Order Cancellation Policy
Authoritative cancellation boundaries, merchant preparation milestones, and refund guidelines
Core Cancellation Rule: Customers may cancel an order free of charge until the merchant marks the order as Prepared. Once an order is marked Prepared, customer cancellation is strictly blocked by the platform.
1. Customer Cancellation Rules & PREPARED Boundary
Customers may cancel an order free of charge at any time while the order is in the Placed, Confirmed, or Preparing status.
Once the merchant marks the order as Prepared, customer cancellation is no longer permitted. At this stage, custom food, perishables, or packaged goods have already been prepared, packed, or portioned by the local shop. Customer cancellation is blocked except where HaatKaro or the merchant cancels the order for operational reasons such as stock unavailability, safety concerns, or fulfillment issues.
Cancellation Permitted
- • Placed (Order received)
- • Accepted / Confirmed by Merchant
- • Preparing (Items being assembled)
Cancellation Blocked
- • Prepared (Packaging complete)
- • Picked Up by Delivery Partner
- • Shipped / Out for Delivery
- • Delivered / Terminal States
2. Operational Cancellations by Merchant or Platform
If an order is cancelled by HaatKaro or the merchant (for example because of stock-outs, a temporary store closure, weather disruption or safety issues) before payment has been collected, no monetary refund is needed. If HaatKaro or its fulfillment partners have already collected payment and a refund is due, the approved amount will be returned to the customer in cash in person (or, once HaatKaro’s business banking is operational, by bank/UPI transfer to verified details) under the Refund & Return Policy.
3. Doorstep Refusals
Refusing a correctly prepared and delivered Cash on Delivery (COD) order without a valid reason causes a failed delivery, and repeated unjustified refusals may lead to restriction of COD ordering, subject to review. If an item is damaged, wrong or defective at the door, tell the delivery partner and contact support: such cases are investigated and handled under the Refund & Return Policy, and your statutory consumer rights are not affected.
4. Refund Methods for Cancelled Orders
- Current payment mode: Customer orders currently use Cash on Delivery (COD). HaatKaro does not currently offer online card, net-banking or gateway UPI checkout.
- Before collection: When a COD order is cancelled before any payment has been collected, no monetary refund is required.
- After collection: Where an eligible refund is approved for money already collected, HaatKaro currently returns it in cash in person, through its proprietor or an authorised representative, and records the customer's acknowledgement and a cash refund receipt number. Bank/UPI refunds will be offered once HaatKaro's business banking is operational. The refund method and timing are set out in the Refund & Return Policy.
- No refund wallet: Cash refunds are not substituted with a promotional or referral credit balance. Promotional credits, if offered, are governed separately by the applicable promotion terms.
5. Need Assistance with a Cancellation?
If you encounter an issue during cancellation or have questions about a recent order, contact our support team at admin@haatkaro.in or visit our Support Center.