Refund and Cancellation Policy

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1. Introduction and Applicability

This Refund and Cancellation Policy governs all payments made to Shah and Gupta Consultants Private Limited, a company incorporated under the laws of India and operating under the brand name Decoded Marketing, hereinafter referred to as the Company.

This Policy applies to all services offered by the Company, including but not limited to digital marketing services, search engine optimization, paid advertising management, online reputation management, website development and support, analytics, consulting, and related professional services.

By engaging the Company and making payment against a proposal, quotation, invoice, subscription, or any other billing instrument, the client, whether located in India or internationally, agrees to be bound by this Refund and Cancellation Policy.

This Policy forms an integral part of the Company’s Terms of Service. In the event of any conflict between this Policy and a separately executed written agreement, the written agreement shall prevail for that specific engagement.

The purpose of this Policy is to provide clarity regarding refund eligibility, cancellation procedures, and payment obligations in connection with professional service engagements.

Nothing in this Policy shall be construed as limiting any statutory rights available to consumers under applicable law.

2. nature of Services

The Company provides professional, skill based, and effort based services that are customized to the specific requirements of each Client.

The Services offered by the Company, including digital marketing strategy, search engine optimization, online reputation management, paid advertising management, website development and maintenance, analytics, consulting, and related services, involve allocation of time, expertise, resources, and strategic planning.

Unlike tangible goods, these Services are non returnable and non resalable in nature. Once work has commenced, resources are deployed, time is allocated, research is conducted, and strategic planning is initiated on behalf of the Client.

Certain Services may also involve coordination with third party platforms, software tools, advertising networks, hosting providers, and other external service providers. These external components often involve non refundable costs once initiated.

The Client acknowledges that marketing and digital services are dependent on strategic execution over time and that measurable results may require sustained effort and ongoing optimization.

By engaging the Company, the Client understands and agrees that refunds cannot be treated in the same manner as refunds for physical goods and are subject to the specific conditions outlined in this Policy.

3. Payment Structure

The Company offers services under different engagement models, including but not limited to:

  • One time project based services
  • Monthly recurring retainer services
  • Milestone based engagements
  • Consulting or advisory services
  • Paid advertising management

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, all Fees are payable in advance prior to commencement of Services.

For recurring services, including but not limited to search engine optimization, online reputation management, social media management, and website maintenance, Fees are billed in advance for each billing cycle.

For project based services, payment may be structured as:

  • Full advance payment; or
  • Advance payment followed by milestone based payments, as specified in the applicable Proposal or invoice.

Advertising budgets, media spend, platform fees, software subscriptions, hosting costs, domain charges, and other third party costs are separate from the Company’s professional Fees unless expressly stated otherwise.

Ad Spend paid to third party platforms is processed by such platforms directly or through authorized payment channels and is not held by the Company as refundable service Fees.

The Client acknowledges that the structure of payment, including advance payments and retainers, reflects the allocation of resources, scheduling of personnel, and commitment of time by the Company.

4. General Refund Principles

Refunds are governed by the nature of the Services provided and the stage at which cancellation is requested.

As the Company provides professional and customized services that require allocation of time, expertise, planning, and resources, refunds are limited and subject to strict evaluation.

The Company does not guarantee specific marketing outcomes, revenue, traffic levels, rankings, or performance metrics. Dissatisfaction with performance results alone shall not constitute valid grounds for refund.

Refund eligibility, if any, shall depend on whether work has commenced, the extent of Services performed, third party costs incurred, and the specific engagement model agreed between the parties.

All refund requests must be submitted in writing to the official business email of the Company. Verbal or informal requests shall not be considered valid.

The Company reserves the right to review refund requests on a case by case basis in accordance with this Policy and the applicable Terms of Service.

Nothing in this section shall obligate the Company to provide refunds beyond what is expressly provided under this Policy.

5. Eligibility for Refund

Refunds may be considered only under the following limited circumstances:

5.1 Work Not Commenced

If the Client submits a written cancellation request before the Company has commenced onboarding, strategy development, account setup, research, campaign creation, or any other substantive work related to the engagement, the Company may, at its discretion, approve a refund of Fees paid.

Administrative charges or payment processing charges may be deducted where applicable.

5.2 Duplicate or Erroneous Payment

If a payment has been made in duplicate or in error due to technical or billing issues, the Company shall review the transaction and process a refund of the excess amount after verification.

5.3 Billing Error by the Company

In the event of a genuine billing mistake attributable to the Company, the Company shall correct the invoice and refund any excess amount received.

6. Non Refundable Items

Unless expressly approved in writing under Section 5 of this Policy, the following are strictly non refundable:

6.1 Services Already Rendered

In the event of a genuine billing mistake attributable to the Company, the Company shall correct the invoice and refund any excess amount received.

6.2 Time Allocation and Resource Commitment

Time spent on research, audits, consultations, onboarding, account configuration, strategy development, planning, meetings, or internal preparation.

6.3 Creative and Content Development

Design work, written content, advertising creatives, graphics, videos, landing pages, strategy documents, or other Deliverables created for the Client.

6.4 Campaign Setup and Implementation

Paid advertising account setup, campaign creation, tracking integration, keyword research, SEO implementation, technical optimization, or related execution work.

6.5 Ongoing Monthly Retainers

Fees paid for a billing cycle once that billing cycle has commenced.

6.6 Advertising Spend and Media Budgets

Ad Spend paid to third party Advertising Platforms including but not limited to Google, Meta, LinkedIn, or other digital networks.

6.7 Third Party Costs

Software subscriptions, plugins, hosting fees, domain charges, analytics tools, stock media purchases, freelancer costs, or other external expenses incurred in connection with the Services.

6.8 Milestone Based Work Already Completed

Fees corresponding to completed project milestones under a milestone based agreement.

Refunds shall not be granted on the basis of:

  • Dissatisfaction with performance metrics.
  • Changes in business strategy by the Client.
  • Market conditions.
  • Platform policy changes.
  • Algorithm fluctuations.
The Client acknowledges that digital marketing performance is influenced by numerous external variables and does not constitute grounds for refund.

7. Monthly Retainer Services

For recurring services including but not limited to search engine optimization, online reputation management, social media management, website maintenance, or other ongoing digital marketing services, the following terms shall apply:
Retainer Fees are billed and payable in advance for each billing cycle.
Once a billing cycle has commenced, the Fees for that billing cycle are non refundable.
The Client may cancel recurring Services by providing written notice to the Company. Cancellation shall apply to future billing cycles only and shall not affect Fees for the current billing cycle in progress.
No partial refunds shall be issued for unused days or remaining portions of a billing cycle once Services have commenced for that period.
Where third party costs, software subscriptions, advertising commitments, or external vendor engagements have been made for a billing cycle, such costs shall remain non refundable.
The Client acknowledges that recurring services require continuous allocation of resources and strategic planning, and therefore refunds for active billing cycles are not feasible.

8. Project Based Services

For one time or project based engagements, including but not limited to website development, branding projects, consulting assignments, audit reports, campaign setup, or strategy development, the following terms shall apply:
Where a project requires advance payment, such advance secures allocation of time, resources, and scheduling by the Company.
If the Client submits a written cancellation request before commencement of substantive work, refund eligibility shall be determined in accordance with Section 5 of this Policy.
Once work has commenced, including research, planning, design, strategy development, technical setup, or implementation, Fees corresponding to work performed shall be non refundable.
For milestone based projects:
  • Payments corresponding to completed milestones shall be non refundable.
  • If cancellation occurs after partial completion of a milestone, the Company may invoice the Client proportionately for work performed up to the date of cancellation.
Where deliverables have been completed or substantially completed, no refund shall be provided.
In the event of project suspension or delay caused by the Client, including failure to provide required information or approvals, Fees paid shall remain non refundable for work already undertaken.
The Client acknowledges that project based Services involve dedicated effort and planning that cannot be reassigned or reversed once initiated.

9. Advertising Services & Ad Spend

Where the Services include paid advertising management, the Client acknowledges that Ad Spend allocated to third party Advertising Platforms is separate from the Company’s professional Fees.
Ad Spend paid to platforms such as Google, Meta, LinkedIn, or other digital networks is processed directly by those platforms or through authorized payment methods and is not retained by the Company as refundable service Fees.
All Ad Spend is strictly non refundable by the Company.
Any credits, reversals, or refunds relating to advertising budgets are subject solely to the policies of the respective Advertising Platform.
The Company shall not be liable for:
  • Losses arising from advertising performance.
  • Increased advertising costs due to bidding competition or platform dynamics.
  • Account suspension or restriction imposed by Advertising Platforms.
  • Changes in platform policies or algorithms affecting campaign results.
Dissatisfaction with advertising performance, including cost per click, cost per acquisition, return on ad spend, or conversion rates, shall not constitute grounds for refund of management Fees or Ad Spend.
Where advertising accounts are managed through accounts administered by the Company pursuant to written agreement, the Client acknowledges that advertising charges are applied by the respective platform and remain non refundable once incurred.

10. Cancellation By Client

The Client may cancel ongoing Services by submitting a written notice to the Company through the official communication channel.
Cancellation shall become effective from the date acknowledged in writing by the Company.
Cancellation shall not:
  • Entitle the Client to a refund for Services already rendered.
  • Entitle the Client to a refund for the current billing cycle in progress.
  • Relieve the Client of payment obligations for completed milestones.
  • Affect third party costs already incurred.
Where cancellation occurs during an active billing cycle, Services may continue until the end of the paid billing period unless otherwise mutually agreed.
The Client remains responsible for all outstanding invoices and charges incurred up to the effective date of cancellation.

11. Cancellation & Termination by Company

The Company reserves the right to suspend or terminate Services immediately, without prior notice, in the event of:
  • Non payment of Fees.
  • Material breach of the Terms of Service.
  • Provision of unlawful, misleading, or infringing Content.
  • Conduct exposing the Company to legal, regulatory, or reputational risk.
  • Abuse of employees, freelancers, or representatives of the Company.
In the event of termination under this section:
  • No refund shall be provided for Services already rendered.
  • The Client shall remain liable for outstanding Fees and incurred third party costs.
Termination shall not affect rights and obligations accrued prior to termination.

12. Chargeback & Payment Disputes

In the event of any billing concern or dispute, the Client agrees to contact the Company in writing and provide reasonable opportunity to resolve the matter in good faith before initiating any chargeback, payment reversal, or dispute with a financial institution or payment gateway.
Initiating a chargeback without prior written communication and reasonable resolution efforts may constitute a breach of the Terms of Service.
Where a chargeback is initiated, the Company reserves the right to:
  • Suspend ongoing Services.
  • Recover disputed amounts through lawful means.
  • Submit documentation, including proposals, invoices, communications, and deliverables, to the payment gateway or financial institution for dispute resolution.
Nothing in this section shall limit any statutory rights available to consumers under applicable law.

13. Refudn Processing Timeline

Where a refund is approved under this Policy, the Company shall process the refund through the original mode of payment wherever possible.
Approved refunds shall be initiated within a reasonable time after confirmation of eligibility. The actual credit of funds may vary depending on banking systems, payment gateways, or financial institution processing timelines.
The Company shall not be responsible for delays caused by banks, payment processors, currency conversion systems, or cross border transfer mechanisms.
For international Clients, refunds shall be processed in the original currency of payment. The Company shall not be responsible for exchange rate fluctuations, foreign exchange charges, or intermediary banking fees.

14. International Payment & Currency

Where the Client is located outside India, payments may be made in a mutually agreed foreign currency.
Refunds, if approved under this Policy, shall be processed in the original currency of payment.
The Company shall not be responsible for:
  • Currency exchange rate fluctuations between the date of payment and the date of refund.
  • Foreign exchange conversion charges imposed by banks or payment processors.
  • Intermediary banking fees or cross border transaction costs.
The Client remains responsible for any taxes, duties, or charges imposed by its local jurisdiction in connection with payments or refunds.

15. Amendments To This Policy

The Company reserves the right to modify or update this Refund and Cancellation Policy from time to time.
Any updated version shall become effective upon publication on the Company’s official website, unless otherwise specified.
Continued engagement of Services after publication of an updated Policy shall constitute acceptance of the revised terms.
Nothing in this section shall affect refund rights arising prior to the effective date of any amendment.

16. Contact For Refund Requests

All refund or cancellation requests must be submitted in writing to:
Shah and Gupta Consultants Private Limited
Operating as Decoded Marketing
Registered Office Address as published on the official website
Official email address: accounts@decodedmarketing.com
Requests submitted through unofficial channels may not be considered valid.
No advice, information, or communication provided by the Company shall create any warranty not expressly stated in writing.
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