This policy applies to paid engagements with Shakya Consultants — including fixed-cost projects, hourly or monthly team models, retainers, and time-and-material work. It supplements our Terms and Conditions and any signed proposal or contract.
1. Free consultations
Discovery calls and initial consultations offered at no charge may be rescheduled with reasonable notice. No refund applies as no fee is charged.
2. Before work starts
If you cancel after making an advance payment but before we begin scheduled work, and no resources have been allocated or third-party costs incurred, we will refund the unused advance amount within 14–21 business days, minus any payment gateway charges.
3. Active projects
If you cancel an ongoing engagement:
- You pay for all completed milestones and hours already worked;
- For fixed-cost projects, fees apply to approved work completed up to the cancellation date;
- For hourly, augmentation, or time & material models, logged and approved hours are billable;
- For retainers, the current billing period is non-refundable once the period has started;
- Non-recoverable third-party costs (domains, licenses, paid tools) are your responsibility if already purchased for your project.
4. When we may cancel
We may pause or cancel services if invoices remain unpaid after reminder, if requirements are unlawful, or if repeated lack of client feedback makes delivery impossible after reasonable notice. Any refund of unused prepaid amounts will be assessed case by case.
5. Refund eligibility
Refunds may be issued for:
- Duplicate or incorrect billing verified by our accounts team;
- Advance payment for work that has not started and no costs were incurred;
- Mutually agreed termination where a written refund is specified.
Refunds are generally not available for:
- Work already delivered, deployed, or accepted;
- Scope changes or delays caused by missing client inputs or approvals;
- Third-party platform rejections or outages outside our control;
- Retainer or dedicated resource time already consumed in the billing cycle.
6. How to request a refund
Email info@shakyaconsultants.com with your name, project reference, invoice number, and reason. We will acknowledge within 3 business days and process eligible refunds within 14–30 business days to the original payment method where possible.
7. Pricing models covered
This policy applies to our engagement types, including:
- Specialised team (hourly)
- Staff augmentation (monthly resource)
- Fixed-cost projects
- Retainer engagements
- Time & material
- Tech investment (cash + equity hybrid)
Specific refund terms in a signed contract override this policy where they differ.
8. Contact
Billing or cancellation queries: info@shakyaconsultants.com