1. Purpose
This Refund & Cancellation Policy explains the conditions under which clients may request cancellations, rescheduling, refunds, or adjustments for paid research services provided through NxtMarketIntel.com.
The policy aims to establish clear expectations for clients while accounting for research planning, recruitment, fieldwork, data collection, analysis, and other work undertaken for a project.
2. Scope
This policy applies to paid research and intelligence services offered or facilitated through NxtMarketIntel.com, including:
- Market and industry research.
- Consumer and customer research.
- Brand and advertising research.
- Product and concept testing.
- Pricing and demand research.
- Competitor and business intelligence.
- B2B research and professional interviews.
- Surveys and public opinion research.
- Focus groups and qualitative research.
- Market-entry and expansion studies.
- Custom research projects.
- Related reports, datasets, dashboards, and research deliverables.
Where a separate signed proposal, service agreement, statement of work, or project-specific cancellation schedule applies, it should be read together with this policy. Mandatory legal rights take precedence over conflicting contractual terms.
This policy does not replace the separate Rewards & Incentives Policy governing research participant incentives.
3. Definitions
Client: A person or organisation purchasing or commissioning research services.
Project: An agreed research engagement with defined objectives, scope, deliverables, fees, and timelines.
Project Commencement: The point at which substantive work begins, such as research planning, methodology design, recruitment, data collection, or other agreed activities.
Completed Work: Work already performed, including research design, recruitment, fieldwork, data processing, analysis, reporting, and other agreed services.
Third-Party Costs: Approved external expenses incurred for a project, such as panel recruitment, survey tools, specialist services, travel, venue hire, or licensed data.
Refund: Return of all or part of a payment received from a client.
4. General Refund Principles
Refund eligibility depends on the service purchased, the project stage, the work completed, applicable third-party commitments, the agreed contract, and applicable law.
The organisation will assess requests fairly and transparently.
A refund may be appropriate where a service has not been provided as agreed, a material failure has occurred, the organisation cancels a project without a suitable alternative, or another contractual or legal basis exists.
Fees for work already completed may not be refundable to the extent that the charges are lawful, properly disclosed, and supported by the applicable agreement.
Nothing in this policy excludes consumer or other legal rights that cannot lawfully be waived.
5. Before Project Commencement
A client requesting cancellation before substantive work begins should contact the organisation as soon as possible.
The organisation will review:
- Whether project planning or other work has already started.
- Whether any third-party costs have been incurred.
- Whether recruitment, software, licences, or external resources have been committed.
- Whether the proposal or service agreement specifies cancellation charges.
Where no substantive work has begun and no non-refundable commitment has been made, a full or substantial refund may be appropriate, subject to the applicable agreement and law.
Any deduction must have a reasonable and lawful basis and must not be imposed arbitrarily.
6. Cancellation After Project Commencement
If cancellation is requested after work has begun, the organisation may assess the value of completed work and any properly authorised, non-recoverable third-party costs.
Relevant work may include:
- Research planning and consultation.
- Questionnaire or discussion-guide development.
- Methodology and sampling design.
- Participant recruitment.
- Fieldwork preparation or execution.
- Data collection and validation.
- Data cleaning and analysis.
- Report preparation and other agreed deliverables.
The organisation should provide a reasonable explanation of any proposed deduction or cancellation charge.
Charges must follow the agreed pricing and cancellation terms and applicable law. A client should not be charged twice for the same work or cost.
7. Cancellation After Completion or Delivery
Once a project has been completed and the agreed deliverables have been supplied, fees for properly performed services will generally not be refundable merely because the client changes its mind or does not achieve the commercial outcome it expected.
However, the organisation will review claims involving material non-performance, an agreed deliverable that was not supplied, a material departure from the agreed scope, or another valid contractual or legal basis.
Research outcomes cannot be guaranteed because findings depend on available evidence, participant responses, methodology, market conditions, and other factors outside the organisation’s control.
8. Client-Initiated Cancellation
Clients should submit cancellation requests in writing to info@nxtglobalventures.com or through another officially designated channel.
The request should include:
- Client or business name.
- Project or proposal reference.
- Date of the original purchase or agreement.
- Description of the service.
- Reason for cancellation.
- Relevant payment reference, where available.
The organisation may request additional information reasonably necessary to assess the request.
A cancellation is not automatically accepted merely because a request has been submitted. The organisation should communicate the decision and any applicable financial adjustment.
9. Rescheduling and Project Pauses
Where operationally feasible, clients may request a change to the project schedule instead of cancellation.
Rescheduling may be possible where:
- Participant recruitment has not been irreversibly committed.
- Fieldwork can be moved without disproportionate cost.
- Research resources remain available.
- The change does not materially alter the project scope.
If a schedule change creates additional costs, the organisation should explain them and obtain the required client approval before incurring them, except where the governing agreement or applicable law provides otherwise.
A prolonged client-requested pause may require a revised delivery schedule or written agreement on project continuation.
10. Organisation-Initiated Cancellation
NxtMarketIntel.com may need to cancel or discontinue a project where reasonably necessary, including because of operational constraints, recruitment failure, technical limitations, legal restrictions, or circumstances outside reasonable control.
Where the organisation cancels a project, it should inform the client and explain the available options.
Depending on the circumstances, options may include:
- Rescheduling the project.
- Revising the scope by mutual agreement.
- Providing an alternative service acceptable to the client.
- Refunding the unearned portion of the payment.
- Providing another remedy required by the applicable agreement or law.
Any refund or adjustment must take account of completed work and applicable legal obligations. Where the organisation is responsible for a material failure, the assessment should not unfairly transfer that failure’s cost to the client.
11. Recruitment and Sample Limitations
Research projects may depend on reaching a particular audience, sample size, geographic area, or participant profile.
If the agreed sample cannot reasonably be recruited, the organisation should inform the client and discuss available options, such as:
- Extending recruitment within an agreed period.
- Revising eligibility criteria by mutual agreement.
- Changing the sample or methodology.
- Reducing or restructuring the scope.
- Cancelling the affected portion of the project.
- Providing an appropriate refund or credit where warranted.
Any material change to the research design, expected sample, deliverables, or fees should be documented and approved by the relevant parties.
12. Third-Party Costs
Research projects may require external expenditure for recruitment, survey platforms, licensed datasets, specialist suppliers, travel, venues, incentives, or other approved resources.
Where these costs are authorised, the organisation may consider properly incurred and non-recoverable costs when calculating a cancellation adjustment, subject to the project agreement and applicable law.
The organisation should maintain appropriate records of such costs and explain relevant deductions to the client upon reasonable request.
Unapproved expenses should not automatically be charged to a client unless permitted by the governing agreement or applicable law.
13. Refunds for Defective or Undelivered Services
A client who believes that a service was not delivered as agreed should contact the organisation with details of the issue.
The organisation may review the claim and, where appropriate, offer a reasonable remedy, which may include:
- Correcting an identifiable error.
- Completing an omitted deliverable.
- Revising work where required by the agreed scope.
- Re-performing an affected part of the service.
- Providing a proportionate refund or other appropriate adjustment.
Remedies will depend on the nature of the failure, the contract, the project evidence, and applicable law.
A difference of opinion about legitimate research findings does not, by itself, establish defective performance. However, material methodological errors, unsupported claims, or failure to supply agreed deliverables should be reviewed appropriately.
14. Deposits and Advance Payments
Some projects may require a deposit or advance payment to reserve resources or begin work.
The proposal or service agreement should explain:
- The amount of the deposit.
- What the payment covers.
- When work will begin.
- Any cancellation conditions.
- How the amount will be treated if the project changes or is cancelled.
A deposit must not be treated as automatically non-refundable in every circumstance. Its treatment depends on the agreed terms, work performed, applicable costs, and legal requirements.
15. Subscription and Recurring Research Services
If NxtMarketIntel.com offers subscriptions, recurring reports, research dashboards, panel access, or other recurring services, the applicable subscription terms should specify:
- Billing frequency.
- Renewal conditions.
- Cancellation procedures.
- The effective date of cancellation.
- Access available during any paid period.
- The treatment of unused services and payments.
Cancelling a future renewal does not necessarily entitle the client to a refund for a period already supplied. Refunds for unused periods, service failures, or other circumstances will be assessed under the applicable subscription agreement and law.
16. Duplicate or Incorrect Payments
If a client believes that a payment was duplicated, charged incorrectly, or collected for an unintended transaction, the client should notify the organisation promptly.
The organisation will review the transaction records and, where an error is confirmed, arrange an appropriate correction or refund.
Payment-provider processing times may affect when the amount appears in the client’s account.
Clients should not share passwords, one-time passwords, or full payment authentication credentials when reporting a transaction issue.
17. Refund Processing
Once a refund is approved, it should ordinarily be initiated through the original payment method where feasible, unless another method is agreed or required.
The organisation should communicate the approved amount and any relevant processing information to the client.
The time required for the funds to appear may depend on the payment gateway, bank, card issuer, or other payment provider. Any specific processing timeline communicated to the client should reflect the actual payment arrangement.
The organisation should not represent a refund as completed until the appropriate payment instruction or refund transaction has been initiated or confirmed.
18. Non-Refundable Items and Limitations
Certain properly disclosed costs or completed services may be non-refundable where permitted by the applicable agreement and law.
Examples may include completed research work, authorised third-party licences that cannot be recovered, and properly incurred recruitment costs.
However, the organisation will not rely on a general non-refundable label to remove rights that a client has under mandatory law or to avoid responsibility for its own material failure where a remedy is legally required.
Each request will be assessed in context.
19. Force Majeure and Unforeseen Circumstances
Events outside reasonable control may disrupt a research project, including major technology outages, natural disasters, government restrictions, emergencies, or significant supplier failures.
The affected party should notify the other party as soon as reasonably practicable and take reasonable steps to reduce the disruption.
The parties should consider rescheduling, revising the project, suspending affected work, or ending the affected portion of the engagement.
Any payment adjustment or refund will depend on the applicable agreement, completed work, recoverable costs, and applicable law. This section does not automatically remove liability where the law does not permit such exclusion.
20. Disputes and Escalation
If a client disagrees with a cancellation or refund decision, the client may request a review by contacting info@nxtglobalventures.com.
The request should include the project reference, the original decision, the amount disputed, and the reasons for requesting reconsideration.
The organisation should review the matter fairly and provide an explanation of its decision.
Clients retain any rights to pursue remedies available under the applicable agreement or law.
21. Research Participant Incentives
This policy concerns payments made by clients for research services. Rewards payable to research participants are governed separately by the Rewards & Incentives Policy and any study-specific incentive conditions.
Where a project cancellation affects participant incentives or reimbursements, the organisation should handle those obligations under the applicable participant terms, client agreement, and law.
22. Policy Amendments
This policy may be updated to reflect changes in research services, payment methods, project procedures, or applicable law.
The current version should be made available through the platform or communicated through an appropriate channel.
Changes must not retrospectively remove rights or valid commitments where doing so would breach the applicable agreement or law.
23. Applicable Law
This policy operates subject to applicable Indian law and any other mandatory legal requirements relevant to the transaction.
Nothing in this policy excludes rights or remedies that cannot lawfully be excluded or restricted.
Any governing-law or jurisdiction clause in a client agreement should be reviewed and completed appropriately before publication or execution.
24. Contact Information
For cancellations, refund requests, payment discrepancies, or questions about this policy, contact:
Implementation note: Draft for review and adoption. Before publication, ensure the cancellation schedule, project milestones, refund procedures, payment timelines, and client contracts match actual operations. Obtain appropriate legal review before relying on this policy as binding terms.