Valid & Invalid transactions

Informing the customers regarding the approximate thickness of the commodity

Q: I wanted to find out a fatwa regarding weights and measures in my business. 

We are steel traders. We buy steel a certain thickness say 0.2mm but the factories that produce it can’t get the exact thickness due to the production process. So the thickness varies from 0.195 to 0.205mm, sometimes more sometimes less. 

What is the ruling on this because we sell the product as 0.2mm. We sell as per the thickness that we order. We don’t order a lower thickness and sell as a higher thickness. This is purely a production tolerance level as the machines can never get it exact.

Confirming with the supplier the payment term for early payment discount

Q: I was receiving a 2.5% early payment discount. I contacted my Sales Representative and explained regarding the 2,5% discount not being allowed for me and to amend my pricing structure. 

1. I wanted to know if I should continue to make payment deducting that amount and then paying it over to the poor or some other institute that takes interest monies while my pricing structure is being amended? 

Taking a non-refundable deposit to special order an item for a customer

Q: In some businesses it is common practice to special order an item for a customer, when it is not in stock, by taking a non-refundable deposit, e.g., 25% or 50%. At times the following situations arise after the item is purchased from the supplier and it arrives: 

1. The customer pays the balance and the sale is concluded. 

2. The customer changes their mind and then wants a refund, which is refused because the item was specially ordered. 

Is it permissible to conduct business in this manner?

Selling a product that is out of stock

Q: 

1. If a customer was to order something that the business didn't own (it wasn't in stock) and rather than paying full price on it, they agreed to put a deposit down and pay full price after the product was delivered to their house and it was fitted into their house (fitting is a separate service and a customer can order a product and request fitting it into their house or they can order a product with the fitting service together). 

Would the income be halal for this? The product will be delivered to the shop first and then the business will send the product to the customers house and fit it. 

2. If you tell a customer that the product isn't in stock and they have to order it in and if they do, they don’t have to pay full price, rather just a deposit and then when the product is delivered to their house or ready to collect from the businesses store, they can pay full price after that, is the income halal?

Being charged extra when buying airtime in advance

Q: I bought airtime and put it in my phone. I used the airtime to buy a bundle of data. I never notice my airtime was fifty cents less. They charged me an emergency recharge. They gave me R2 and said from my next airtime they will take R2+R1.10 access fee. What must I do at that time? When agreeing, I never know it was interest but after that I sensed it. Please advise.