Refund Policy

1. Overview

HowardAI_Studio ("we," "us," "our") is committed to fair and transparent refund practices. Payments for our services are processed by Paddle.com Market Limited ("Paddle"), acting as Merchant of Record. Refunds are issued through Paddle and may appear on your statement as a Paddle transaction.

This policy is subject to our Terms & Conditions. By making a purchase, you acknowledge and agree to this Refund Policy.

2. Subscription Plans

2.1 Free Trial

All subscription plans (Starter and Professional) include a 14-day free trial. You will not be charged during the trial period. If you cancel before the trial ends, you will not be billed. If you do not cancel before the trial expires, you will be charged the first month's subscription fee.

2.2 Cancellation

You may cancel your subscription at any time through Paddle's customer portal or by emailing us at sales@howardaistudio.com. Upon cancellation:

• Your subscription will remain active until the end of the current billing period.
• You will not be charged for subsequent billing periods.
• Access to the service will cease at the end of the current billing period.

2.3 Refunds for Subscription Fees

Standard policy: Subscription fees already charged are non-refundable. We do not issue prorated refunds for partial months. If you cancel mid-month, you retain access through the end of that billing cycle.

Exceptions — when a refund may be issued for subscription fees:

• Service unavailability: If our service was unavailable for more than 72 consecutive hours during your billing period due to issues on our end (not planned maintenance or force majeure), you may request a prorated credit or refund for the affected period.
• Duplicate charge: If you were charged more than once for the same billing period, we will refund the duplicate amount.
• Charging error: If we charged you an incorrect amount, we will refund the difference.
• Within 7 days of first charge (new subscriptions): If you are a new subscriber and are not satisfied with the onboarding experience or the service fails to connect to your M365 tenant through no fault of your configuration, you may request a full refund within 7 days of your first paid charge (i.e., after the trial ends). This exception is available once per customer.

3. One-Time Services

3.1 Security Assessment Reports

Once an assessment has begun (i.e., we have commenced the analysis of your M365 tenant), the fee is non-refundable. If you cancel before we commence the assessment, a full refund will be provided.

If the delivered report is materially incomplete or fails to address the agreed scope, you may request a revision or a partial refund within 14 days of delivery.

3.2 Specification Document Services

Once work has commenced (typically acknowledged by the first draft or scoping call), the fee is non-refundable. If you cancel before work commences, a full refund applies.

Our specification document service includes one (1) round of revisions. If the final deliverable is materially different from the agreed scope, contact us within 14 days of delivery for a resolution.

3.3 Custom Automation Solutions

Custom automation engagements involve significant upfront scoping and development work. Refund eligibility is as follows:

• Before project kickoff: Full refund.
• After kickoff, before 50% completion: Partial refund of up to 50% of fees paid, at our discretion based on work completed.
• After 50% completion: No refund. You will receive all work completed to date.

If we fail to deliver the agreed solution within the agreed timeline (where one was specified in a SOW) due to our fault, you may request a partial refund or extension of scope.

4. Non-Refundable Items

The following are not eligible for refunds under any circumstances:

• Subscription fees for months already delivered where service was available
• Completed consulting calls (advisory sessions)
• Services where the deliverable has been received and accepted
• Fees incurred due to configuration errors on your end (e.g., incorrect M365 permissions preventing service delivery)

5. How to Request a Refund

To request a refund, please email us at sales@howardaistudio.com with:

• Your name and email address used for purchase
• The service or plan you purchased
• Date of purchase and transaction ID (available in your Paddle receipt)
• Reason for the refund request

We will respond to refund requests within 5 business days. Approved refunds will be processed through Paddle and may take 5–10 business days to appear on your statement depending on your payment method and bank.

6. Chargebacks

We ask that you contact us before initiating a chargeback with your bank or card issuer. Unauthorized chargebacks may result in suspension of your account and services. We are committed to resolving any payment disputes fairly and promptly.

7. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Refund Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. Continued use of our services after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

8. Contact

9. Merchant of Record

Payments are processed by Paddle.com Market Limited, 15 James Court, South Frederick Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2EN, United Kingdom. Paddle acts as the Merchant of Record and is responsible for processing refunds. Refund-related queries may also be directed to Paddle's support at paddle.com.