Refund & Cancellation Policy

1. Purpose and Scope

This Refund and Cancellation Policy ("Policy") sets out the terms on which Maestra Tech Ltd ("Maestra Tech", "we", "us", or "our") handles requests for refunds and cancellations in respect of its email deliverability and security consultancy services.

Maestra Tech operates exclusively in the business-to-business (B2B) market. This Policy governs all commercial engagements including one-off project engagements governed by a Statement of Work (SOW), ongoing retainer or managed service agreements, and ad hoc advisory and consultancy instructions.

This Policy is governed by the laws of England and Wales and should be read alongside the relevant Statement of Work or service agreement. Where there is any conflict between this Policy and a signed engagement agreement, the terms of the signed engagement agreement prevail.

2. Definitions

• Engagement — any instruction, Statement of Work, retainer agreement, or other commercial arrangement under which Maestra Tech provides services to a client.
• Fees — all charges payable by the client to Maestra Tech in respect of an Engagement, including project fees, retainer fees, milestone payments, and any agreed expenses.
• Milestone — a defined deliverable or stage of work within a project SOW, upon completion of which a payment becomes due.
• Retainer — a recurring fixed-fee arrangement under which Maestra Tech provides ongoing services (e.g. monthly DMARC monitoring, reporting, and advisory support).
• Third-Party Costs — expenses incurred by Maestra Tech on the client's behalf in the course of an Engagement, including DMARC report processing platform fees, DNS hosting charges, tooling licences, and sub-contractor costs.
• Service Failure — a material failure by Maestra Tech to perform agreed services to the standard of reasonable care and skill as implied by the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982, which has not been remedied within a reasonable time of written notification.
• Cancellation — a client's decision to end or suspend an Engagement before all agreed services have been delivered.

3. Fees and Payment Structure

All fees are quoted exclusive of VAT. VAT will be charged at the applicable rate at the point of invoicing. Invoices are payable within 30 days of the invoice date unless otherwise specified.

4. Non-Refundable Items

The following fees and costs are non-refundable in all circumstances, including in the event of cancellation by the client:

• All fees for work that has been completed and delivered by Maestra Tech at the point of cancellation, including completed audit reports, DNS configuration, DMARC record deployment, and deliverability assessments
• Milestone payments that have been signed off or accepted by the client under the terms of the relevant SOW
• The initial project commencement fee (where applicable), as this covers project scoping, onboarding, account setup, and initial DNS reconnaissance
• Third-Party Costs paid or committed by Maestra Tech on the client's behalf prior to cancellation, including DMARC aggregate report processing platform fees, DNS hosting or registrar management fees, and sub-contractor or specialist fees for work already commenced
• Fees for retainer months that have already been invoiced and are within or past the current billing period
• Any fees for emergency or out-of-hours support requested by the client and provided by Maestra Tech

Where Maestra Tech has incurred Third-Party Costs on behalf of the client that have not yet been invoiced, those costs remain payable by the client notwithstanding any cancellation.

5. Cancellation by the Client

5.1 Notice Requirements

Cancellations must be made in writing and sent to [email protected].

5.2 Early Termination

If a client cancels a fixed-term engagement (e.g. a 6-month retainer contract) before the contractual end date:

• Any fees already invoiced and due remain payable
• Maestra Tech may invoice for an early termination fee equivalent to 50% of the remaining contracted fees not yet invoiced, to reflect work scheduled, resources allocated, and opportunity costs incurred
• This early termination fee may be waived at Maestra Tech's discretion where the cancellation is due to a documented Service Failure by Maestra Tech

The early termination fee is a genuine pre-estimate of Maestra Tech's losses and is not a penalty.

5.3 Effect of Cancellation on DNS and Configuration

Upon cancellation of any Engagement, the client is responsible for updating or removing any DNS records previously configured by Maestra Tech where continued operation of those records could create a security risk, revoking any access credentials or API tokens previously provided to Maestra Tech, and making alternative arrangements for DMARC report monitoring and processing if a monitoring service was part of the cancelled Engagement.

Maestra Tech will, upon request, provide the client with a written summary of all DNS records and configurations in place at the date of cancellation to facilitate a smooth handover.

6. Cancellation by Maestra Tech

Maestra Tech reserves the right to cancel or suspend an Engagement in the following circumstances:

• Non-payment of fees following written notice and a cure period of 10 business days
• Material breach of the Acceptable Use Policy (MT-POL-AUP-001) by the client
• Discovery that the client has provided materially false or misleading information relevant to the engagement
• Where continuing the Engagement would expose Maestra Tech to legal, regulatory, or reputational risk
• A Force Majeure Event lasting more than 30 consecutive days

Where Maestra Tech cancels an Engagement for reasons other than client breach or non-payment, it will give the client a minimum of 14 days' written notice where practicable, refund any pre-paid fees for services not yet delivered (pro-rated for retainer arrangements), and provide a written handover summary of all work completed and DNS configurations in place.

7. Refunds for Service Failure

7.1 What Constitutes a Service Failure

Under the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982, Maestra Tech is required to perform its services with reasonable care and skill. A Service Failure occurs where Maestra Tech materially fails to meet this standard, for example:

• A materially incorrect DNS record is deployed by Maestra Tech that causes demonstrable disruption to the client's email delivery, and which Maestra Tech fails to correct within a reasonable time following notification
• Maestra Tech fails to deliver agreed milestones within timescales specified in a signed SOW without reasonable justification
• Maestra Tech provides advice that is demonstrably incorrect and contrary to established email authentication standards, causing the client material harm

The following are not Service Failures for the purposes of this Policy:

• Deliverability or inbox placement issues caused by the client's own sending practices, content, or list hygiene
• Email rejection or quarantine caused by inbox provider policy changes outside Maestra Tech's control
• Authentication failures caused by DNS changes made by the client or a third party without Maestra Tech's knowledge
• Delays caused by the client's failure to provide timely access to required systems, credentials, or information
• Outcomes that are inherently uncertain or dependent on third-party decisions (e.g. inbox provider spam filter determinations)

7.2 Refund Amounts for Service Failure

Where a valid Service Failure is established, Maestra Tech will, at its discretion, offer one or more of the following remedies:

• Repeat performance — re-doing the affected work at no additional charge, within a reasonable agreed timeframe
• Partial fee reduction — a reduction in the fees charged for the affected work, proportionate to the impact of the failure
• Full refund of affected fees — where the failure is so material that the service provided has no value to the client

Refunds will not exceed the fees paid for the specific service or deliverable that failed. Maestra Tech is not liable for consequential losses, loss of business, or loss of revenue arising from a Service Failure except where such liability cannot be excluded under applicable law.

7.3 How to Report a Service Failure

To request a refund on the grounds of Service Failure, the client must:

• Notify Maestra Tech in writing at [email protected] within 30 days of the date the failure was or should reasonably have been discovered
• Provide a clear description of the alleged failure, including relevant dates, evidence of impact (e.g. bounce logs, delivery failure reports, DMARC report data), and the remedy sought
• Allow Maestra Tech a reasonable opportunity to investigate and, where appropriate, to provide repeat performance before seeking a fee reduction or refund

Maestra Tech will acknowledge Service Failure notifications within two (2) business days and will endeavour to provide a substantive response within 10 business days.

8. Fee Disputes

If a client disputes any invoice or fee, the following process applies:

• The client must raise the dispute in writing to [email protected] within 14 days of the invoice date, setting out the basis of the dispute and the amount in question
• Undisputed portions of any invoice remain due and payable by the original payment date
• Maestra Tech will acknowledge the dispute within two (2) business days and will work with the client to resolve it informally within 20 business days
• If the dispute cannot be resolved informally, either party may refer it to the formal dispute resolution process set out in the relevant engagement agreement, or to mediation by a mutually agreed independent mediator

Raising a fee dispute does not entitle the client to withhold payment of undisputed fees or to suspend performance of its other obligations under the engagement.

9. Late Payment

Where fees remain unpaid beyond the agreed payment date, Maestra Tech reserves the right to:

• Charge statutory interest on overdue amounts under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, at 8% per annum above the Bank of England base rate
• Charge reasonable debt recovery costs in accordance with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Regulations 2002
• Suspend the provision of services until overdue amounts are settled, following 5 business days' written notice
• Terminate the Engagement in accordance with Section 6 of this Policy

Maestra Tech will always attempt to resolve payment issues informally before exercising its statutory late payment rights.

10. Refund Process and Timelines

Where a refund is agreed, the following process applies:

• Maestra Tech will confirm the refund amount and the basis for it in writing within 5 business days of the agreement being reached
• Refunds will be processed by the same payment method as the original payment where possible
• Refunds will be credited within 14 calendar days of written confirmation, subject to any bank processing times outside Maestra Tech's control
• Refunds will be made in pounds sterling (GBP) regardless of any currency fluctuation between invoice date and refund date
• Where VAT was charged on the original invoice, the refund will include the applicable VAT amount, and Maestra Tech will issue a credit note for VAT purposes

Maestra Tech will not make refunds to third parties. Refunds are made only to the contracting client entity.

11. Changes to Scope and Out-of-Scope Work

Where a client requests changes to the agreed scope of an Engagement that result in additional work, Maestra Tech will issue a change request or variation note setting out the additional work, estimated time, and additional fees. Work outside the original scope will not commence until the change request is agreed in writing by both parties.

Where a client reduces the scope of work during an Engagement, fees for work already completed or in progress will not be refunded. Maestra Tech will not charge for work that has not been commenced at the date the reduced scope is agreed in writing.

12. Relationship to Other Policies and Documents

This Policy should be read alongside:

• The relevant Statement of Work or service agreement for the Engagement
• MT-POL-AUP-001 Acceptable Use Policy — which sets out the conditions under which Maestra Tech provides services and the grounds for suspension or termination
• Any Data Processing Agreement entered into in connection with the Engagement

13. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

This Policy and any disputes arising in connection with it are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Each party irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. Nothing in this Policy excludes or limits any rights that cannot be excluded or limited under the laws of England and Wales, including rights under the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 and the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982.

14. Policy Review

This Policy will be reviewed annually and updated as necessary to reflect changes in Maestra Tech's service offerings, applicable legislation, and commercial practice. Material changes to this Policy will be communicated to active clients in writing no less than 30 days before the changes take effect.

15. Contact

For all refund and cancellation requests, fee disputes, or questions about this Policy, please contact:

© 2026 Maestra Tech Ltd. All rights reserved. This document is confidential and intended for client and internal use only.