Shipping & Delivery Policy

This Shipping & Delivery Policy (“Policy”) governs all orders placed on the Taste of Tradition website. It covers delivery zones, charges, estimated timelines, tracking, handling of failed deliveries, damaged shipments, and your consumer rights related to logistics.

We deliver pan-India — to all states and union territories across the country. We also deliver to most serviceable pincodes in remote and special-category regions.

We currently do not ship internationally. All orders are fulfilled within India. Delivery days stated above are business days and do not include processing time, public holidays, or Sundays.

All charges shown are inclusive of applicable GST on logistics. The final shipping amount will be clearly displayed on the checkout page before you confirm your order. There are no hidden charges.

• Processing Window: Orders are processed within 1–2 business days of payment confirmation. Business days are Monday to Saturday, excluding public holidays.
• Order Cut-off Time: Orders placed before 12:00 PM (noon) IST are typically processed the same day. Orders placed after noon are processed the next business day.
• Festive / Peak Season: During festivals (Diwali, Holi, Navratri, Eid, Christmas, etc.) and sale events, processing may take an additional 1–2 business days due to high order volumes. This will be communicated on our website banner.
• COD Orders: COD orders are processed after the mandatory advance charge collection. Processing begins only upon confirmation of advance receipt.
• After Dispatch: Once your order is dispatched, you will receive a WhatsApp message and/or SMS/email with your tracking number and courier name.

The following timelines are estimates from the date of dispatch (not from the date of order placement). Add 1–2 business days for processing to arrive at an approximate end-to-end timeline.

Every order dispatched from Taste of Tradition comes with a shipment tracking number. You can track your order through the following methods:

• WhatsApp Notification: A tracking link is sent to your registered WhatsApp number at the time of dispatch.
• SMS & Email: A tracking number and courier name are sent to your registered mobile and email.
• Account Dashboard: Log in to your account on our website and visit “My Orders” to view real-time order status.
• Courier Website: Visit the respective courier’s tracking portal and enter your AWB (Air Waybill) number. Courier tracking portals include Delhivery (delhivery.com), DTDC (dtdc.com), Shiprocket, and India Post (indiapost.gov.in).

Our courier partners make a total of up to 3 delivery attempts before marking the shipment as undeliverable and initiating a return-to-origin (RTO) process.

To ensure successful delivery, please:

• Provide a complete and accurate delivery address including flat/house number, street, area, city, state, and pincode.
• Keep your registered mobile number reachable during the expected delivery window.
• If you will be unavailable, arrange for an authorised person to receive the package at your address.
• Contact us or the courier directly to reschedule your delivery if needed.

If all 3 delivery attempts fail, the shipment is returned to our warehouse (Return to Origin / RTO). The following policies apply in this situation:

Despite our best packaging efforts, rare instances of damage during transit can occur. We take full responsibility for shipments that arrive damaged due to mishandling by the courier. Here is our complete policy:

What Qualifies as a Damaged Shipment Claim?

• ✅ Broken or cracked jar — with clear photographic/video proof showing the damage.
• ✅ Leaking jar or spillage — product leaking from inside the jar or packaging.
• ✅ Visibly tampered outer packaging — box opened, resealed, or clearly tampered before reaching you.
• ✅ Wrong product delivered — you received a different item than what you ordered.
• ✅ Crushed packaging — product completely crushed due to courier mishandling.

What Does NOT Qualify for a Damage Claim?

• ❌ Taste, smell, or appearance that you personally dislike (subjective preference is not a damage claim).
• ❌ Minor dents on the outer cardboard box when the inner jar is intact and sealed.
• ❌ Product opened by the customer and then reported as damaged.
• ❌ Claims made without photographic or video evidence.
• ❌ Claims reported more than 48 hours after confirmed delivery.

How to Report a Damaged Shipment (Step-by-Step):

A shipment is considered “lost in transit” if tracking has shown no movement for more than 10 consecutive business days after dispatch, or if the courier partner officially declares the shipment lost.

• Please contact us after 7 business days of no tracking updates so we can initiate an investigation with the courier partner.
• The courier investigation process may take 7–15 business days. We will keep you updated throughout.
• If the shipment is confirmed lost, we will offer either a full refund of the order amount (including any shipping charges paid) or a free re-dispatch of your order, at your choice.
• For COD orders, the advance charge is eligible for refund if the shipment is confirmed lost by the courier partner.

Cash on Delivery (COD) orders have a few specific shipping-related policies that differ from prepaid orders:

• COD Advance Charge: A mandatory advance charge of 10%–70% of the order value, or ₹50–₹500 (depending on order value and other factors) is collected via UPI/online payment before the order is processed and dispatched. This is not a delivery charge — it is a commitment amount.
• Balance Payment: The remaining balance (order total minus advance paid) is collected by the courier agent in cash at the time of delivery.
• Exact Amount Ready: Please keep the exact balance COD amount ready at the time of delivery. Courier agents may not always carry change.
• COD Not Available on All Pincodes: COD may not be available for certain pincodes in Zone D (remote areas). This is indicated at checkout.
• Failed COD Delivery: If the COD delivery fails because the customer was unavailable or refused to pay the balance, the advance amount is non-refundable and the order is cancelled.
• Maximum COD Order Value: COD is currently available for orders up to ₹5,000. Orders above this limit require prepaid payment.

While we strive to deliver within the timelines stated, certain circumstances beyond our control may cause delays. We will always communicate proactively about such situations.

In cases of force majeure or events outside our control, Taste of Tradition is not liable for delays. We will not offer refunds solely on grounds of delay caused by such events. However, we will provide regular updates and do everything possible to expedite delivery.

If your order is significantly delayed (beyond 2x the estimated timeline), please contact us and we will work with you on a case-by-case basis to find the best resolution.

We understand that delivering food items — especially liquid-based products like pickles — requires special care in packaging. Every order from Taste of Tradition is packed using our multi-layer packaging system designed for transit safety.

Certain regions require extra handling and extended timelines due to limited courier network coverage. If your delivery address falls in one of these areas, please read the following carefully:

Courier deliveries are generally not made on the following days, which are not counted in the estimated delivery timeline:

• Sundays — No deliveries nationwide (most courier networks).
• National Public Holidays — Republic Day (Jan 26), Independence Day (Aug 15), Gandhi Jayanti (Oct 2), Diwali, Holi, Eid, Christmas, etc.
• Regional Public Holidays — May vary by state.
• Courier-Declared Non-Operational Days — Occasional operational shutdowns declared by courier partners.

Orders placed on Sundays or public holidays will be picked up for processing on the next working business day. During peak festive seasons, processing and dispatch may also experience additional delays of 1–2 days.

We work with India’s leading and most trusted courier partners to ensure safe and timely delivery. The courier assigned to your order depends on your delivery pincode, order weight, and partner availability at the time of dispatch.

You will be informed of the courier partner name and tracking number at the time of dispatch. We do not allow customers to choose a specific courier partner. The decision is made based on best-fit for your location.

If you are unhappy with our shipping & delivery experience and our internal team has been unable to resolve your concern, you are fully within your rights as an Indian consumer to approach the following government authorities:

For all shipping-related queries, delivery issues, tracking help, damage reports, or complaints, please reach out through the channels below. Our team is available Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM IST.