Refund & Cancellation Policy

Effective date: [EFFECTIVE DATE]

Draft for legal review. The cancellation windows and refund percentages in §2 are finalized (7-day / 3-day / 48-hour tiers). Remaining [BRACKETS] (legal entity name, effective date, support email, damaged-goods/dispute reporting windows, refund processing time) are still placeholders — fill these in and have counsel confirm the whole policy meets consumer-protection law in each region you serve before publishing.

This policy explains cancellations and refunds for bookings made through Samskara Kula, operated by [LEGAL ENTITY NAME]. It forms part of, and should be read with, our Terms & Conditions.

Because a Muhurta (auspicious time window) is often time-sensitive and a Priest commits time and preparation, and because Samagri/Prasad may be physically shipped, cancellation terms depend on how close to the ceremony you cancel and what has already been provisioned.

1. How to cancel

Cancel from the booking screen in the app, or contact [SUPPORT EMAIL] with your booking reference. The cancellation takes effect when we receive it; timing is measured against the ceremony's scheduled date/time.

2. Cancellation by you — service fees

Unless a mandatory consumer right gives you more, the following applies to the service portion of a booking:

Rationale: the closer to the Muhurta, the less able a Priest is to re-book the slot. This does not override any mandatory cooling-off/distance-selling rights in the customer's country (see §8).

Only the deposit charged at booking time is at risk under this table — the balance payment is never charged until after the ritual is confirmed performed, so a pre-ritual cancellation has nothing further to refund beyond the deposit.

3. Samagri and Prasad (physical goods)

3.1 Samagri (ritual materials shipped before a ceremony): once a Samagri kit has been dispatched, its cost is non-refundable, because it is prepared/ assembled for your specific ceremony. If it has not yet been dispatched, its cost is refundable per the table in §2.

3.2 Prasad (consecrated offerings shipped after a ceremony): being consecrated and perishable, Prasad is non-refundable once prepared or shipped.

3.3 Shipping, customs, and cross-border: shipping fees, duties, and taxes are generally non-refundable once incurred. International delivery times, customs clearance, and carrier handling are outside our full control; delays caused by carriers or customs do not by themselves entitle you to a refund of the service fee, though we will help resolve delivery problems.

3.4 Damaged / lost / wrong item: if physical goods arrive damaged, are lost in transit, or are materially not as described, contact [SUPPORT EMAIL] within [7] days with photos/details. We will arrange a replacement or refund of the affected item as appropriate.

4. Cancellation or failure by the Priest / by us

4.1 If a Priest cancels, fails to appear, or cannot perform a confirmed ceremony, you are entitled to a full refund of the service fee for that ceremony, or, at your option, help re-booking with another available Priest.

4.2 If a virtual ceremony cannot go ahead because of a failure on our side (e.g. the stream link is never generated), you are entitled to a full refund of the service fee. Interruptions caused by your device, network, or a third-party service are not our responsibility (see Terms §4.3).

4.3 If we cancel a booking (e.g. for safety, legal, or operational reasons), you receive a full refund of amounts paid for the cancelled ceremony, less any non-refundable physical goods already dispatched.

5. Rescheduling

Where possible, you may reschedule rather than cancel, subject to Priest availability and a valid Muhurta window. Rescheduling requests made more than 48 hours before the scheduled date are normally accommodated without penalty; later requests are treated as a cancellation under §2.

6. Proof-of-Ritual and disputed performance

Where a Proof-of-Ritual video exists for a completed ceremony, it may be used to confirm that the ceremony was performed. If you believe a ceremony was not performed or was materially deficient, contact [SUPPORT EMAIL] within [7] days of the scheduled date so we can investigate, including reviewing any Proof-of-Ritual record, before determining a refund.

7. How refunds are made

Approved refunds are returned to your original payment method via the original processor (Stripe or Razorpay). Processing times depend on the provider and your bank, typically [5–10] business days. Refunds are made in the original currency; we are not responsible for exchange-rate differences or provider/bank fees.

8. Mandatory consumer rights

Nothing in this policy limits any non-waivable rights you have under the consumer- protection law of your country of residence (for example, statutory cancellation/ cooling-off rights). Where such rights apply and are more favourable, they prevail.

9. Contact

Refund or cancellation questions: [SUPPORT EMAIL]. For unresolved complaints, see the grievance/contact details in our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.