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Refund Policy

At South Easter Agency, we believe in straightforward, transparent partnerships. Because our digital marketing, advertising, and website design services require dedicated time, strategy, and upfront resources, we have established the following billing and refund policies to ensure clear expectations and protect both our agency and our clients.

1. General Payment & Billing Terms

  • Payment Terms: All invoices must be paid by the specified due date. For monthly retainers, payment is due at the beginning of the billing cycle.

  • Late Payments & Work Pauses: If any invoice (project-based or monthly retainer) remains unpaid for ten (10) working days past the issue date, South Easter Agency reserves the right to immediately pause all active work, ad campaigns, and social media posting until the account balance is cleared.

  • Additional/Ad-Hoc Work: Any extra scope, additional revisions, or out-of-scope tasks requested during a given month will be billed in arrears and added to the subsequent month's invoice.

2. Website Design & Project-Based Work

  • The 50% Upfront Deposit: All project-based work (including but not limited to website design, branding, and one-off digital setups) requires a minimum 50% upfront deposit before any strategy, design, or development work begins.

  • Non-Refundable Deposit: This deposit secures our team’s time and covers the initial labor and strategy phases. Assuming no fault, breach of contract, or failure to deliver on the part of South Easter Agency, this 50% deposit is strictly non-refundable under any circumstances.

  • Final Delivery & Launch: The remaining balance must be paid in full before the final product is handed over, transferred to the client's domain, or made publicly live on the internet. We do not release final assets on credit.

  • Change of Mind / Buyer's Remorse: We do not offer refunds for a client's change of mind, business closure, or "buyer's remorse" once work has commenced. If a client chooses to cancel a project mid-development, South Easter Agency retains the initial 50% deposit for services rendered up to that point.

  • Scope Creep & Revisions: Website packages include a set number of revision rounds. Requests for complete redesigns after initial approvals, or adding significant new features not outlined in the original scope, will be quoted and billed separately.

3. Monthly Retainers (Social Media, Content & Management)

  • Upfront Billing: All monthly retainer services are billed and must be paid at the beginning of the month. We do not commence monthly management work without prior payment.

  • Cancellations: Clients are free to cancel their monthly retainers at any point. However, no pro-rata refunds will be issued for the current active month. Once a month is paid for, South Easter Agency will fulfill the agreed-upon services for the remainder of that billing cycle.

4. Paid Advertising & Ad Spend (Meta, Google, etc.)

  • Third-Party Payments: Money allocated specifically for advertising spend is paid directly to third-party platforms (e.g., Meta, Google, LinkedIn) or billed by South Easter Agency to facilitate those platform payments. Under no circumstances is ad spend refundable by South Easter Agency once it has been charged by or paid to the advertising platform.

  • Ad Spend Billing Structure: In instances where South Easter Agency handles the ad spend directly rather than using the client's credit card on the platform, clients will be billed at the start of the week for that upcoming week's exact advertising budget.

  • Agency Liability Limitations: South Easter Agency applies daily or weekly budget limits based on the agreed-upon strategy. We cannot and will not be held legally or financially responsible for platform glitches, algorithmic changes, banned ad accounts, third-party errors, or overspending initiated by the advertising platform itself.

  • Budget Input Errors: South Easter Agency will only accept liability and issue a refund/credit in the specific event that our team physically inputs an incorrect daily ad spend limit that directly exceeds the client's expressly written and agreed-upon budget.

5. Third-Party Costs & Subscriptions

  • Our service fees do not include third-party subscriptions unless explicitly stated in your contract. Costs for website hosting (e.g., Wix premium plans), custom domain name registrations, premium plugins, Shopify apps, or stock media licenses are the sole responsibility of the client.

  • South Easter Agency cannot issue refunds for third-party services, nor are we liable for any price increases or service outages caused by these external platforms.

6. Client Delays and "Ghosting"

  • The successful and timely delivery of digital projects relies heavily on client feedback and communication. If a project stalls or is delayed for more than thirty (30) consecutive days due to a lack of client communication, failure to provide requested feedback, or failure to supply necessary assets (such as login credentials, product photos, or written copy), South Easter Agency reserves the right to archive the project.

  • Archived projects will require a formal restart fee to be un-archived and re-added to our production schedule. Refunds will not be issued for projects delayed by the client.

7. Governing Law

These terms and policies shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of South Africa.

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