Refund policy

1. Introduction and Our Commitment

This Return and Refund Policy governs all purchases made through oyrolab.com. It has been written in full compliance with EU Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU and the Slovenian Consumer Protection Act (ZVPot-1, applicable from 26 January 2023). By completing a purchase on oyrolab.com, you confirm that you have read and accepted the terms set out in this policy.

OyroLab is committed to complete transparency. We do not hide important conditions in fine print. The rules set out below reflect both our legal obligations and our genuine commitment to fair, honest trading. We want every customer to understand exactly what they are entitled to — and why certain limitations exist — before they buy.

2. Your Right of Withdrawal — Sealed, Unopened Products

Under Article 9 of EU Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU, consumers who purchase goods through a distance contract (including all online purchases) have the right to withdraw from that contract within 14 calendar days of receiving the goods, without providing any reason and without incurring any penalty beyond the direct cost of return shipping.

This right exists because online shoppers cannot physically inspect a product before purchasing, unlike in a physical store. The EU legislature recognised this asymmetry and created the 14-day cooling-off period specifically to protect online consumers. OyroLab fully upholds this right.

The 14-day period begins on the day you, or a person designated by you (other than the carrier), physically receives the goods. If the final day falls on a weekend or Slovenian public holiday, the deadline extends to the next working day.

To exercise your right of withdrawal on a sealed, unopened OyroTape™ order, you must:

  1. Notify OyroLab in writing within 14 calendar days of receiving your order. Send an email to shop@oyrolab.com with the subject line: "Right of Withdrawal — Order [your order number]". You may use any clear written statement — a formal withdrawal form is not required, though one is provided in Section 9 of this policy.
  2. Return the goods in their original, sealed, undamaged condition within 14 calendar days of sending your withdrawal notification. The product must be in its original packaging with the hygiene seal fully intact and unbroken.
  3. Use a tracked postal service and retain your proof of postage. OyroLab cannot accept liability for returned parcels lost in transit where the customer is unable to provide tracking evidence.

Once we receive your returned goods and confirm they meet the conditions described in Section 4, we will issue a full refund — including the original standard delivery charge you paid — within 14 calendar days of receiving the goods or receiving evidence of dispatch, whichever is earlier. Refunds are issued to the original payment method used at checkout.

Important note on delivery upgrades: If you selected a premium or express delivery option at checkout, EU law requires us to refund only the cost of our least expensive standard delivery option. The additional cost of an upgraded delivery method is non-refundable in a withdrawal scenario, as the customer chose this upgrade for personal convenience.

Who pays for return shipping? The direct cost of returning goods under the right of withdrawal is the customer's responsibility, unless OyroLab has explicitly agreed to cover it in advance, or unless OyroLab failed to inform you of this obligation before purchase. This is the standard EU position under Article 14(1) of Directive 2011/83/EU.

3. The Hygiene Seal Exception — Why Opened Products Cannot Be Returned

This is the most important section of this policy for OyroTape™ customers to understand. Please read it carefully.

EU Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU, Article 16(e), explicitly removes the right of withdrawal for:

"The supply of sealed goods which are not suitable for return due to health protection or hygiene reasons and were unsealed after delivery."

OyroTape™ falls squarely and unambiguously within this statutory exemption. Here is why, in clear terms:

OyroTape™ is applied directly to the lips and the skin immediately surrounding the mouth — one of the most sensitive and bacteria-exposed areas of the human face — during the unconscious, vulnerable state of sleep. It is a single-use personal care product with a hygiene seal that, once broken, cannot be restored or verified as intact.

Once a pack has been opened, even if individual strips appear visually unused, there is no reliable, non-destructive method to confirm that strips have not been handled, partially adhered to skin, exposed to breath moisture, oral bacteria, or environmental contamination. Reselling opened mouth tape to another consumer would create a genuine, medically serious hygiene risk — not a theoretical or commercial one. The EU legislature specifically designed Article 16(e) for exactly this class of product.

Therefore, the following applies without exception:

  • Once the hygiene seal on any OyroTape™ pack has been broken or removed, that pack is permanently ineligible for return or refund under the right of withdrawal, regardless of how many individual strips have been used.
  • OyroLab will not accept returns of opened or unsealed packs under any circumstances except a verified manufacturing defect (see Section 5).
  • This condition is disclosed clearly on the product page, at checkout, and in order confirmation communications. Completing a purchase constitutes your acknowledgement and acceptance of this condition.

This policy is not a commercial convenience. It is a health protection requirement grounded in EU law and applied in good faith. OyroLab has no interest in unfairly refusing returns — we simply cannot, in good conscience or in legal compliance, accept returns of a personal care product that has been opened and may have been in contact with another person's skin.

4. Conditions for Accepted Returns (Sealed, Unopened Products)

For a return under the right of withdrawal to be accepted, all of the following conditions must be met:

  • The product is in its original outer packaging, undamaged and intact
  • The hygiene seal is fully unbroken and visually undisturbed
  • The product shows no signs of damage, tampering, or alteration by the customer
  • The return is initiated (notified in writing) within 14 calendar days of delivery
  • The product is physically received by OyroLab within 14 calendar days of the notification
  • Original packing slip or documentation is included where one was provided

OyroLab reserves the right to reject returns that do not meet these conditions. Where a return is rejected, OyroLab will notify the customer in writing with reasons and will return the goods to the customer at their expense. In all disputed cases, OyroLab will provide photographic documentation of the condition in which goods were received.

5. Defective, Damaged, or Incorrectly Supplied Goods

Separate from and in addition to the right of withdrawal, EU Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU and the Slovenian Consumer Protection Act (ZVPot-1) grant consumers a 2-year statutory legal guarantee (conformity guarantee) for goods purchased from a professional seller. This guarantee covers any lack of conformity that existed at the time of delivery.

This guarantee applies regardless of whether the hygiene seal has been broken, because defects in the product itself are a separate legal matter from the customer's personal decision to return a working product.

OyroLab is liable under this guarantee where goods are:

  • Physically defective or damaged on arrival (torn packaging, damaged adhesive layer, missing strips not due to customer handling)
  • Not as described on the product page at the time of purchase
  • Not fit for the ordinary purpose for which goods of this type are used
  • Incorrectly supplied (wrong product, wrong quantity, wrong variant)

If your OyroTape™ arrives damaged, defective, or incorrectly supplied, contact us at shop@oyrolab.com within 30 days of receiving your order. Include your order number, a clear description of the issue, and photographs. OyroLab will offer one of the following remedies at its discretion:

  1. Replacement of the defective or incorrect goods at no cost to you, including return shipping
  2. A full or partial refund depending on the nature of the defect
  3. A store credit of equivalent value if preferred by the customer

OyroLab will bear the cost of return postage for all verified defective or incorrectly supplied goods. Defects caused by misuse, failure to follow usage instructions, or normal single-use wear do not fall within this guarantee. OyroTape™ strips are single-use items and are not covered for replacement after use.

6. Non-Returnable Items — Complete List

The following cannot be returned or refunded under any circumstances, except where goods are defective or incorrectly supplied:

  • Any OyroTape™ pack whose hygiene seal has been broken or removed
  • Individual strips removed from any pack
  • Products returned more than 14 calendar days after the written withdrawal notification
  • Products that arrive at OyroLab in a condition inconsistent with their original state
  • Products damaged by the customer after delivery
  • Any order where the customer has claimed a return but cannot provide proof of postage for the returned parcel

7. Refund Processing Times

  • Refunds are processed within 14 calendar days of OyroLab receiving returned goods or receiving proof of dispatch, whichever is earlier
  • Refunds are issued to the original payment method used at checkout
  • Bank and card processing times following our refund issuance are outside OyroLab's control and may add 3–5 business days before the amount appears in your account
  • OyroLab charges no administrative fee for processing refunds

8. How to Contact Us

All return requests, defect claims, and refund enquiries must be submitted in writing to:

Email: shop@oyrolab.com
Subject line: Return/Refund — Order [your order number]
Response time: Within 2 business days

9. EU Standard Withdrawal Form

In accordance with Annex I, Part B of EU Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU, the following standard withdrawal form is available to all customers. You are not required to use it — any clear written statement expressing your intention to withdraw is sufficient.

To: OyroLab, shop@oyrolab.com, oyrolab.com

I/We hereby give notice that I/We withdraw from my/our contract of sale of the following goods:

Ordered on / received on: ___________________________
Order number: ___________________________
Name of consumer(s): ___________________________
Address of consumer(s): ___________________________
Signature (paper only): ___________________________
Date: ___________________________