Return and Refund Guidelines

At DevStudioAl, we are committed to delivering high-quality web development services and maintaining transparent, fair relationships with our clients. This policy sets out the conditions under which refunds may be requested and processed.

Effective Date: March 2026
Last Updated: March 2026

Because DevStudioAl provides bespoke professional services — not off-the-shelf software products — refund eligibility depends on the stage of work completed at the time of the request. Please read this policy carefully before engaging our services.

Payment structure

Before work begins, clients are required to make an upfront payment as agreed in the project proposal:

50% deposit upfront — required for most projects, with the remaining 50% due upon completion and before final delivery.
100% upfront — may be required for smaller or fixed-scope projects, as agreed in writing before work begins.
Milestone-based payments — for larger projects, payments may be structured around agreed deliverable milestones as specified in the project proposal.

All payment terms are confirmed in writing before work begins. The deposit payment constitutes the client's formal acceptance of the project scope and these refund terms.

Pre-work cancellation

If a client wishes to cancel a project before any work has commenced, a full refund of the deposit will be issued, less any non-recoverable third-party costs already incurred on the client's behalf (such as domain registrations, hosting setup fees, or licences purchased at the client's request).

Cancellation requests must be submitted in writing to [email protected] before a project kickoff or work commencement notice has been issued.

Refunds after work has begun

Once work has commenced, the deposit covers time and resources already allocated to the project. In this case:

Partial refunds may be issued for the unused portion of the deposit, calculated based on the work completed at the time of cancellation.
No refund will be issued for work already completed, reviewed, or delivered — including planning, research, design, and development hours.
Milestone payments already paid for a completed and approved milestone are non-refundable.

A written breakdown of completed work and any refundable amount will be provided upon request within 5 business days.

Mid-project cancellation

If a client wishes to cancel a project that is already in progress:

The client must notify DevStudioAl in writing at [email protected].
All work completed up to the cancellation date will be invoiced at the agreed project rate, deducted from any payments already made.
If the amount owed for completed work exceeds payments already received, the client remains liable for the outstanding balance.
Any deliverables completed and approved prior to cancellation remain the property of DevStudioAl until all outstanding balances are settled.

Conditions for a refund request

A refund may be considered where:

DevStudioAl fails to commence work within an agreed timeframe and the client has not approved an extension.
DevStudioAl is unable to deliver the agreed scope of work and no mutually acceptable resolution can be reached.
A cancellation is requested before work has commenced (see Pre-work Cancellation above).

A refund will not be issued where:

The request is made after significant work has been completed on the project.
The client has approved or signed off on deliverables that are later disputed.
Delays or issues are caused by the client's failure to provide timely feedback, content, access, or approvals.
The client requests changes outside the agreed project scope and disputes the associated costs.
The client has violated our Terms and Conditions.
The refund is requested for third-party costs (domains, hosting, licences) already purchased and non-recoverable.
The refund is requested based on a change of mind with no demonstrable failure on DevStudioAl's part.

How to request a refund

To submit a refund request, please follow these steps:

1

Contact us in writing.

Send your refund request to [email protected] or via our Contact Page. Include your full name, company name (if applicable), and the email address used when engaging our services.
2

Provide your invoice number and a description of your concern.

Include your invoice or project reference number and a clear description of the reason for your request. This helps us review your case promptly and fairly.
3

We will review and respond within 5 business days.

Our team will assess the request against the work completed and this policy, and provide a written decision with any applicable refund amount within 5 business days of receiving all required information.

Approved refunds will be issued to the original payment method used at the time of payment.

Refund processing time

Once a refund is approved, please allow 5–10 business days for the amount to appear in your account, depending on your bank or payment provider. DevStudioAl is not responsible for delays caused by third-party payment processors.

EU and UK consumer rights

Where a client qualifies as a consumer under EU or UK law, their statutory rights under the EU Consumer Rights Directive and UK Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 are not affected by this policy. This includes the right to cancel a service contract within 14 days of agreement, unless the client has expressly requested that work begin immediately within that period — in which case the right of cancellation may be limited to a proportional refund for the portion of services not yet rendered.

Business clients (contracting in the course of a trade or profession) are not entitled to statutory consumer cancellation rights and are subject solely to the terms of this policy and the agreed project contract.

Disputes

If you disagree with a refund decision, you may escalate the matter in writing to [email protected]. We are committed to resolving disputes fairly and in good faith. Where no agreement can be reached, disputes are subject to the governing law and jurisdiction set out in our Terms and Conditions.

Questions and feedback

If you have questions about this policy or wish to discuss your situation before submitting a formal request, please reach out to us at [email protected]. We are happy to discuss your concerns and find a fair resolution.