Refund Policy
This Refund Policy sets out when and how refunds are granted for services and digital products purchased via the Topmate platform (“Topmate”, “we”, “us”, “our”). It is a standalone policy and does not form part of the Topmate Terms of Use, although it should be read together with them.
By purchasing any service or digital product on Topmate, you (“you”, “user”) agree that refunds will be assessed in accordance with this Refund Policy, subject always to any nonwaivable rights you may have under applicable law.
1. General Principles
1.1 Scope: This Refund Policy applies to all paid offerings made available through Topmate, including:
1:1 consultations (video and audio)
Webinars and group sessions
Digital products (e.g., ebooks, templates, files)
Recorded/self-paced courses
Priority direct messages and asynchronous advisory services, and
Subscriptions and membership services.
1.2 Mandatory consumer and financial rights: Nothing in this Refund Policy is intended to exclude, limit, or waive any statutory rights or remedies that you may have under the laws of your country of residence, including rights relating to:
coolingoff or withdrawal periods for distance contracts,
defective or misdescribed digital content or services,
unfair contract terms, or
chargeback and cardnetwork dispute mechanisms.
Where this Refund Policy conflicts with such mandatory rights, the statutory rights prevail.
1.3 Jurisdiction-specific terms: For certain jurisdictions (for example, EU/EEA, UK, India, specific US states), additional rights or obligations may apply. Where we publish jurisdiction-specific notices or addenda, those shall prevail over this Refund Policy for users in the relevant jurisdiction to the extent of any inconsistency.
1.4 Use of logs and evidence: To assess refund requests and resolve disputes, Topmate may rely on platform-generated records, including but not limited to:
booking and payment records,
call attendance logs and timestamps,
accessgateway logs for digital products,
course progress and contentviewing indicators, and
message logs for asynchronous services.
You may request an explanation of how such records were used in your case and may submit additional information if you believe they are incomplete or inaccurate. The collection and use of such data are further described in our Privacy Notice.
1.5 Illustrative timeframes and thresholds: The specific time periods (e.g., "7 days") and thresholds (e.g., "20% progress") are mentioned under illustrative timelines that may be adjusted for services, jurisdictions, or fairness. You can refer Clause 2 for detailed description of refundable & non-refundable cases.
1.6 Chargebacks and bank/card dispute: You always retain the right to raise disputes or chargebacks directly with your bank, card issuer, or payment provider in accordance with applicable network and banking rules. This Refund Policy provides our internal criteria and does not limit or replace your rights with financial institutions.
2. 1:1 Consultations (Video/Audio Calls)
2.1 When a refund will generally be granted
Subject to verification using platform records and any information you or the expert provides; we will normally approve a refund where:
Nonattendance by expert: The expert does not join the call within a reasonable grace period (for example, 15 minutes after the scheduled start time) and does not offer a reasonably comparable rescheduled slot within a reasonable period (for example, 24 hours), unless you explicitly agree to another arrangement.
Late cancellation by expert: The expert cancels the consultation on short notice (for example, less than 24 hours before the scheduled start time), and you do not accept a rescheduled appointment.
Significant underdelivery: The consultation ends substantially earlier than agreed (for example, by more than 20% of the scheduled duration) due to a technical or similar issue attributable to the expert or to Topmate’s systems, as supported by call and system logs. In such cases, we may grant a prorata refund corresponding to the undelivered portion.
Call did not occur: Platform records substantiate your report that the call did not occur at all or that the expert was effectively absent or nonresponsive for the entire scheduled period.
2.2 When a refund will generally not be granted
Absent exceptional circumstances or statutory rights, we will ordinarily decline a refund where:
User noshow: You fail to attend and do not attempt to reschedule within a reasonable notice period (for example, at least 6 hours in advance), and the expert was ready and available.
Subjective dissatisfaction: Your dissatisfaction relates solely to the style, tone, or perceived quality of advice or mentorship, where the consultation occurred and matched the service description.
User-side technical issues: The main reason you could not attend was a problem with your own device, software, or internet connection, and our logs show that the session link was functional and the expert was connected.
Late request: You request a refund significantly after a defined followup window (for example, more than 7 days after the scheduled consultation), unless mandatory law or clear evidence of defect or misconduct supports a later refund.
2.3 Allocation of responsibilities
Topmate is responsible for:
generating and sending booking confirmations and calendar invitations;
providing a working join link or access mechanism and taking reasonable steps to maintain its availability.
Topmate is not responsible for:
the content, accuracy, legality, or professional quality of advice given by experts;
user-side errors in scheduling or timezone selection not caused by a Topmate defect;
hardware, software, or connectivity issues on your or the expert’s side that are outside our reasonable control.
We may, at our discretion, make exceptions (including goodwill refunds or credits) where strict application of the above would lead to an unfair outcome.
3. Webinars and Group Sessions
3.1 When a refund will generally be granted
We will normally approve a refund where:
Shortnotice cancellation: The webinar or group session is cancelled by the expert or by Topmate on short notice (for example, less than 12 hours before the start), and you do not accept a rescheduled session.
Noncommencement: The session does not commence within a reasonable delay window (for example, 30 minutes after the scheduled start), is not rescheduled, and is not subsequently delivered.
Significant early termination: The session ends materially earlier than advertised (for example, by more than 30% of the stated duration), and no followup or alternative remedy is offered.
3.2 When a refund will generally not be granted
In general, refunds will not be provided where:
No show by user: You registered but did not attend, regardless of reason, and the session was delivered substantially as described.
Content expectations: Your complaint relates only to personal expectations about depth, style, or presentation, where the core topics and structure described were covered.
Late request: Your request is made significantly after the event (for example, more than 48 hours after the scheduled date), except where applicable consumer law or clear evidence of defect requires an exception.
3.3 Allocation of responsibilities
Topmate is responsible for:
providing the platform environment required to host or facilitate the session, subject to reasonable maintenance and outages;
delivering access credentials or links to registered users;
making recordings available where their availability is explicitly stated in the session description and technically feasible.
Topmate is not responsible for:
outages or failures of external streaming or videoconferencing providers beyond our reasonable control;
the accuracy, completeness, or professional quality of the speaker’s content;
user-side errors in timezone conversion or calendar configuration, except where caused by a Topmate interface issue.
4. Digital Products (eBooks, Templates, Files)
4.1 When a refund will generally be granted
We will normally approve a refund where:
No access granted: Platform access logs show that you have not been granted access to the purchased digital product (for example, no accessgateway events for your account) and the issue cannot be remedied promptly.
Technical inaccessibility: A technical fault attributable to Topmate prevents you from accessing the product and the problem cannot reasonably be resolved within a short timeframe.
4.2 When a refund will generally not be granted
Refunds will typically not be provided where:
Product accessed: Our logs show that you have accessed or downloaded the digital product (for example, via an accessgateway event), except where there is clear evidence of defect or material misdescription.
Change of preference: You have changed your mind or find that the content does not meet your personal expectations, while the product description was accurate and the file is functional.
Compatibility issues: Your device, software, or tools do not support the file format, and the format used is standard and/or was reasonably disclosed in advance.
Late request: You request a refund well after a short review period (for example, more than 7 days from purchase), unless applicable law grants additional rights (for example, for latent defects).
4.3 Allocation of responsibilities
Topmate is responsible for:
securely making the digital product available for access or download;
maintaining access logs necessary to resolve disputes;
using reasonable efforts to ensure sufficient platform uptime for downloads and access.
Topmate is not responsible for:
the substantive quality, accuracy, or usefulness of the content (which remains the responsibility of the expert or content provider);
your local software environment or third-party tools needed to use the product, where these are reasonably standard or disclosed;
future updates, revisions, or new versions of the product unless expressly promised at purchase.
5. Recorded / Self-Paced Courses
5.1 When a refund will generally be granted
We will normally approve a refund where:
No access after purchase: Course content is not made accessible to you within a reasonable period after purchase (for example, 48 hours) due to a platform issue attributable to Topmate that is not promptly resolved.
5.2 When a refund will generally not be granted
Refunds will ordinarily not be granted where:
Late request: You seek a refund after the initial review window (for example, more than 7 days from purchase), absent a mandatory legal right or clear defect.
Substantial consumption: Course progress indicators show that a substantial portion of the course has been consumed (for example, more than 20%), except where there is clear misrepresentation, defect, or legal concern.
Quality or outcome complaints: Your dissatisfaction is limited to teaching style, perceived depth, or outcomes achieved (or not achieved), where the course content aligns with its description.
Format complaints: You knowingly purchased a prerecorded or asynchronous course, accessed it, and later complain that it was not live or interactive.
5.3 Allocation of responsibilities
Topmate is responsible for:
hosting or facilitating access to the course content;
providing progresstracking features;
maintaining logs relevant to access and consumption.
Topmate is not responsible for:
pedagogical design, academic quality, or completeness of the content;
achievement of any particular outcomes (educational, professional, financial) unless expressly guaranteed in a separate agreement;
continued access where your account is suspended or terminated for serious Terms violations, to the extent permitted by law.
6. Priority Direct Messages & Asynchronous Advisory Services
6.1 When a refund will generally be granted
We will normally approve a refund where:
No response within agreed window: The expert does not provide any substantive response within the responsetime commitment stated in the service description (for example, within 24–72 hours), and message logs confirm that no response was sent.
Expert unavailable: The expert’s account is deactivated, suspended, or otherwise unavailable before the response window expires, and no response was provided.
6.2 When a refund will generally not be granted
Refunds will typically not be provided where:
Response provided: Our logs show that the expert provided at least one response within the promised timeframe, even if you are dissatisfied with its content, length, or tone, provided there is no clear misrepresentation.
Additional scope: Followup questions or additional requests fall outside the originally agreed scope or time window and were not included in the purchased service.
Late request: You request a refund after a longer period (for example, more than 14 days from purchase), absent statutory rights or serious misconduct.
6.3 Allocation of responsibilities
Topmate is responsible for:
delivering your messages to the expert;
sending appropriate notifications;
maintaining message logs for evidentiary purposes.
Topmate is not responsible for:
the professional quality, level of detail, or tone of the expert’s responses;
how you interpret or implement the advice, or the outcomes of such implementation.
7. Subscriptions & Membership Services
7.1 When a refund will generally be granted
We will normally approve a refund where:
Service terminated midcycle: The expert or Topmate discontinues the membership benefits during an active billing cycle and no reasonably comparable alternative is offered. In such cases, a prorata refund for the unused portion of that cycle may be applied.
Postcancellation charge: You are charged after submitting a valid cancellation request that was acknowledged or recorded in our system but not implemented in time; the most recent renewal may then be refunded.
7.2 When a refund will generally not be granted
Refunds will ordinarily not be granted where:
Past billing cycles: You seek refunds for prior cycles during which membership benefits were available as described.
Nonuse of benefits: You did not use the benefits during an active period, while access was available and no defect is demonstrated.
Midcycle cancellation: You cancel during a billing cycle and seek a refund for time already elapsed, unless the service was discontinued by the expert or Topmate.
8. Requesting a Refund
8.1 How to contact us: To request a refund, please contact us at [email protected], providing:
your name and account email,
booking or transaction ID,
service type and date, and
a clear description of the issue and any supporting evidence.
8.2 Review and timelines: We aim to review refund requests within 24–48 hours and to communicate our decision, referencing this Refund Policy and any applicable local rights. If a refund is approved, we generally initiate it within 5–7 business days, though the time for funds to appear in your account may depend on your payment provider.
8.3 Escalation: If you disagree with our decision, you may:
provide additional information for reconsideration,
raise a complaint under any applicable dispute-resolution process described in our Terms, and/or
contact your bank, card issuer, or relevant consumer authority, as permitted by law.
For more information on how we use your data to process refund requests and disputes, please refer to our Privacy Notice
Jurisdiction-Specific Addendum to Topmate Refund Policy
Date of Effect: 27th mar, 2026
1. Interpretation and Application
1.1 This Jurisdiction-Specific Addendum ("Addendum") forms an integral supplement to the Topmate Refund Policy dated 27th mar, 2026
1.2 To the extent of any inconsistency between this Addendum and the Global Policy, this Addendum shall prevail for Affected Users in the relevant jurisdiction.
1.3 "Affected User" means a natural person acting for purposes outside their trade, business, craft or profession who accesses the Topmate platform from, or has their billing address in, the relevant jurisdiction.
1.4 All terms defined in the Policy retain their meanings herein.
2. European Economic Area (EEA), European Union and United Kingdom
2.1 Right of Withdrawal under Distance Selling Legislation
Pursuant to Directive 2011/83/EU (as implemented in Member States) and the UK Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013:
2.1.1 Period: Affected Users benefit from a 14-calendar day withdrawal period commencing:(a) for services, from the date of contract conclusion;(b) for digital content, from the date of receipt or commencement of performance.
2.1.2 Digital Content Exception: The withdrawal right terminates upon commencement of performance of digital content or services where the Affected User:(a) has given explicit prior consent to early performance; and(b) has simultaneously acknowledged that they will lose their withdrawal right upon commencement.
2.1.3 Refund Obligation: Upon valid exercise of withdrawal rights, Topmate shall affect a full refund (including standard delivery costs) within 14 days of receipt of the withdrawal notice.
2.1.4 Quality Standards: Irrespective of any waiver, Affected Users retain remedies under Directive 2019/771 (goods) and Directive 2019/770 (digital content) where content/services fail to meet statutory quality standards (conformity with description, reasonable care/skill, fitness for purpose).
2.2 Pre-Contract Information
Topmate shall provide mandatory pre-contract information (seller identity, withdrawal rights, complaint procedures) as required by Articles 6 and 8 of Directive 2011/83/EU.
3. India
3.1 Consumer Protection Act 2019 and E-Commerce Rules
Pursuant to the Consumer Protection Act 2019 ("CPA"), Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules 2020 ("ECR"), and Reserve Bank of India guidelines:
3.1.1 Deficiency in Service: Where services/digital content exhibit deficiency (s.2(11) CPA) or material misrepresentation, Affected Users retain statutory remedies irrespective of Global Policy timelines. Topmate, as e-commerce entity, bears joint and several liability where marketplace intermediaries fail to remedy (Rule 5 ECR).
3.1.2 Refund Processing: Approved refunds shall be credited within 5–7 working days per ECR/RBI guidelines.
3.1.3 Unfair Trade Practices: Any term purporting to exclude remedies for genuine deficiencies constitutes an unfair trade practice (s.2(47) CPA) and is unenforceable.
3.1.4 Prevalence: CPA/ECR remedies supersede Global Policy thresholds for defective/misdescribed offerings.
4. United States of America (Selected States)
4.1 California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA) and Equivalent State Laws
4.1.1 Data Processing: Topmate's use of logs/records for refund/chargeback assessment constitutes business purposes (security, fraud prevention, transaction completion) and does not trigger CCPA/CPRA "sale" or "sharing" obligations (Cal. Civ. Code §1798.140).
4.1.2 Opt-Out Rights: CCPA/CPRA opt-out mechanisms apply solely to marketing/sharing activities, not internal dispute resolution.
4.3 Card Network and Banking Rights
Affected Users retain full chargeback rights under Visa/Mastercard/Amex/PayPal rules and UCC §4A-214 equivalents. Global Policy does not derogate from these mechanisms.
4.4 State Consumer Protection Laws
Global Policy terms comply with prohibitions on unfair/deceptive practices (e.g., California UCL, FTC Act). No additional timelines mandated.
5. Application and Updates
5.1 Geographic Scope: This Addendum applies based on user billing address or IP geolocation at time of purchase, subject to Topmate's determination.
5.2 Updates: Topmate may amend this Addendum with 30 days' notice via website/app. Material changes affecting statutory rights receive enhanced notification per local law.
5.3 Governing Law: Disputes arising under this Addendum shall be governed by the law of the Affected User's jurisdiction to the fullest extent permitted.
Contact: For jurisdiction-specific queries, email [email protected].
