Refund policy

Every Gochujar order ships from Korea, so we keep our policy short and clear. If anything goes wrong, email daniel@gochujar.com and we'll sort it out.

Last updated: October 4, 2026

Damaged on arrival

If a product arrives damaged, email us within 10 days of delivery with photos or a video of the damaged product and the shipping box. Please keep the item and all packaging until your claim is resolved. If it was clearly damaged in shipping, we'll refund you in full or send a replacement. We may ask you to send the damaged item back first; if we do, we'll cover the return postage.

For food products, "damage" doesn't include cosmetic scratches or dents on the jar or packaging, or minor leakage from fermented foods. Gochujang, doenjang and liquid extracts can seep a little from the lid because of air-pressure changes during the flight. This is normal and isn't eligible for a refund or exchange.

Wrong or missing items

If we sent the wrong item, or something from your order is missing from the box, email us within 10 days of delivery with your order number, a photo of everything you received and a photo of the shipping label. We'll ship you the correct or missing item at no cost. If the item is out of stock, we'll refund it instead.

Lost in transit

If your tracking hasn't updated for 3 weeks, email us and we'll open a trace with Korea Post. If the parcel is confirmed lost, you'll get a full refund. Lost parcels are rare. Usually the parcel is waiting at U.S. Customs or moving slowly through USPS.

Cancellations

You can cancel for a full refund until we start processing your order. Email us right away. Once processing has started, the order can't be cancelled.

Parcels returned to Korea

If delivery fails and the parcel comes back to us, we can reship it once the new postage is paid, or give you a partial refund. For a partial refund, we deduct the postage already paid, and food items can't be refunded (non-food items can be restocked and refunded).

No change-of-mind returns or exchanges

We can't accept returns or exchanges because you changed your mind about size, colour, taste or anything else. International postage is expensive: sending a parcel back from the U.S. to Korea often costs more than the product itself, and food can't be resold once it has left our hands. Not taking these returns is part of how we keep shipping at a flat $5.

When we can't refund

We're unable to refund or replace a product if:

• more than 10 days have passed since delivery, or no photo or video is provided;
• the product has been used, or was damaged through use or handling;
• only the outer box has cosmetic damage and the product is fine;
• you refused delivery, refused to pay customs fees or similar charges, or entered a wrong address, and the parcel came back;
• Customs opened, held, seized or returned the parcel;
• the parcel is delayed (delivery times depend on Korea Post, U.S. Customs and USPS);
• tracking shows the parcel as delivered, but it's reported missing or stolen.

How refunds are paid

Approved refunds go back to the payment method you used at checkout within 5 business days. Your bank or card issuer may take a few more days to show it.