Effective date: [DD Month YYYY]
⚠️ Template notice — Drafted by a non-lawyer. Compatible with the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002. Have a qualified South African attorney review before publication.
This policy explains when we refund payments. It forms part of our [Terms of Service](./terms-of-service.md) and operates alongside our [Cancellation Policy](./cancellation-policy.md).
We refund your payment — in full or in part — in the following circumstances:
Refunds for Student-initiated cancellations are governed by the [Cancellation Policy](./cancellation-policy.md) § 2. In summary:
- Cancelled 24 hours or more before start → full refund. - Cancelled less than 24 hours before start → no refund (reschedule may be offered).
If we cancel a session for any reason, you receive a full refund on request, or a free reschedule. See [Cancellation Policy](./cancellation-policy.md) § 4.
If a session cannot take place because of a verified fault on our side — for example, our tutor's internet outage, a platform bug that prevented access, or our video link failing to connect — you receive either:
- A full refund of the session fee, or - A free reschedule of equivalent duration.
A technical failure on your side (your internet, your device, your power) is not grounds for a refund. We may offer a goodwill reschedule at our discretion.
If you have made the same EFT twice for one session, or paid in error, email [support@mdubusistats.com] with the payment reference (e.g. MS-XXXXXXXX) and proof of the second payment. We will verify the deposits in our bank account and reverse the duplicate by EFT within 7 business days of confirmation.
Where section 44 of the ECT Act applies — principally, where you have entered into an electronic transaction for goods or services and the service has not yet begun — you have a right to cancel within 7 days of payment without reason or penalty, and to receive a full refund. A cancellation under this clause:
- Must be made by email to [support@mdubusistats.com] or via your dashboard; - Does not apply once the session has already started or been delivered; - Does not apply to group sessions once other students have booked in reliance on your booking (in which case your cancellation is handled under the Cancellation Policy).
- Refunds are paid by reverse EFT to the same bank account that the original payment was made from. We may ask you to confirm the destination account number to avoid sending money to the wrong place. - We initiate the refund within 3 business days of confirming you are eligible. - The deposit typically reflects in your account within 1 to 5 business days, depending on your bank. We cannot shorten that window. - Refunds are made in South African Rand (ZAR) only.
Note on payment method: Mdubusi Statistics accepts payments by EFT only. We do not process card payments and we do not store any card or banking credentials. See the booking flow and [PAYMENT.md](../docs/PAYMENT.md) for details.
On the Monthly plan (R1,500 per month, up to 24 hours):
- Refunds for the current month are not automatic. We issue a pro-rated refund for unused hours only if the reason for termination is on our side (our cancellation, our technical failure, or a breach of these terms by us). - A Student-initiated cancellation prevents future renewals but does not refund the current month.
When a pro-rata refund is due on the Monthly plan, the refundable amount is:
`
refund = (R1,500 ÷ 24 hours) × unused hours
= R62.50 × unused hours
`
"Unused hours" means the allowance of 24 hours for the month, less any hours already scheduled, attended, or forfeited through late cancellation within that month. The calculation is rounded to the nearest rand in your favour.
The following are not refundable (except where law requires):
- Sessions already delivered. - Sessions missed by the Student without notice (no-shows). - Sessions cancelled within 2 hours of start. - Discounts and promotional pricing already applied to a past booking. - Vouchers and credits as set out in § 6.
Two distinct kinds of credit may appear on your account; they are treated differently on refund.
- Paid credits — credits you bought (for example, by pre-purchasing a bundle). These hold monetary value, are refundable pro-rata on unused balance, and do not expire for 24 months from purchase. - Goodwill credits — credits we issue at our discretion (for example, a 10% reschedule credit under the [Cancellation Policy](./cancellation-policy.md) § 4). These do not hold monetary value, are not refundable for cash, and expire on the date stated when issued.
Once a credit — of either kind — has been redeemed against a booking, it cannot be reinstated on cancellation of that booking except where the cancellation is caused by us (see § 2.2) or by force majeure.
If a session is paid for by a parent, employer, or other third party, the right to a refund vests in the cardholder who made the original payment. The Student receiving the session is not, by virtue of being the Student, entitled to direct a refund to a different card. Refunds are always issued to the original payment method.
If you believe a charge is incorrect, please contact us first at [support@mdubusistats.com] before raising a chargeback with your bank. We almost always resolve disputes faster directly. Chargebacks raised without contacting us, or raised after we have already issued a refund, may result in your account being suspended.
This policy does not limit your rights under the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 or the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002. If any part of this policy is inconsistent with those statutes, the statute prevails.
Mdubusi Statistics Email: [support@mdubusistats.com] Website: [https://mdubusistats.com]