Refund policy

Last updated: 10 November 2026

We make pickles in small batches and we would rather fix a problem than argue about it. This policy sets out, plainly, when you can cancel, what we replace or refund, what we do not, and how long the money takes to come back. It forms part of our Terms of Service and is published in compliance with Rule 7 of the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020.

The short version. Cancel any time before your order leaves for delivery and you get every rupee back, with no cancellation fee. After delivery we do not take food back simply because you changed your mind — but if a jar reaches you damaged, leaking, broken, wrong, missing, expired, too close to its best-before date, or spoiled, tell us within 48 hours and we will replace it or refund you in full, at no cost to you.

And because we deliver in person rather than through a courier, the fastest fix of all is to check the order at the door and hand back anything wrong on the spot. Nothing to pack, nothing to ship, nothing to chase.

1. Cancelling an order

1.1 Before your order leaves for delivery

  • You can cancel a confirmed order at any time before it is packed and sent out. Write to contact@t3pickles.com or WhatsApp +91 70327 00912 with your order number.
  • We do not charge any cancellation fee. You receive a full refund of the product value and any delivery charge paid.

1.2 After the order has left for delivery

  • Once an order is out for delivery we usually cannot recall it, but you may decline it at the door. We will then refund the product value; the delivery cost actually incurred may be deducted, and we will show you that deduction.
  • If you declined it because the packaging was visibly damaged, wet, crushed or tampered with, or because the order was wrong, nothing is deducted — you get a full refund including any delivery charge.

1.3 Cancellation by us

Occasionally we may have to cancel an order — a batch fails quality checks, stock runs out, your address turns out to be outside our delivery area, a price or listing error is detected, or the order appears fraudulent. If that happens we will tell you and refund the entire amount in full, including delivery charges. We will never impose a charge on you for a cancellation we initiated.

2. Why we do not accept change-of-mind returns

Pickles are a ready-to-eat food product. Once a jar has left our control we cannot verify how it was stored or handled, and we will never resell returned food to another customer. For that reason we do not accept returns or exchanges because you did not like the taste, found it too spicy or too mild, ordered the wrong variant or weight, or simply changed your mind.

This restriction applies only to change-of-mind returns. It does not limit your rights where the product is defective, deficient, spoiled, wrongly described or not what you ordered — see the next section.

3. What we replace or refund

Report any of the following within 48 hours of delivery and we will replace the item or refund you in full — your choice:

  • Damaged in transit — a broken, cracked or leaking jar, or a pack whose seal has failed.
  • Wrong item — a variant, flavour or weight different from what your order confirmation shows.
  • Missing or short-shipped item — something on your invoice is not in the box, or a combo is incomplete.
  • Expired, or too close to expiry — the product was delivered past its best-before date, or with less than 30% of its shelf life or 45 days remaining, whichever is earlier.
  • Spoiled or unfit to eat — visible fungus or mould, an off smell, abnormal fermentation, or foreign matter in the jar.
  • Tampered packaging — the outer box or the jar seal had clearly been opened before it reached you.
  • Not as described — the product does not have the characteristics or ingredients stated on the product page or on the label.

In each of these cases the entire cost is ours, including any return pickup and the original delivery charge.

4. How to report a problem

  1. Do not throw anything away. Keep the jar, the seal, the outer box and the invoice until the claim is closed.
  2. Within 48 hours of delivery, contact us by e-mail at contact@t3pickles.com, by WhatsApp on +91 70327 00912, or by phone on +91 70327 00912.
  3. Send us:
    • your order number;
    • photographs of the outer box, the shipping label, the jar and its seal, and the problem itself; and
    • for a broken, leaking or spoiled item, a short unboxing or condition video if you have one. It is not compulsory, but it settles the claim far faster.
  4. We acknowledge your complaint within 48 hours and give you a ticket number you can quote to track it.
  5. We assess the claim, usually within 2 business days. Because we deliver locally, we may simply collect the item when we are next in your area — or we may ask you to dispose of it, since for spoiled food we normally do not want it back. You will never be asked to pack or ship anything at your own cost.
  6. Once approved, we either dispatch the replacement or start the refund, and we tell you which.

The 48-hour window exists because food deteriorates, and because the sooner we see a problem the better we can trace which batch it came from. If something genuinely prevented you from reporting in time — you were travelling, or someone else received the order — tell us anyway. We will still look at it on its merits.

5. What is not covered

  • Oil separation. Oil rising to the top of the jar, or a little oil at the rim, is normal for traditional Andhra pickles and acts as a natural preservative. It is not a defect.
  • Taste, spice level and texture preferences. Our pickles are made to traditional Andhra recipes and are genuinely hot. Product pages describe each one; please read them before ordering.
  • Natural variation. Colour, oil content, piece size and consistency vary between batches because the ingredients are seasonal and handpicked, and nothing is standardised with artificial colours or preservatives.
  • Products opened, consumed in substantial part, or stored contrary to the instructions on the label — unless the complaint is a genuine quality defect covered by section 3.
  • Problems reported after 48 hours, other than as described at the end of section 4.
  • Deliveries that failed because of an incorrect or incomplete address, or an unreachable phone number. See the Shipping & Delivery Policy.
  • Delays caused by events outside our control, such as heavy rain, flooding, bandhs or traffic restrictions — though if a delay has made the food unfit, section 3 applies and you get a full refund.
  • Free items, samples and promotional gifts, which have no refundable value on their own.
  • Products not bought from t3pickles.com. If you bought a T3 Pickles jar from a shop or another platform, please take it up with that seller. We will help where we can.
  • The T3 Club membership fee. The membership fee is non-refundable once paid, whether or not the membership is used, and is not refunded when an order is cancelled or returned. The exceptions (a duplicate payment, or T3 Club being withdrawn) are set out in section 9A of our Terms of Service.

6. Refunds — method and timelines

  • Refunds go back to the original payment method — the same card, UPI ID, wallet or bank account you paid from. We cannot redirect a refund to a different account.
  • If you paid cash on delivery, we will refund by UPI or bank transfer to details you confirm to us in writing.
  • We initiate the refund within 2 business days of approving your claim.
  • The money usually reaches you in 5 to 7 business days from the date we initiate it. The exact time depends on your bank, card issuer or UPI provider; some banks take up to 10 business days to post a credit.
  • We will give you the refund reference number so you can trace it with your bank.
  • Partial orders: if only part of an order is affected, we refund the affected items. If removing them takes the order below the ₹999 free-delivery threshold, we do not claw back the delivery charge.
  • Discounts and loyalty benefits: a refund is calculated on the amount you actually paid, after any discount. Loyalty points or referral credits used on a cancelled order are restored to your account; points earned on a refunded order are reversed.
  • Replacements are dispatched within 1 to 2 business days of approval, at no cost to you, subject to stock. If the item is out of stock we will tell you and refund instead.

6.1 Payment debited but no order created

If money left your account and you did not get an order confirmation, the transaction has failed and the amount is auto-reversed by your bank or payment provider, typically within 1 to 5 working days, under the Reserve Bank of India's framework on harmonisation of turn around time and customer compensation for failed transactions (circular dated 20 September 2019). If it has not come back within 5 working days, send us the transaction reference and we will take it up with the payment gateway on your behalf.

7. If you are not satisfied with our decision

Escalate it to our Grievance Officer — see the Contact Information page for the details. We acknowledge an escalation within 48 hours and resolve it within one month, as required by Rule 4(5) of the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020.

You are free at any time to approach the National Consumer Helpline on 1915 (consumerhelpline.gov.in) or to file a complaint with the appropriate Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission at edaakhil.nic.in. Nothing in this policy limits your rights under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, or the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.