Refund & Cancellation Policy

1. About this Policy

This Refund & Cancellation Policy is issued by Balu Ram Rajeshwar Kumar (the proprietary firm operating the brand "Annapurna Spices"). It applies to orders placed directly through annapurnaspices.com, our WhatsApp Business channel, our retail counter, or any other direct sales point operated by us. Orders placed on third-party marketplaces (Amazon, Flipkart, JioMart, Blinkit, etc.) are governed primarily by the marketplace's own returns policy, with our internal warranty applying secondarily where applicable.

Our products are perishable food items (spices, flours, pulses, salts, snacks). For reasons of food safety and hygiene, certain restrictions on returns apply. Please read this policy carefully before placing your order.

2. Cancellation Policy

An order may be cancelled subject to the following:

• Before order confirmation: Free cancellation. The full amount, if pre-paid, will be refunded.
• After order confirmation but before packing: A cancellation fee of 5% of the order value applies to cover payment-gateway and processing costs.
• After packing/dispatch: Cancellation is not possible. You may decline delivery, in which case the return process below shall apply and the cost of return logistics will be deducted from any refund.
• Partial cancellation: Specific items may be cancelled before dispatch by writing to annapurna2486@gmail.com with your order number.
• Cancellation by us: We reserve the right to cancel any order, in whole or part, due to suspected fraud, payment failure, stock unavailability, pricing or weight errors, restricted delivery zones, or any other reason at our discretion. Any amount paid will be refunded in full.

3. When You Are Eligible for a Refund or Replacement

You may request a refund or replacement only in the following situations:

• Damaged in transit: Sealed packaging is broken, leaking, crushed, or has tampered seals on arrival.
• Wrong item delivered: The product, weight, or variant received does not match what was ordered.
• Manufacturing defect: Product shows clear defect such as foreign matter, infestation, off-odour, or expiry within the legally required minimum shelf-life window from delivery.
• Short shipment: Item billed but not delivered.

All such issues must be reported within 48 hours of delivery, supported by:

• Order number and delivery date.
• Clear photographs and/or a short video of the outer carton (with shipping label visible), the inner packaging, and the product, taken before opening or fully consuming the item.
• Where possible, an unboxing video.

Reports made after 48 hours, or without supporting evidence, may be rejected at our discretion.

4. Items That Cannot Be Returned

For food-safety, hygiene, and statutory reasons, the following items are not eligible for return or refund:

• Products whose seal has been broken, opened, partially used, or tampered with by the customer.
• Products damaged due to mishandling, improper storage, exposure to moisture or sunlight, or pest activity at the customer's premises after delivery.
• Products where the customer's complaint relates to taste, aroma, colour preference, spice level, or texture — these are subjective and inherent to natural agricultural produce.
• Customised or special-order products (custom labels, bulk-pack deviations, B2B/dealer custom SKUs, festival hampers personalised at request).
• Items purchased on final-sale, clearance, or promotional combo prices (unless damaged or wrong item).
• Products consumed beyond the minimal quantity necessary to identify a defect.
• Products whose batch / lot number / MRP sticker has been removed, altered, or defaced.
• Free samples, gifts, or complimentary items shipped along with paid items.

5. Return Process

1. Email annapurna2486@gmail.com within 48 hours of delivery with your order number, photographs/videos, and a short description of the issue. Alternatively send the same on our WhatsApp Business number.
2. Our team will review and respond within 2–3 business days. If approved, we will issue a Return Authorisation Number (RAN) and arrange a reverse pickup or share a return address.
3. Pack the item in its original packaging along with the invoice copy. Mark the RAN clearly on the outer carton.
4. On receipt and inspection at our warehouse, we will process the resolution within 5–7 business days.
5. The resolution may be a replacement, store credit, or refund to the original payment method, at our discretion guided by the issue category.

6. Refund Timelines

• Refund initiation: within 5–7 business days of receiving and inspecting the returned item.
• Bank settlement: typically 3–10 business days from initiation, depending on the issuing bank, card network, or UPI provider.
• Mode: refunds are processed only to the original payment instrument. Cash refunds are not provided. For Cash-on-Delivery (COD) orders, refunds are made via UPI/NEFT against bank details you provide.
• Refund amount: equal to the price paid for the affected item. Shipping fees are refunded only when the issue is attributable to us (damage, wrong item, defect, short shipment).

7. Failed / Stuck Payments

If a payment is deducted but the order is not confirmed, the amount is auto-reversed by the payment gateway, typically within 5–10 business days. If you do not receive the reversal, write to us with the transaction reference and we will coordinate with the gateway. We are not liable for delays attributable to the bank or payment provider.

8. Marketplace Orders

For orders placed via Amazon, Flipkart, JioMart, Blinkit, or other marketplaces, please initiate return / refund requests directly through the respective marketplace's account interface, in accordance with their A-to-Z, Easy Returns, or platform-specific policies. We support marketplace returns within their defined windows and SLAs but cannot override marketplace decisions.

9. Fraud, Abuse & Repeat Returns

We reserve the right to deny return or refund requests where there are reasonable grounds to believe the customer has engaged in fraud, abuse of policy, repeated speculative claims, or where the returned item shows evidence of tampering, swapping, or significant use beyond inspection. Such accounts may be flagged or suspended.

10. Force Majeure

Refund and replacement timelines may be extended in cases of force majeure events (floods, earthquakes, pandemics, lockdowns, courier strikes, payment-gateway outages, etc.). We will keep you informed where such delays apply.

11. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

This policy is governed by the laws of India. Disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts at Rajpura / Patiala, Punjab, without prejudice to the rights available to consumers under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. For our complete terms, please see our Terms of Service.

12. Contact