Buying furniture online in SA: delivery, damage, returns

Buying furniture online in South Africa? Delivery times for bulky items, what to photograph when it arrives, damage windows and returns on opened goods.

The couch arrives. It's bigger than the lounge suggested it would be, the corner of the box has a hole in it, and the driver is already reversing down the drive. You have about ten minutes before this becomes your problem instead of theirs.

Furniture, appliances and anything made of glass are the things most likely to arrive damaged. The rules for who pays are built around when you said something. This is the checklist: delivery of the big stuff, the first ten minutes, what goes back and on what terms, and the rights under all of it.

Delivery when you're buying furniture online

Small homeware ships like anything else, two to four working days to the main centres. Furniture and large appliances run on a different clock. At the time of review one national chain quotes five to ten working days for furniture and contacts you to confirm a date. Large items usually come by the retailer's own delivery, not to a pickup point, which means being home.

Before you order, check three things on the product page: whether delivery is to the door or into the room, whether assembly is included, and whether the fee on a fridge or a wardrobe is a flat rate or a surprise at checkout. "Kerbside" means the pavement.

The first ten minutes

Photograph the outer box before you open it, with any dents or holes in frame. Photograph the inside packaging. Photograph the item. Then plug it in or sit on it.

At the time of review one national online kitchen retailer asks for exactly those three photographs when something arrives damaged, missing a part or not working. It wants to hear within 7 days, sooner if possible. Another gives 24 hours to report anything missing or damaged on delivery. A report on day one with photographs is a claim the retailer can act on. The same report on day five is a debate about whether it happened in your house.

Returns on opened goods

Unopened and in the original packaging, the norm is 30 days for change of mind, often with a free collection. Opened is where homeware differs from clothing. At the time of review one national online retailer takes back opened goods returned as unsuitable, but can deduct a reasonable amount for use, repackaging and restocking, which it puts at up to 25 percent. Another gives 30 days with separate terms for furniture.

Special orders and made-to-measure items (blinds, cut glass, custom sofas) usually don't come back at all unless faulty. If you're unsure of a fabric colour, order the swatch first. It's cheaper than a quarter of a couch.

Appliance and furniture warranties

A kettle that dies in month five goes back to the shop by law. In month eight, it's the brand's problem, so keep the slip and register the appliance if the brand asks you to. At the time of review one national chain gives 12 months of cover for faults on furniture. If you're deciding which appliances deserve the bigger spend in the first place, our guide to kitchen appliances worth paying more for goes through them.

Your rights, whatever the sticker says

Changed your mind about the couch? You've got seven days from delivery under the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, but you pay to send it back, and a couch isn't cheap to courier.

A wobble in a table leg on day two is a defect, and defects get six months from delivery under the Consumer Protection Act. You pick the fix: repair, replacement or refund. Ex-display and clearance pieces are included, unless the shop pointed the flaw out before you paid. A table that's bigger than you pictured isn't a defect.

Before you pay, in four lines

Where REALRANK™ comes in

Free delivery into the lounge doesn't make R14,000 a fair price for a couch. Whether it is depends on the other shops, and on whether "was R20,000" ever really happened. Our guide to telling clearance from a real homeware markdown covers the second part.

REALRANK™ reads six things about each live homeware deal from the shops we track: how deep the discount is, how much it saves in rand, how the price compares to other shops, whether the brand is one people search for, how recently the price dropped, and whether it's in stock. Pair a strong score with the photos and the couch is a good buy, not a dispute.

Top kitchen and homeware deals

The kitchen and homeware deals scoring 9.0 and above. Check the delivery fee and the dimensions on each before you click through.

Before you buy, Check The Deal. Shop great kitchen and homeware deals, verified and ranked by REALRANK™.

Frequently asked questions

What do I do if furniture arrives damaged?

Photograph the box, the packaging and the item before you move anything, and report it the same day with the photographs. Retailer windows run from 24 hours to 7 days, and a same-day report with pictures is a claim they can act on.

How long does furniture delivery take in South Africa?

Five to ten working days is a common quote for furniture, with the retailer contacting you to confirm the date. Small homeware usually ships in two to four.

Can I return an appliance I've opened?

For a fault, yes, within six months under the Consumer Protection Act. For change of mind, some retailers take opened goods with a deduction for restocking, up to a quarter of the price at one, and others don't. Read the returns line first.

Is there a restocking fee on homeware returns?

Sometimes, on opened goods and special orders. At the time of review one national online retailer puts it at up to 25 percent on opened goods returned as unsuitable. Unopened goods in their packaging usually go back free within 30 days.

Where are the best homeware deals in South Africa?

The Kitchen and Homeware category on THE REAL DEAL ranks live cookware, appliance, bedding and furniture deals from the shops we track by REALRANK™, with the delivery and returns norms above applying to most of the shops on it.

Sources

Written by Dean. Reviewed 27 October 2026. Worked examples use round illustrative prices, not live offers. Retailer figures are the terms published at the time of review and change; check the shop's own page before you order. Some links earn THE REAL DEAL a commission. Placement buys visibility, it never touches REALRANK™.