historical offer that is not available for shipping is displayed as “Not available for shipping” and cannot be purchased.
5.2 Shipping rates. The Platform computes a live Canada Post rate for each shipment from the seller’s origin postal code (kept private) and the packaged weight stated on the offer (dimensions optional). The seller does not choose the carrier and does not set the shipping cost; the buyer sees and pays the computed rate at checkout.
5.3 Handling time and carrier transit. Each offer states a handling time chosen by the seller — 1, 2 or 3 business days — displayed as “Ships within N business days”. The handling time is the delay before the shipment is handed to the carrier; carrier transit time is additional. Neither APN nor the seller promises a delivery date.
5.4 Tracking. A tracking number is required for the seller to mark a shipment as shipped (buying the carrier label through the Platform is optional). The buyer sees the shipment status and tracking on the order page.
5.5 Shipment notifications. The buyer receives one shipment e-mail per vendor-order shipment.
5.6 Multi-seller orders. An order containing items from several sellers is split into independent per-seller vendor orders; shipments may arrive separately, each with its own handling time and tracking.
5.7 Approximate location. Only the seller’s city and region or province are public; the exact address and the origin postal code are never displayed. Sellers must keep their public location accurate.
5.8 Availability. A seller in “away” status is temporarily unavailable; its offers are not available for purchase until it returns.
5.9
6. Disclosures buyers must read before buying
- A tested-working declaration describes what the seller tested; it is not a universal compatibility guarantee.
- A compatible part is not an OEM part.
- An APN Part reference does not by itself guarantee fitment with a specific appliance model; verify with the seller.
- A reference entered by a seller is never presumed to be OEM by APN.
- Open-box and used parts show real photos of the actual item; check them.
7. Disputes
7.1 Buyer and seller first try to resolve the matter directly, using the seller’s return policy and warranty declaration.
7.2 If the parties do not resolve the matter directly, the buyer may escalate an unresolved claim to APN through the Platform after the seller-response target above. APN facilitates communication between the parties and may apply the graduated measures in the Marketplace Terms, but the contract of sale for the part remains between the buyer and the seller; APN is not a party to that contract and does not decide the outcome of a commercial dispute for the parties.
7.3 Reports of misleading offers or abusive conduct, and claims left without seller response beyond the 5-business-day target, may be sent to APN and may lead to human review and to the graduated measures (warning, correction required, forced pause, suspension, termination — or immediate measures in serious cases) described in the Marketplace Terms.
8. Changes
Each version of this framework carries a whole-number version and date; the version changes only on a material change, an editorial change only updates the date. The French version has the same structure and version. Seller policies are versioned separately by each seller.