Cancellation & Refund Policy

2.1 Cancellation by the Patient

Patients may cancel a scheduled consultation subject to the following conditions:

• • Cancellations made more than 2 hours before the scheduled appointment time: Full refund of the consultation fee, credited to the original payment method within 5–7 business days.
• • Cancellations made within 2 hours of the scheduled appointment time: A cancellation fee equivalent to 50% of the consultation fee may be deducted. The remaining 50% will be refunded to the original payment method within 5–7 business days.
• • No-show (patient fails to join within 10 minutes of scheduled start time): No refund will be issued. Repeated no-shows may result in account suspension.

2.2 Rescheduling

Patients may reschedule a consultation up to 1 hour before the scheduled time at no charge, subject to the availability of the healthcare professional. Only one reschedule is permitted per booking without additional charges. Subsequent reschedules may be treated as a cancellation and new booking.

2.3 Cancellation by the Healthcare Professional or Platform

In the event that a Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP) is unable to attend a scheduled consultation, or the platform experiences a technical failure preventing the session from proceeding:

• • A full refund of the consultation fee will be issued to the original payment method within 5–7 business days, OR
• • The patient may opt to reschedule the consultation at no additional charge.
• • vcdoc will notify the patient via SMS, email, or in-app notification as soon as practicable.

2.4 Post-Consultation Refund Requests

Refunds will not ordinarily be issued after a consultation has been completed. If you believe you have grounds for a post-consultation refund (for example, due to a significant technical failure that materially impaired the consultation), you must submit a formal complaint to harshavardhan@vcdoc.in within 48 hours of the consultation. Each case will be assessed on its merits.

3.1 Order Cancellation - Before Dispatch

Orders may be cancelled before they are dispatched from the partner pharmacy. If you wish to cancel an order prior to dispatch:

• • Contact support@vcdoc.in immediately with your order reference number.
• • Once cancellation is confirmed, a full refund will be initiated to the original payment method within 5–7 business days.

3.2 Order Cancellation - After Dispatch

Once an order has been dispatched, it cannot be cancelled. You may initiate a return in accordance with Section 3.3 upon receipt of the order.

3.3 Returns and Refunds for Medicines

Returns of medicines are strictly governed by the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, Pharmacy Practice Regulations, and the policies of the dispensing pharmacy partner. The following general conditions apply:

• • Medicines that are damaged, defective, or incorrectly supplied: Eligible for return and full refund or replacement. Report to support@vcdoc.in within 48 hours of delivery with photographic evidence.
• • Opened, partially used, or tampered medicines: Not eligible for return due to patient safety and regulatory requirements.
• • Cold-chain or temperature-sensitive medicines: Not eligible for return once delivered.
• • Prescription medicines: Not eligible for return unless damaged, defective, or incorrectly supplied.
• • Non-prescription (OTC) medicines: May be eligible for return if unopened and in original packaging, at the discretion of the partner pharmacy. Return must be requested within 7 days of delivery.

3.4 Prescription Issues

If an order is rejected due to an invalid, unclear, or fraudulent prescription identified after payment is processed, a full refund will be issued to the original payment method within 5–7 business days.

4.1 Cancellation Before Sample Collection

Diagnostic bookings may be cancelled before the scheduled sample collection appointment:

• • Cancellation more than 4 hours before sample collection: Full refund within 5–7 business days.
• • Cancellation within 4 hours of sample collection: A cancellation fee of up to 25% of the test fee may apply. Remaining amount refunded within 5–7 business days.
• • Cancellation after the phlebotomist has been dispatched (for home collection): The full visit charge and up to 50% of the test fee may be non-refundable.

4.2 Test Not Conducted Due to Platform or Lab Error

If a diagnostic test cannot be conducted due to an error on the part of vcdoc or the partner laboratory (including sample collection failure due to technician error, lab equipment failure, or incorrect processing):

• • The patient will be offered either a full refund or a complimentary re-test at no additional charge, at the patient's choice.
• • Refunds will be processed within 5–7 business days.

4.3 Test Not Conducted Due to Patient Non-Compliance

If a diagnostic test cannot be conducted or yields invalid results due to the patient's failure to follow pre-test instructions (e.g., fasting requirements, medication restrictions, incorrect sample handling by the patient):

• • The cost of the test will be non-refundable.
• • Any re-test required will be charged to the patient at the standard rate.

• • Consultations cancelled after the doctor has joined and waited for more than 10 minutes without the patient joining
• • Medicines that have been opened, used, or tampered with
• • Diagnostic tests not conducted due to patient non-compliance with pre-test instructions
• • Service fees, convenience charges, or delivery fees (unless the order is cancelled before dispatch)
• • Any service where vcdoc determines, in its reasonable discretion, that the refund request is fraudulent or made in bad faith