We grow, pack, and ship berries — which means we're shipping something alive and fragile. Most of the time it arrives beautifully. When it doesn't, we want to make it right quickly, without an argument.

Please read this policy carefully, because the rules are different for fresh and dried/packaged products.

1. The short version

2. Fresh berries — our Freshness Guarantee

Fresh fruit cannot be returned for food-safety reasons. Instead, we guarantee it arrives in good condition.

If your fresh berries arrive crushed, mouldy, fermented, leaking, warm, or otherwise not fit to eat, we will replace the order or refund you in full. You do not need to send anything back, and you do not pay return shipping.

What we need from you

Raise the claim within 12 hours of delivery and send us:

1. Photos of the berries — at least two, in natural light, showing the condition of the fruit
2. A photo of the outer packaging, including the shipping label
3. Your order number

Email these to hello@berrieswala.in with the subject line Freshness Claim – [Order Number], or WhatsApp them to +91 98765 43210.

Why the 12-hour window

Fresh berries degrade fast once they leave cold storage. After 12 hours at room temperature, we genuinely can't tell whether the fruit left our orchard in poor condition or simply sat on a doorstep. Photos taken on the day of delivery let us investigate properly — and let us take it up with our courier, which is often where the problem actually happened.

What isn't covered

• Berries that were left uncollected, or refused at the door, and spoiled as a result
• Berries stored outside refrigeration after delivery
• Minor variation in size, colour, or sweetness — fruit is a natural product and each harvest differs
• A small number of soft berries in an otherwise good punnet. Some softening in transit is normal; if more than roughly 20% of a punnet is unusable, that's a valid claim.

3. Dried berries, snacks, and packaged goods

You may return unopened, sealed packaged products within 7 days of delivery for a refund or exchange.

To be eligible, the item must be:

• Unopened, with the manufacturer's seal intact
• In its original packaging, with labels and batch codes readable
• Not past, or close to, its "best before" date
• Accompanied by proof of purchase (order number or invoice)

We cannot accept returns of opened food products. Once a seal is broken we have no way to verify the contents or guarantee safety, and under FSSAI rules we cannot resell or redistribute it. This is a food-safety limit, not a technicality — please don't ask us to make an exception.

If an opened product is spoiled, contaminated, stale, or not what you ordered, that is a defect claim rather than a return. Contact us within 48 hours with photos and we'll replace or refund it.

4. Items we cannot accept back

• Opened or partially consumed food products (except defect claims)
• Fresh produce, for return in any circumstance
• Custom or personalised hampers, once assembled
• Products marked "Final Sale", "Clearance", or "Last Harvest" at the time of purchase
• Gift cards
• Items returned to us without a prior return authorisation
• Items damaged after delivery through storage, mishandling, or misuse

5. Damaged in transit, wrong item, or missing item

If your parcel arrives visibly damaged, is missing items, or contains the wrong products:

Contact us within 48 hours of delivery with your order number and photos of the parcel, the shipping label, and the contents as received.

We will send the correct or replacement items at no cost to you, or refund you in full — your choice. We do not ask you to return a wrongly shipped item unless it is a high-value hamper, in which case we arrange and pay for the pickup.

If your tracking shows delivered but you have not received the parcel, tell us within 48 hours so we can open an investigation with the courier while the trail is still fresh.

6. How to start a return or claim

1. Email hello@berrieswala.in or WhatsApp +91 98765 43210 with your order number and a short description of the problem. Attach photos where relevant.
2. We respond within one business day (Mon–Sat, 10am–6pm IST) with a decision or a request for more detail.
3. If a physical return is approved, we'll send you a return authorisation and address. For packaged goods, use a trackable courier and share the tracking number.
4. We inspect the returned item within 2 business days of receiving it.
5. We process your refund or dispatch your replacement, and confirm by email.

Please do not ship anything back without a return authorisation. Unauthorised returns may be refused or returned to sender at your cost.

7. Refunds — method and timing

Once approved, refunds are issued to the original payment method.

These timelines are set by banks and payment gateways, not by us. We initiate refunds within 2 business days of approving a claim, and can share the refund reference number so you can follow up with your bank.

Store credit is available as an alternative and is issued instantly, usually with a small bonus on top. It never expires.

What we refund

• Product value — always refunded in full where a claim is approved
• Shipping charges — refunded when the fault was ours (damaged, spoiled, wrong or missing item). Not refunded for change-of-mind returns of packaged goods.
• Return shipping — paid by us for defect claims; paid by you for change-of-mind returns
• COD handling fees — non-refundable, as these are charged by the courier

Partial refunds

We may issue a partial refund where only part of an order is affected, where a packaged item is returned in reduced condition through no fault of ours, or where a claim is raised outside the stated window but we're able to verify the issue.

8. Cancellations

• Before dispatch: cancel any order for a full refund. Email or WhatsApp us as soon as possible — we pack fresh orders early, often the same morning.
• After dispatch: fresh orders cannot be cancelled, because the fruit is already in the cold chain and cannot be resold. Packaged orders may be cancelled, but the return shipping cost will be deducted.
• Refused delivery: if you refuse a parcel without contacting us first, we refund the product value less shipping and courier return charges. For fresh orders, refused parcels cannot be refunded, as the fruit is unsalvageable by the time it returns to us.
• Failed delivery due to an incorrect address or unreachable phone number: we can re-ship packaged goods at your cost. Fresh orders in this situation are not refundable — please double-check your address at checkout.

9. Exchanges

We exchange packaged products for a different variant or flavour within 7 days of delivery, provided the original is unopened and sealed. You cover the return shipping; we cover the shipping on the replacement. If there's a price difference, we'll either collect it or refund it.

For faster resolution, many customers prefer a refund plus a fresh order.

10. Wholesale and bulk orders

Wholesale purchases, including those arranged by appointment at our Kotla Fruit Market unit, are governed by the terms on your wholesale invoice or supply agreement, which take precedence over this policy.

In general: quality claims must be raised within 24 hours of delivery with photographs and lot or batch numbers, and rejected stock must be held in cold storage until we or our representative can inspect it. Wholesale orders are not eligible for change-of-mind returns.

11. Sale items and discount codes

Discounted items are returnable under the same rules as full-price items, unless explicitly marked Final Sale. Refunds on discounted items are for the amount actually paid, not the original price.

If a return brings your order below the threshold for a free-shipping or spend-based promotion, the value of that benefit may be deducted from your refund. Discount codes used on a cancelled or returned order are not reissued unless the fault was ours.

12. Late or missing refunds

If your refund hasn't arrived within the timeline above:

1. Check your bank or card statement again — refunds sometimes post without a notification
2. Contact your bank or card issuer with the refund reference number we provided; processing times can vary
3. If it still hasn't appeared, email hello@berrieswala.in and we'll chase it with our payment gateway

13. Your rights under Indian law

Nothing in this policy limits your rights under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, including your right to a refund for goods that are defective, spoiled, misdescribed, or not delivered.

If you're unhappy with how we've handled a claim, you may escalate it to our Grievance Officer (details in our Privacy Policy) or to the National Consumer Helpline on 1915 or at consumerhelpline.gov.in.

14. Contact us

Email: hello@berrieswala.in — we reply within one business day Phone / WhatsApp: +91 98765 43210 — Mon–Sat, 10am – 6pm IST Address: Unit 4, Kotla Fruit Market, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh 171001, India Instagram: @berrieswala

If something arrived wrong, just tell us. We'd rather send you good fruit than win an argument.