Sample approval, revisions & refunds

The project schedule must identify each product/SKU, formula route (existing formula or bespoke development), sample format, packaging and artwork scope, target market, quantities and acceptance criteria. Relevant criteria may include appearance, fragrance, texture, performance, fill weight, dispensing and agreed tolerances. Reference products and subjective preferences must be described clearly rather than left as an undefined promise of satisfaction.

The schedule must also state the sample/development fee, any deposit and its allocation, included revision rounds, shipping and third-party costs, milestones, testing/documentation responsibilities, and the treatment of cancellation, unsuccessful development and any refund or order credit. Unresolved commercial points are confirmed in writing before a deposit is requested. A provisional estimate does not resolve them.

Each sample submission must be identifiable by product and sample/formula version. Please give consolidated written feedback against the agreed brief, with photographs or other evidence where useful. CFD records whether you approve that version, request changes or reject it with reasons.

Approval must be written and refer to the specific product and sample version. Approval of one SKU does not approve the others. A packaging mockup is a visual reference, not approval of the formula, a physical sample, final print-ready artwork or regulatory compliance. A reference sample and agreed specifications form the production benchmark where applicable.

CFD does not treat payment, lack of response or a general positive comment as authorisation to start bulk manufacture. Bulk manufacture requires the customer’s written sample approval and the agreed production release; safety, testing and regulatory release requirements remain separate gates. Any earlier purchase of dedicated materials or packaging needs separate written authorisation and disclosed cancellation exposure.

The number and scope of included development/revision rounds must be written into your project schedule. There is no implied promise of unlimited revisions, and no unlisted revision charge should be assumed. CFD reviews your feedback with the technical team and confirms the proposed adjustment, timing and whether it is within the agreed scope.

A sample that fails an agreed specification is a non-conformity to investigate, not automatically a chargeable new preference or a used-up optional revision. CFD must propose a corrective route and explain any technical constraint. Extra charges for a change of fragrance, ingredient, packaging, performance target or other brief change require your written acceptance of the revised scope and cost before that work starts.

If the requested result is not technically feasible, CFD must say so clearly. We will not substitute a different product, relax an acceptance criterion or start bulk manufacture without your written agreement.

If an agreed correction/revision cycle does not resolve a documented mismatch, production of the affected SKU stays on hold. The technical and commercial leads review the agreed criteria, sample history and work completed. You are not required to approve a non-conforming sample or proceed with bulk production simply because a deposit has been paid.

The written resolution can be an agreed corrective attempt with a new scope and deadline, a mutually accepted alternative, or closure of the affected SKU/project with a financial reconciliation. Continuing a different SKU needs separate agreement where it changes quantities, shared setup costs or the project economics.

CFD’s failure to meet the agreed specification must not simply be classified as a customer change of mind. The project agreement and applicable law determine the appropriate corrective work, price adjustment, termination or refund remedy. A development fee or deposit is not automatically forfeited because a sample is rejected; equally, rejection alone does not establish an automatic full refund of every development and third-party cost.

On cancellation or unsuccessful development, CFD provides a written reconciliation of money received, work actually completed, authorised non-cancellable third-party commitments, amounts already credited or returned, and the proposed balance. Deductions must be supported, attributable to the agreed project and permitted by the accepted agreement and applicable law. Merely receiving a deposit does not earn the whole deposit.

Unused and uncommitted funds are identified for return in that reconciliation. Completed, conforming sample/development work and authorised dedicated materials may remain payable where the agreement allows. Disputed or defective work must be reviewed on its merits, not automatically charged as if it had been delivered correctly. A supplier invoice alone does not decide the customer’s legal entitlement.

A full or partial refund depends on that assessment; CFD confirms the amount, basis, payment method and payment date in writing. An order credit means an agreed deduction from a future order, not a cash refund. Any sample-fee credit must specify the eligible amount, order conditions and validity in the project agreement. CFD does not replace a cash refund that is due with store/order credit unless you expressly agree, subject to applicable law.

If you decide not to proceed even though the samples meet the agreed specification, the project’s accepted cancellation terms apply. This is different from CFD being unable to deliver the agreed result. No new or higher cancellation charge may be introduced retrospectively through an updated webpage.

For EU cosmetic products, Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 sets obligations including a Responsible Person, good manufacturing practice, safety assessment, a Product Information File and notification before placing the product on the market. The project schedule must identify who supplies each required item, the intended market and the relevant testing and release milestones.

EN ISO 22716 is the harmonised cosmetic GMP reference. It is not a deposit/refund policy, and mentioning it is not a claim that a particular facility or product is certified. CPNP notification is not EU product approval or certification. Customer approval of scent, feel or appearance does not waive safety, conformity or other mandatory obligations, including issues discovered later.

Send questions or concerns to info@cosmeticsfactorydirect.com with your project name/code, the sample version if known and the points you want resolved. You do not need to repeat information already supplied. Diego keeps the written project record; Yasmin coordinates commercial review and Paula handles technical review.

An unanswered policy question, a disputed charge, repeated unsuccessful samples or a request to speak to a person must be escalated to the appropriate human lead. We will confirm who owns the next step and when you should expect the next update, rather than ask you to pay while the issue remains unresolved. If you disagree with a proposed settlement, request a written review; your rights under the agreement and applicable law remain unaffected.