Returns & Refunds Policy
Last updated: September 24, 2026
At Hao Cacao, we want customers to receive products in good condition and as described.
This Returns & Refunds Policy explains what to do if you receive a damaged, defective, incorrect, expired, or otherwise non-conforming product.
Nothing in this policy is intended to limit rights available to consumers under applicable Philippine law.
1. Purchases Through Marketplaces
Hao Cacao products may be purchased through third-party marketplaces such as:
- Shopee
- Lazada
- TikTok Shop
- Other authorized sales channels
If your order was placed through one of these platforms, the return, refund, cancellation, and dispute process must generally be initiated through the same marketplace where the purchase was made.
The marketplace may require customers to submit photographs, videos, order information, or other evidence before approving a return or refund.
Customers should follow the applicable marketplace’s return and refund procedure within the required timeframe.
2. When You May Request Assistance
Please contact Hao Cacao or submit a return/refund request through the relevant marketplace if you receive a product that is:
- Damaged upon delivery
- Defective
- Incorrect compared with what was ordered
- Missing from the order
- Expired upon receipt
- Unsealed or compromised upon arrival, where this was not caused after delivery
- Materially different from the product description
- Otherwise not fit for its intended purpose because of a product defect
Philippine consumer rules do not permit businesses to use a blanket “No Return, No Exchange” policy to remove remedies for defective products. The Department of Trade and Industry states that consumers may have remedies including repair, replacement, or refund when a purchased product has an imperfection or defect.
3. Change-of-Mind Returns
Because Hao Cacao products include food and consumable items, we generally do not accept returns or refunds solely because a customer:
- Changed their mind
- Ordered the wrong flavor or size
- No longer wants the product
- Does not personally prefer the taste
- Ordered too many items
This applies where the product received is correct, safe, authentic, within its applicable shelf life, and free from defect.
DTI guidance explains that a change of mind does not automatically entitle a customer to a refund or exchange when the product itself has no imperfection or defect.
This does not affect any additional rights or remedies provided by the marketplace where the transaction was completed.
4. Food Safety and Opened Products
For food-safety and hygiene reasons, opened or consumed products generally cannot be returned for resale.
However, opening a product does not automatically prevent a customer from reporting a legitimate product-quality or safety concern.
For example, please contact us if, after opening the product, you discover:
- Unusual contamination
- Spoilage inconsistent with the stated shelf life
- Damaged inner packaging
- An incorrect product
- A product-quality defect
- Another condition indicating that the product was not delivered as reasonably expected
Please keep the remaining product and its packaging until the issue has been reviewed.
5. Chocolate Appearance and Cocoa Bloom
Chocolate may sometimes develop a light-colored or whitish coating known as bloom, which can occur because of temperature changes or changes in fat or sugar crystals.
Bloom may affect appearance or texture and does not necessarily mean that the chocolate is spoiled.
If you are uncertain about the condition of a product, please contact Hao Cacao before consuming it and provide photographs of the product and packaging where possible.
6. Damaged Products During Delivery
If your parcel arrives damaged, please document the condition as soon as possible.
Where possible, take clear photographs or video showing:
- The outer parcel
- Shipping label
- Damaged packaging
- Affected product
- Product label
- Expiry or best-before information, where relevant
If the purchase was made through a marketplace, submit the evidence through that platform’s official return/refund system before confirming that the order has been fully received, where the platform provides such an option.
7. Incorrect or Missing Items
If you receive the wrong product or an item is missing from your order, please contact us or submit a request through the marketplace where the purchase was made.
Please provide:
- Order number
- Product ordered
- Product received
- Quantity affected
- Photographs of the parcel and products
We will review the concern and assist with the appropriate resolution, subject to the applicable marketplace process and consumer law.
8. Evidence Required
To help us review a return, replacement, or refund request, we may ask for:
- Order number
- Name used for the order
- Photographs or videos
- Product packaging
- Shipping label
- Batch or lot information, if available
- Expiry or best-before date
- Description of the issue
Customers should not dispose of an affected product until the request has been reviewed unless doing so is necessary for safety reasons.
9. Refunds and Replacements
Depending on the nature of the issue, applicable law, availability, and the marketplace through which the purchase was made, an appropriate remedy may include:
- Replacement
- Refund
- Partial refund or price adjustment
- Another remedy available under applicable consumer law
The Philippine Consumer Act recognizes remedies for product imperfections, including replacement or reimbursement in applicable circumstances.
Where the transaction was completed through Shopee, Lazada, TikTok Shop, or another marketplace, approved refunds will normally be processed through the payment method and procedures provided by that marketplace.
10. Refund Processing Time
The time required to receive an approved refund may depend on:
- The marketplace
- Payment method
- Bank or e-wallet processing time
- Verification requirements
- The specific circumstances of the claim
Hao Cacao does not control the processing times of third-party marketplaces, banks, payment providers, or e-wallet services.
11. Shipping Costs for Returns
Responsibility for return-shipping costs depends on the reason for the return, applicable consumer rights, and the rules of the marketplace through which the purchase was made.
Where a valid return concerns a defective, incorrect, or non-conforming product, the applicable marketplace or seller-resolution process will determine the appropriate shipping arrangement.
Customers should not independently ship products back to Hao Cacao unless specifically instructed to do so.
12. Refused or Unclaimed Deliveries
Orders that are refused, repeatedly missed, or left unclaimed may be subject to the policies of the marketplace and courier used for the transaction.
Any refund eligibility relating to such orders will depend on the circumstances and applicable marketplace rules.
13. Cancellations
If you wish to cancel an order placed through a third-party marketplace, please use that marketplace’s official cancellation function.
Once an order has already been packed, dispatched, or handed to a courier, cancellation may no longer be available.
14. Marketplace Policies
Third-party marketplaces may offer consumer protections, return periods, refund guarantees, or dispute processes that are separate from this policy.
Where a marketplace provides a specific procedure for resolving an order problem, customers should use that procedure.
DTI advises online consumers to review an online seller or platform’s returns, cancellation, and refund policies before making a purchase.
15. Consumer Rights
Nothing in this Returns & Refunds Policy removes rights or remedies available to consumers under Philippine law.
The Internet Transactions Act of 2023 (Republic Act No. 11967) establishes a regulatory framework intended to protect both online consumers and online merchants.
16. Contact Hao Cacao
If you have a concern about a Hao Cacao product, please contact us with your order information and relevant photographs or evidence.
Hao Cacao
Davao, Philippines
Email: haocacao2020@gmail.com
Mobile: +63 955 1029 042
Website: haocacaoph.com