Buyer Protect - T&C

Buyer Protect — Terms and Conditions

1. What is Buyer Protect

Buyer Protect is an optional, paid add-on that assists a customer if an order is lost in transit, or is delivered in damaged condition. If a covered event occurs and a claim is approved, the customer will receive a refund.

2. Coverage (What is covered)

2.1 Lost in transit

When covered: The shipment does not arrive within twenty days from the order date.
Benefit: Partial or Full Refund (dependent on claim assessment).

2.2 Damaged on arrival

When covered: The item arrives in physically damaged condition – product that has suffered physical harm during transit or delivery, resulting in breakage, deformation, malfunction, leakage, or the absence of essential components, beyond usage.
Benefit: Partial or Full Refund (dependent on claim assessment).

3. Exclusions (What is not covered)

• Product shown as Delivered but Not Received.
• Product delivered is different to what was ordered, or delivered in a quantity short of what was ordered.
• Damage or defect occurring after delivery, or damage due to improper handling or installation not arranged through an authorised partner.
• Digital goods or services, gift cards, or items sold “as-is” or “open-box”.
• Orders never sent (cancelled) or never shipped.
• Address issues resulting in mis-delivery, including entering the wrong address or missing specific address information.
• Intentional acts, frauds, criminal or evil acts of the delivery staff or service users that lead to package delay or loss.
• Fake logistics information used for claims.
• Delay or loss caused by wars, hostilities, military actions, armed conflicts, strikes, riots, civil commotion, terrorism.
• Delay or loss caused by natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, mudslides, typhoons, and snowstorms.
• Claims arising from repeated purchases of the same product from the same merchant by the same customer.
• An incorrect or incomplete delivery address entered by the customer; or deliveries that were refused or left unsigned where a one-time password or signature was captured, if applicable.
• Events of force majeure (including, as examples, extreme weather and natural disasters).
• Prohibited or fragile items shipped without adequate packing.
• Minor cosmetic imperfections (such as small scratches, dents, packaging damage, or minor colour shade differences) that do not affect functionality or usage are not considered damaged.
• Buyer Protect does not apply to disputes related to authenticity, originality, or perceived brand value of products purchased from third-party sellers. If a seller lists a branded or branded-style product, Buyer Protect applies only if the delivered product does not match the images, specifications or description mentioned on the product page — not to expectations regarding global brand authenticity.

Buyer Protect is intended to safeguard against transit-related issues. It is not a replacement for product verification or due diligence on branded goods offered at high promotional discounts.

We encourage buyers to verify product/brand claims directly from the seller before purchase.

4. Claim Timelines

Lost / Not delivered
Earliest: Twenty days from the order date
Latest: Thirty days from the order date

Damaged
On delivery
Latest: Five days from delivery

Claims submitted outside these time limits will be declined.

5. Conditions to Raise a Claim

• Order identification number with the air waybill number, and contact details.
• For Damaged claims: one continuous unboxing video, plus two photographs – a clear close-up of the damage, and a photo of the packaging/parcel as received with the AWB visible. A claim missing any of these three items will not be processed.
• Any additional information reasonably requested to verify the claim.

Your unboxing video must show, in one continuous take:

1. The sealed parcel and the shipping label (full label visible)
2. Opening the parcel (cutting the seal)
3. The inner packaging and all contents laid out together
4. Close-ups of the item, model/SKU/variant, and any damage or discrepancy

6. Outcomes and Refunds

If a claim is approved, the refund will be processed to the bank account details provided by the customer.The bank account provided for refund processing must belong to the user who has purchased buyer protect. Refunds eligible will only be processed for such cases. Processing times depend on the customer’s bank.

Shiprocket shall not be liable for any refund, reimbursement, or payment that is processed to an incorrect bank account as a result of the customer providing inaccurate, incomplete, or incorrect account details. The customer is solely responsible for self-declaring and verifying the correctness of their bank account information, and any loss arising from such incorrect declarations shall be borne entirely by the customer.

7. Maximum Refund Amount (Caps and Limits)

• Per-customer cap: The total refund amount is capped at ₹2,500 per customer in any rolling thirty-day period across all claims.
• Per-order cap: The refund will not exceed the order value and may be subject to a partial or full refund depending upon assessment.

8. How to File a Claim (Process Steps)

1. Message us on WhatsApp from the number linked to your order, or reply to the order confirmation message.
2. Select the order you need help with, then select the reason (Haven't received my order; Received in Damaged Condition; Wrong Item Received; Short Item Received
3. Confirm the issue type and follow the steps shown – this will differ depending on what you select. Reports of a wrong or short item, or anything outside of the above, do not lead to a refund under Buyer Protect; instead, we'll help you draft an email directly to the seller.
4. For Lost or Damaged claims that are covered, upload the required evidence as prompted.
5. If approved, you'll be asked to confirm the refund amount before it's processed. Confirmation and updates will be sent to you on the same WhatsApp thread.

9. Buyer Protect Coupon (Rewards)

From time to time, Shiprocket may issue a complimentary Buyer Protect coupon to a customer, entitling them to purchase Buyer Protect free of charge on a future order. Such a coupon:

• is issued at Shiprocket's discretion and is not guaranteed on any order;
• is valid for a limited period of 30 days or, as communicated at the time it is issued;
• may be applied automatically at the point of purchasing Buyer Protect on an eligible future order, without the need for a separate code, where technically supported; alternatively, a code may be provided for manual entry;
• is limited to one use, is non-transferable, and has no cash value;
• does not affect the coverage, exclusions, evidence requirements, or refund caps described elsewhere in these Terms, which apply identically to an order protected using a coupon.

Special Terms and Conditions

1. Free / Promotional Products

Exclusion: Items supplied free of charge (including gifts, samples, or promotional add-ons marked at ₹0) are not covered under Buyer Protect.

No claims permitted: Claims for non-delivery or damage relating to such free/promotional items will not be accepted.

2. Multiple-Item Orders — Pro Rata Refund for Partial Discrepancy

Scope: If an order contains multiple items and a verified issue (non-delivery or damage) affects only part of the order, any approved refund will be issued on a pro rata basis, at the individual unit level where an item was ordered in multiple quantity.

Method: The pro rata amount will be calculated using the per-item price (or, where applicable, the price allocated to the affected item/variant within the order invoice). Only the affected units qualify for refund.

3. Coverage Limited to In-Transit Issues

Transit only: Buyer Protect applies only to issues occurring during transit (for example, non-delivery or damage during shipment).

Not covered: Orders that are cancelled, not dispatched, or otherwise not handed over to the carrier fall outside the scope of Buyer Protect and are not eligible for claims under this program.

4. Fast-Track Claims and No Double Recovery

Fast-track process: Buyer Protect facilitates expedited claim resolution, under which Shiprocket may refund the customer on the merchant's behalf for covered issues in accordance with the program policy.

No double refund: If the customer receives a refund via Buyer Protect, the customer is not eligible to also receive a refund directly from the merchant for the same issue (“no double recovery”).

Return on refund: Where a refund is approved, the customer must return the product to the merchant in accordance with the return instructions provided. Return freight costs shall be borne by the customer.

These Special Terms form part of the Buyer Protect Terms & Conditions and should be read together with the main terms (coverage, evidence requirements, timelines, and exclusions).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Buyer Protect?

Buyer Protect is an optional add-on you can purchase on your order's tracking page. If something goes wrong with your delivery – it gets lost in transit, or arrives damaged – Buyer Protect gives you a fast way to get a refund, without a long back-and-forth.

What does Buyer Protect cover?

• Lost in transit – your order doesn't arrive within twenty days of your order date.
• Damaged on arrival – your order arrives physically damaged, in a way that affects its use (breakage, deformation, malfunction, leakage, or missing essential parts).

If either of these happens and your claim is approved, you'll receive a partial or full refund, depending on assessment.

What isn't covered?

A few common examples:

• Your order shows as delivered, but you say you didn't receive it (we can still help – see below).
• You received the wrong item, or fewer items than you ordered (we can still help – see below).
• Minor cosmetic marks (small scratches, dents, or packaging damage) that don't affect how the product works.
• Damage that happens after delivery, or from handling/installation not done through an authorised partner.
• Orders that were cancelled or never shipped.
• Delivery issues caused by an incorrect address you entered.
• Events outside anyone's control – natural disasters, wars, riots, and similar.

The full list is in the Terms and Conditions.

How much does Buyer Protect cost?

The fee depends on your order value and is shown upfront on the tracking page before you purchase – there's never a hidden or last-step charge.

How do I raise a claim?

Just message us on WhatsApp – from the number your order is linked to, or by replying to your order confirmation message. Select your order, then tell us what happened. We'll guide you through the rest right there on WhatsApp.

What evidence do I need for a damaged item claim?

Three things, every time:

1. One continuous unboxing video – starting from the sealed parcel with the shipping label visible, through opening it, to a close-up of the damage.
2. A clear close-up photo of the damage.
3. A photo of the packaging/parcel as it arrived with AWB visible.

A claim submitted without all three won't be processed, so it's worth filming before you unpack rather than after.

How much will I get refunded?

It depends on assessment, and is capped at whichever is lower: your order value, or ₹2,500.

There's also a combined limit of ₹2,500 across all your Buyer Protect claims in any rolling 30-day period – so if you've claimed recently, a new claim might be partially or fully limited by that. We'll always tell you the exact amount before asking you to confirm.

How and when will I get my refund?

Refunds are processed only to the bank account of the user who purchased Buyer Protect.

The account holder name must match the customer’s name exactly.

Refund requests with mismatched names will not be processed.

What if I received the wrong item, or fewer items than I ordered?

These aren't covered by a Buyer Protect refund, but we don't leave you without help – we'll draft an email to the seller for you, right there on WhatsApp, that you can review and send yourself.

My claim was rejected — can I ask for a second look?

Yes. Whenever a claim is declined, you'll be given the option to have it manually reviewed by our team instead of just accepting the outcome. Manual review can take a little longer, but it's a genuine second look, not a formality.

I have a free Buyer Protect coupon — how do I use it?

If you've been issued one, it can be applied when you go to purchase Buyer Protect on an eligible order. It's valid for a limited time from when it's issued (30 days), so it's worth using it on your next order rather than saving it indefinitely.

Can I get a refund from both Buyer Protect and the seller for the same issue?

No – if you receive a refund through Buyer Protect, you won't also be eligible for a separate refund from the seller for the same issue. If your claim is approved, you may be asked to return the item to the seller as instructed; return shipping in that case is your responsibility.

Who do I contact if I still need help?

Just message us on the same WhatsApp thread – if something doesn't fit any of the above, we'll point you in the right direction from there.