Draft — pending legal review. The final wording of this policy is being finalised with qualified counsel. The structure below reflects what the published policy will cover.
DRAFT — pending legal review. Not legal advice.
Last updated: 10 July 2026
VAMS BIOME provides at-home microbiome sampling kits and educational wellness reports. Our kits are not medical or diagnostic devices, and our reports are intended for general educational and wellness purposes only. This policy explains how we ship your kit, how you return your sample, and when you may be entitled to a return or refund.
Order Processing & Dispatch
Once your order is placed, we process and prepare it for dispatch within normally within 2–5 business days after payment and order verification, subject to stock availability, serviceability and public holidays. Orders placed on weekends or public holidays are processed on the next working day. You will receive a confirmation email when your order is placed and a further notification with tracking details (where available) once your kit has been dispatched.
Estimated delivery times are provided as a guide only and begin once your kit leaves our facility. Delivery timeframes may vary by destination and are subject to Approved third-party courier and logistics providers selected according to serviceability, biological-sample handling requirements and applicable transport rules. The carrier for a particular order will be communicated at dispatch. handling times and any customs processing for cross-border shipments.
Shipping Methods & Destinations
We currently ship to Initially available only in serviceable regions of India. International and Australian availability must not be represented as active until local operations, logistics and legal requirements are confirmed. Eligible locations will be shown during checkout.. Available shipping methods, carriers, and estimated delivery windows are shown at checkout based on your delivery address.
Shipping costs are calculated and clearly confirmed at checkout before you pay. Any applicable duties, taxes, or import charges for international orders are your responsibility unless stated otherwise at checkout.
Returning Your Sample
Your kit includes everything you need to collect and return your sample. Please note:
Activation is required. Each kit must be registered or activated (per the instructions included) before you collect your sample. This links your sample to your account so we can return your report.
Prepaid return where applicable. Many kits include a prepaid return label or packaging for eligible regions. Where a prepaid return is not included for your location, return instructions and any costs will be provided with your kit.
Time limits apply. Biological samples remain viable only for a limited period. To help ensure your sample can be processed, please collect and post it back promptly following the instructions, and within any stated time limit. Samples returned outside the viable window may not be able to be processed.
Returns Policy
Because our kits involve the collection of a biological sample, hygiene and biosafety constraints affect what can be returned.
Unused / unactivated kits. If you change your mind, you may return an unused, unactivated kit within Unopened and unused collection kits may be eligible for a return request within 7 calendar days after delivery, subject to prior authorisation. For health, hygiene and sample-integrity reasons, opened, activated, registered, used, contaminated or returned biological-sample kits cannot ordinarily be accepted. Defective, damaged, incorrect or incomplete kits will be replaced or refunded in accordance with applicable consumer law. of delivery, provided it is in its original, unopened, and resalable condition with any hygiene seals intact. Please contact us at legal@vamsbiome.com before returning any item so we can provide return instructions.
Activated / used kits. For hygiene, health, and biosafety reasons, kits cannot be returned or refunded once they have been activated, opened, or used to collect a biological sample. This is consistent with the treatment of hygiene-sealed health products.
Returnable vs Not Returnable — at a glance
Returnable: Unopened, unactivated kits in original resalable condition, within Unopened and unused collection kits may be eligible for a return request within 7 calendar days after delivery, subject to prior authorisation. For health, hygiene and sample-integrity reasons, opened, activated, registered, used, contaminated or returned biological-sample kits cannot ordinarily be accepted. Defective, damaged, incorrect or incomplete kits will be replaced or refunded in accordance with applicable consumer law..
Returnable: Kits that arrive damaged or defective (see below).
Not returnable: Kits that have been activated, opened, or used to collect a sample.
Not returnable: Kits returned outside the Unopened and unused collection kits may be eligible for a return request within 7 calendar days after delivery, subject to prior authorisation. For health, hygiene and sample-integrity reasons, opened, activated, registered, used, contaminated or returned biological-sample kits cannot ordinarily be accepted. Defective, damaged, incorrect or incomplete kits will be replaced or refunded in accordance with applicable consumer law. or without their original hygiene seals intact.
Damaged or Defective Kits
If your kit arrives damaged, defective, or with missing components, please contact us at legal@vamsbiome.com within Unopened and unused collection kits may be eligible for a return request within 7 calendar days after delivery, subject to prior authorisation. For health, hygiene and sample-integrity reasons, opened, activated, registered, used, contaminated or returned biological-sample kits cannot ordinarily be accepted. Defective, damaged, incorrect or incomplete kits will be replaced or refunded in accordance with applicable consumer law. of delivery, ideally with a photo of the issue. We will arrange a free replacement or, where appropriate, a refund. This does not affect any statutory rights you may have.
Failed or Insufficient Samples
Sometimes a sample cannot be processed — for example, if there is insufficient material or the sample was affected in transit. This is not unusual and is not your fault. Where a sample cannot be processed for reasons within our control, we will offer a free replacement kit so you can re-collect your sample. Please note that repeated re-collection may be subject to reasonable limits, which we will explain if relevant.
Refunds — Method & Timing
Approved refunds are issued to your original payment method. Once your return is received and inspected, or your refund is otherwise approved, we aim to process it within normally initiated within 7 business days. The customer’s bank or payment provider may require an additional 5–10 business days to credit the amount. The time for funds to appear in your account depends on your payment provider. Original shipping charges may be non-refundable except where a kit is faulty or where required by law.
Cancelling Your Order
If you wish to cancel before your kit is dispatched, contact us as soon as possible at legal@vamsbiome.com and we will cancel and refund your order in full. Once a kit has been dispatched, cancellation is handled under the returns terms above.
Your Statutory Rights
Nothing in this policy affects your statutory rights. Depending on where you live, you may have a statutory cancellation or "cooling-off" right (see Nothing in this policy limits any non-excludable right or remedy available under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 or other applicable law. India does not provide a universal cooling-off entitlement for every online purchase; cancellation and return rights therefore depend on the nature and status of the order, without limiting statutory remedies for defective goods, deficient services, misleading representations or unfair trade practices.). However, this right may not apply, or may be lost, for sealed health or hygiene products once they have been unsealed, activated, or used — as is the case with our sampling kits. [Placeholder — to be confirmed by legal counsel for each applicable jurisdiction, including UK/EU and US requirements.]
Contact Us
Questions about a return, shipment, or refund? Contact VAMS BioInnovation Private Limited at legal@vamsbiome.com and we will be happy to help.