Open-Box Delivery · Wrong or Defective Items Only

Returns, Cancellation & Refund Policy

Diwali Mela is a marketplace: your product is sold and packed by an independent seller. Please read this before you order.

The short version

There are no returns and no exchanges because you changed your mind, did not like the colour or size, or found the item different from what you imagined.
A return or replacement happens only if the wrong product is delivered, or the product is defective or damaged, and you report it as described below.
Delivery is open-box. Check your parcel when it arrives.
If an item is defective, the seller is responsible and pays all the charges of putting it right.
If you cancel a paid order before it is packed and handed to the delivery partner, you are refunded the total less a 2% cancellation charge (the payment charges we cannot get back).

If something is wrong with your delivery

Open the box at delivery

Every order is open-box delivery. Open the parcel in front of the delivery partner and check that it is the item you ordered and that it is not damaged or defective. We recommend recording a short video while you open it.

Wrong or defective item?

Tell the delivery partner at once and raise a request from your order or the Help Center within 48 hours of delivery, with clear photos or the opening video.

Checked with the seller

We share your request with the seller, who must confirm. We may ask for more photos. A request without proof, or one that is not about a wrong or defective item, cannot be accepted.

Replacement or refund

When it is confirmed, the seller replaces the item or we refund you to your original payment method. All charges of the return are borne by the seller, never by you.

What we do accept

Wrong product delivered: a different product, model or quantity than the order shows.
Defective or damaged product: it does not work, is broken, or was damaged in transit. Shown by photos or the opening video.
Perishable items (sweets, snacks) that arrive spoiled or damaged must be reported at delivery or within 24 hours, with a photo.
The item must be unused and kept with its packaging, so the seller can check it.

What we do not accept

Change of mind, or “I do not like it”.
Colour, size, shade or finish that differs slightly from the photo. Handmade items vary from piece to piece, and screens show colours differently.
Damage after delivery, wear, use, or an item without its packaging.
A request made after 48 hours of delivery, or without photos or video.
Any return the seller has not confirmed to be a wrong or defective item.

Who is responsible

Every product on Diwali Mela is sold by an independent seller, who is responsible for the product, its quality, how it matches the listing, and its packing. Diwali Mela is a marketplace that connects you to the seller, collects your payment for the seller and arranges delivery. We are not the maker or seller of the products.

For a defective, damaged or wrong product, the seller replaces it or the amount is refunded to you, and the seller pays all the charges (return pickup, replacement delivery and the cost of the item). We may recover the refunded amount and the charges from the seller's payouts or dues.

Nothing in this policy takes away any right you have under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020.

Cancelling an order

You can ask to cancel an order from My Orders only until it is packed and handed over to the delivery partner (it goes into the shipping manifest). Once the seller has packed it, or the delivery partner has received it, it cannot be cancelled. For a takeaway order this means until the seller marks it ready for pickup.
Paid orders (UPI, card, net banking): you are refunded the order total less a 2% cancellation charge. This covers the payment gateway charges, which we cannot recover. For example, on an order of ₹1,000 you receive ₹980.
Cash on delivery orders: nothing was paid, so there is no charge.
If the seller or we cancel your order (for example the item is out of stock), you get a full refund with no charge. The cancellation charge is then paid by the seller, never by you.
Takeaway orders (you collect from the seller's shop): you pay a 20% advance online and the rest to the seller at the shop. If you cancel before collecting, you get the advance back less the 2% charge. If the order is not collected on your pickup date, it may be cancelled and the advance is refunded as we decide.
A payment that fails is not an order. If money was deducted, your bank returns it, usually in 5 to 7 working days.

Delivery charges and refunds

Delivery is never free. A delivery charge applies to every order, worked out from your PIN code and the weight of the products, and shown before you pay.
Refunds go back to your original payment method, usually 5 to 7 working days after we approve them. UPI is often faster. Cash on delivery refunds are sent by bank transfer or UPI.
If delivery fails because no one was available, or the address or number was wrong, the order may be cancelled and the cancellation charge applies.

Need help with a delivery?

Raise it from your order or the Help Center, with your photos or video.

Open the Help Center →Call +91 98180 73779