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Refund and cancellation policy

What happens to deposits and milestone payments when a project changes or ends, and how refunds work for digital products and online services.

Auths Digital (Pty) Ltd. Last updated 16 September 2026.

1. The short version

  • You only ever pay for work that has been done or that has been reserved for you.
  • If we end a project, you get every unearned cent back.
  • If you end a project, you pay for the work done so far and receive it, and the rest is refunded.
  • Digital products can be cancelled within seven days unless you have already accessed them.

This policy forms part of our Terms of service. Where a written proposal says something different, the proposal applies.

2. Deposits

A deposit (normally 40% of a fixed quote, or the price of the first milestone) reserves space in our schedule and is applied to the work as it is done. It is not an extra fee.

  • If you cancel before we start: we refund the deposit less a reasonable cancellation charge. The charge reflects the time already spent on your project and the schedule that was held for you, and it is smaller the more notice you give. It will never exceed the deposit.
  • If you cancel after we start: the deposit is applied to the work done up to the effective date at the rate in your proposal. Any unused part is refunded, and if the work done exceeds the deposit, the difference is invoiced.
  • If we cancel, or cannot start on the agreed date: the deposit is refunded in full, with no cancellation charge.
  • We do not charge a cancellation fee if the person the work was for has died or been hospitalised, as required by section 17 of the Consumer Protection Act.

3. Fixed-quote projects

  • Either of us may end a fixed-quote project on 14 days’ written notice, as described in the Terms of service.
  • On termination we calculate the value of the work completed to date as a fair proportion of the fixed price, credit the deposit against it, and either refund the difference or invoice it.
  • Once the balance is settled you receive all work in progress, source code and documentation.

4. Milestone projects

  • A milestone you have accepted and paid for is complete and its payment is not refundable, because the work has been delivered to you.
  • You can decide not to continue after any milestone. Nothing is owed for milestones that have not started, and any deposit held against a future milestone is refunded.
  • If a project ends part-way through a milestone, you pay for the work done in that milestone to date, and we hand over the work in progress.

5. Hourly and retainer work

  • Hourly work can be stopped at any time. You pay only for the hours worked up to that point.
  • Hours reserved in advance that have not been used are refunded in full when the engagement ends.
  • Time reports are sent weekly, so you can raise any query about hours before they are invoiced.

6. Delays and rescheduling

If you need to pause a project, tell us as early as you can. We will hold your deposit and resume when you are ready, subject to our availability. A pause of more than 60 days is treated as a cancellation unless we agree otherwise in writing. If we cannot resume on a date that works for you, we refund any unearned amount in full.

7. Defects are fixed, not refunded

If something we delivered does not work as agreed, we fix it. Defects reported within the 30-day support window after launch are corrected at no charge. A refund is offered only where we are unable to correct a material defect within a reasonable time, and it is limited to the fees paid for the affected deliverable.

8. Digital products and online services

Cooling-off period

If you are a natural person buying for your own use, section 44 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act gives you the right to cancel an online purchase within seven days of the transaction, without giving a reason, and to receive a full refund within 30 days.

Under section 42(2) of the same Act, that right does not apply where:

  • the product is a download, licence key or similar digital content that you have already accessed or used;
  • an online service began, with your consent, before the seven-day period ended. We ask for that consent at checkout so that access can start immediately; or
  • the product was made to your specifications or personalised for you.

Defective or misdescribed products

If a digital product is defective, or is not what we described, tell us within six months of purchase. We will repair or replace it, or refund it, as the Consumer Protection Act requires where it applies.

Subscriptions

  • You can cancel a subscription at any time. It ends at the close of the current billing period.
  • We do not refund the remainder of a billing period that has already started, unless the law requires it.
  • If we discontinue a paid service, we refund any prepaid period you will not receive, pro rata.

9. How to cancel or request a refund

  1. Email christel@authsdigital.com with your name, the invoice or order number, and what you would like to cancel.
  2. We confirm receipt within one business day and tell you what will be refunded and when.
  3. Refunds are paid to the original payment method within 14 days of our confirmation, and in any event within the 30 days that ECTA requires.

10. Your legal rights

Nothing in this policy limits the rights you have under the Consumer Protection Act, the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act or any other law that applies to you. If you are unhappy with how we have handled a cancellation or refund, you can also approach the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud or the National Consumer Commission.