1. Our philosophy
We want you to feel confident about ordering with us. At the same time, laboratory diagnostic testing has operational realities that differ from typical e-commerce returns — once a kit ships, a sample is collected, or a laboratory begins processing, costs are committed that cannot be recovered.
This Policy explains what is refundable, what is not, and why. We aim to be fair to you while remaining transparent about constraints we cannot change. Where you have non-waivable consumer rights under the laws applicable to you (such as the Indian Consumer Protection Act, 2019), nothing in this Policy is intended to override those rights.
2. Order lifecycle — when does each stage begin?
Refund eligibility depends on where the order is in its lifecycle at the time you request a refund. The lifecycle is:
| # | Stage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Order placed, payment confirmed | Your payment has been captured and we have sent the order confirmation email. We have not yet handed the order to the Laboratory Partner. |
| 2 | Order approved by laboratory | The Laboratory Partner has accepted the order and scheduled kit production / dispatch (typically within 1-2 business days of order). |
| 3 | Kit dispatched | The physical Test Kit has left the Laboratory Partner’s facility and is in transit to you via FedEx, UPS, or another courier. |
| 4 | Kit delivered | The Test Kit has been received at your shipping address. |
| 5 | Sample collected by Patient | You have used the Kit to collect the biological sample. |
| 6 | Sample en route to laboratory | The sample has been handed to the courier for return shipment. |
| 7 | Sample received by laboratory | The Laboratory Partner has accessioned the sample. Accessioning incurs cost. |
| 8 | Lab processing underway | The sample is being analyzed. Processing incurs further cost. |
| 9 | Report ready | Results are available in your Account. |
3. Refund matrix — what is refundable when
| Lifecycle stage | Standard outcome |
|---|---|
| Stage 1 — Order placed, before laboratory approval | Full refund of the amount paid, processed within 5-7 business days from the date of approval, via the original payment method. To maximize the chance of cancelling at this stage, contact us ideally within 24 hours of placing the order. |
| Stage 2 — Laboratory has approved the order, Kit not yet dispatched | Full refund of the amount paid, less any non-recoverable laboratory administration fee that the Laboratory Partner has already invoiced to us (typically nil at this stage but may apply for certain tests). We will tell you the exact amount before confirming. |
| Stages 3-6 — Kit dispatched, in transit, delivered, or sample en route | Refunds are generally not available. The kit has been produced and shipped; shipping charges are non-recoverable. Where the Kit has not yet been delivered and the courier confirms the shipment can be cancelled, we may attempt a partial refund — typically the test fee minus all incurred shipping and handling costs. |
| Stages 7-9 — Sample received by laboratory, processing underway, or report ready | No refund. Laboratory accessioning and processing costs have been committed and are not recoverable. |
4. Special situations — replacements and protections
4.1 Defective or damaged Kit on arrival
If your Kit arrives damaged, with broken collection components, with missing items, or with seals visibly tampered with, please notify us within 7 days of delivery at support@gloaialabs.com, with photographs showing the issue. We will arrange a replacement Kit at no additional cost, subject to verification with the courier and Laboratory Partner.
4.2 Sample rejected by the laboratory
If the Laboratory Partner rejects your sample because the sample is insufficient, contaminated, mishandled in transit (where attributable to the courier and not to the Patient), or otherwise unusable, we will provide a complimentary replacement Kit — one replacement per order, subject to Laboratory Partner policies and availability — together with re-collection instructions.
If a sample is rejected because of how the Patient collected, stored, or shipped the sample, the replacement is still typically provided one time at no cost, but the Patient is responsible for return shipping of the replacement sample.
4.3 Unused, sealed Kit returned within applicable return window (United States patients only)
If you are located in the United States and you change your mind, you may return the Kit unused, in its original sealed packaging, postmarked within 14 days of delivery (or the longer window specified by the relevant Laboratory Partner’s return policy, whichever applies). Upon receipt and verification, you may be eligible for a refund of the test fee, less any non-refundable shipping charges, Laboratory Partner restocking fees (if applicable), payment-processing fees, and return-shipping costs. Return-shipping liability is yours.
The exact refund amount depends on the Laboratory Partner’s individual return policy and the costs already committed to fulfilling your order. We will share the refund breakdown with you in writing before processing, so you can see precisely how the amount was calculated. For reference, some Laboratory Partners apply a fixed restocking fee plus non-refundable outbound shipping; others may apply different fee structures.
This option is currently available to U.S. patients only because of biological-sample-shipping restrictions on returning unused kits from other countries.
4.4 Order cannot be fulfilled by the Laboratory Partner
If, after you place an order, we discover that the Laboratory Partner cannot fulfill the order to your address — for example, because of country restrictions, a missing practitioner sign-off, or a sample-shipping restriction we did not catch at checkout — we will notify you, attempt to suggest a workable alternative where possible, and process a full refund if no workable alternative exists.
4.5 Lost or undelivered Kit
If the courier confirms that a Kit has been lost in transit, we will ship a replacement Kit at no additional cost once the lost-shipment claim is finalized.
4.6 Force-majeure interruption
If a force-majeure event materially prevents fulfillment of an order, we will work with you in good faith to identify the most reasonable resolution.
4.7 Expired Kit (shelf-life exceeded before use)
Each Test Kit has a shelf-life printed on its packaging — typically 12 to 24 months from the date of manufacture. If you receive a Kit that has already expired on arrival, or if your Kit expires before you are able to use it through no fault of your own, please notify us at support@gloaialabs.com and we will arrange a replacement Kit at no additional cost, subject to confirmation with the Laboratory Partner.
4.8 International shipping cost clarification
Where international outbound shipping costs have already been specifically incurred with a Laboratory Partner or courier prior to your cancellation request — for example, where the kit has been picked, packed, labelled with the international waybill, or handed to the courier — such shipping costs may be non-refundable, even if the Laboratory Partner has not yet begun processing the sample.
Any such deduction from your refund will always be disclosed to you in writing before the refund is finalized, with a clear breakdown of the amount paid originally, the non-refundable shipping cost incurred, and the net refund amount being processed.
5. Practitioner consultations (future)
When practitioner Consultations become available on the Platform, each Consultation will have its own cancellation and refund policy set by the individual practitioner.
6. Order modifications before kit dispatch
Before a Kit has been dispatched, you may request:
- Shipping address changes — typically possible. Contact support@gloaialabs.com as soon as possible, ideally within the first 24 hours of placing the order.
- Test substitution or addition — depends on the Laboratory Partner’s status
- Order cancellation — see Section 3 (Stage 1 / Stage 2 in the refund matrix)
Why 24 hours matters. Most Laboratory Partners process and dispatch newly-placed orders within 1-2 business days. Once the Kit has been picked, packed, and labelled, the Laboratory Partner has typically committed certain operational costs that are not refundable to us.
7. How to request a refund or cancellation
- Email support@gloaialabs.com with the subject line “Refund Request — Order #[YOUR ORDER NUMBER]”.
- State the reason for the request, whether you are seeking a full refund/replacement/credit, and any supporting information or photographs.
- We will acknowledge your request within 24 business hours and provide a decision within 5 business days in routine cases.
You can also raise concerns by phone at +91 9511890757 during business hours (Mon-Sat, IST). Phone-raised refund requests must be followed up by email so we have a written record.
8. How refunds are processed
- Refunds are issued to the original payment method used for the order
- For Razorpay payments, refunds are typically credited within 5-7 business days from our authorization to Razorpay
- For international payments processed through alternative providers, the refund timeline is governed by the relevant provider’s policies and may take longer
- We do not issue refunds in cash, cryptocurrency, or to a payment method different from the one used for the original transaction
9. Currency considerations
If you paid in a currency other than your local currency, the refunded amount will reflect the amount we received, in the original payment currency. Currency-conversion fluctuations are governed by the payment processor and the card-issuer / bank.
10. Disputes, chargebacks, and complaints
We prefer to resolve concerns directly. Please contact us before initiating a chargeback through your card issuer or bank. If you remain dissatisfied, you may escalate to our Grievance Officer (see our Privacy Policy), raise a complaint with the relevant consumer-dispute redressal authority, or for Indian residents file a complaint under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
11. What this Policy does not cover
- Customer satisfaction with clinical interpretation of a Report — interpretation is a healthcare professional’s responsibility
- Changes in your personal circumstances after the order has progressed beyond Stage 2
- Damage to a sample caused by the Patient’s own handling or by selecting a courier not recommended in the Kit instructions
- Costs incurred by you separately — for example, fees you pay to your own healthcare practitioner
12. Updates to this Policy
We may update this Refund and Cancellation Policy from time to time. Where an update is material, we will post the updated Policy with a new “Last Updated” date and apply it to orders placed after the effective date.
13. Contact
| Channel | Address |
|---|---|
| Refunds and cancellations | support@gloaialabs.com |
| Escalation / general support | support@gloaialabs.com |
| Privacy / Grievance Officer | privacy@gloaialabs.com |
| Phone (Mon-Sat, business hours IST) | +91 9511890757 |
| Address | First Floor, 7, Ujwal Greens, Phase A, Lane No A-20, Sr No 148, Raikar Nagar, Dhayari, Pune, Maharashtra 411041, India |