About VegaVend’s Alpha Zulu Guarantee Claims

What is Alpha Zulu Guarantee?

The VegaVend Alpha Zulu Guarantee ensures that customers have a consistent experience when making purchases across the VegaVend Store. The Alpha Zulu Guarantee is provided for orders directly fulfilled by our sellers and covers both the timely delivery and the condition of items once received. If a customer is not fully satisfied with an order, it is in everyone’s best interest that you are able to resolve the issue(s) directly with the customer. Resolving issues directly with the customer protects your Order Defect Rate.

Note: The Alpha Zulu Guarantee does not limit, restrict or modify any consumer right or remedy that a customer may have under law.

Prior to an Alpha Zulu Guarantee claim being filed

Customers must first contact you and give you an opportunity to resolve their issue(s). Customers are not eligible to raise an Alpha Zulu Guarantee Claim (“Claim”) without contacting you first. A customer may contact you in the following situations:

• Item has not been received by customer: If the customer has an issue with delivery, except in the circumstances listed under the ‘Instant Customer Refunds’ section, VegaVend directs the customer to use Support Messages to alert you of the issue.
• Item does not meet customer expectation: If the customer has an issue with the condition of the item, VegaVend directs the customer to the Return Request to alert you of the issue.

You then have 48 hours to take the action(s) described below in order to resolve the issues raised by the customer:

• Item has not been received by customer: If the customer has an issue with delivery, you must respond to their message in Support Messages and attempt to resolve the issue to the customer’s satisfaction within a 48 hour period (commencing from when the customer’s first message was sent). The customer will be eligible to file a claim after this 48 hour period if you have not resolved the issue to the customer’s satisfaction.
• Item does not meet customer expectation: If the customer has raised a return request, you must authorise that request within 48 hours. If you do not authorise the return request within the 48 hour period, the customer will be eligible to file a claim. You can monitor your return requests in the ‘Manage returns’ page. To authorise a return request, you must select ‘Authorise request’ on the return associated with the order that the customer has contacted you about. If you do not authorise the return request within 48 hours, the customer will be eligible to file a claim.

Instant Customer Refunds

VegaVend may grant the customer a refund without the customer needing to contact you, under following circumstances:

1. Tracking shows that the package is refused and returned to you: If a customer refuses a package on delivery, and we receive tracking information indicating that the package is returning to you, we will automatically refund the customer and debit your account for the claim amount. This will not impact your account health or Order Defect Rate.
2. Tracking shows that you have not shipped the package when the customer files the claim with VegaVend: If you have not shipped the package when the customer files the claim with VegaVend, or you have not confirmed the shipment on your Vendor Dashboard, we will automatically refund the customer and debit your account for the claim amount. This will impact your account health or Order Defect Rate.
3. Tracking shows that the item was undeliverable: If the tracking shows that the item was undeliverable to the customer we will automatically refund the customer. This will not impact your account health or Order Defect Rate.

If you disagree with the decisions made in the circumstances above, you are still able to appeal the decision in the same way as other Alpha Zulu Guarantee Claim decisions.

When can a customer file an Alpha Zulu Guarantee claim?

Customers can file a claim under the Alpha Zulu Guarantee in two circumstances:

1. Item has not been received by customer

Customer eligibility criteria for filing a claim:

• Customer waited until: (a) Estimated delivery date + three calendar days; or (b) delivery has been confirmed by valid tracking and
  • The customer has already contacted you through Support Messages and
  • You and the customer have not been able to resolve the issue(s) by following the process under “Prior to an Alpha Zulu Claim” within 48 hours of the customer’s first message.

2. Item did not meet customer expectation

Customer eligibility criteria for filing a claim:

• The buyer has contacted you through Return Request ; and
  • You did not authorise the return request within 48 hours of the customer raising the return request (including if you closed/rejected the return request).

How do I know when a claim has been submitted?

You will receive an email notification when a customer files a claim. You can also track claims filed by customers by navigating to the Alpha Zulu Guarantee Claims page in Your Vendor Account under the Reports tab. You are responsible for monitoring and resolving your Claims. You can also use this quick link to monitor Claims status by entering a Claims related order ID.

What is the process after a claim is filed?

If a Claim is filed, there are four possible outcomes:

1. 1. You choose to provide a full refund: You can choose to issue a full refund to the customer by clicking the “refund customer” button as the investigation is under progress and the claim will be closed. This will impact your Order Defect Rate. If you issue a refund to the customer, you may choose to request that the customer return the item before you process the refund.
   2. VegaVend investigates the claim: VegaVend investigates the claim and makes a determination as to whether to grant, or not grant, the claim in favour of customer. claims are investigated based on several factors, including your response(s) (if any) on Support Messages or your authorisation of a Return Request . During this process, VegaVend may ask you for additional information (please see How to respond to an Alpha Zulu Guarantee Claim notification) and to recount your version of events. It is important for you to provide as much additional, relevant and compelling information about the transaction. If you do not respond to our information request within 48 hours, VegaVend may grant the claim in favour of the customer, which will impact your Order Defect Rate. You can monitor your Order Defect Rate using the Account Health page.
   3. Claim is automatically granted: VegaVend will automatically grant the Claim and debit the Claim amount from your account in the following circumstances:
      1. It is a delivery related issue, the order did not have a trackable shipping method, and you failed to provide a valid order tracking ID in the Manage Orders page when the customer’s order was placed.
      2. The customer contacted you via Support Messages for a delivery-related issue and you did not respond within 48 hours.
      3. The customer contacted you via Return Request for product-related issue and you did not authorise the return request within 48 hours.
      4. You did not ship the order by the expected ship date.
      5. You did not deliver the order by the estimated delivery date.
   4. Claim is withdrawn by customer: The customer withdraws the Claim and the Claim is closed, with no impact to your Order Defect Rate.

If the Claim is granted in favour of the customer (whether automatically or post investigation), then the claim amount will be debited from your account and will impact your Order Defect Rate. For more information on returns and the Alpha Zulu Guarantee, go to VegaVend’s return policies and Alpha Zulu Guarantee customer help page.

• You have a 30-day appeal period: If VegaVend grants a claim in favour of a customer (automatically or post investigation), you have 30 calendar days to appeal and request a further investigation. If you do not appeal within 30 calendar days, the claim will be closed and any negative impact to your Order Defect Rate cannot be reversed. For more information, go to How to appeal an Alpha Zulu Guarantee Claim
• A final decision is made: If you appeal within the 30-day appeal period, VegaVend will investigate further and will make a final decision on whether to reverse the initial decision and reimburse you for the claim incurred.

Enter your order ID below and get help with your Alpha Zulu Claim concerns: