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Food Pickup App Terms, Cancellation, Refund, and Order-Handover Policy

Effective date: [Insert date]

App/operator: Hatly

App name: Hatly

Support contact: support@hat-ly.com

Note: This policy applies to food and beverage orders placed through Hatly for pickup from participating restaurants, cafeterias, and vendors.

1. Scope

This policy applies to food and beverage orders placed through Hatly for pickup from participating restaurants, cafeterias, and vendors at or near universities.

The app may facilitate ordering and payment, but the restaurant or vendor is responsible for preparing the food and beverage safely and according to the confirmed order. The app/operator is responsible for providing the ordering platform, communicating order status, and handling support according to this policy.

By placing an order, the customer agrees to this policy, the Terms of Use, the Privacy Policy, and the restaurant’s displayed menu and availability information.

2. Order confirmation

An order is considered submitted when the customer confirms the order and receives an order number. An order is considered accepted only when the selected restaurant accepts it through the app or the app displays an accepted/confirmed status.

The estimated preparation time shown in the app is an estimate, not a guaranteed collection time. It may change because of demand, stock availability, university access restrictions, equipment failure, or other operational circumstances.

The customer must review the restaurant, items, quantities, pickup location, special instructions, price, payment method, and estimated preparation time before confirming the order.

3. Payment methods

The app may support:

  • Cash payment at pickup.
  • Card or other electronic payment through Kashier.
  • InstaPay or another approved bank-transfer method, where displayed in the app.

For card and InstaPay payments, an order is not treated as paid until the app/operator verifies the transaction through the payment provider or bank-transfer verification process. A screenshot, SMS, or customer statement alone is not proof of payment.

The customer must not transfer money to an unofficial personal account or send payment information through chat. Only payment instructions displayed in the app or issued through an official support channel should be used.

If an electronic payment is pending, the restaurant may delay preparation or collection until payment is verified. If the payment later succeeds but the order was not prepared, the customer should contact support with the order number and transaction reference.

4. Customer cancellation

4.1 Before restaurant acceptance

The customer may cancel an order before the restaurant accepts it. If payment has already been made, the app will initiate a refund or reversal according to the payment provider’s processing rules.

4.2 After restaurant acceptance but before preparation

The customer may request cancellation after acceptance but before preparation has started. Cancellation may be accepted if the restaurant confirms that no preparation or ingredient allocation has begun.

If preparation has started, cancellation may be refused or the customer may receive only a partial refund, because food may have been prepared specifically for that order and may not be resold.

4.3 After preparation has started or the order is ready

Cancellation is normally not permitted after preparation has started or the order is ready for pickup, except where the restaurant or operator agrees that cancellation is appropriate, such as a restaurant-caused problem, a duplicate technical order, or a safety issue.

4.4 How to cancel

The customer should use the cancellation button in the order screen when available. If it is unavailable, the customer should contact support immediately and provide:

  • Order number.
  • Customer name and registered phone number.
  • Restaurant and pickup location.
  • Reason for cancellation.
  • Payment method.

5. Restaurant cancellation

A restaurant may cancel an order if an item is unavailable, the restaurant closes unexpectedly, the restaurant cannot safely prepare the order, or an operational problem prevents fulfillment.

If the restaurant cancels a paid order, the customer is generally entitled to a full refund of the cancelled order. If only one item is unavailable, the customer may choose a replacement, remove that item and receive its value back, or cancel the entire order where appropriate.

The restaurant must not substitute an item, size, ingredient, or price without the customer’s approval, except for a clearly equivalent substitution that the customer accepts through the app.

6. Refund policy

6.1 Full refund situations

  • The restaurant cancels the order.
  • The app accepts payment but the order cannot be fulfilled.
  • The customer is charged more than once for the same order.
  • The customer paid electronically but the order was not created because of a technical failure.
  • The order is collected by an unauthorised person and the restaurant failed to follow the required handover verification procedure.
  • The order contains a serious safety or quality issue and the customer reports it promptly with reasonable evidence.

6.2 Partial refund situations

  • One or more items are missing.
  • An item is materially different from the confirmed order.
  • An item is unavailable and the customer does not accept a replacement.
  • A confirmed paid item was not supplied.
  • The customer accepts the available part of an order and requests the value of the missing part back.

6.3 Non-refundable situations

  • The customer changes their mind after preparation has started.
  • The customer entered the wrong pickup location and does not collect the order.
  • The customer fails to collect within the stated collection window without contacting support.
  • The customer cannot provide the order number or pass the required handover verification.
  • The complaint concerns a preference rather than a defect, such as expected taste, spice level, or temperature after an unreasonable delay caused by the customer.
  • The customer consumed the item and reports a non-safety complaint without prompt notice or supporting information.
  • The customer provides false, abusive, or repeated fraudulent claims.

6.4 Refund method and timing

Refunds for card or other electronic payments will normally be sent back through the original payment method where technically possible. The timing depends on Kashier, the issuing bank, card network, or payment provider.

For InstaPay payments, the app/operator may return funds to the verified source account or use another documented refund process.

Cash orders are not refunded through the payment gateway. If the customer paid cash and is entitled to a refund, the app/operator or restaurant may provide cash, wallet transfer, bank transfer, or another agreed method.

7. Late orders and delayed preparation

The pickup estimate is an estimate based on the restaurant’s expected preparation time. A delay does not automatically create a refund entitlement, but customers should be informed when the estimated time changes materially.

  • Minor delay: Up to 10 minutes after the estimated ready time.
  • Material delay: More than 10 minutes. The customer should receive a notification.
  • Serious delay: More than 30 minutes after the estimated ready time. The customer may request cancellation.

7.2 Delay caused by the customer

A delay caused by the customer, such as arriving at the wrong pickup point, failing to respond to contact attempts, or requesting a later collection time, does not normally qualify for a refund. The customer remains responsible for collecting within the collection window.

7.3 Delay caused by the restaurant or app

If the restaurant or app causes a substantial delay, the customer may choose to wait, cancel before preparation for a full refund, or request a reasonable partial refund if the delay materially affected the order.

8. Failure to collect the order

The customer must collect the order from the displayed pickup location during the collection window. The app should display the expected ready time and the final collection deadline.

8.1 Cash orders not collected

If a cash order is not collected within the collection window, the restaurant should mark it as not collected. The customer will not normally receive a cash refund because no payment was made. The app may restrict cash-on-delivery ordering for repeated non-collection.

8.2 Card-paid orders not collected

The customer should normally not receive an automatic refund if the restaurant prepared the order correctly and the customer failed to collect it. Repeated non-collection may result in restrictions on prepaid ordering.

8.3 InstaPay-paid orders not collected

The same rule applies to verified InstaPay payments. The fact that the order was paid in advance does not by itself guarantee a refund when the customer fails to collect a correctly prepared order.

9. Hot food becoming cold and iced drinks melting

Food and beverages are perishable products. The app should display that temperature can change after preparation because of waiting time, travel between locations, weather, packaging, and customer collection time.

A hot item that becomes cooler, or an iced item that melts after the customer arrives late or leaves it uncollected, is normally not eligible for a refund.

If the item was already unreasonably cold/melted when handed over, was prepared substantially earlier than the stated ready time, or the restaurant caused an excessive delay, the customer should report the issue immediately before consuming the item.

10. Proof of handover and verification

The recommended method is a single-use pickup code, supported by a QR code where practical. The customer shows the pickup code or QR code at the correct restaurant counter, and the staff member scans the QR code or enters the code in the restaurant app.

11. Food quality, safety, and allergy information

Restaurants must provide accurate information about ingredients, allergens, portion sizes, and availability to the extent required by applicable law.

Customers are responsible for reviewing allergen information and communicating allergies through the available order field. The app includes a clear warning that shared kitchens and cross-contact may occur where applicable.

12. Missing, incorrect, or damaged items

The customer should report missing, incorrect, damaged, or spilled items through the order screen as soon as possible and preferably within 2–24 hours of collection.

The app/operator may request a photograph, the package label, or other reasonable evidence.

13. Disputes and fraud prevention

The app/operator may investigate claims by reviewing order records, payment records, preparation time, handover code logs, support messages, and restaurant evidence.

The operator may restrict accounts that show repeated false claims, payment abuse, chargebacks connected with collected orders, misuse of promotional credits, or repeated non-collection.

14. Chargebacks and payment disputes

The customer should contact support first for an order problem, but this does not remove any rights provided by the card issuer, bank, payment provider, or applicable law.

15. Service credits and promotions

Promotional credits are not cash unless required by law. Credits may have an expiry date and may not be combined with some offers.

16. Changes to this policy

The operator may update this policy when the service, payment providers, restaurants, or legal requirements change. The updated version will be displayed in the app and on the website, with its effective date.

17. Contact and complaint procedure

Customers should contact support through:

  • In-app order support.
  • support@hat-ly.com

A support request should include the order number and a short description of the issue. The operator should aim to acknowledge complaints within 24 hours and provide a decision or update within 3–7 business days.


Additional App Rules

  • Estimated preparation time is not a guaranteed collection time.
  • Cancellation is easiest before the restaurant accepts or starts preparing the order.
  • Collect the order promptly after the ready notification.
  • Hot and iced products can change temperature over time.
  • A unique pickup code is required for handover.
  • Refunds depend on the reason, order status, payment method, and applicable law.
  • Contact support from the order screen as soon as a problem occurs.