Cancellation, Return & Refund Policy

1. Statutory Framework & Scope

This Cancellation, Return, and Refund Policy ("Policy") governs all purchases made through SheBakes (shebakes.in), an artisanal direct-to-consumer bakery. This Policy is drafted and published in compliance with:

• The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020.
• The guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regarding digital payments and merchant refund timelines.

2. Perishable Food Items & Returns

All cookie boxes supplied by SheBakes are fresh, consumable, artisanal food products prepared fresh to order without commercial chemical preservatives.

Because our cookies are fresh and perishable food items, physical returns of delivered cookies cannot be accepted once the package has been handed over.

Customer Protection Guarantee: While perishable food items cannot be physically returned, SheBakes unconditionally protects customers against damaged, defective, or incorrect deliveries through our swift Replacement or Full Refund Guarantee detailed in Section 4 below.

3. Order Cancellation Policy

Because each batch of cookies is handcrafted to order:

• Cancellation Window: You may cancel your order free of charge within 2 hours of placement, or prior to our kitchen commencing fresh baking (whichever is earlier).
• How to Cancel: Contact our team immediately quoting your unique Order ID via:
  • WhatsApp: +91 9041577300
  • Email: shebakes.itright@gmail.com
• Full Refund on Cancellation: If cancelled within the eligible window, 100% of the transaction amount will be refunded directly to your original payment source.
• Post-Baking / In-Transit Orders: Once an order has completed baking, packaging, or has been handed over to our courier partner for express dispatch, it enters final logistics and cannot be cancelled, recalled, or diverted.

4. Damaged Parcels, Quality Issues & Incorrect Deliveries

We pack every cookie box in food-grade, airtight containers and shock-resistant structural cartons engineered for transit across India. In the rare event of transit mishandling or human error:

• Eligible Conditions:
  • The parcel or cookie tin is delivered crushed, broken, or severely damaged in transit.
  • The external tamper-evident safety seal is visibly damaged, opened, or tampered with prior to handover.
  • You received an incorrect product, incorrect quantity, or different flavour from what was invoiced.
  • The product exhibits a genuine freshness or quality defect upon immediate unboxing.
• Reporting Timeframe: You must report the issue within 24 hours of verified courier delivery. Prompt reporting is essential for perishable goods under Indian commercial guidelines.
• Verification Requirements: Share clear photos or a short unboxing video showing the external courier shipping label, the damaged box/seal, and the condition of the cookies via WhatsApp at +91 9041577300 or email shebakes.itright@gmail.com.
• Customer Remedy: Upon verification, you are entitled to your choice of:
  • 100% Free Express Replacement: Dispatched with priority tracking at zero additional cost to you; OR
  • 100% Full Refund: Credited directly back to your original payment method.

5. Statutory Refund Timelines & Payment Gateways

In adherence to RBI guidelines on merchant digital refunds:

• Refund Initiation: Approved refunds are initiated by SheBakes within 24 to 48 business hours through our authorized payment aggregators (Razorpay / Shiprocket Fastrr).
• UPI Payments (Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, BHIM, CRED): Typically reflect in your linked bank account within 24 to 48 hours.
• Debit / Credit Cards & Netbanking: Processed via the banking network and typically reflect in your statement within 5 to 7 banking business days (depending on your card-issuing bank).
• No Deceptive Credits: We do not force store credits, digital tokens, or non-transferable coupons when a customer is legally entitled to a financial refund to their original payment source.

6. Non-Refundable Circumstances

In accordance with industry standards and fair trade practices, refunds or replacements cannot be granted under the following circumstances:

• Incomplete, inaccurate, or outdated delivery address or contact number provided by the customer, resulting in multiple failed delivery attempts by the courier.
• Recipient unavailable or unreachable after multiple courier delivery attempts, resulting in package abandonment or return to origin.
• Refusal by the recipient to accept the delivery without a valid reason of visible package damage.
• Complaints or damage claims submitted later than 24 hours following verified courier delivery.
• Quality degradation caused by improper post-delivery storage (e.g. failure to keep in an airtight container, exposing cookies to high humidity, moisture, direct sunlight, or pest infestation).

7. Grievance Redressal Mechanism

In compliance with Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, SheBakes provides a dedicated grievance redressal desk to handle consumer inquiries, refund disputes, and escalation matters: