Refund & Cancellation Policy

Last updated: 13 June 2026

1. What this policy covers

We offer three types of paid work, and the refund terms differ for each:

• A. Custom project work - bespoke websites, mobile apps, AI/chatbot and software development, billed by deposit and milestones.
• B. Subscriptions & retainers - monthly SaaS access or ongoing monthly service retainers.
• C. Once-off digital products - downloadable templates, code, or digital assets.

We accept payment by card and EFT through Paystack. Refunds are always made to the original payment method.

2. How to request a cancellation or refund

Email wangamanwatha@gmail.com with:

• your name and the email or company the order was placed under;
• the Paystack payment reference or invoice number; and
• a short description of what you would like cancelled or refunded, and why.

Our response time: we acknowledge every request within 2 business days and aim to resolve it within 10 business days. If we need more information or time, we will tell you why and give you a revised date.

3. Your cooling-off rights (ECTA)

If you are a consumer who ordered from us online, Section 44 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, 2002 (ECTA) gives you a 7-day cooling-off period to cancel, without reason or penalty. You bear only the direct cost of returning anything, which rarely applies to digital work.

Where the cooling-off right does not apply. Under Section 42(2) of ECTA, the 7-day right falls away for:

• services that have already started with your consent before the 7 days end (for example, we have begun your project's Discovery phase);
• goods or software made to your specifications or clearly personalised (all of our custom project work); and
• digital products that you have already downloaded, unsealed, or accessed.

In practice this means the cooling-off right mainly protects you in the short window before work begins or before you download a product - see the sections below.

Business customers above the thresholds in the Consumer Protection Act, and standard business-to-business contracts, are governed by the signed agreement rather than by the consumer cooling-off right.

4. Cancellations & refunds by type

A. Custom project work (milestone-based)

• Before any work has started: cancel for a full refund, less any third-party costs we have already paid on your behalf (for example domains, licences, or paid APIs) that cannot be recovered.
• After work has started: the deposit becomes non-refundable, because it reserves our team's time and covers initial Discovery and planning. You may still cancel the remainder of the project.
• Milestones already completed, delivered, or approved are non-refundable. For a milestone that is in progress, we refund it on a pro-rata basis for the portion not yet worked, as reflected in your signed quotation and milestone schedule.
• If we cannot deliver what we agreed, or cancel the project on our side, you receive a full refund of any amount paid for undelivered work.

B. Subscriptions & retainers (monthly)

• You can cancel at any time. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current paid month, and you will not be billed again.
• The current month is non-refundable once the billing period has started and the service has been available to you, but you keep access until the end of that paid month.
• First-time subscribers are covered by the 7-day cooling-off right above for the initial payment only, provided you have not yet started using the service. Once you begin using it, that right falls away.
• If a service we bill you for is unavailable due to our fault for a sustained period, we will refund or credit you pro-rata for the affected time.

C. Once-off digital products (instant download)

• Because these are delivered instantly, they are non-refundable once you have downloaded or accessed the product - this is an ECTA Section 42(2) exclusion.
• Before you download, you may cancel for a full refund.
• If a product is faulty, corrupt, or materially not as described, you are entitled under the Consumer Protection Act to a repair, replacement, or full refund - just contact us within a reasonable time.

5. How refunds are processed

• Approved refunds are processed through Paystack back to your original card or bank account.
• Refunds are actioned within 5 to 10 business days of approval. Your bank or card provider may take additional time to reflect the funds.
• We do not refund to a different account or payment method than the one originally used.

6. Disputes and escalation

If you are unhappy with our decision:

• Reply to your email thread and ask for it to be escalated to management. A director of MACOWA (Pty) Ltd will personally review it and respond within 5 business days.
• Card payment dispute: you may also raise a dispute directly with your bank or through Paystack, the payment gateway that processed your transaction.
• External escalation: as a South African consumer you may refer an unresolved complaint to the National Consumer Commission (NCC) or the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (CGSO), or seek relief through the appropriate court.

We would always prefer to resolve things with you directly and fairly first.

7. Your rights under the Consumer Protection Act

Nothing in this policy limits your rights under the Consumer Protection Act, 2008 (CPA), including your right to quality service and to fair, reasonable terms. Where this policy and the CPA differ for a transaction the CPA covers, the CPA prevails.

8. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The version shown here, with its "Last updated" date, is the one that applies. Material changes affecting an active project or subscription will be communicated to you directly.

MACOWA (Pty) Ltd t/a Macowa Solutions · wangamanwatha@gmail.com · South Africa