Section 1

Definitions and Scope

"Digital Maria", "We", "Us" or "Our"
Digital Maria, operating under the legal business name Digital Maria.
"Client" or "You"
Any individual, business, organisation or authorised representative purchasing, approving or requesting services from Digital Maria.
"Onboarding"
The stage at which the project is formally initiated and may include:
  • Proposal acceptance
  • Payment confirmation
  • Project briefing
  • Kickoff meeting
  • Account creation
  • Collection of client materials
  • Access sharing
  • Internal planning
  • Resource assignment
  • Work scheduling
"Project Commencement"
The point at which Digital Maria begins any strategic, creative, technical, administrative, research, setup or execution activity relating to the approved service.
"Advance Payment"
Any amount paid before or at the beginning of a project, including booking fees, deposits, initial instalments, retainers or milestone payments.
"Third-Party Cost"
Any non-recoverable charge paid or committed to another provider, platform, software, licence, freelancer, advertising platform or production resource.
"Refund"
A return of an eligible payment amount after applicable deductions and only where approved under this policy or required by law.
Scope of This Policy

This policy applies to website, marketing, advertising, design, development, video editing, motion graphics, content, consulting, analytics, strategy and other professional services provided by Digital Maria.

Where a signed agreement, proposal or statement of work includes different cancellation or refund terms, the written project-specific agreement will normally apply to that engagement.

Section 2

When Payments Become Non-Refundable

Core Refund Clause

Except where required by applicable law or expressly agreed otherwise in writing, all payments made to Digital Maria become non-refundable immediately after onboarding, resource allocation, scheduling or commencement of any project-related activity.

Payments become non-refundable when any of the following occurs:

  • Client onboarding is completed
  • The proposal or quotation is accepted
  • An invoice is paid
  • A booking slot is reserved
  • Internal resources are assigned
  • Project research begins
  • Strategy or planning begins
  • Creative direction is prepared
  • Technical setup begins
  • Accounts, dashboards or campaigns are configured
  • Client credentials or assets are received
  • Third-party tools or licences are purchased
  • Meetings or consultations are conducted
  • Drafts, concepts or work-in-progress are created
  • Any service execution begins
  • Deliverables are partially or fully shared

Why Payments Are Non-Refundable After Confirmation

Digital Maria reserves project capacity, assigns team members and may reject or postpone other work after a client confirms a project. Payments compensate Digital Maria for reserved time, planning, expertise, preparation, administration and work already committed.

Please Note

A client's decision not to use, publish or continue with completed or partially completed work does not automatically create a refund right.

A change in business priorities, management decision, budget, internal approval, campaign direction or personal preference does not normally qualify for a refund after onboarding.

Section 3

Cancellation Before Work Begins

A client may submit a cancellation request before onboarding and before Digital Maria has:

  • Assigned resources
  • Scheduled work
  • Conducted a kickoff call
  • Started research
  • Prepared strategy
  • Purchased third-party assets
  • Received or reviewed project materials
  • Configured accounts
  • Started technical or creative work
Eligibility for Review

A cancellation request received before onboarding and before any project activity begins may be reviewed for a possible refund. Approval is not automatic.

Possible Deductions

Any approved refund may be reduced by:

  • Payment gateway charges
  • Bank charges
  • Administrative costs
  • Consultation charges
  • Proposal or planning work already completed
  • Non-recoverable third-party costs
  • Taxes or statutory deductions where applicable

How to Submit a Cancellation Request

The client must submit the cancellation request in writing to: support@digitalmaria.com

Include the following information:

  • Client name
  • Company name
  • Invoice number
  • Payment date
  • Service purchased
  • Reason for cancellation
  • Payment reference
The date and time of the written request will be used to determine whether onboarding or work had already begun.
Section 4

Non-Refundable Charges

The following payments are normally non-refundable after confirmation or commitment:

  • Booking fees
  • Consultation fees
  • Discovery fees
  • Strategy fees
  • Audit fees
  • Setup fees
  • Onboarding fees
  • Advance payments
  • Deposits
  • Retainer payments
  • Milestone payments for completed stages
  • Design or creative fees
  • Development work already completed
  • Video editing or production work already completed
  • Research and planning charges
  • Campaign setup charges
  • Platform configuration charges
  • Purchased software or licences
  • Stock images, music or footage
  • Domain or hosting charges
  • Advertising spend
  • Freelancer or subcontractor costs
  • Payment gateway charges
  • Bank charges
  • Taxes already deposited
  • Rush or priority charges
Third-party and platform charges are subject to the relevant provider's terms and may be non-refundable even where Digital Maria has not fully used the related service.

Advertising Spend

  • Advertising spend is separate from Digital Maria's service fees unless expressly stated otherwise.
  • Amounts charged directly by advertising platforms are controlled by those platforms.
  • Digital Maria cannot refund platform charges that it has not received.
  • Approved media spend already used or committed is non-refundable.
  • Platform credits or reversals depend on the relevant platform's rules.

Retainers and Recurring Services

Monthly retainers reserve ongoing capacity and are non-refundable for a billing period once that period has begun or resources have been allocated.

Unused hours, deliverables or service capacity do not automatically roll over or create a refund unless the written agreement says otherwise.

Section 5

Delays, Pauses and Inactive Projects

Client-caused delays may include:

  • Missing content
  • Missing credentials
  • Delayed feedback
  • Delayed approval
  • Internal management delays
  • Unavailable decision-makers
  • Change in priorities
  • Failure to attend meetings
  • Failure to provide requested information
  • Failure to respond to communication
Important

Client-caused delays, pauses or inactivity do not create an automatic refund right.

Where delays occur, Digital Maria may:

  • Adjust the project timeline
  • Move the project to a later production slot
  • Pause work
  • Reallocate resources
  • Charge restart or reactivation fees
  • Request payment of outstanding invoices
  • Close an inactive project after reasonable notice

Abandoned Projects

A project may be treated as inactive or abandoned where the client stops responding or fails to provide required materials for an extended period. Any specific inactivity period should be defined in the project proposal or contract.

Payments made for time, resources, planning and work already committed remain non-refundable.

Section 6

Cancellation by Digital Maria

Digital Maria may cancel, pause or refuse a project where:

  • The requested work is unlawful
  • The client requests misleading or harmful activity
  • The client breaches the agreement
  • Payments remain overdue
  • The client behaves abusively or threateningly
  • Required cooperation is not provided
  • Platform policies would be violated
  • Continuing the project creates legal, ethical or reputational risk
  • A serious technical or operational issue prevents performance
  • A force majeure event materially affects delivery

Where Digital Maria Has Not Started Work

If Digital Maria cancels a project before onboarding, resource allocation or work commencement for reasons not caused by the client, Digital Maria may refund the amount actually received, after deducting any unavoidable third-party or transaction charges, where legally permitted.

Where Work Has Already Started

If Digital Maria ends a project after work has begun, Digital Maria may:

  • Provide completed work
  • Invoice for work performed
  • Deduct committed costs
  • Deduct non-refundable third-party costs
  • Consider a proportionate refund only for clearly unperformed and recoverable service portions
Please Note

Any refund decision should be based on the actual project stage, completed work, committed resources, contract terms and applicable law.

Section 7

How Refund Requests Are Reviewed

Refund requests must be submitted in writing to: support@digitalmaria.com

Required Details

  • Full name
  • Business or company name
  • Invoice number
  • Payment reference
  • Service purchased
  • Payment date
  • Cancellation date
  • Detailed reason
  • Relevant supporting documents

Review Criteria

Digital Maria may review:

  • Whether onboarding was completed
  • Whether resources were allocated
  • Whether work had commenced
  • Work already completed
  • Time already committed
  • Third-party costs
  • Client-caused delays
  • Proposal terms
  • Invoice terms
  • Written communication
  • Applicable law
Important

Submitting a refund request does not guarantee approval.

Refund Processing

Any approved refund will normally be returned to the original payment method unless another lawful method is agreed.

Approved refunds will be processed within a reasonable administrative period, subject to banking, payment gateway and verification requirements.

  • Payment gateway timelines are outside Digital Maria's control.
  • Transaction charges may not be recoverable.
  • Currency conversion differences are not controlled by Digital Maria.
  • Bank processing time may vary.
  • Refund confirmation will be provided where applicable.
Section 8

Payment Disputes and Legal Exceptions

Chargebacks

Clients should first contact Digital Maria before raising a chargeback or payment dispute with a bank or payment provider.

An unjustified chargeback after services, planning or deliverables have been provided may be treated as a payment dispute and Digital Maria may provide project records, approvals, invoices, communication and delivery evidence to the relevant payment provider.

Duplicate or Incorrect Payments

Verified duplicate payments or clear payment-processing errors may be refunded after review.

Material Billing Error

A genuine overcharge caused by Digital Maria may be corrected or refunded after verification.

Mandatory Legal Rights

Your Legal Rights Are Unaffected

Nothing in this policy removes or limits any refund, cancellation or consumer right that cannot legally be excluded under applicable law.

Written Exceptions

Digital Maria may approve an exception only where:

  • Expressly agreed in writing
  • Required by applicable law
  • A clear duplicate payment occurred
  • A verified billing error occurred
  • No onboarding or work began
  • Digital Maria is unable to provide the agreed service
  • Exceptional circumstances are approved by authorised management
Any exception applies only to the specific case and does not create a continuing right or precedent.
Section 9

Policy Updates and Contact

Changes to This Policy

Digital Maria may update this policy when:

  • Services change
  • Billing practices change
  • Payment methods change
  • Business processes change
  • Legal requirements change
  • Contract terms change
Effective Date: 13 July 2026 Last Updated: 13 July 2026

The version in effect on the relevant transaction or project confirmation date may apply, subject to the written agreement and applicable law.

Contact Information

Digital Maria

Contact Person
Ritesh Kumar Jha
Founder & CEO
Address
Patel Nagar, Delhi – 110008, India
Legal Business Name
Digital Maria
Legal Review Notice: This Cancellation & Refund Policy should be reviewed by a qualified legal professional to ensure that it accurately reflects Digital Maria's contracts, invoicing practices, services and applicable law. This page does not constitute legal advice.