Shipping & Exchange Policy

1. Scope

This policy applies to physical items shipped by the AstroKuberChat Store — primarily gemstones and gemstone accessories. Digital products (PDF reports, chat minutes, wallet top-ups) do not have a shipping step.

2. Order Processing

• Orders placed before 6 PM IST on a business day (Mon–Sat) are packed and dispatched the same day.
• Orders placed after 6 PM IST, or on Sundays / national holidays, are dispatched the next working day.
• You will receive a dispatch confirmation with the courier's tracking link on Instagram DM / email / SMS.

3. Shipping Partners & Timelines

• Within India: We ship via reputed insured couriers (Blue Dart, DTDC, or India Post EMS depending on serviceability). Typical delivery: 3–5 business days after dispatch.
• International: DHL / FedEx / EMS International. Typical delivery: 7–14 business days after dispatch, depending on destination country and customs clearance.
• Remote areas: Delivery to Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep, and remote parts of the Northeast may add 2–4 extra working days.

4. Shipping Charges

• India: Insured shipping is free on every gemstone order. The price you see on the product page is what you pay.
• International: Shipping charges depend on destination and are calculated at checkout. Any customs duties / import taxes charged by the destination country are the buyer's responsibility.

5. Insurance & Signature-on-Delivery

Every stone above ₹5,000 ships fully insured against loss and in-transit damage, with signature-on-delivery. This is why we cannot deliver to a general "guard-house" address — please provide the address of the person who will personally receive and sign for the parcel.

6. Order Tracking

Once your order is dispatched, you'll receive a tracking link. Please allow 6–12 hours after dispatch for the first tracking update to appear on the courier's website. If the tracker doesn't move for 48 hours, ping us on Instagram DM and we'll chase the courier on your behalf.

7. Exchanges

• Window: You have 7 days from delivery to request an exchange.
• Eligibility: The stone, its box, and the government-lab certificate must all be untouched — no scratches, no scuffs, seal intact. Stones that have been mounted (into a ring / pendant), engraved, or worn on the skin are not eligible.
• How it works:
  1. DM us on Instagram or call the support number below with your order ID and the reason for exchange.
  2. We schedule a free reverse pickup (India). Please repack the stone in its original box.
  3. Once the returned stone reaches us and passes inspection (1–2 business days), we dispatch the replacement piece. If the new stone is of higher value, we invoice the difference; if lower, we refund the difference to your original payment method.
• International exchanges: Return shipping costs are borne by the buyer for international exchanges.

8. Damaged / Wrong Item on Arrival

Please open the parcel on camera. If you receive a damaged stone, a wrong SKU, or a mismatched certificate:

• Do not use the stone.
• Contact us within 48 hours of delivery with clear photographs and the unboxing video.
• We ship a replacement free of cost or refund the entire order (buyer's choice) after quality-team review.

9. Failed Delivery / Undelivered Parcels

If the courier is unable to deliver (address unreachable, buyer unavailable at 3 attempts, or refused delivery) and the parcel is returned to us, we will contact you to arrange a re-dispatch. Actual reverse-shipping charges (typically ₹150–₹300) may be recovered before the second attempt.

10. Talk to Us