LETHAL BLACK

Fair Usage & Anti-Fraud Policy

A policy of Real Ascend Private Limited (operating "Lethal Black")

1. Purpose

Fake orders, repeated cash-on-delivery bookings that are cancelled or refused without reason, and abuse of return/refund terms are widespread and well-documented problems for e-commerce businesses in India. This policy exists to protect Lethal Black, our inventory, our logistics partners, and our genuine customers from this kind of abuse. It applies to every order placed on www.lethalblack.com and is incorporated into our Terms & Conditions.

2. Cash on Delivery — Mandatory Advance Payment

•       Example: on a ₹1,000 order, a minimum of ₹100 must be paid online before the order is processed and dispatched.

•       The advance is credited toward the final order value — it is not an additional charge.

•       Orders where the advance payment is not completed will not be processed or confirmed.

This requirement exists solely to reduce fraudulent and frivolous COD bookings. By selecting Cash on Delivery at checkout, you acknowledge and agree to this condition and to the forfeiture terms in Section 3.

3. Advance Forfeiture on Cancellation or Refused Delivery

If a Cash-on-Delivery order is cancelled after confirmation (by the customer, or because the customer cannot be verified or reached), or if delivery is refused or left unclaimed, the advance paid at checkout is forfeited in cash terms and converted in full to Lethal Black store credit, valid for 6 months from issue. It is not refunded to the original payment method in these situations. See our Refund Policy for the full mechanics.

This does not apply where the order is cancelled by us (e.g. stock unavailability, pricing error), or where the product is genuinely defective, damaged in transit, or not what was ordered — in those cases the advance is refunded in full to the original payment method or as store credit, at the customer's choice.

4. One-Strike Cash-on-Delivery Restriction

•       We identify repeat risk using order records including phone number, delivery address, email, and account, individually or in combination.

•       Restricted customers may continue to shop with us using full prepayment at checkout — this policy restricts payment method, not access to our products.

•       Where a customer believes a restriction was applied in error (e.g. a genuine delivery failure outside their control), they may contact Support with details for manual review.

5. Order Verification

We reserve the right to verify any order before it is processed or dispatched, by phone, SMS, WhatsApp, or email. Verification may include confirming the delivery address, contact details, and intent to purchase. We reserve the right to hold, delay, or cancel any order that cannot be verified within a reasonable time, or where the information provided appears inaccurate or inconsistent.

6. Suspicious Order Patterns

We reserve the right to flag, hold, refuse, or cancel any order — and to take the actions described in Sections 3 and 4 — where it shows characteristics associated with fraudulent or abusive ordering, including but not limited to:

•       Multiple orders placed in a short period to the same address using different names, phone numbers, or accounts.

•       A pattern of repeated order-then-cancel or order-then-refuse behaviour.

•       Mismatched or inconsistent billing, shipping, and contact information.

•       Use of invalid, temporary, or unreachable phone numbers or email addresses.

•       Bulk-quantity orders placed through the standard retail checkout without a prior trade/wholesale inquiry.

•       A prior history of chargebacks, payment disputes, or fraudulent claims with us.

•       Any other pattern that, in our reasonable judgment, indicates an order is not a genuine retail purchase.

7. Right to Refuse Service

We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to refuse to process or fulfil any order, to limit order quantities, or to decline service to any customer, without liability, where we reasonably suspect fraud, abuse of our policies, or a violation of our Terms & Conditions. Where an order is refused or cancelled under this policy through no fault of the customer's own conduct, any amount paid will be refunded in full.

8. Claim Evidence Requirements

To protect against fraudulent damage, wrong-item, and missing-parts claims, our Return Policy requires a mandatory, unedited unboxing video for such claims, and our Warranty Policy requires supporting photo/video evidence and a valid tax invoice for all claims. Claims that do not meet these evidentiary requirements may be declined. These requirements exist to ensure claims can be fairly verified and are not intended to discourage genuine customers from seeking resolution — our support team will assist with any claim raised in good faith.

9. Data Use for Fraud Prevention

We may use order history, phone numbers, delivery addresses, and account information across orders to identify repeat cancellation/refusal patterns and enforce this policy, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. This data is used solely for order verification, fraud prevention, and related customer support purposes.

10. Serious or Repeated Fraud

Beyond the restrictions in Sections 3 and 4, Real Ascend Private Limited reserves the right to pursue legal remedies, report to relevant authorities, and cooperate with law enforcement and payment gateway fraud-prevention teams in cases of serious or repeated fraudulent activity, including but not limited to payment fraud, chargeback abuse, and fraudulent warranty or return claims made using fabricated evidence.

11. Acknowledgement

By placing an order on our Website, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to this Fair Usage & Anti-Fraud Policy, in addition to our other published policies.

12. Contact

Questions about this policy, or a restriction you believe was applied in error, can be raised at Support@lethalblack.com or +91 827 84 84 284.