Refund & Return Policy

This policy is published in compliance with Rule 6 of the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020. It describes the conditions under which WoodCharcoal.in accepts returns, the refund timelines required by the Reserve Bank of India, and your escalation path if you are not satisfied with our resolution.

1. When you can return a product

We accept returns in any of the following situations:

• The product arrived damaged in transit (carton crushed, bag torn, contents wet, packaging soaked).
• The product is different from what was ordered — wrong SKU, wrong material (e.g. coconut shell sent in place of bamboo), wrong form factor, wrong pack size.
• The product is defective — excessive moisture, fines / dust at unusable levels, sparking briquettes, unusual odour, or any other quality issue traceable to manufacture.
• The product is materially not as described on the product page (e.g. fixed-carbon percentage well outside the typical range stated, gross calorific value materially short of label).

These categories align with §2(34) and §2(11) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 — "defective goods" and "deficiency".

2. What we cannot accept

• Opened bags of charcoal. Once a sealed bag is opened, the contents absorb ambient moisture, pick up contaminants, and can no longer be re-sold or batch-verified for the next buyer. UN 1361 self-heating handling rules also discourage re-pack of opened lots. Unopened bags within a multi-bag carton remain returnable.
• Charcoal that has been lit, partially burned, or doused with water / lighter fluid.
• Returns requested more than 7 days after delivery (see §3 for the exact window).
• Products damaged by misuse after delivery — outdoor / wet storage, exposure to rain, accidental crushing under heavy items, improper ignition.
• Custom-packed wholesale orders (private-label print, special blends, lot-specific sizing) unless defective.
• Products purchased through a third-party marketplace (Amazon, Flipkart, etc.) — refunds for those orders must be raised on the platform of purchase.

3. How to raise a return — 7-day window

1. Email hello@woodcharcoal.in within 7 days of delivery with:
   • Your order number (visible in the confirmation email and on the invoice)
   • The reason for the return
   • 2 to 3 clear photos of the issue — outer carton, the affected bag, and a close-up of the defect (wet contents, broken briquettes, contamination, etc.)
2. We will acknowledge within 48 working hours and, if approved, issue a Return Merchandise Authorisation (RMA) number plus a prepaid Shiprocket reverse-pickup label. Charcoal returns travel Surface-only under UN 1361 — the courier will book accordingly.
3. Pack the product in its original outer carton wherever possible, apply the label, and hand the carton to the courier when they arrive. You do not pay shipping for an approved return.
4. Once we receive the return at our warehouse, we inspect within 2 to 3 business days and then process the refund.

4. Refund timelines (RBI mandate)

Refund is issued to the same payment method used at checkout. Timelines below are from the moment we trigger the refund instruction; the actual credit depends on the receiving bank's settlement cycle. RBI's "Harmonisation of Turn-Around Time" guidelines (RBI/2019-20/67) apply.

• UPI — instant to 24 hours after refund instruction.
• Net Banking / IMPS — 1 to 3 business days.
• Credit / Debit Card — 5 to 7 business days (bank-dependent; foreign cards may take longer).
• Cash on Delivery (COD) — refunded by NEFT to a bank account you provide, within 7 business days of inspection.
• Wallet credits / promo codes — restored to your account immediately.

Shipping charges paid at checkout are refunded only if the return was caused by our error (damage in transit, defect, wrong product). Customer-initiated returns where the product is in good order do not qualify for shipping-charge refund.

5. GST treatment of refunds

Refunds against orders billed with GST are processed via a Credit Note issued under §34 of the CGST Act, 2017. The credit note shows the refunded base price, the reversed GST amount, and references the original invoice number. For B2B buyers, the credit note is reported in our GSTR-1 and will flow to your GSTR-2B, allowing you to reverse the input tax credit claimed against the original invoice.

6. Cancellations

Pre-dispatch cancellation rules are detailed in the Cancellation Policy. In short — you can cancel any order in your order history while its status is "Pending" or "Processing". Once dispatched, please initiate a return instead.

7. Wholesale and bulk returns

Wholesale lot rejections require either a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) mismatch on the proximate analysis (fixed carbon, moisture, ash, volatile matter, calorific value) or photographic evidence of physical defect across at least 2% of the lot. Contact your account manager or email sales@woodcharcoal.in. The GST credit note process in §5 applies, and is matched against the buyer's GSTIN supplied on the original PO.

8. Exchanges

We do not process direct exchanges. Please return the original product for a refund and place a fresh order for the replacement. This keeps the GST trail clean and the refund timeline predictable.

9. Escalation

If you are not satisfied with the resolution offered, please escalate in the following order:

1. Email our Customer Grievance Officer at hello@woodcharcoal.in. The Officer acknowledges within 48 hours and resolves within 15 days, per Rule 3(2) of the IT (Intermediary) Rules, 2021.
2. For payment-related disputes that we cannot resolve, raise the matter with Razorpay's Nodal Officer (razorpay.com/grievance-redressal) or with the RBI Ombudsman under the Scheme for Digital Transactions, 2019.
3. For consumer disputes, you also have the right under §34 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 to file a complaint at the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission with territorial jurisdiction over your residence, or use the central National Consumer Helpline (1915).

10. Contact

Questions: hello@woodcharcoal.in · Phone +91 86986 76976 · Mon–Sat, 10:00 – 19:00 IST