Refunds and cancellations

The short version

You pay for work that has been performed. If you have paid for work that has not been performed, you get that money back. Nothing here limits your rights under the Australian Consumer Law.

Fixed-scope projects

• Cancelled before work begins — the deposit is refunded in full.
• Cancelled after work begins — I invoice for work performed up to the cancellation date, calculated against the hours worked and the milestones reached. Any part of your deposit exceeding that amount is refunded to you. If work performed exceeds the deposit, the difference is payable.
• Cancelled by me — if I cannot complete an engagement for any reason of my own, you are refunded everything you have paid for work not delivered, and I will hand over whatever has been completed.

Monthly retainers and managed services

• Retainers are invoiced monthly in advance and can be cancelled by either side with 30 days written notice.
• On cancellation, the current paid month runs to its end and no further invoices are issued. The current month is not refunded, because the service remains available to you for the whole of it.
• If I cease providing the service mid-month, the unused portion of that month is refunded pro-rata.
• Where I host or operate a system for you, I will provide a reasonable handover on cancellation, including data export, provided your account is settled.

Hourly consulting

Hourly work is invoiced monthly in arrears for hours already worked, so there is normally nothing to refund. If you believe you have been billed for hours that were not worked, raise it and I will correct the invoice or refund the difference.

Defects in delivered work

Defects reported within 30 days of delivery are corrected at no charge, as set out in the terms of service. Correcting the work is the first remedy. Where a defect cannot reasonably be corrected, a refund of the affected portion of the fee is available.

A change of mind about requirements, a change in your business needs, or a fault in a third-party service or device is not a defect, and is handled as new work rather than as a refund.

How to request a refund

1. Email bishal@bishaldhakal.com with the invoice number and what you are asking for.
2. I will acknowledge within one business day and give you a decision within five business days.
3. Approved refunds are processed within ten business days, to the original payment method. Card payments are refunded through Stripe to the card used; bank transfers are refunded to the originating account.

Refunds are made in Australian dollars. Where your card was charged in another currency, your bank's exchange rate at the time of the refund applies, and I have no control over any difference that creates.

Disputes

If you do not recognise a charge or disagree with an invoice, please contact me before raising a dispute with your bank or card issuer. Almost everything is resolved faster directly, and a chargeback takes considerably longer to return your money than a refund does.

Your rights under Australian Consumer Law

Our services come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. Nothing in this policy limits those rights. Where a service fails to meet a consumer guarantee, you may be entitled to have the service supplied again, or to a refund, depending on whether the failure is major.

Contact

Bishal Dhakal · ABN 24 235 586 370
16 Edward Road, Chirnside Park VIC 3116, Australia
bishal@bishaldhakal.com · +61 450 096 086