Returns and RMA Policy (All Sales Final)
Last updated 2026-06-01 · Version 2.0
1.All sales are final
Except where prohibited by mandatory applicable law, all Citadel Vault sales are final. We do not accept returns or issue refunds for buyer's remorse, change of mind, ordering errors, compatibility preferences, delivery delays, customs charges, tax consequences, a misunderstanding of self-custody, an inability to set up or use the product, or any change in the value of Bitcoin or other digital assets.
There is no general 14-day return window and no cooling-off right beyond what non-waivable law requires. Any accommodation we grant is a one-time exception and does not waive this policy for any other order or customer.
2.When an RMA may be granted
A Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) is discretionary and limited. We may issue one in cases such as:
- Confirmed hardware defects handled under the limited warranty (see Terms §8).
- Orders you cancel before shipment, while the order has not yet been dispatched.
- Orders we cancel, for example for stock, pricing-error, payment-verification, or compliance reasons. If we cancel an unshipped order, you receive a refund of the amount paid for that order.
Outside these cases, we are not obligated to authorize a return, refund, exchange, or replacement beyond the limited warranty.
3.Conditions for an authorized RMA
- You must obtain written RMA authorization from us before shipping anything back. Unauthorized returns may be refused, destroyed, or returned to sender at your expense.
- You must follow our RMA instructions exactly, including packaging, labeling, declared value, and courier instructions.
- You are responsible for all return shipping charges and insurance to the facility we designate, and for the risk of loss in return transit.
- International returns must be shipped DAP (Delivered At Place). We will not pay return duties, VAT, customs penalties, storage, or brokerage. We may refuse any package that arrives with unpaid duties, taxes, or fees.
- We may refuse a return, or charge reasonable inspection, restocking, repair, cleaning, reconditioning, repackaging, or disposal fees, if the product arrives opened, initialized, used, activated, tampered with, incomplete, damaged, incorrectly packed, or not in the condition the RMA requires.
4.What is never refundable
Unless mandatory law requires otherwise, the following are never refunded, even when an RMA is approved:
- outbound shipping fees,
- import charges, customs duties, VAT, GST, tariffs, and brokerage or clearance fees,
- taxes of any kind, and
- third-party transaction costs (bank, intermediary, card-processing, or blockchain network fees).
5.Relationship to the limited warranty
RMA handling can be part of limited-warranty service. Citadel Vault hardware carries a 12-month limited warranty against defects in materials and workmanship, with an optional paid extension, as described in Terms §8. There is no separate return policy beyond authorized RMA and that limited warranty. The limited warranty does not cover lost Bitcoin, passphrases, PINs, Vault Cards, Shamir shares, backups, customer setup errors, misuse, or transit damage.
6.If a refund is issued, how it is processed
A refund is not an entitlement; it applies only in the limited cases above under Terms §§7–8. When a refund is issued, this is how it is processed:
| Payment method | How a refund is returned |
|---|---|
| Bitcoin (on-chain or Lightning) | Returned in Bitcoin to a wallet address you provide, equal to the sats actually received in our wallet from your original payment. We do not refund the USD market value of those sats. The outbound network or routing fee is deducted from the refund. You bear Bitcoin price movement between order and refund. |
| Bank wire | Returned by wire to the originating account, in the currency we received. Intermediary and recipient bank fees on both the inbound payment and the outbound refund are deducted from the refund. |
Approved refunds are processed within a reasonable period after we receive and inspect the returned item; funds may take additional time to appear depending on your bank or wallet.
7.International returns
International returns ship DAP to the facility we designate. Mark the package as "Returned Goods, US origin, RMA #" with the original commercial invoice attached so duties are not assessed on entry. If we are charged duties, import taxes, or brokerage on a return because it was mis-declared, those charges are deducted from any refund. If you refuse delivery or fail to pay the carrier's import charges and the parcel is returned to us with duties, brokerage, or storage charges, those charges are deducted from any refund along with the outbound shipping fee. On request we will provide return documentation to support a VAT or duty-drawback claim you pursue with your own tax authority.
8.Statutory rights
For the EU, UK, and other jurisdictions where consumer law provides return or withdrawal rights more favorable than this policy, those non-waivable statutory rights apply and supersede any term less favorable to the consumer.
9.How to request an RMA
Email returns@citadelvault.org with your order number and a description of the issue. We respond with an RMA number and instructions where a return is authorized. Ship only after you receive written authorization, using a tracked, insured carrier. Do not ship anything back without an RMA number.
10.Contact
Returns and RMAs: returns@citadelvault.org
Support and defects: support@citadelvault.org
Orders and payments: orders@citadelvault.org
This Returns and RMA Policy forms part of, and is governed by, the Terms & Conditions (v2.3). Where this page and the Terms differ, the Terms control.