Marketplace Disclosure & Seller Information

Policy: Marketplace Disclosure & Seller Information
Applies to: All listings and transactions on horeka.co
Version: 1.0  |  Effective: 7 August 2026

This disclosure is published under Rule 4 and Rule 5 of the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, which require an e-commerce marketplace entity to disclose its identity, its role in the transaction, and the details of every seller offering goods through its platform.

1. Who we are

2. Our role: we are a marketplace, not the seller

Horeka is an e-commerce marketplace entity as defined in Rule 3(1)(f) of the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, and an intermediary within the meaning of Section 2(1)(w) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

This means, in plain terms:

• We provide the platform. Independent sellers sell the goods. Horeka operates the technology, the discovery experience, the ordering system and the delivery coordination. The goods themselves are owned and sold by independent third-party sellers.
• The contract of sale is between you and the seller. When you place an order, a binding contract for the sale of goods is formed directly between you (the buyer) and the seller identified on the product page. Horeka is not a party to that contract.
• The seller is the seller of record. The seller is responsible for the goods, for their description and quality, for statutory warranties, and for issuing the tax invoice.
• We do not exercise ownership or control over the goods. Horeka does not take title to the goods at any point in a Horeka Discover transaction.
• We collect payment as a facilitator. Payments are collected through licensed payment aggregators into a nodal/escrow arrangement and settled to sellers under the Seller Agreement. Collection of payment does not make Horeka the seller.

3. Our business lines and what each means for you

Returns and replacements differ by line. See Returns, Replacements & Refunds.

4. Seller information displayed on every listing

As required by Rule 5(3) of the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, we display the following for each seller on the relevant product and storefront pages:

• The seller’s legal name and the business name under which they trade;
• The principal geographic address of the seller’s place of business;
• The seller’s GSTIN, where the seller is registered;
• The seller’s customer care contact — telephone number and email;
• The seller’s consumer rating or verification status, where available;
• The country of origin of the goods, to enable an informed pre-purchase decision;
• Where goods are imported, the name and details of the importer;
• The seller’s returns, refund, exchange, warranty and delivery terms, or a link to them.

Where any of the above is not displayed for a listing, please report it to [email protected] and we will require the seller to furnish it or suspend the listing.

5. What “Verified Seller” means

We describe certain sellers as verified. This is a specific, substantiated claim. A seller carries the verified badge only after we have, at minimum:

1. Confirmed the seller’s legal identity against government-issued identification (PAN and, for entities, incorporation or registration documents);
2. Validated the seller’s GSTIN against the GST portal, where the seller is required to be registered;
3. Verified the seller’s bank account through a penny-drop or equivalent check;
4. Confirmed the physical existence of the business premises at the address supplied, by physical visit or documentary proof;
5. Obtained the seller’s written acceptance of the Seller Agreement and Code of Conduct.

Verification confirms that the seller is a real, identifiable and contactable business. It is not a guarantee of the quality, safety, authenticity or fitness of any particular product, nor an endorsement by Horeka. The full criteria are set out in our Seller Onboarding, KYC & Verification Policy.

6. How we rank and display products

Rule 5(6) of the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules requires disclosure of the main parameters determining product ranking. Our search results, category listings and recommendations are ordered principally by:

• Serviceability — whether a seller can deliver to your pin code, and how quickly;
• Availability — live stock status at the seller;
• Relevance — textual and semantic match between your query and the product;
• Seller performance — fulfilment rate, cancellation rate, defect rate and complaint history;
• Price competitiveness within the category;
• Customer signals — ratings, reviews and repeat-purchase behaviour.

We confirm that:

• We do not manipulate the price of goods to gain unreasonable profit by imposing unjustified prices on consumers;
• We do not give any seller preferential treatment in ranking in a manner that discriminates between sellers of the same class, other than on the performance parameters listed above;
• Any listing whose placement is paid for by a seller is clearly labelled as sponsored or promoted;
• We do not adopt any unfair trade practice, whether on the platform or otherwise, in the course of business.

7. Consent and cancellation

• We record your express affirmative consent for every purchase. Consent is never inferred from pre-ticked checkboxes or from navigation or silence.
• We do not impose a cancellation charge on you for cancelling after confirming a purchase, unless a corresponding charge is borne by us and is disclosed to you at the time of the order.
• We display the total price of goods in a single figure, with a breakdown of all compulsory and voluntary charges — delivery, handling, taxes and any other levy. No charge is added at checkout that was not disclosed.

8. Where Horeka does act as seller

If, for any listing, Horekaa Technocon Private Limited is itself the seller of record, that listing will state so expressly and will carry Horeka’s own GSTIN as the selling entity. In those cases the intermediary position described in Section 2 does not apply to that transaction, and Horeka assumes the seller’s obligations directly.

9. Compliance and takedown

We comply with the due diligence obligations of an intermediary under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the IT Rules, 2021. To report an unlawful, counterfeit or infringing listing, see our Intellectual Property & Notice-and-Takedown Policy.