Refund Policy

Vioren Consulting provides bespoke professional services including software development, AI consultancy, web development, business analysis, technical consultancy, website maintenance, Shopify development, and digital transformation projects. The nature of these services means that time, expertise, and resources are committed at the outset of every engagement.

This Refund Policy sets out the circumstances in which a refund may or may not be issued, how cancellations are handled, and how we approach payment disputes. It should be read alongside our Terms & Conditions, which govern the contractual relationship between Vioren Consulting and the Client.

A non-refundable deposit — typically 50% of the total agreed fee — is required before any work commences. The deposit secures the Client's place in our schedule and compensates Vioren Consulting for time invested in scoping, discovery, planning, proposal preparation, and resource allocation.

Deposits are strictly non-refundable in all circumstances, regardless of whether the project proceeds. This applies even if the Client decides not to continue with the engagement after the deposit has been paid and work has commenced.

Where a project is cancelled before any meaningful work has begun — for example, within 48 hours of payment and prior to any discovery, planning, or communication — Vioren Consulting may, at its sole discretion, consider a partial credit towards a future engagement. This is not a contractual entitlement and is assessed on a case-by-case basis.

For larger or phased engagements, the total fee may be structured across multiple milestone payments as set out in the Proposal. Each milestone payment is tied to the completion of a defined stage of work.

Once a milestone has been invoiced and delivered, the payment for that milestone is non-refundable. The Client is responsible for reviewing and approving deliverables at each milestone stage.

If the Client raises a concern about a deliverable at a milestone stage, they must do so in writing within 10 Working Days of delivery. Vioren Consulting will review the concern and, where it falls within the agreed scope, carry out reasonable revisions. Milestone payments are not refundable on the basis of subjective dissatisfaction with design, direction, or aesthetic preference once deliverables have been approved or the review window has passed.

Overpayment: In the event that a Client has paid for a milestone or stage of work that Vioren Consulting is unable to complete — due to circumstances within Vioren Consulting's control — a pro-rata refund for the undelivered portion will be issued within 14 Working Days of agreement.

The Client may cancel an engagement at any time by providing written notice to Vioren Consulting at viorenconsulting@gmail.com. Cancellation does not relieve the Client of obligations for work already undertaken.

Upon cancellation, the following applies:

• All fees paid to date are non-refundable;
• Vioren Consulting will invoice for all work completed or substantially completed up to the cancellation date, calculated pro-rata against the total agreed fee;
• Any third-party costs incurred by Vioren Consulting on the Client's behalf that cannot be recovered will be invoiced separately;
• Outstanding invoices become immediately due and payable.

Where the Client has overpaid relative to work completed at the point of cancellation, Vioren Consulting will issue a refund of the overpayment within 14 Working Days of the final account being settled and agreed in writing.

Vioren Consulting reserves the right to cancel or terminate an engagement in the following circumstances:

• The Client fails to make payment within 14 days of a payment becoming overdue;
• The Client commits a material breach of the Terms & Conditions that is not remedied within 10 Working Days of written notice;
• Continuing the engagement would require Vioren Consulting to act unlawfully, unethically, or against its professional standards;
• The Client becomes insolvent, enters administration, or makes arrangements with creditors generally;
• The Client provides materially inaccurate or misleading information that affects the scope, viability, or integrity of the engagement.

Where Vioren Consulting cancels an engagement for reasons attributable solely to Vioren Consulting and not caused by the Client's conduct, a pro-rata refund for work not yet commenced or delivered will be issued within 14 Working Days.

Where cancellation arises from the Client's breach or non-payment, no refund of fees paid will be issued, and all outstanding fees for work completed remain payable.

All time spent by Vioren Consulting on an engagement is chargeable. This includes, but is not limited to:

Activity type	Examples
Discovery & planning	Scoping calls, requirements gathering, project planning, research
Design	UX/UI design, wireframes, prototyping, system architecture design
Development	Software development, coding, build, integration, configuration
Consultancy	Strategy sessions, advisory calls, business analysis, recommendations
Meetings & communications	Client calls, status updates, briefings, written correspondence
Testing & QA	Quality assurance, bug fixing, testing cycles, UAT support
Implementation & support	Deployment, go-live support, handover documentation, training

Once time has been spent on any of the above activities, that work is non-refundable. The Client cannot claim a refund for completed work on the basis that they no longer require the deliverable, wish to change direction, or are dissatisfied with an outcome that falls within the agreed scope.

Vioren Consulting will maintain records of time spent and activities completed. Upon request, a summary of work completed to date can be provided.

Requests by the Client to change the scope, direction, or requirements of an engagement after work has commenced do not entitle the Client to a refund for work already completed under the original scope.

Where a change request materially alters the agreed scope, Vioren Consulting will issue a revised Proposal or change order. Work on changes will not commence until the change order has been accepted and, where applicable, additional fees have been paid.

Work already completed under the original scope is non-refundable even if the Client subsequently decides to change direction. The Client will be liable for fees associated with original scope work up to the point of the approved change.

All refund requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis. A refund may be considered in the following limited circumstances:

• Vioren Consulting is unable to deliver the agreed services due to reasons entirely within its own control;
• A material portion of agreed deliverables was not completed and cannot be completed;
• There is an identifiable error or omission by Vioren Consulting that falls substantially outside the agreed scope and that has not been rectified after reasonable opportunity to do so;
• The Client has overpaid relative to the work completed at the point of an agreed cancellation.

Where a refund is approved, it will be:

• Calculated on a pro-rata basis relative to the work not delivered;
• Processed within 14 Working Days of approval;
• Returned via the original payment method used by the Client.

Vioren Consulting will not issue refunds based solely on the Client's change of mind, dissatisfaction with a delivered outcome that meets the agreed specification, or circumstances attributable to the Client's own conduct or delays.

The following are non-refundable under all circumstances:

Service / item	Reason
Deposits	Compensates for time allocated, discovery work, and resources committed at engagement acceptance
Completed consultancy sessions	Time and expertise have been delivered and cannot be recovered
Completed development work	Work product has been delivered; value has been transferred
Approved deliverables	Once formally approved by the Client, deliverables are deemed accepted
Third-party costs	Costs incurred from third parties cannot be recovered by Vioren Consulting
Rush or priority scheduling fees	Premium scheduling capacity has been allocated and cannot be reassigned
Discovery and scoping work	Research, analysis, and planning time is spent regardless of project outcome

These exclusions apply regardless of the reason for cancellation, change of mind, or dissatisfaction, except in cases where Vioren Consulting has failed to deliver the agreed services through its own fault.

Where a Client has purchased a website maintenance, technical support, or ongoing retainer package, the following terms apply:

• Monthly packages: Fees are charged per calendar month. No refund is issued for unused time within a paid month. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period.
• Prepaid packages: Where a Client has prepaid for a block of maintenance, support, or retainer hours, unused hours that remain at the point of cancellation may be refunded on a pro-rata basis at Vioren Consulting's discretion, provided no minimum commitment period has been specified.
• Minimum commitment periods: Where a package includes a minimum commitment period (as stated in the Proposal), the Client remains liable for fees for the full duration of that period even if the engagement is cancelled early.
• Included hours: Any allocated hours within a maintenance package that are not used within the applicable month do not roll over and are not refundable.

To cancel a maintenance or support package, the Client must provide written notice to viorenconsulting@gmail.com at least 30 days before the next billing date. Cancellations received after this point will take effect at the following billing cycle.

In the course of delivering services, Vioren Consulting may procure or recommend third-party products, tools, platforms, or services on behalf of the Client. These may include:

• Domain name registrations and renewals;
• Web hosting and server infrastructure;
• Software licences and platform subscriptions (e.g. Shopify plans, SaaS tools, design software);
• API access fees and usage-based services;
• Payment gateway setup fees;
• Stock imagery, fonts, or other licensed content;
• Third-party integration or plugin costs.

All third-party costs are strictly non-refundable. Where Vioren Consulting has paid a third-party cost on behalf of the Client, the Client is liable for that cost in full, regardless of whether the project proceeds.

Third-party refund or cancellation policies are governed entirely by the respective supplier. Vioren Consulting cannot guarantee any refund from a third party and accepts no liability for third-party costs that cannot be recovered.

Where significant third-party costs are anticipated, Vioren Consulting will seek prior written approval from the Client before committing to those costs.

Timely feedback and approvals from the Client are essential to the smooth delivery of projects. Vioren Consulting requests that Clients respond to requests for feedback, approvals, or information within 5 Working Days unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Where delays are caused by the Client's failure to provide timely responses, the following apply:

• Vioren Consulting reserves the right to adjust delivery timelines accordingly, with no penalty to Vioren Consulting;
• Time spent waiting on Client responses or re-briefing following delays may be chargeable;
• No refund will be issued where project delays or increased costs arise from the Client's failure to provide information, content, access, or approvals on time;
• Where an engagement is put on hold at the Client's request for more than 30 days, Vioren Consulting reserves the right to invoice for work completed to date and treat the project as cancelled unless otherwise agreed.

Vioren Consulting will communicate proactively where a project is at risk of delay due to outstanding Client actions. The Client acknowledges that the quality and timeline of deliverables is materially dependent on their timely participation.

Vioren Consulting operates transparently and in good faith. If you have a concern about a payment or the services received, please contact us directly before raising a chargeback or dispute with your bank or payment provider.

Contacting us first allows us to investigate and resolve the issue promptly — often faster than a formal dispute process. We will acknowledge your concern within 2 Working Days and aim to provide a resolution within 10 Working Days.

Unauthorised chargebacks: Where a Client raises a chargeback or payment dispute without first making reasonable attempts to resolve the matter directly with Vioren Consulting, and where the chargeback is found to be unwarranted, Vioren Consulting reserves the right to:

• Dispute the chargeback with supporting evidence of services rendered;
• Invoice for any administrative costs incurred in responding to the chargeback;
• Suspend access to any deliverables, platforms, or systems managed by Vioren Consulting pending resolution;
• Pursue recovery of outstanding fees through legal means where appropriate.

Legitimate disputes: Where a Client raises a genuine concern that work was not delivered as agreed, Vioren Consulting will engage in good faith to investigate and, where warranted, issue a credit or refund as appropriate. We are always willing to be fair.

Any refund issued by Vioren Consulting under this policy shall not exceed the total fees paid by the Client to Vioren Consulting for the specific engagement or service to which the refund request relates.

Vioren Consulting shall not be liable — in connection with any refund claim, cancellation, or payment dispute — for any:

• Loss of anticipated profit, revenue, or business opportunity;
• Consequential, indirect, or special losses of any kind;
• Losses arising from delays caused by the Client, third-party platforms, or events outside Vioren Consulting's reasonable control;
• Costs incurred by the Client in engaging alternative suppliers following cancellation;
• Business losses arising from the non-completion of a project.

Nothing in this policy limits or excludes Vioren Consulting's liability for death or personal injury caused by its negligence, fraud, or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited by law.

This policy is governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising under or in connection with this policy shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

If you wish to raise a refund request, discuss a payment concern, or have any questions about this policy, please contact us in writing:

Vioren Consulting
Email: viorenconsulting@gmail.com
Jurisdiction: England and Wales

Please include the following information in your request:

• Your full name and business name (if applicable);
• The date of the original invoice or payment;
• A description of the service or engagement in question;
• The nature of your concern or reason for the refund request;
• Any supporting information or documentation.

We will acknowledge your request within 2 Working Days and aim to provide a full response within 10 Working Days of receipt. Where additional investigation is required, we will notify you of the extended timeframe.

Vioren Consulting reserves the right to update or amend this Refund Policy at any time to reflect changes in our business practices, legal requirements, or service offerings.

When we make changes, we will update the effective date shown at the top of this page. For engagements already in progress, the version of this policy in effect at the time the Proposal was accepted will apply unless both parties agree otherwise in writing.

We encourage Clients to review this policy periodically. Continued engagement with Vioren Consulting following a policy update constitutes acceptance of the updated terms for any new engagements entered into after the effective date.

For any questions about recent changes to this policy, please contact us at viorenconsulting@gmail.com.