Online retailer Jumia Kenya has launched a free, 3-month guarantee on products valued above Kes 1,500 on the platformin a bid to enhance customer confidence in online shopping.

Partnering with a reputable insurance firm, Jumia says it will take direct responsibility for any unsatisfactory products, and offer customers an immediate replacement or refund.

“The Jumia Guarantee is a strong signal of our confidence in the quality of products sold on our platform. Customers will benefit from a free 3 month guarantee on the vast majority of products, in addition to existing warranties offered by manufacturers,” said Jumia MD Sam Chappatte, during the Jumia Anniversary celebration for vendors at Pride Inn Hotel.

The Guarantee will cover products with Manufacturing Defects, Dead on Arrival, Counterfeit or Wrong Items delivered. It however excludes Consumer Goods, Beauty & Fashion items and low cost items below Kes 1,500.

This will ensure comprehensive customer protection for products purchased on Jumia. When buying from most offline retailers, customers are redirected to the manufacturer’s service center for after sale service; a process which is tedious and time consuming for customers. With the Jumia Guarantee, Jumia collects the item, does a quality check & makes an immediate decision.

Jumia will continue to offer a free 7-day return policy, allowing customers to return products to Jumia (in a re-saleable, sealed condition).

Chappatte attributed the move to an ongoing campaign to improve trust in online shopping, which is supporting the rapid growth of the ecommerce industry in Kenya, currently valued at Ksh.4.3 billion.

While Jumia Guarantee will be free to customers & benefits vendors on the platform, selling conditions are expected to get stricter. Vendors will increasingly be barred or fined if they sell sub-standard products on the platform

The announcement comes ahead of the “Jumia Anniversary” campaign celebrating 6 years of operations. The campaign will feature over 1.5 million deals for customers at up to 60% off from July 16th till 29th July.