1. Who we are
This website (hobsonschoice.co.za) is operated by Hobson's Choice Trading (Pty) Ltd, registration number K2022604507, with its registered address at Stone Ridge Farm, Ncwadi Road, Umgungundlovo, KwaZulu-Natal 7270, South Africa ("we", "us", "HCT").
2. Acceptance of terms
By browsing this site, placing an order or contacting us through any form, you agree to these Terms & Conditions, our Privacy Policy, our Shipping Policy and our Refund Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the site.
3. The products we sell
HCT manufactures and sells HCT Liquid Compost — a Group 2 fertiliser registered with the South African Department of Agriculture (submission date 4 April 2024). Product specifications, application rates and recommended uses are published on the product pages and the downloadable product sheet.
Photographs and visualisations on the site are for illustration. Crop results depend on soil condition, climate, irrigation, application technique and many other factors beyond our control — we make no guarantee of any specific yield improvement.
4. Pricing and currency
All prices on the site are in South African Rand (ZAR) and include VAT where applicable. We may change prices at any time, but a confirmed order is honoured at the price displayed at the moment you placed it.
5. Placing an order
When you submit an order through /checkout, you make us an offer to buy at the stated price. Your order is only binding once we send you a confirmation email with your HCT-XXXXXX order reference AND payment has cleared.
We reserve the right to refuse or cancel any order, before or after acceptance, including for reasons of stock shortage, pricing errors, suspected fraud or non-payment. If we cancel, we refund any amounts already paid in full.
6. Payment
Online card and EFT payments are processed by PayFast, a registered South African payment service provider. We never see or store your card details. By paying, you also accept PayFast's terms of service. EFT and other manual payment options, where offered, must reflect within 3 business days of order placement or the order may be cancelled and stock released.
7. Delivery
See our separate
Shipping Policy for delivery areas, lead times and fees. Risk in the goods passes to you on delivery (or on collection, if you elect to collect).
8. Returns, refunds and cancellations
See our separate
Refund Policy. In summary: under section 44 of ECTA you have a 7-day "cooling-off" right to cancel and return an unopened, undamaged consumer order for a refund; consumable agricultural inputs that have been opened are not returnable for hygiene and safety reasons.
9. Use of the product
You agree to use HCT Liquid Compost strictly in accordance with the application guidelines on the product page and on the product label. HCT is not liable for damage caused by misuse, over-application, mixing with incompatible chemicals, application to non-recommended crops, or storage outside recommended conditions.
Keep out of reach of children. Do not ingest. Wash hands after handling. In case of skin or eye contact, rinse thoroughly with water; if irritation persists, seek medical advice.
10. Intellectual property
All content on this site — including the HCT name, logo, product photography, written copy, infographics and the lifecycle diagram — is owned by Hobson's Choice Trading (Pty) Ltd or licensed to us. You may not reproduce, redistribute or use our content commercially without prior written permission.
11. User-submitted content
Reviews and contact-form messages you submit are stored by us and may be displayed publicly (in the case of reviews). Do not submit anything you do not have the right to share. We may edit or remove any submission that is defamatory, false, unlawful, off-topic or that infringes any third-party right.
12. Limitation of liability
To the maximum extent permitted by South African law (including the CPA), HCT's total liability to you arising out of or in connection with any single order is limited to the amount you actually paid for the goods in that order.
Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes any liability that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded — including liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or for fraud.
13. Force majeure
We are not responsible for delays or failures caused by events beyond our reasonable control — including load-shedding, courier strikes, civil unrest, road or port closures, natural disasters, fires, floods, epidemics, government action, or interruptions in supply of raw materials.
14. Governing law and jurisdiction
These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Any dispute arising out of them is subject to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Magistrates' Court or High Court of KwaZulu-Natal.
15. Changes to these terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top tells you when. Material changes will be highlighted on the site for a reasonable period before they take effect.