Cancellation, Returns & Refund Policy
Governed by Rule 7 of the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020. Sonh never charges arbitrary cancellation fees on orders cancelled due to merchant delay or stockout. Cancellation rights are deterministically mapped to our real-time Order State Machine.
1. Deterministic Cancellation Milestones
Orders in status awaiting_payment, received, confirmed, or accepted may be cancelled free of any penalty. Prepayments are 100% refunded and stock reservations are automatically rolled back.
Once an order enters preparing, picking, packed, or out_for_delivery, cancellation is locked. At this stage, fresh produce is packed, cafe drinks brewed, custom print jobs spooled, and riders assigned.
2. Category-Specific Return Guidelines
| Category | Returnable? | Inspection Window | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Packaged Groceries (Mart) | Yes | 24–48 hours | Damaged packaging, expired, missing seal. |
| Fresh Produce (Fresh) | Immediate Review | Upon delivery / 2 hours | Rotten, crushed produce. Photos required upon handoff. |
| Prepared Cafe Items (Cafe) | Non-Returnable | Immediate | Freshly prepared hot/cold drinks. Refunded if spilled or contaminated. |
| Custom Print Jobs (Print) | Non-Returnable | Immediate | Printed to customer file. Free reprint if smudged or misbound. |
3. Canonical Coupon & Promotional Financial Rules
Coupons applied to orders are strictly discount rules and hold no cash value. Under our canonical policy:
- Refund Cap: A refund will NEVER exceed the actual monetary amount paid by the customer after discount deductions.
- Failed Payments: If payment fails or an order is cancelled pre-fulfillment, the coupon is released and may be reused.
- Paid Order Refunds: If a successfully paid order is refunded, the coupon discount remains attached to the historical record and is NOT reinstated.
4. Refund Processing Timelines & Gateways
SonhPay Wallet Refund
Approved refunds to your SonhPay Wallet are credited INSTANTLY upon approval for immediate use.
Gateway & Bank Reversal
Initiated via Cashfree within 24 hours. Reflects in your bank account, card, or UPI VPA in 5 to 7 working days.