Refund & Billing Policy

1. Purpose and scope

This Refund & Billing Policy explains how Sky Venture Studios ("we", "us", "our") handles deposits, progressive payments, renewals and refund requests in connection with our web development and related services.

This Policy applies to all projects and service engagements unless otherwise stated in a written Service Agreement or similar contract signed between Sky Venture Studios and the client ("Client"). In case of any inconsistency between this Policy and a Service Agreement, the Service Agreement will prevail to the extent of that inconsistency.

Our services are primarily business-to-business and involve bespoke, labour-intensive work. As such, we structure our payments and refund rules to reflect the time, expertise and resources committed to each project.

2. Payment structure

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, our standard payment structure for development projects is:

• 50% non-refundable deposit - Payable upon confirmation of engagement and before project commencement.
• 25% progressive payment upon first review / major milestone - Payable when we deliver the first substantial version of the work for your review (for example, initial design or build as stated in the Service Agreement).
• 25% final payment upon handover / completion - Payable upon completion of the agreed scope and before final handover, deployment or release of source files, as specified in the Service Agreement.

By paying the initial 50% deposit, you confirm that you wish to proceed with the engagement under the agreed scope and terms.

3. No-refund principle

In general, we do not provide refunds for amounts paid, subject to any mandatory rights under applicable law and any specific contrary terms agreed in a Service Agreement.

Specifically:

• The initial 50% deposit is strictly non-refundable, regardless of whether you later choose to cancel or pause the project for any reason.
• The subsequent 25% + 25% progressive payments reflect work delivered and project stages achieved. Once such work has been performed or deliverables have been made available for review or handover in accordance with the Service Agreement, those payments are non-refundable.

Any exceptional refunds or credits can only be granted at our sole discretion, or as expressly set out in a Service Agreement. This approach recognises that we allocate substantial time, development resources and opportunity cost once a project is booked.

4. Service Agreement prevails

The detailed project scope, deliverables, acceptance criteria, change-request process and timelines will be defined in the Service Agreement or statement of work. That document may also contain additional payment milestones or service-specific terms.

In the event of any conflict between this Policy and a signed Service Agreement, the Service Agreement will control for that particular engagement.

5. Project changes, delays and cancellations by the Client

If you request changes that are outside the agreed scope, or if you cause delays or cancellations (for example, by not providing required content, approvals or access):

• we may, at our discretion, charge additional fees based on revised scope;
• we may adjust timelines accordingly; and
• we are not obliged to refund any deposit or progressive payments already made.

If a project is put on hold or cancelled by you for any reason, all amounts already paid remain non-refundable. Additional work required to resume or re-scope a project may be treated as a new engagement.

6. Service issues from our side

If we are unable to continue a project due to reasons solely attributable to us (e.g. internal resource failure not covered by force majeure), we will discuss in good faith a fair commercial resolution, which may include partial credit, revised scope, or other adjustments. Any such resolution will be agreed in writing and may be subject to limitations in the Service Agreement.

7. Hosting, SSL and domain renewals (Year 2 onwards)

Our packages typically include one (1) year of hosting and SSL (free) as part of the initial project, as set out on the Site and in the Service Agreement.

From Year 2 onwards:

8. Service interruptions and limitations of liability

While we will make commercially reasonable efforts to keep your site online when we manage hosting and SSL as part of a current, paid package, you acknowledge that:

• hosting, network and infrastructure services may occasionally experience outages or disruptions beyond our direct control;
• we cannot guarantee 100% uptime or continuous availability; and
• our liability for any downtime, performance issues or data loss is limited as set out in the Service Agreement and our Terms of Use.

We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from:

• your failure to renew hosting, SSL or domain names;
• third-party service failures (e.g. hosting providers, registrars, DNS providers); or
• force majeure events or other events beyond our reasonable control.

9. Chargebacks and disputes

You agree not to initiate chargebacks or payment disputes through your bank or payment provider without first giving us a reasonable opportunity to address the issue. If you initiate a chargeback in violation of the Service Agreement or these policies, we reserve the right to:

• suspend or terminate services;
• refuse future work; and
• pursue any remedies available to us under law or contract.

10. Taxes and currency

Fees quoted in our proposals or Service Agreements may be exclusive of applicable taxes, duties or charges, which will be added where required by law. Currency and payment methods will be specified in the relevant Service Agreement or invoice.

11. No waiver of statutory rights

Nothing in this Policy is intended to override any mandatory consumer or data protection rights that cannot be limited or excluded under applicable law. However, our services are primarily targeted at business customers, and many consumer protection rules may not apply.

12. Changes to this Refund & Billing Policy

We may update this Refund & Billing Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Updated versions will apply to future engagements and renewals from their effective date; existing Service Agreements will continue under their agreed terms, unless otherwise mutually agreed in writing.

13. Contact us

If you have any questions about this Refund & Billing Policy, please contact us at:
Email: contact@skyventurestudios.com