Vending Failure & Refund Policy

This Vending & Refund Policy explains how payment disputes, failed vending attempts, product-delivery issues, duplicate payments, reversals, product complaints, vending-service disputes, hardware-related complaints and refund requests are investigated and resolved in connection with CustomVendz-connected services.

Effective Date: 23 April 2024
Version: 2.0

1. Scope of this policy

This policy distinguishes between:

• a customer claim concerning an individual vending or payment transaction;
• a merchant/operator complaint concerning machine operation, software configuration, stocking or service;
• a purchaser's claim concerning machine hardware, warranty, repair, replacement or purchase-price refund.

These categories are not the same and may involve different contractual terms, evidence and remedies.

A refund of an individual vending transaction does not constitute an admission that the vending machine itself is defective.

2. Situations reviewed for individual vending transactions

Vending or payment complaints may include:

• payment completed but no product was delivered;
• a product jammed or remained inside the machine;
• the wrong product was delivered;
• the machine reported insufficient stock after payment;
• a duplicate payment may have occurred;
• a transaction remained pending or was reversed;
• a power, network or payment response was interrupted;
• a motor, spiral, lock, door, cabin or mechanism failed;
• a sensor failed, was obstructed or produced uncertain evidence;
• an expired, unsafe, damaged or non-conforming product was supplied.

3. A failed vend is not automatically a machine defect

An unsuccessful or interrupted vending transaction does not by itself establish an inherent manufacturing defect in the vending machine.

Vending performance may be affected by multiple circumstances, including where applicable:

• incorrect product loading or positioning;
• unsuitable product dimensions or weight;
• overfilling or product obstruction;
• incorrect tray, slot, cabin or spiral configuration;
• incorrect product mapping or stock configuration;
• sensor obstruction, contamination or alignment;
• software or operator configuration;
• power or network interruption;
• bank, UPI or payment-provider delay;
• environmental conditions;
• insect or pest intrusion;
• physical or mechanical damage;
• a genuine hardware or component failure.

The cause of an individual incident may therefore require review of the complete available evidence rather than any single log, message or observation.

4. Reporting period

Vending and payment issues should preferably be reported promptly, ordinarily within 24 hours where reasonably possible and preferably no later than 7 days after the relevant transaction, so that temporary machine, payment and operational records remain readily available.

A delayed report may require additional evidence and may be more difficult to verify.

These recommended reporting periods do not extinguish a longer mandatory statutory, banking, payment-system or consumer right available under applicable law.

Product-safety concerns, contamination, damaged packaging or expired products should be reported immediately and the product should not be consumed where safety is uncertain.

5. Required information

A claimant should provide reasonably available information, including where applicable:

• transaction, UPI, bank or gateway reference;
• machine name, machine ID and location;
• date and approximate time;
• selected product, slot/cabin and amount;
• contact information;
• description of the alleged issue;
• photographs, video, screenshot or packaging details;
• any other information reasonably necessary to identify the event.

UPI PINs, banking passwords, card PINs and bank-authentication OTPs must never be disclosed.

6. Verification and evidence

A claim may be investigated using reasonably available evidence, including:

• payment-provider status and settlement records;
• bank or gateway references;
• transaction records;
• machine telemetry;
• controller and software events;
• sales and stock records;
• product-refill information;
• tray, slot, cabin and spiral configuration;
• sensor, door, lock and motor events;
• error and diagnostic records;
• account/login activity where relevant;
• support communications;
• technician inspection and service records;
• photographs or video;
• lawfully available CCTV or site evidence.

Evidence will be considered according to its relevance, reliability and the complete circumstances of the incident.

• A screenshot or customer statement alone may be insufficient to establish final payment settlement or non-delivery.
• A displayed payment-success message does not necessarily prove final merchant settlement.
• A sensor result alone may not conclusively prove or disprove physical product delivery.
• Stock information alone may not conclusively establish the physical state of a particular product at a particular time.
• Dirt, alignment, product shape, ambient light, obstruction, configuration, interference or component failure may affect detection or vending performance.
• Absence of a particular technical record does not automatically establish either successful delivery or non-delivery.

An issue report, service visit, part replacement or possible failure record does not by itself constitute an admission of negligence or an inherent defect existing at the time the machine was supplied.

7. Individual vending transaction remedies

Where reasonably verified records establish payment and non-delivery, an appropriate remedy may include:

• a re-vend of the verified item;
• a replacement product of equivalent value;
• a refund of the verified affected transaction amount;
• another remedy required under applicable law.

Only one compensatory remedy will ordinarily be provided for the same verified loss.

A product, successful re-vend, replacement or completed refund may be taken into account in determining whether any further amount is due for the same transaction.

8. Payment-provider reversals and mandatory payment rules

Bank, UPI, card and payment-gateway transactions may be subject to automatic reversal, settlement and customer-compensation rules imposed by the relevant payment system or regulator.

Where a mandatory payment-system turnaround time, reversal or compensation requirement applies, that requirement will prevail over any inconsistent internal timeline in this policy.

CustomVendz or the merchant should not knowingly initiate a duplicate manual refund where an automatic banking or payment-system reversal is already being processed, except where required by law or necessary to correct an identified failure.

9. Response and investigation timing

A properly submitted complaint will ordinarily be acknowledged within 2 business days.

An initial investigation will ordinarily be targeted for completion within 5 to 7 business days, subject to availability of relevant bank, gateway, tenant, machine, merchant and service records.

Hardware inspection, fraudulent claims, chargebacks, disputed technical causes or cases requiring third-party payment-provider information may require additional time.

Any shorter mandatory payment-system, banking, consumer or statutory timeline will prevail.

10. Refund destination

An approved refund will ordinarily be returned to the original payment instrument or source account.

Cash payment or transfer to an unrelated third-party account will not ordinarily be provided unless reasonably necessary and legally permissible.

Final credit timing may depend upon the bank, UPI participant, gateway or payment provider.

11. Product complaints

Wrong, expired, damaged, recalled, contaminated or otherwise non-conforming products may require preservation of the product, packaging, batch information and photographs for investigation.

Product ownership, quality, expiry, packaging, food safety, ingredients and lawful sale ordinarily remain the responsibility of the relevant seller, manufacturer, tenant or machine operator, except where CustomVendz expressly assumes responsibility or applicable law provides otherwise.

A change of mind following verified delivery does not ordinarily qualify for refund unless a contractual or statutory return right applies.

12. Merchant/operator responsibilities affecting vending

Merchants, purchasers and operators are responsible for complying with applicable operating instructions concerning:

• correct stock loading;
• product positioning;
• product-size suitability;
• tray, slot and spiral configuration;
• product and price mapping;
• software configuration;
• routine cleaning and maintenance;
• reasonable pest prevention;
• environmental protection;
• following technical and training guidance.

Where a vending incident results from incorrect filling, configuration, product suitability, operator procedure or another operator-controlled cause, that incident shall not automatically be classified as a manufacturing defect.

13. Environmental damage and external causes

Machines must be operated and maintained in a reasonably suitable environment.

Reported malfunction or damage may be investigated for possible external causes including:

• rain or water exposure;
• excessive moisture or condensation;
• fungal or moisture-related formation;
• rust or corrosion;
• insect, ant, rodent or other pest intrusion;
• dust or contamination;
• unsafe electrical conditions;
• physical impact;
• tampering or unauthorised modification.

Damage caused by external or environmental circumstances may be excluded from free warranty coverage where the applicable invoice, warranty terms and law permit such exclusion.

14. Machine purchaser warranty claims

A claim by a purchaser concerning the vending machine itself is separate from an individual customer's failed-vend refund request.

Machine warranty coverage is governed by the applicable invoice, purchase agreement, warranty certificate and written warranty or service terms.

A reported component problem, service requirement or failed vending event does not automatically establish that the entire vending machine was defective at the time of supply.

Warranty assessment may consider:

• the affected component;
• applicable warranty duration;
• the actual technical cause;
• service and maintenance history;
• configuration and operating conditions;
• physical/environmental condition;
• applicable exclusions;
• mandatory rights under applicable law.

Where a genuine warranty-covered failure is established, the applicable contractual warranty remedy will be provided, subject to mandatory law.

15. Excluded or paid service matters

Where provided by the applicable invoice or warranty terms, particular damage or service categories may fall outside free warranty coverage.

Depending upon the applicable contract, this may include matters such as:

• touchscreen damage;
• mechanical damage;
• physical damage;
• moisture or water-related damage;
• fungal deterioration;
• rust or corrosion;
• pest or insect-related damage;
• unauthorised repair or modification;
• misuse or improper maintenance;
• other expressly excluded causes.

Such matters may be inspected, repaired or replaced on a chargeable basis where technically and commercially practicable.

No exclusion in this policy overrides a mandatory legal right that cannot lawfully be excluded.

16. Full-machine refund or replacement claims

A purchaser is not automatically entitled to return an entire vending machine or obtain a full purchase-price refund merely because:

• an individual vend failed;
• a component required adjustment or service;
• a technician attended the machine;
• a repair or replacement part was provided;
• an operator required additional training;
• a configuration issue occurred;
• an excluded environmental or physical condition occurred.

Any claim seeking full-machine refund, replacement or cancellation will be assessed according to:

• the original purchase and invoice terms;
• applicable warranty provisions;
• the alleged defect and its proven technical cause;
• whether the condition is repairable;
• service already provided;
• actual machine usage;
• continued operation following service or complaint;
• machine and transaction records;
• applicable mandatory law.

Nothing in this section prevents a repair, replacement, refund or other remedy where such remedy is required by applicable law.

17. Continued machine operation following complaints

Continued operation of a machine following a reported complaint does not by itself waive any mandatory legal right or prove that no technical issue existed.

However, objectively recorded continued use may be relevant when determining the actual nature and effect of an alleged condition.

Evidence may include:

• daily machine activity;
• successful vending transactions;
• sales activity;
• stock replenishment;
• product/configuration changes;
• software logins;
• continued operation following service attendance.

Such evidence may be considered together with complaints and service records when evaluating an allegation that a machine was continuously unusable or wholly non-functional.

18. Training and operational support

Where a reported condition may involve product loading, configuration, software operation or operator familiarisation, CustomVendz may recommend or provide appropriate training or operational assistance.

Participation in reasonable training, diagnostics or inspection may assist in distinguishing:

• normal system behaviour;
• operator or configuration issues;
• product-loading issues;
• environmental/external conditions;
• genuine technical failures.

The offer or provision of training does not constitute an admission of product defect or deficiency in service.

19. Service assistance is not an admission of inherent defect

CustomVendz or the relevant seller may provide technical support, troubleshooting, adjustment, inspection, repair, training, replacement parts or other assistance in order to maintain customer service and machine operation.

Provision of such assistance does not by itself constitute an admission that:

• the machine was defective when supplied;
• every reported issue was covered by warranty;
• the seller caused the issue;
• the purchaser is entitled to a full refund or compensation.

20. Refusal or adjustment of an individual claim

A vending-transaction claim may be refused or adjusted where reasonably verified evidence shows:

• the product was delivered;
• payment did not settle;
• payment was already reversed;
• a refund, replacement or re-vend was already provided;
• the wrong machine, transaction or product was identified;
• the claim is duplicate, altered, fabricated or fraudulent;
• loss was caused by shaking, striking, tilting, forced opening, sensor interference, vandalism or unauthorised repair;
• reasonably necessary information was not provided after a proper request.

21. Tampering, misuse and machine damage

Refund, replacement or free repair may be refused to the extent permitted by law where the relevant loss or damage was caused by prohibited interference with the machine, sensor, wiring, power, network, controller, door, lock or dispensing mechanism.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, a responsible person may be liable for reasonable and documented inspection, repair, replacement or investigation costs caused by deliberate misuse, vandalism, tampering or unauthorised modification.

Ordinary operator unfamiliarity will not automatically be treated as negligence and should first be addressed through technical assessment and appropriate training where reasonable.

22. Fraud and duplicate claims

Duplicate, altered, misleading or fraudulent claims may be rejected.

Relevant records may be preserved and disclosed to the applicable tenant, seller, payment provider, insurer, professional adviser or competent authority where reasonably necessary and legally permitted.

23. Indirect and consequential loss

For an ordinary verified individual vending failure, the normal remedy relates to the verified affected transaction or product.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, CustomVendz will not be liable merely as a consequence of an ordinary vending failure for speculative, remote or indirect claims such as claimed loss of profit, business opportunity, reputation, travel expense or business interruption.

Nothing in this section excludes compensation or liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

24. Preservation of transaction and dispute records

CustomVendz may preserve relevant machine, transaction, service, account, configuration, payment and support records where reasonably necessary for:

• refund investigation;
• warranty assessment;
• payment reconciliation;
• chargeback handling;
• fraud prevention;
• technical diagnosis;
• contractual disputes;
• establishment, exercise or defence of legal rights;
• other purposes permitted under the Privacy Policy and law.

Such records may be retained while a relevant complaint, investigation, legal notice or reasonably anticipated dispute remains unresolved, subject to applicable data-protection and retention requirements.

25. Escalation and grievance redressal

A claimant who disagrees with an initial determination may request reconsideration through the published grievance contact.

The claimant should identify the relevant transaction, machine or service request and explain the reason for disagreement.

Nothing in this policy prevents access to a consumer commission, banking or payment grievance mechanism, regulator, court or other legally available forum that cannot be excluded.

26. Relationship with invoice, warranty and Terms & Conditions

This policy operates together with the applicable:

• invoice and purchase terms;
• warranty and service terms;
• CustomVendz Terms & Conditions;
• Privacy Policy;
• machine operating instructions;
• merchant, tenant or subscription agreement;
• other applicable contractual documents.

In particular, this Vending & Refund Policy does not enlarge a machine warranty beyond the coverage actually provided in the applicable written warranty.

27. Policy versions and changes

Each version of this policy should display an effective date and version identifier.

CustomVendz may preserve historical versions for contractual, audit, compliance and dispute-resolution purposes.

Material changes may require a new notice or acknowledgement where appropriate.

An updated policy applies prospectively from its effective date and does not retrospectively alter rights or obligations arising under an earlier transaction except where lawfully and validly agreed.