Most product orders should move through Tambala without much difficulty.

But sometimes something goes wrong. A product is suddenly unavailable, the customer gives the wrong address, delivery fails, or the customer says they received the wrong item.

When that happens, do not rush to change the order status or make an informal agreement outside Tambala.

Start by opening the order, understanding what happened, and choosing the correct next step.

The payment is still pending

If the order exists but the payment is still Pending, do not start fulfilling it. Wait for Tambala to confirm the payment.

Do not accept a payment screenshot, bank message or WhatsApp confirmation instead of the payment status shown in Tambala.

If the payment remains unresolved longer than expected, use the appropriate support process.

The safest rule is simple: do not send a product until Tambala confirms the required payment.

The product is out of stock

Sometimes your stock may be wrong and a customer orders something you no longer have.

First check whether the exact product or variant is genuinely unavailable.

If you cannot fulfil it, do not quietly replace it with something else.

Contact the customer if the process requires communication, then follow the cancellation, refund or order-support option available in Tambala.

Afterwards, update your product stock so another customer does not place the same order.

An out-of-stock order is often a sign that the inventory information needs attention.

You find that the product is damaged

Do not send it simply because the customer has already paid.

If you have another unit of the exact same product in the correct condition, use that one.

If you cannot provide what the customer ordered, stop fulfilment and follow the appropriate order or refund process.

Sending a damaged product usually creates a bigger problem later than dealing with the issue before dispatch.

The customer wants a different size, colour or product

A customer may change their mind after ordering.

Do not simply place another item in the package.

The order should still match what Tambala records.

If Tambala provides a way to change the order, use that process. If not, the customer may need to cancel and place a new order.

This is especially important when the replacement has a different price.

Avoid private arrangements where the order says one thing but the package contains something else.

One item in a multi-product order is unavailable

If an order contains several products and one cannot be fulfilled, do not automatically send the rest without checking the proper process.

The customer paid for a particular order, and the unavailable item may affect what they want to do.

Use the order-support, cancellation or refund options available for the affected item or order.

Do not make your own deduction from the amount paid and promise to send the difference separately unless Tambala specifically supports that process.

Keep the payment and order record connected.

The customer wants to change the delivery address

Small corrections and major address changes are not the same thing.

If the customer simply needs to clarify a house number, landmark or nearby location, follow the communication and update process available for the order.

If they want the package sent somewhere completely different, make sure the change can be recorded properly before dispatching.

A different address may affect the delivery price, delivery area or fulfilment method.

Do not send an order to a new location while leaving an unrelated address in the order record.

The customer wants to change the fulfilment method

A customer may choose pickup and later ask for delivery, or choose delivery and decide they would rather collect.

Before agreeing, check whether Tambala allows the change and whether there are any cost differences.

Do not collect an additional delivery fee privately if it should be handled through the order.

The customer and seller should both be able to look at Tambala and understand how the order is supposed to be fulfilled.

The customer asks to cancel before you send the order

Open the order and check its current status.

If fulfilment has not progressed far, the order may still be eligible for cancellation according to the current Tambala rules.

Use the cancellation process provided rather than simply agreeing by message and leaving the order active.

If money needs to be returned, follow the proper refund process.

Do not tell the customer that a refund has been completed until Tambala actually shows it.

The customer asks to cancel after the order has already been sent

Once an order has left you, the situation is different.

You may no longer be able to handle it as a simple cancellation.

Check whether the package can safely be stopped or returned through the courier or delivery process.

If the customer receives the order and still wants to send it back, use the returns and refunds process.

Do not change the order to Cancelled if the package is already travelling to the customer unless Tambala specifically instructs you to do so.

The order record should continue to reflect what actually happened.

The customer cannot be reached for delivery

Try the contact information shown on the order.

If you cannot reach the customer, do not mark the parcel as delivered.

Follow the normal process for the fulfilment method being used. This may involve another delivery attempt, holding the package for collection or returning it.

Keep any useful delivery or contact record where Tambala supports it.

Do not leave an order somewhere unsafe simply because you want to finish the delivery.

The customer does not collect the order

If an order is waiting for pickup, keep it secure.

You may remind the customer that it is ready, but do not mark it Picked Up until the handover actually happens.

If the customer continues not to collect, follow the current Tambala process for uncollected orders.

Do not decide on your own that you will keep both the product.

The same principle applies when an order is waiting at a courier or Tambala Pickup Point.

The courier cannot deliver the order

Check what the courier says happened.

The address may be unclear, the customer may be unreachable or the parcel may need another delivery attempt.

Contact the customer where necessary and follow the courier process connected to the order.

Do not mark the order Delivered simply because the courier has had it for several days.

If the parcel is eventually returned to you, update or resolve the order through the appropriate Tambala process.

Tambala Market Delivery or a Pickup Point has a problem

If the order has already been handed to Tambala or a Tambala Pickup Point, check the current order status before taking action yourself.

If something appears wrong, use the support or delivery process connected to the order.

Do not arrange a separate replacement delivery before understanding where the original package is.

You want one clear fulfilment record rather than two different journeys for the same order.

The customer says the order never arrived

Start with the order record.

Check the fulfilment method, delivery status, timeline and any tracking or proof of handover available.

If you delivered the order yourself, review any delivery confirmation you recorded.

If a courier or Tambala handled the package, check their delivery information.

Do not dismiss the customer simply because the order says Delivered. First establish what actually happened.

If the customer and seller cannot resolve the issue, use the Tambala dispute or support process and provide the available records.

The customer says they received the wrong product

Compare what was ordered with what was sent.

If the wrong item genuinely went out, acknowledge the mistake and follow the correct return, replacement or refund process.

Do not ask the customer to keep an unwanted product simply because returning it is inconvenient for you.

Then look at why the mistake happened.

Was the wrong variant picked? Were two customer packages mixed up? Was the product listing unclear?

Fix the process as well as the individual order.

The customer says an item is missing

Check the order and your packing process.

If the order contained several products, confirm whether everything was supposed to be in one package or whether it was sent separately.

If an item was genuinely missed, follow the proper process to complete the order or resolve the missing item.

Do not mark something as sent if it never left you.

This is one reason the final packing check is important.

The customer says the product arrived damaged

Ask for the information needed to understand the problem and follow the current Tambala returns or dispute process.

The damage may have existed before dispatch or happened during delivery.

Do not argue before you understand what happened.

Review your packing, any delivery records and the condition of the product before it left you.

If the packaging was not suitable for the journey, improve it for future orders.

You updated the wrong order status

Do not keep pressing other status buttons to try to fix it.

Open the order and check whether Tambala allows the incorrect status to be corrected.

If you cannot correct it yourself, contact Tambala support and explain what happened.

Give them the order reference and the status that was updated by mistake.

It is better to correct one wrong record than create several more incorrect updates.

A teammate made a mistake on the order

First understand what happened.

Check the order history and teammate activity where available.

If the mistake can be corrected through the normal order process, fix it.

If it affects payment, delivery, cancellation or another important part of the order, use support where necessary.

Then review whether the teammate understood the process and had the right permissions.

A mistake may require training, a clearer workflow or an access change.

See Team & Access for managing teammate permissions and reviewing activity.

The customer wants to pay you directly

Keep the order payment inside Tambala.

Do not move an order into a paid or fulfilled state because the customer says they sent money directly to your mobile money number or bank account.

If there is a payment problem, use the Tambala payment or support process.

Keeping payments on the platform protects the order record and makes refunds, disputes and payouts easier to understand later.

When to contact Tambala support

You do not need support for every small issue.

Use the normal order tools when the solution is clear.

Contact Tambala when something cannot be resolved safely through the options available to you, especially when the issue involves payment, an incorrect system status, a disputed delivery, a refund you cannot process, or an order record that does not match what actually happened.

Have the order number and a simple explanation of the problem ready.

Where useful, include relevant delivery, payment or communication information.

Keep the customer informed

When a problem affects what the customer was promised, communicate early.

You do not need a long explanation.

For example:

Hello. We have found a problem with the item while preparing your order, so we have paused fulfilment while we resolve it. We will update you through Tambala as soon as the next step is confirmed.

Clear, calm communication gives the customer confidence that the problem is being handled.

Do not promise an outcome you have not yet confirmed.

The important thing to remember

When an order problem happens, do not improvise.

Open the order and understand what is wrong.

Keep payment and fulfilment inside Tambala.

Do not change the product, address, delivery method or order status simply to make the problem disappear.

Communicate with the customer when their order is affected, and use support when the correct next step is unclear.

A problem handled properly can still end with a customer who trusts your business.

For the normal order journey, see Process a Product Order.

If the problem happens while preparing the package, see Prepare and Pack an Order.

For delivery and collection problems, see Fulfil an Order.

If the customer has already received the product and wants to send it back, continue to Returns, Refunds & Disputes.