Refund policy

1. Why the policy is strict

We sell time and finished work at a fixed price. Once we start, that time is spent and cannot be sold to someone else. So the policy is generous before we start and firm after. Every quote says when work starts, so you always know where the line is.

2. Deposits

The deposit reserves your start date and pays for the first part of the work. Cancel in writing before the start date on the quote and the deposit is refunded in full. Once work has started, the deposit is not refunded.

Example: you pay a deposit on Monday for a project starting the following Monday, and cancel on Thursday. Full refund. You cancel two days after the start date. No refund of the deposit, and any work done is yours on request.

3. Milestone and final payments

A payment made on acceptance of a delivery is final. Acceptance is described in the service agreement: five business days to test against the acceptance criteria, and either the reported items are fixed or the window passes. Defects found inside the thirty-day warranty are fixed, not refunded.

If we fail to deliver a milestone at all and cannot agree a new date with you, you may cancel and we refund any payment for work not delivered.

4. Retainers

Retainers are paid monthly in advance. A month that has started is not refunded. Unused hours expire at the end of the month and do not carry over. Cancel before the next invoice and there is nothing more to pay.

5. The audit

The store and code audit fee pays for the report you receive, within 72 hours. It is not refunded once the report is delivered. It is credited in full against a build that starts within thirty days of the report.

6. Third-party costs

Developer accounts, app store fees, hosting, licenses, paid plugins, apps, themes and similar costs paid to other companies are never refundable by us, whether we paid them on your behalf or you paid them directly. Their own refund rules apply.

7. Cancellation by you

Cancel in writing at any time. You pay for work completed to the cancellation date and for third-party costs already committed. The deposit is applied to that; if the deposit exceeds the value of the work done, the difference is not refunded, because the deposit also paid for the reserved time. Delivered work is yours on payment for it.

8. Cancellation by us

If we end a project for a reason that is not your breach, for example because we cannot deliver the scope, we refund the part of the deposit and any other payments that were not earned by work delivered.

9. Disputes and chargebacks

If you think a charge is wrong, email support@appbuff.net first and we will look at it within five business days. Opening a card dispute without contacting us pauses all work and warranty on your project until it is resolved, and we will provide the card issuer with the quote, the acceptance records and the delivery history.

10. How refunds are paid

Refunds go back to the payment method you used, within ten business days of our written confirmation. Bank fees and currency differences on the way back are not covered. Refunds are in the currency of the original invoice.

11. Changes

We may update this policy. The version that applies to a project is the one in force when its quote was accepted.