Cancellation & Refund Policy

1. About this Policy

1.1 This Cancellation and Refund Policy ("Policy") applies to every Order placed with Aurelian Vulcan Group Private Limited (CIN U62090WR2026PTC293034), operating the brand The Tribal Node, through the website www.thetribalnode.com or through any other channel ("we", "us", "our").

1.2 This Policy forms part of our Terms and Conditions and must be read with them. Words defined in the Terms and Conditions have the same meaning here, including "Order", "Order Confirmation", "Contract Price", "Delivery Stage", "Deliverable", "Third-Party Product" and "Business Day".

1.3 This Policy is published in compliance with the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020.

2. The principle behind this Policy, in plain language

2.1 We do not charge you a penalty for cancelling. There is no cancellation fee, no forfeiture, and no clause that lets us keep your money simply because you changed your mind.

2.2 What we retain is what we have already earned or already spent. Our Services are professional services delivered in stages, and a portion of the work is carried out by engaged specialists whom we pay. If you cancel part-way, we retain the value of the stages actually completed, and any money we have already paid or irrevocably committed to a third party for your Order and cannot get back. Everything above that is returned to you.

2.3 The stages are agreed before work starts, not after you cancel. Every Order Confirmation records the Delivery Stages and the percentage of the Contract Price attached to each one. You approve each stage as it completes. This means the amount retained on a cancellation is calculated against something you already agreed to and signed off on, and is never a figure we invent afterwards.

2.4 If we cancel, you get everything back. Where we cancel an Order for any reason other than your breach, we retain nothing on account of work performed and refund the full amount paid.

3. How to cancel

3.1 A cancellation is effective only when made in writing and received by us at hello@thetribalnode.com.

3.2 Your cancellation request should state your name, the Order number or invoice number, the Service concerned, and the date. You are not required to give a reason.

3.3 We will acknowledge your cancellation request within forty-eight (48) hours of receipt.

3.4 The date and time of receipt of your written cancellation is the point at which the calculation under Clause 5 is fixed. Work performed after that point is not chargeable to you.

4. Cancellation before work commences

4.1 Free cancellation window. You may cancel an Order for a full refund with no deduction of any kind by giving written notice to hello@thetribalnode.com within five (5) hours of the Order Confirmation, provided work has not commenced. The date and time of your Order Confirmation, and the deadline for free cancellation, are stated on the Order Confirmation itself.

4.2 When work commences. Work commences on the earliest of:

(a) allocation of your Order to a member of our delivery team;(b) payment or irrevocable commitment by us of any engagement fee, sourcing cost or production cost for your Order;(c) purchase or registration of any Third-Party Product for your Order; and(d) commencement of any research, drafting, design, development or production work on your Order.

We will notify you in writing of the date and time on which work commences.

4.3 Once work has commenced, Clause 5 applies, whether or not the five-hour window in Clause 4.1 has expired.

4.4 Where you cancel after the five-hour window but before work has commenced, the full amount paid is refunded with no deduction.

5. Cancellation after work commences

5.1 Where you cancel after work has commenced, the amount we retain is the aggregate of:

(a) Value of Services performed — the percentage of the Contract Price attributable to the Delivery Stages completed and approved as at the date and time your written cancellation is received, calculated in accordance with Schedule A; and

(b) Committed cost — any amount we have paid or irrevocably committed to a third party for your Order, including an engagement fee, sourcing cost or production cost payable to a member of our delivery team, which we are unable to recover or reallocate despite reasonable efforts, evidence of which will be furnished to you on request.

5.2 Any amount you have paid in excess of the aggregate of Clauses 5.1(a) and 5.1(b) is refunded to you, together with the proportionate Goods and Services Tax.

5.3 Where the aggregate of Clauses 5.1(a) and 5.1(b) exceeds the amount you have paid, the balance is payable by you, and we will raise a tax invoice for it.

5.4 A Delivery Stage that is in progress but not completed and approved at the point of cancellation is not charged. We do not charge for partial progress within a stage. This works in your favour and is deliberate: it keeps the calculation objective and removes any argument about how far through a stage the work had reached. Clause 5.1(b) is unaffected and applies to amounts already committed within that stage.

5.5 Approval of a Delivery Stage is as defined in Clause 10.2 of the Terms and Conditions, namely your written approval, or the expiry of five (5) Business Days from our notification without written objection.

6. Amounts that are not refundable

6.1 The following are not refundable in any circumstance once incurred, because the money has left our hands and cannot be recovered:

(a) Third-Party Products — domain names, hosting, professional email, secure sockets layer certificates, software licences, plugins, themes, fonts, stock images, stock music, application store fees, cloud services and similar items, once acquired;

(b) Advertising spend transferred to any advertising platform on your behalf;

(c) Placement, publication or wire-service fees paid to any publication or media platform on your behalf;

(d) Production costs irrevocably incurred on a scheduled shoot, including crew, cast, location, equipment hire and travel, once the shoot date has passed or the cancellation window of the supplier has closed;

(e) Payment gateway and banking charges actually incurred on the original transaction, where these are not returned to us by the payment aggregator;

(f) Engagement, sourcing and production fees paid to a member of our delivery team for work already allocated, to the extent the amount is not recoverable from them under our arrangement.

6.2 Where an item in Clause 6.1 is capable of transfer to you, we will transfer it rather than treat it as a sunk cost. A domain name registered for you will be transferred to you on request under Clause 11.5 of the Terms and Conditions.

7. Continuing and retainer Services

7.1 This Clause applies to search engine optimisation, artificial intelligence search and answer engine optimisation, social media management, advertising and performance marketing management, backlink and content retainers, website maintenance and support, and any other Service billed on a recurring cycle.

7.2 These Services are delivered continuously across a monthly cycle and are not measured by any single output. The monthly cycle is the Delivery Stage.

7.3 To cancel, give written notice at least seven (7) days before the next cycle begins. Cancellation then takes effect at the end of the cycle then current.

7.4 Where notice is given with less than seven days remaining in the cycle, cancellation takes effect at the end of the following cycle, and that following cycle is billed.

7.5 The cycle in progress is not refundable, whether or not you continue to use or benefit from the Service during it. No cycle after the effective date of cancellation is billed.

7.6 A one-time onboarding, audit, setup or configuration fee is not refundable once that work has been delivered.

7.7 On cancellation we will hand over access to any account, property or asset held in your name, and any reports, documentation and work product produced during cycles you have paid for.

8. Cancellation by us

8.1 Where we cancel an Order for any reason other than your breach of the Terms and Conditions or conduct falling within Clause 20 of those Terms:

(a) we retain nothing on account of Services performed;(b) we refund the full amount you have paid in respect of that Order;(c) we bear any committed cost ourselves; and(d) no charge, fee or deduction of any kind is imposed on you.

8.2 Clause 8.1 applies where we cancel because we are unable to deliver, because of resourcing, because we have declined the engagement under Clause 6.5 of the Terms and Conditions, or for any commercial reason of our own.

8.3 Where we terminate an Order because of your breach or because of conduct falling within Clause 20 of the Terms and Conditions, Clause 5 of this Policy applies.

9. Refunds where Services are deficient

9.1 Nothing in this Policy limits your rights under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 or the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020.

9.2 Where a Deliverable is defective, deficient, or does not have the characteristics or features advertised or agreed, tell us in writing with particulars. We will first rectify it at no charge within a reasonable time. Where rectification is not possible, we will refund the amount attributable to the deficient part of the Order.

9.3 For clarity, and consistent with Clause 13 of the Terms and Conditions, the following are not deficiencies and do not give rise to a refund: failure to achieve a search ranking, traffic level, engagement level, follower count, lead volume, conversion rate or return on investment; a change in a search engine, social media or advertising platform algorithm or policy; refusal, removal or non-publication of a submission by a publication, platform, editor or moderator; or non-creation, non-acceptance or deletion of a Wikipedia article.

10. Failed, duplicate and unauthorised payments

10.1 Where a payment fails but an amount is debited from your account, the amount is ordinarily reversed automatically by your bank or the payment aggregator within five (5) to ten (10) Business Days. Write to us with the transaction reference if it is not.

10.2 A duplicate or excess payment is refunded in full with no deduction, promptly on it being identified by either party.

10.3 Where you notify us that a payment was made without your authority, we will investigate, cooperate with your bank and the payment aggregator, and refund in full any amount found to have been received by us without authority.

11. How and when refunds are made

11.1 We will determine the refund amount and issue the statement of account under Clause 12 within five (5) Business Days of receiving your written cancellation.

11.2 We will initiate the refund within seven (7) Business Days of the refund amount being agreed or determined.

11.3 Refunds are made to the original payment method only. Where the original method is unavailable, we will refund by bank transfer to an account held in the name of the person who made the payment, on receipt of the account details in writing.

11.4 After we initiate a refund, the time taken for the amount to reach you is governed by your bank, card issuer or payment provider. This is ordinarily five (5) to ten (10) Business Days and is outside our control. We will provide the refund reference on request so you can trace it.

11.5 We do not make refunds in cash, and we do not offer credit notes, vouchers or account credit in place of a refund unless you ask for one in writing.

12. Statement of account

12.1 On every cancellation where an amount is retained, we will issue you a written statement setting out:

(a) the Contract Price and the total amount paid by you;(b) the date and time on which work commenced, and the date and time your cancellation was received;(c) each Delivery Stage completed and approved, with its percentage and value, and the date of approval;(d) each committed amount not recoverable, with supporting evidence;(e) the total amount retained;(f) the amount refunded and the tax treatment applied; and(g) the date on which the refund was initiated and its reference.

12.2 This statement is issued whether or not you ask for it. If you disagree with any part of it, write to us and we will review it under Clause 15.

13. Goods and Services Tax on cancellation

13.1 Where an advance is refunded to you and the corresponding supply does not take place, we issue a refund voucher under Section 31(3)(e) of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 against the receipt voucher originally issued, and adjust the tax accordingly.

13.2 Where an amount is retained for Services actually performed, we issue a tax invoice for that amount and Goods and Services Tax is charged on it at the rate in force, presently eighteen per cent (18%).

13.3 Goods and Services Tax is refunded to you in the same proportion as the amount refunded.

13.4 Where you have already claimed input tax credit on an invoice against which a refund is subsequently made, you are responsible for reversing that credit in your own returns.

14. Payment disputes and chargebacks

14.1 If you are dissatisfied with an Order or with a refund calculation, please write to us first at hello@thetribalnode.com. Most disputes are resolved within a few days once we have the details.

14.2 Raising a chargeback with your bank or card issuer without first contacting us does not prevent you from obtaining a refund, but it will usually delay it, because the amount is frozen by the payment aggregator while the chargeback is investigated and we are unable to release it during that period.

14.3 Where a chargeback is raised in respect of an amount properly retained under Clause 5, we will submit the statement of account, the Order Confirmation, the commencement notice and the stage approvals to the payment aggregator in response.

14.4 Nothing in this Clause restricts your right to approach your bank, the payment aggregator, a Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission or any other forum available to you in law.

15. Grievance redressal and escalation

15.1 Any grievance relating to a cancellation or refund may be addressed to:

Grievance Officer: Ms. Chandana BasuDesignation: Director, Aurelian Vulcan Group Private LimitedEmail: hello@thetribalnode.comTelephone: +91 62908 24487Address: C/O Indranil Basu, Ground Floor, 95/1, Gouripur Bye Road, Birati, Kolkata, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal – 700051, India

15.2 Every grievance is acknowledged within forty-eight (48) hours, allotted a reference number, and redressed within one (1) month of receipt.

15.3 If you remain dissatisfied, you may approach the National Consumer Helpline or the appropriate District, State or National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

16. Inactive Orders

16.1 Where an Order cannot progress for ninety (90) consecutive days because content, feedback, approval or access has not been provided by you, despite at least three written reminders from us, we may close the Order.

16.2 On closure, Clause 5 applies as though you had cancelled on the ninetieth day. You may instead ask us in writing, before closure, to hold the Order open for a further period, and we will do so once without charge.

17. Force majeure

17.1 Where an Order cannot be performed because of an event described in Clause 25 of the Terms and Conditions and the event continues for more than sixty (60) days, either party may cancel the affected Order and Clause 5 of this Policy applies to amounts paid.

18. Changes to this Policy

18.1 We may amend this Policy by publishing a revised version on the website with a new version number and effective date. The version in force on the date of your Order Confirmation governs your Order, and a later amendment does not apply retrospectively to it.

19. Governing law

19.1 This Policy is governed by the laws of India and is subject to Clause 28 of the Terms and Conditions.

SCHEDULE B — WORKED ILLUSTRATIONS

These illustrations are provided so you can see exactly how the calculation works. They are examples only.

Illustration 1 — Cancelled within the free window

Contract Price ₹24,999. Your Order was confirmed at 2:40 PM. You wrote to us at 5:10 PM the same day, and your Order had not yet been allocated.

Cancellation received within five hours and before work commenced. The entire amount paid, including tax, is refunded with no deduction.

Illustration 2 — Cancelled after allocation, before any stage completed

Contract Price ₹24,999. You paid a 50% initial instalment of ₹12,499.50 plus tax. Your Order was allocated to a specialist at 4:00 PM and we notified you. You cancelled the next morning, before the brief was locked. We had committed an engagement fee of ₹4,000 which the specialist did not return.

No Delivery Stage was completed, so nothing is retained under Clause 5.1(a). The committed engagement fee of ₹4,000 is retained under Clause 5.1(b), with evidence furnished.Amount refunded: ₹12,499.50 minus ₹4,000 = ₹8,499.50, plus proportionate tax.

Illustration 3 — Website cancelled after design approval

Contract Price ₹24,999. You paid a 50% initial instalment of ₹12,499.50 plus Goods and Services Tax of ₹2,249.91, a total of ₹14,749.41. You approved the design on 10 September and cancelled in writing on 18 September. No Third-Party Product had been purchased and no further amount had been committed.

Stage 2 completed and approved, so 40% of ₹24,999 is retained, being ₹9,999.60.Amount refunded: ₹12,499.50 minus ₹9,999.60 = ₹2,499.90, plus proportionate Goods and Services Tax of ₹449.98.Total refunded to you: ₹2,949.88. We issue a tax invoice for ₹9,999.60 plus tax, and a refund voucher for the balance.

Illustration 4 — Website paid in full, cancelled early

Contract Price ₹24,999, paid in full with tax, a total of ₹29,498.82. You cancelled after the brief was locked but before any design was presented. A .com domain costing ₹1,200 had been registered in your name at your request.

Stage 1 completed, so 15% of ₹24,999 is retained, being ₹3,749.85. The domain cost of ₹1,200 is a committed cost under Clause 5.1(b), and the domain is transferred to you.Amount refunded: ₹24,999 minus ₹3,749.85 minus ₹1,200 = ₹20,049.15, plus proportionate Goods and Services Tax of ₹3,608.85.Total refunded to you: ₹23,658.00.

Illustration 5 — Monthly SEO retainer cancelled mid-cycle

Your cycle runs from the 1st to the 30th. You gave written notice on the 12th.

Notice was given more than seven days before the next cycle, so cancellation takes effect at the end of the current cycle on the 30th. The current cycle is not refundable. No further cycle is billed. Access to your accounts, and all reports produced during cycles you paid for, are handed over.

Illustration 6 — We cancel the Order

Contract Price ₹49,999. You paid ₹24,999.50 plus tax. Two stages were complete when we informed you we were unable to continue.

Nothing is retained on account of work performed. The entire ₹24,999.50 plus the full tax paid is refunded to you. Any committed cost is borne by us.

Aurelian Vulcan Group Private LimitedOperating the brand The Tribal NodeCIN: U62090WR2026PTC293034 | GSTIN: 19ABFCA2560A1Z3www.thetribalnode.com | hello@thetribalnode.com | +91 62908 24487