Our return policy for Alphonso mangoes is built around one fact: fresh fruit is perishable. Open the box on the day it arrives, and report any damage within 24 hours of delivery to support@alphonsomango.in or 8369048029. The current terms are on our return policy page.
You can compare boxes and sizes in our GI-tagged Ratnagiri Hapus.
Return policy for Alphonso mangoes: what it covers
A return policy for a phone and a return policy for a box of mangoes cannot be the same thing. A phone can sit in a warehouse for a month; an Alphonso ripens in days and then goes over. So our policy is short and practical. Check the fruit when it arrives, tell us quickly if something is wrong, and we deal with it while the facts are fresh. The current written terms live on our return policy page; this article explains how to use them.
We are Powle Home Foods, Mumbai, and we run AlphonsoMango.in. We have sold mangoes since 2019, online since 2020, and have served 47,000+ customers, including offline and marketplace sales. We hold GI Authorised User certificate AU/5974/GI/139/260 (GI No. 139) and we are an FSSAI-licensed seller. The rules on this page apply to Ratnagiri Alphonso, Devgad Hapus, Kesar, Pairi and the other fresh mangoes in our mango collection.
What to do when the box arrives
- Open it on the day it arrives. Do not leave a mango box sealed overnight; the fruit keeps ripening inside and a problem found on day three is hard to judge.
- Lay the fruit out in one layer. Separate ripe from firm. A box normally arrives with both, because harvest to ripening of Alphonso takes about 15 days and we do not send fruit that is already soft.
- Look at each mango. Pressure marks, split skin, leaking juice or a sour smell are damage. Uneven colour is not; naturally ripened Alphonso often shows green, gold and a blush on one fruit.
- Report damage within 24 hours of delivery. Write to support@alphonsomango.in or call 8369048029 with your order number and a description of what you found. The sooner we hear, the better we can respond.
What we do not ask is that you send the fruit back. Perishable produce cannot travel twice, and a courier return would only turn a damaged mango into a rotten one. That is why the 24-hour report, not a physical return, is the heart of the policy. For how the box is packed and travels, see how our mangoes are packed.
What is normal, and what is damage
| What you see | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Firm fruit on arrival | Normal. The fruit finishes ripening at home over a few days. | Keep at room temperature; check daily. |
| Mixed colours, green shoulders | Normal for naturally ripened Alphonso. | Judge by smell and give, not colour. |
| Small black dots on the skin | Usually skin marks, common on Alphonso. | Cut and check; the pulp is normally fine. |
| Soft patch, split skin, leaking juice | Transit damage. | Report within 24 hours of delivery. |
| Sour or fermented smell, mould | Fruit has gone over or was damaged. | Report within 24 hours of delivery. |
| Dry, spongy patch inside an otherwise good mango | Spongy tissue, an internal disorder of the Alphonso variety. | Cut it away; tell us if several fruit show it. |
Spongy tissue deserves a note because it surprises first-time buyers. Alphonso can develop it as an internal flesh disorder; ICAR-IIHR research traced it to the seed shifting into germination mode at about 60% fruit maturity. It is a trait of the variety, not a sign that the fruit is fake or was mishandled. Our page on spongy tissue in Alphonso goes into detail.
What we do before the box leaves
Most of a return policy is really about what happens before dispatch. Our fruit comes from across 55 villages of the Ratnagiri and Devgad belt on the Konkan coast. It is hand-harvested with a zela pole fitted with a catching net, so it is not shaken down or dropped. Each dozen is graded by fruit weight; Alphonso fruits generally weigh 150 to 300 g, and the product page shows the band you are buying.
We do not use carbide. Our Alphonso mangoes are ripened naturally on hay beds. Calcium carbide is prohibited for ripening fruit in India under Regulation 2.3.5 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011. Natural ripening means the fruit is sent firm and finishes at your home, which is also why "it arrived hard" is not a defect. If you want it ready sooner, our ripening guide explains the paper-bag and hay methods.
We dispatch by Blue Dart, and about 65% of Indian PIN codes get next-day delivery. Orders received before 1 PM are dispatched the same day. Check your PIN code at checkout. We do not promise a delivery day for any named city. Charges are in our shipping charges guide.
Storing the fruit so nothing is wasted
Once a mango is soft and smells sweet at the stalk, eat it within a day or two, or move it to the fridge for a short while. Do not refrigerate firm fruit; cold stops ripening and dulls the flavour. Cut fruit keeps best in a closed container in the fridge. If a dozen ripens faster than you can eat it, make aamras and freeze it in portions; our aamras recipe shows how.
Alphonso is harvested about February to June, with the best supply from March to May; the 2027 season opens on 1 February 2027. Outside the season we do not sell fresh Alphonso, and the mango pulp tin (850 g and 3.1 kg, from Rs 590) is the product to order. Tins are not perishable in the same way, but the same rule applies: check the parcel on arrival and tell us within 24 hours if anything is damaged. Questions about an order go to support@alphonsomango.in or through our contact page.
People also ask
Can I return Alphonso mangoes if I am not happy with them?
Fresh mangoes cannot be sent back the way other goods can, because they are perishable and would not survive a second courier journey. Instead, open the box on the day it arrives and report any damage within 24 hours of delivery to support@alphonsomango.in or 8369048029. The current terms are on our return policy page.
What should I do if my Alphonso mangoes arrive damaged?
Lay the fruit out, separate ripe from firm, and note any split skin, leaking juice, soft patches or sour smell. Then write to support@alphonsomango.in or call 8369048029 within 24 hours of delivery with your order number and what you found. Firm fruit and uneven colour are normal, not damage.
Why do some Alphonso mangoes arrive hard?
Because we ripen naturally and send the fruit firm so it survives the journey. Harvest to ripening of Alphonso takes about 15 days, and the last few days happen in your kitchen. Keep the mangoes at room temperature, away from sun, and check daily for a sweet smell at the stalk and a slight give.
Is a spongy patch inside an Alphonso a sign of a bad mango?
Not usually. Spongy tissue is an internal disorder of the Alphonso variety; ICAR-IIHR research traced it to the seed shifting into germination mode at about 60% fruit maturity. Cut the patch away and eat the rest. If several fruit in one box show it, tell us within 24 hours of delivery.
Related searches
- Delivery period for mangoes
- Shipping charges for Alphonso mangoes
- How to store Alphonso mangoes
- Spongy tissue in Alphonso mangoes
- Minimum order quantity for Alphonso
- Mango home delivery
- ready-to-use Alphonso pulp
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia, Alphonso mango.
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, Regulation 2.3.5 (compendium version of 2 April 2025).
Written by Prashant Powle, founder of AlphonsoMango.in. Last reviewed October 2026.
