Refund & Cancellation Policy

Last updated: [LAST UPDATED] · Effective: [EFFECTIVE DATE]

Draft — not legal advice. Review with a licensed attorney before use, and reconcile with consumer‑protection laws (which may grant non‑waivable refund/ cancellation rights) and your payment processor's rules.

This policy explains cancellations, refunds, and disputes for orders, reservations, and catering on [PLATFORM NAME]. It is part of the Terms of Service. Because food is perishable and made by independent Vendors, refund rights are more limited than for typical retail goods.

1. Roles

[PLATFORM NAME] is a marketplace and the Vendors' limited payment collection agent, not the seller of food. Vendors are responsible for fulfillment. We may, as a service, facilitate cancellations, refunds, and disputes, but are not obligated to beyond what the law requires.

2. Immediate (made‑to‑order and stocked) orders

• Before a Vendor starts preparing / before dispatch: you may request cancellation; if the order has not been started or dispatched, we will generally refund it in full.
• After preparation has begun or the order is out for delivery: because the food is perishable, cancellation may not be possible and refunds may be partial or unavailable, except where required by law or agreed by the Vendor.
• Frozen/shipped items: once shipped, cancellation follows the carrier's status; refunds for shipped perishable goods may be limited.

3. Reservations and catering

• Reservations/catering terms — including any deposit, cancellation window, and cancellation fee — are set by agreement between you and the Vendor during negotiation. Review those terms before you accept.
• A confirmed (contracted) reservation may be subject to the Vendor's cancellation terms; cancellations close to the event are more likely to incur charges given the Vendor's advance commitments (ingredients, scheduling).
• Changing the deal before both parties accept is free and simply requires re‑acceptance; once contracted, changes may require the Vendor's agreement or a new negotiation.

4. When we may issue refunds

We may issue a full or partial refund (and correspondingly reverse or offset the Vendor's payout) when, for example:

• The order was not fulfilled or was materially different from its description;
• Food arrived unsafe, spoiled, or grossly incorrect (report promptly with details and, where possible, photos);
• The Vendor cancelled or could not fulfill; or
• Required by law.

Requests should be made promptly — ideally within [e.g., 24–48 hours] of the delivery/pickup time or scheduled event — through the in‑app tools or [support@…].

5. How refunds are made

Approved refunds are returned to your original payment method via Stripe. Timing depends on your bank/card issuer. Payment‑processing fees may be non‑refundable in some cases; delivery fees may or may not be refundable depending on the situation.

6. Tips

Tips you add are optional and are generally passed to the Vendor. Tip refunds/adjustments are handled case‑by‑case.

7. Disputes and chargebacks

If you and a Vendor disagree, we may mediate at our discretion. Please contact us before initiating a card chargeback so we can help. Abusive refund or chargeback behavior may lead to account action.

8. Vendor obligations

Vendors authorize us to process refunds and reverse/offset payouts consistent with this policy and the Chef/Vendor Agreement.

9. Contact

[support@…] · [COMPANY LEGAL NAME], [MAILING ADDRESS].