Before Work Begins

A cancellation request received before material work, resource allocation, procurement, configuration, or third-party commitments may be eligible for review.

After Work Begins

Once material work or project-specific resource allocation has started, fees relating to work already performed are generally not refundable.

Third-Party Costs

Domain, hosting, software, licensing, API, cloud, payment, procurement and other external costs are generally not recoverable after they have been incurred or committed.

Written Agreements

A proposal, quotation, statement of work, invoice, project agreement, or other written commercial term may establish service-specific cancellation or refund conditions.

1. General Refund Principle

Refunds are not automatic. Each request is assessed according to the service involved, the applicable written agreement, the stage of work, resources allocated, deliverables completed, and third-party costs incurred or committed.

Where a service has not materially commenced and no non-recoverable costs or project-specific commitments have been incurred, a refund may be considered.

Where material work has already been performed, the portion relating to completed work, allocated resources, or committed costs will generally not be refundable, subject to the applicable agreement and mandatory legal rights.

2. When Is a Service Considered Started?

A service may be considered commenced when one or more substantive activities have begun, including:

• requirements gathering or project discovery;
• technical research or assessment;
• planning, architecture, or implementation work;
• design or content preparation;
• development or configuration;
• testing or staging setup;
• deployment preparation;
• SEO research, technical analysis, or optimisation work;
• security assessment or remediation activity;
• automation, CRM, AI, or integration configuration;
• allocation of personnel or project-specific resources;
• procurement or provisioning of project-specific resources.

A project does not need to be fully completed for work to be considered commenced.

3. Services Generally Not Refundable After Commencement

Subject to the applicable written agreement and applicable law, fees for work already commenced are generally not refundable across services such as:

• website development;
• WordPress development;
• e-commerce development;
• website maintenance;
• website security and security remediation;
• security audits and technical assessments;
• technical SEO;
• local SEO and Google Business Profile services;
• AI automation and business automation;
• CRM and business systems implementation;
• digital strategy and consulting;
• branding and related creative services;
• hosting and infrastructure arrangements;
• domain-related procurement;
• professional consultations and assessments.

4. Cancellation by the Client

A client may request cancellation by providing written notice through the available CDS contact channels.

Cancellation stops future work where reasonably practicable, but does not automatically reverse work already performed or costs already incurred.

Completed milestones, approved work, project-specific procurement, allocated resources, and other amounts already due may remain payable after cancellation.

If a project-specific agreement contains a different cancellation mechanism, that agreement will govern the relevant engagement.

5. Cancellation Before Commencement

If a client requests cancellation before material work begins, CDS may review the payment for refund eligibility.

The review may consider whether requirements were analysed, meetings or consultations were conducted, project capacity was reserved, resources were allocated, procurement was made, or third-party costs were incurred.

Any approved refund will be limited to the amount that CDS reasonably determines is refundable under the applicable agreement and circumstances.

6. Third-Party & External Costs

Some projects require services or products supplied by independent third parties. These may include:

• domain registrations and renewals;
• hosting or cloud infrastructure;
• SSL or certificate-related services;
• premium themes, plugins, or software licences;
• API or usage-based services;
• payment gateway or transaction-related charges;
• external software subscriptions;
• specialised vendor or procurement costs.

Amounts already paid to, incurred from, or committed to a third-party provider are generally not refundable by CDS, subject to the provider’s own terms and any rights available under applicable law.

7. Recurring Services & Subscriptions

Recurring services such as maintenance, SEO, hosting, infrastructure, support, or other subscription-based arrangements may have service-specific billing cycles or notice requirements.

Cancellation of a recurring service does not automatically create a right to recover amounts already billed for a service period that has commenced.

Where a written agreement provides for a notice period, minimum commitment, pro-rata adjustment, or other cancellation mechanism, those terms will apply.

8. Refunds for Verified Non-Delivery

A refund may be considered where CDS has failed to commence or deliver the agreed service and the circumstances support such a remedy.

This does not automatically include situations involving client-side delays, missing information or access, delayed approvals, changes in requirements, third-party dependency failures, or work that has already been materially performed.

The applicable proposal, statement of work, invoice, or other written agreement will be considered when assessing whether a delivery obligation has been met.

9. Refund Request Process

Refund requests should be submitted in writing and should include:

• client name or business name;
• invoice or payment reference;
• service or project name;
• reason for the request;
• relevant supporting information.

CDS will review the request against the applicable commercial documents, project status, work performed, resources allocated, and third-party commitments.

Where a refund is approved, it will ordinarily be processed using the original payment method where practicable, subject to the processing timelines and procedures of the relevant payment provider.

10. Duplicate, Incorrect or Excess Payments

If a client makes a duplicate payment, an incorrect payment, or an amount materially exceeding the amount due, CDS may investigate the transaction and correct the payment position where the excess is confirmed.

Any refund or adjustment will take into account transaction records, applicable charges, and the payment method involved.

11. Client Delays & Change of Requirements

A client may request cancellation because of delayed approvals, changed requirements, internal business decisions, budget changes, or other circumstances on the client’s side.

Such circumstances do not automatically create a refund right for work already performed or costs already incurred.

Where additional work has resulted from changed requirements, the applicable project or change-control terms may also apply.

12. Suspension or Termination by CDS

CDS may suspend or terminate services where permitted by the applicable agreement, including circumstances involving non-payment, material breach, misuse of services, unlawful activity, or failure to provide essential project inputs.

Termination does not automatically cancel amounts already due for work performed, completed milestones, or costs incurred before termination.

Any further financial adjustment will be determined according to the applicable agreement and circumstances.

13. Chargebacks & Payment Disputes

Clients are encouraged to contact CDS before initiating a payment dispute or chargeback where a commercial disagreement exists.

CDS may provide relevant invoices, communications, delivery records, approvals, project evidence, or other transaction information to a payment provider or financial institution when responding to a disputed transaction.

Nothing in this section removes any rights available to a customer under applicable law or payment-network rules.

14. Taxes, Government Charges & Processing Fees

Taxes, government charges, statutory fees, and payment processing costs that have already been incurred may not be recoverable as part of a refund, depending on the nature of the charge and applicable law.

Where a refund requires reversal or adjustment of a tax, payment, or third-party charge, the final amount may be affected accordingly.

15. Refund Limit

Where a refund is approved, the refund will ordinarily relate only to the eligible portion of the amount actually paid for the relevant service.

Nothing in this Policy creates an entitlement to compensation for indirect, incidental, consequential, or speculative business losses arising from cancellation or a refund request, except to the extent such limitation is not permitted under applicable law.

16. Written Commercial Terms Take Priority

Some engagements may contain service-specific refund, cancellation, milestone, notice, or termination terms.

Where a signed agreement, accepted proposal, statement of work, quotation, invoice, or other written commercial document expressly establishes different terms for the engagement, those specific terms will govern to the extent of any inconsistency with this general Policy.

Mandatory rights available under applicable law are not excluded by this Policy.