Refund & Cancellation Policy

1. Overview

This Refund & Cancellation Policy explains the financial aspects of order cancellations and refunds — including when refunds are issued, how they are processed, and how long they take to appear in your account.

This policy works alongside our Return & Exchange Policy. Please read both policies for a complete understanding of your options.

2. Order Cancellation

3. Refund Eligibility

Refunds are issued in the following scenarios:

4. How Refunds Are Issued

All approved refunds are issued to your original payment method used at checkout. We do not issue refunds via bank transfer, cash, check, or any method other than the original payment method — except where store credit is chosen (see Section 7).

5. Refund Timeline by Payment Method

Refund timelines have two parts: our processing time + your bank or payment provider's processing time. Here is the full breakdown:

6. Partial Refunds

A partial refund is issued when only part of your order is being refunded. Partial refund scenarios include:

• Multiple-item order, partial return: Refund is calculated for the returned item(s) only. Items you keep are not refunded.
• Item partially damaged: If an item is slightly damaged but still usable, we may offer a partial refund at our discretion rather than a full refund.
• Return condition not fully met: If a returned item does not fully meet our return conditions, we may deduct a partial restocking fee rather than refuse the refund entirely.
• Used promotional discount: See Section 10 for how discounts affect refunds.

You will always be notified by email before any partial refund is processed, with a clear breakdown of the calculation.

7. Store Credit Option

Instead of a refund to your original payment method, you may choose to receive Hellstar Store Credit. Benefits of store credit:

• Faster: Issued within 1–2 business days (vs 8–17 days for card refunds)
• No expiry: Store credit does not expire
• Full value: No deductions or fees when choosing store credit
• Flexible: Use toward any item on hellstars-store.com

To request store credit instead of a refund, simply mention it in your return/refund request email and our team will arrange it.

8. Non-Refundable Situations

Refunds will not be issued in the following situations:

• Items that have been worn, washed, or altered
• Items returned without a Return Authorization (RA) number
• Items returned after the 15-day window (unless defective)
• Items marked as Final Sale at the time of purchase
• Original shipping fees (except in cases of our error)
• Customs duties or import taxes paid to your government
• Packages refused at delivery without prior authorization from us
• Gift cards or store credit already used
• Orders where a fraudulent chargeback has been filed — these are handled through our dispute process

9. Out-of-Stock & Unavailable Items

In rare cases, an item you ordered may become unavailable after your order is placed (due to inventory errors, quality control rejection, or stock discrepancies). In these situations:

• We will notify you by email within 2 business days of discovering the issue
• A full refund — including all shipping fees — will be issued automatically to your original payment method
• You are under no obligation to place a new order
• If only part of your order is unavailable, we will fulfill the available items and refund the unavailable item(s)

10. Promo Codes & Discounts

If you used a promotional code or discount at checkout, please note the following refund rules:

• Percentage discount: Your refund will reflect the actual amount you paid (after the discount was applied), not the original price
• Fixed amount discount (e.g. $10 off): The discount is applied proportionally across items. If you return one item from an order with a fixed discount, the refund will be the item's discounted price
• Free shipping promotions: If a free shipping promotion was applied and you return all items, the refund will be for the product cost only (free shipping is not converted to cash)
• Promo codes: Are non-transferable and non-refundable as cash

11. International Refunds

For international customers, the following additional terms apply:

• Currency: All refunds are issued in USD to your original payment method. If you paid in another currency, your bank or payment provider will convert the USD refund at the current exchange rate, which may differ from the rate at the time of purchase
• Exchange rate fluctuations: Hellstar is not responsible for any losses due to currency exchange rate differences between the time of purchase and the time of refund
• Customs duties: Import duties and taxes paid to your government are non-refundable by us — you must contact your country's customs authority directly for any duty refund
• International bank fees: Some banks charge foreign transaction fees on refunds — these are outside our control and we cannot reimburse them
• Processing time: International refunds may take an additional 3–5 business days beyond the standard timeline due to international banking processes

12. Disputes & Chargebacks

12.1 Resolving Issues Before Filing a Dispute

We strongly encourage you to contact us before filing a chargeback or payment dispute with your bank or PayPal. Most issues can be resolved quickly — our average resolution time is 1–3 business days. Filing a dispute before contacting us can:

• Delay the resolution process significantly (bank disputes can take 30–90 days)
• Result in your account being flagged
• Prevent us from offering a quick direct resolution

12.2 Chargeback Policy

If you file a chargeback with your bank or payment provider without first contacting us, please be aware:

• We will respond to all chargebacks with full documentation including proof of delivery, tracking information, and our communications history
• Fraudulent chargebacks (where goods were received as described) will be disputed and reported
• Any account associated with a fraudulent chargeback may be permanently banned from our store
• Legitimate disputes will always be resolved promptly — please contact us first at support@hellstars-store.com

13. EU & UK Consumer Rights

Customers in the European Union and United Kingdom have statutory rights that apply regardless of our policy:

• 14-day withdrawal right: You have the right to cancel any online purchase within 14 days of delivery for any reason, without penalty
• Refund timeline: Under EU law, we must process your refund within 14 calendar days of receiving the returned goods or proof of return, whichever is earlier
• Standard delivery cost: For withdrawals exercised within 14 days, we refund the product cost plus the standard (cheapest available) delivery cost. We do not refund premium delivery upgrades
• Defective goods: Under EU consumer law, goods must conform to the contract for at least 2 years from delivery. Defects discovered within this period may entitle you to repair, replacement, or refund

These statutory rights are in addition to our standard policy and cannot be overridden by any terms in this document.