Refund policy
Effective Date: [Insert Date]
At Lava & Velvet, every candle is thoughtfully handcrafted with attention to quality, design, and fragrance. We strive to ensure that every order reaches you in excellent condition and delivers the premium experience our brand represents. If your order arrives damaged, defective, incorrect, or incomplete, we are committed to resolving the issue fairly and promptly in accordance with this policy.
By placing an order with Lava & Velvet, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to this Return and Refund Policy.
1. Eligibility for Returns
We accept return requests only under the following circumstances:
- The product was received damaged during transit.
- The product received is defective due to a manufacturing issue.
- You received an incorrect product.
- Your order was delivered with missing items.
- The product received is substantially different from what was ordered.
To be eligible for review, you must notify us within 48 hours of delivery and provide:
- Your order number.
- Clear photographs of the product.
- Photographs of the original packaging, shipping label, and any visible damage (where applicable).
- A brief description of the issue.
Requests submitted after this period may not be eligible for return, replacement, or refund, except where required under applicable law.
2. Non-Returnable Items
As our products are handcrafted and intended for personal use, the following items are generally not eligible for return or refund:
- Products that have been used, burned, or partially consumed.
- Products damaged due to improper handling, misuse, or failure to follow candle care instructions.
- Products returned without prior approval from Lava & Velvet.
- Customised or personalised products.
- Corporate, wholesale, bulk, or event orders unless they are delivered damaged, defective, or incorrect.
- Gift cards, promotional items, complimentary products, or products marked as non-returnable (if applicable).
- Clearance or final-sale items, where clearly indicated at the time of purchase.
3. Handmade Product Characteristics
Every Lava & Velvet candle is individually handcrafted.
As a result, slight variations in colour, wax texture, fragrance intensity, frosting, minor air bubbles, surface finish, or other natural characteristics may occur. These variations are inherent to handcrafted products and do not affect the quality, safety, or intended performance of the candle.
Such natural variations shall not be considered manufacturing defects and therefore do not qualify for return, exchange, or refund.
4. Fragrance Expectations
Fragrance perception is subjective and may vary based on individual sensitivity, room size, ventilation, temperature, burn duration, and environmental conditions.
Choosing a fragrance based on personal preference does not constitute a defect. Returns or refunds cannot be accepted solely because the fragrance does not meet personal expectations.
5. Exchange Policy
Where appropriate, we may offer a replacement or exchange instead of a refund.
Exchanges are available only when:
- The wrong product has been delivered.
- The product has arrived damaged.
- The product contains a verified manufacturing defect.
Exchange requests remain subject to product availability. If an identical replacement is unavailable, we may offer an equivalent product or process a refund at our discretion.
6. Refund Process
Once an approved return is received and inspected, we will notify you of the outcome.
If approved:
- Refunds for prepaid orders will be processed to the original payment method.
- Refunds for Cash on Delivery (COD) orders will be processed via bank transfer or another mutually agreed payment method.
Approved refunds are generally processed within 7–10 business days, although the time taken for the funds to reflect may depend on your payment provider or financial institution.
Shipping charges, gift wrapping fees, or other service charges are generally non-refundable unless the return is due to our error.
7. Order Cancellation
Orders may be cancelled within 1 hour of placement through the available cancellation option or by contacting our customer support, provided the order has not already been processed for fulfilment.
Once an order has been processed, packed, or dispatched, cancellation requests cannot be accepted.
If a cancellation request is successfully approved before processing begins, any eligible refund will be initiated using the original payment method.
8. Corporate, Bulk & Business Orders
Orders placed for corporate gifting, hospitality, retail, weddings, events, or other bulk purposes may involve customised production schedules, packaging, branding, fragrances, or quantities.
Unless otherwise agreed in writing:
- Production begins only after final confirmation of specifications and any required advance payment.
- Approved designs, fragrances, packaging, quantities, and artwork cannot be modified once production has commenced.
- Corporate and bulk orders are non-returnable and non-refundable, except where products are delivered damaged, defective, or materially different from the approved specifications.
Additional terms may apply to business orders and will be communicated during the quotation process.
9. Custom & Personalised Orders
Products created specifically to your requirements, including personalised labels, names, messages, fragrances, colours, packaging, or branding, are produced exclusively for you.
Accordingly, customised and personalised products cannot be cancelled, returned, exchanged, or refunded once production has commenced, except where a verified manufacturing defect or delivery damage is identified.
Customers are responsible for reviewing and approving all artwork, spellings, names, dates, logos, and other custom content before production begins.
10. Return Shipping
Where a return is approved due to our error, including damaged, defective, or incorrect products, Lava & Velvet may arrange the return or reimburse reasonable return shipping costs, where applicable.
Returns sent without prior authorisation may not be accepted.
11. Inspection & Approval
All returned products are subject to inspection upon receipt.
If our inspection determines that:
- the product has been used,
- damaged after delivery,
- altered,
- or does not meet the eligibility requirements outlined in this policy,
the request for return, replacement, or refund may be declined.
12. Fraud Prevention
To protect both our customers and our business, Lava & Velvet reserves the right to refuse requests where there is reasonable evidence of misuse, fraudulent activity, repeated abuse of return policies, false claims, or attempts to obtain refunds or replacements through dishonest means.
Where appropriate, additional information or documentation may be requested before a decision is made.
13. Contact Us
If you believe your order qualifies for assistance under this policy, please contact our customer support team as soon as possible.
Please include:
- Your order number.
- A description of the issue.
- Clear photographs of the product and packaging.
- Any other information that may help us review your request efficiently.
We aim to respond to all enquiries as promptly as possible and work towards a fair resolution.