One of my clients recently had a case which I am explaining below and if you are stuck in such similar situation, here is what to do.
Note: Due to attorney-client privilege, I cannot disclose complete case details or identify the actual parties involved. However, I am sharing the essential facts and legal approach so that if you find yourself in a similar situation, you can understand the available solutions and legal remedies.
TL;DR: When an online order refund is not received but the app shows it as credited, you don't have to keep waiting. Send a written demand, escalate to the National Consumer Helpline, and if the money still doesn't come, file a complaint before the District Consumer Commission within two years of the refusal. For a parcel marked destroyed in transit, the seller owes you either the goods or the money.
The tracking page said DESTROYED. All caps, no explanation.
Rahul Sharma read it twice and closed the app. He had ordered medicines on a pharmacy platform in the first week of August 2025, a little over ₹350 for a one-month supply. Order confirmed the same day. Shipped the next morning. The app promised delivery in three to five days.
Then nothing. No call from the courier partner, no doorbell. On 24 August the tracking status changed to DESTROYED and simply stayed there.
He rang the pharmacy helpline four times over the next week.