Refund and Cancellation Policy

This policy sets out our approach to refunds and cancellations across all Brela Technologies & Media Limited services. Please read this policy before making a payment.

Specific terms agreed in a written Service Agreement take precedence over this general policy in the event of any conflict.

1. General Principles

We design our engagement process to minimise disputes: detailed proposals before payment, signed service agreements, milestone-based payments for larger projects, and regular client reviews throughout delivery. We believe that refund situations almost always arise from either miscommunication or work that genuinely falls short of the agreed specification — and we are committed to resolving both fairly.

2. Project-Based Services (Web Design, Branding, Software, etc.)

2.1 Deposits — All projects require a 50% deposit before work begins. This deposit is non-refundable once work has commenced, because it covers:

• Time invested in discovery, brief preparation, and initial planning
• Designer or developer time allocated and committed to your project
• Third-party tools, licences, or resources procured for your project

2.2 If you cancel before work commences — If you cancel within 48 hours of paying your deposit and before any substantive work has been started, we will refund the deposit in full, less any payment processing fees. Cancellations after 48 hours but before work commences will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

2.3 If you cancel after work has commenced — Once project work has commenced, the following applies:

• Your 50% deposit is non-refundable
• If work completed to date is less than 50% of the total project value, no further payment is due
• If work completed to date exceeds 50% of the total project value, we will invoice proportionally for the work completed

‘Work commenced’ means any of: discovery completed, design concepts produced, development begun, or any substantive time allocated to your project.

2.4 Final payment — The remaining 50% balance is due on practical completion — when the agreed deliverables are ready for client review and meet the specification in the Service Agreement. Withholding final payment without a legitimate quality dispute is a breach of contract.

2.5 Quality disputes — If you believe a deliverable does not meet the agreed specification, you must:

• Notify us in writing (email) within 5 business days of delivery
• Specify precisely how the deliverable does not meet the agreed specification

We will review the dispute against the Service Agreement and respond within 3 business days. Where a legitimate shortfall is identified, we will remedy it at no additional cost. Where the dispute concerns scope that was not included in the original specification, we will provide a separate quote for the additional work.

Disputes not raised within 5 business days of delivery are deemed accepted.

3. Monthly Retainers (SEO, Social Media, Marketing, Care Plans)

3.1 Commitment period — All retainers require a minimum commitment:

• Care plans: 3 months minimum
• SEO retainers: 3 months minimum
• Marketing retainers: 3 months minimum
• Full growth retainers: 6 months minimum

This minimum commitment exists because retainer services produce results over time — setup, strategy, and initial execution work in early months forms the foundation for results in later months. A single month of retainer work does not fairly represent the service’s value.

3.2 Cancellation during commitment period — Cancellation during the minimum commitment period:

• Payments made for completed months are non-refundable
• Payment for any remaining months in the commitment period is due within 30 days of cancellation notice
• Exception: if Brela materially fails to deliver the services as specified for 2 or more consecutive months, the client may terminate with no further payment obligation after written notice and a 14-day cure period

3.3 Cancellation after commitment period — After the minimum commitment period, retainers continue on a rolling monthly basis. Cancellation requires 30 days’ written notice. No refund is due for the final 30-day notice period.

3.4 Pause requests — We understand that business circumstances change. If you need to pause a retainer (e.g., during a seasonal downturn), we will consider pause requests on a case-by-case basis. Pausing is not guaranteed and is subject to our capacity at the time of the request.

4. Training and Courses

4.1 Corporate training — Cancellation of a confirmed corporate training booking:

• More than 14 days before the training date: Full refund less 10% administration fee
• 7–14 days before: 50% refund
• Less than 7 days before: No refund. Rescheduling to a future date may be offered at our discretion.
• Non-attendance without prior notice: No refund

4.2 Online courses (self-paced) — Self-paced online courses are eligible for a full refund within 7 days of purchase, provided less than 20% of the course content has been accessed. After 7 days, or after 20% of content has been accessed: No refund

4.3 Online courses (cohort-based) — Cohort-based courses are non-refundable after the first live session has taken place. Before the first session, refunds are available minus any payment processing fees.

5. Hosting Services

Managed hosting is billed monthly (or annually where applicable):

• Monthly plans: No refund for the current billing month. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing month with 7 days’ notice.
• Annual plans: No refund for the current annual period. We do not offer pro-rata refunds on unused months of annual hosting plans.
• Migration assistance: If you cancel hosting and wish to migrate your website to a new provider, we provide a full site backup at no charge. Migration assistance beyond providing the backup is chargeable.

6. How to Request a Refund

To request a refund or raise a payment dispute:

• Email [email protected] with the subject line: ‘Refund Request — [Your Project Name]’
• Include: your name, company name, invoice number(s), the service in question, and a clear explanation of the refund request
• We will acknowledge your request within 2 business days and aim to resolve it within 10 business days

Approved refunds are processed within 7–10 business days to the original payment method where possible, or by bank transfer for card payments where a reversal is not possible.

7. Consumer Protection

Nothing in this policy is intended to, and nothing in it does, limit or exclude any rights you have as a consumer under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2019 or any other applicable Nigerian consumer protection law.

8. Contact

Billing and refund queries: [email protected] | 02013306288