Cancellation & Refund Policy

1. Scope

This policy applies to cancellations, rescheduling, pauses, termination, credits, and refund requests for remote consulting projects and training sessions. A project proposal may contain more specific terms based on the reserved schedule, scope, or third-party commitments. Those specific terms control if they differ from this policy.

2. Before an Engagement Begins

Submitting a website request does not create an engagement and may be withdrawn at any time before a proposal is accepted. If no work has begun, no time has been reserved, and no nonrecoverable cost has been incurred, a voluntarily prepaid amount may be refundable, less any disclosed processing charge that cannot be recovered.

Once a proposal is accepted and a start period is reserved, the initial payment compensates for onboarding, preparation, administrative setup, and schedule allocation as described in the proposal.

3. Client Cancellation of a Project

A client may request cancellation in writing. The effective date is the date the written notice is received. The client remains responsible for work completed through that date, meetings delivered, preparation performed, reserved time that could not reasonably be reassigned, approved expenses, and noncancelable third-party costs.

If payments received exceed the amount properly earned or incurred, the remainder will be refunded or credited as agreed. If earned fees exceed payments received, the difference will be invoiced. Drafts and partially completed materials are delivered only when consistent with the agreement and after all earned fees are paid.

4. Project Deposits

A proposal may identify all or part of an initial payment as nonrefundable. A nonrefundable amount reflects schedule reservation, discovery, preparation, or other early work and will not exceed what is reasonable under the scope and applicable law. If the proposal does not specify treatment, the payment is allocated first to completed work, used reserved time, and approved costs, with any eligible balance handled under this policy.

5. Rescheduling Meetings and Training

A remote meeting or training session may be rescheduled without an additional scheduling charge when at least two business days’ notice is provided and a reasonable alternative time is available. A cancellation or change with less notice may be treated as a used session because the time was reserved and preparation may already have occurred.

If a participant arrives late, the session may still end at the scheduled time. If technical problems on the client side prevent attendance, the parties may use available time for a written summary or reschedule at a reasonable additional fee. If Clear Summit Strategies must cancel a session, it will be rescheduled without a new session fee or the undelivered session fee will be refunded.

6. Client Delays and Paused Projects

A project may be paused when required information, access, feedback, approval, or payment is not provided. A pause shifts estimated delivery dates. If the delay continues for more than 15 calendar days, the project may be placed back into the scheduling queue. After 30 calendar days, the engagement may be administratively closed and remaining work may require a revised proposal.

Work already performed and nonrecoverable costs remain payable. Restart timing is subject to availability, and a restart or re-onboarding fee may apply if materials, tools, or assumptions must be reviewed again.

7. Cancellation by Clear Summit Strategies

The engagement may be declined, paused, or terminated for overdue payment, abusive conduct, unlawful or misleading instructions, undisclosed security risk, material misrepresentation, persistent lack of cooperation, or a request outside the agreed or responsible scope. In that situation, the client remains responsible for work performed and costs incurred, and any unearned eligible balance will be returned.

If the engagement is ended for convenience without client breach and the work cannot be rescheduled, fees for undelivered work will be refunded.

8. Nonrefundable Items

Completed assessments, delivered recommendations, attended meetings, delivered training, used consulting hours, accepted deliverables, approved change work, payment processing charges that cannot be recovered, purchased third-party resources, and client-caused rush or restart work are not refundable except where law requires otherwise.

A refund is not available solely because a third-party AI tool changes its features or pricing, the client decides not to implement a recommendation, staff do not adopt a process, expected savings do not occur, or the client’s needs change after delivery.

9. Refund Requests and Timing

A refund request must be submitted in writing within seven calendar days after the relevant cancellation or disputed delivery. It should identify the project, payment, requested amount, and factual basis. Requests are evaluated against the proposal, work records, meeting history, delivered materials, expenses, and this policy.

Approved refunds are returned to the original payment method when reasonably possible. Processing is normally initiated within ten business days after approval, but banks and payment providers control the final posting time.

10. Consumer Rights

Nothing in this policy limits a nonwaivable right under applicable consumer law. Services are primarily offered for business purposes, and any statutory cancellation right depends on the client’s location, legal status, timing, and request for early performance.