Refund Policy

Refund Policy – Art Licence Studio (UK) Effective Date: 1 September 2025 Introduction and Scope Art Licence Studio (operated by Art Licence Studio Ltd) is a UK-based digital art licensing platform. This Refund Policy explains when and how we issue refunds for: - Digital product purchases (e.g. digital art licences or downloads), and - Subscription plans (e.g. Artist Pro memberships). Our goal is to be fair, transparent, and community-focused in our refunds. We strive to support independent creators and buyers while preventing abuse or fraud. We also aim to minimise fees and keep our platform sustainable for everyone. This policy complies with UK consumer laws (including the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 and Consumer Rights Act 2015 1 ) – nothing here affects your statutory rights. Refunds for Digital Product Purchases (Digital Art Licences) Digital art licences refer to digital goods (like image files or license keys) you purchase for download. Under UK law, once you download digital content you typically lose the right to cancel that purchase 2 . However, we do offer refunds in specific fair cases: • Change of Mind (Unused Download): If you bought a digital item but have not downloaded or accessed it, you may request a refund within 14 days of purchase. This 14-day “cooling-off” period is provided by UK Consumer Contracts Regulations for distance sales 2 . Example: You purchase a digital artwork license, then decide not to use it and have never downloaded the file – in this case, contact us within 14 days for a refund. Once a download starts, the right to cancel is waived 2 , so please ensure the item is truly unwanted and unaccessed. • Defective or Not as Described: If the digital content you received is faulty, corrupt, or not as described, we will make it right. First, we’ll provide a working replacement or fix the issue promptly (for instance, sending a corrected file or reactivating your license). If we cannot resolve the problem in a reasonable time, you are entitled to a refund of the purchase price 3 . Example: If an art file is damaged or doesn’t match its description, we will either supply you with the correct file or refund your money 3 . This is in line with your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 for digital content. • Purchase Errors or Platform Issues: If you were charged in error – for instance, you accidentally purchased the same item twice, or a technical glitch charged you incorrectly – we will refund any duplicate or incorrect charges. Similarly, if you paid for a digital product but did not receive access due to a system fault on our side, we will ensure you get the product or issue a full refund. When Refunds Are Not Granted (Digital Goods): - Once you download or access the digital content, we consider the product “delivered” and non- 1refundable (unless a defect or legal right applies). We cannot offer refunds for changed mind after download, to prevent abuse (e.g. avoiding scenarios where someone could download the art and then unfairly claim a refund). - If you downloaded/used the item and it functions as described, no refund will be given for buyer’s remorse or usage that didn’t meet your personal expectations. Please review product details before purchasing. - Custom or personalised digital items (if offered on our platform) are generally non-refundable unless defective, because they are made specifically for you. - Refund requests made beyond the 14-day period (for reasons other than faults) will normally not be honored, as the statutory cancellation window has passed. - Any indications of fraudulent or abusive refund activity (such as repeated refunds on fully used items) may result in the request being refused and potential account suspension to protect our artist community. Refunds for Subscription Plans (e.g. Artist Pro) Subscription plans provide ongoing services or premium features on Art Licence Studio, billed on a recurring cycle (e.g. monthly or annually). We make cancellation easy, but refunds for subscriptions are handled with care to be fair to both users and creators: • 14-Day Cooling-Off for New Subscriptions: If you subscribe to a plan and then change your mind, you have 14 days from the start of the contract to cancel and request a refund (per UK Consumer Contracts Regulations) 4 . If you have not made significant use of the service in that time, we will refund your subscription fee pro rata for the unused period 4 . For instance, if you paid for a month and cancel after 7 days, we would refund roughly 3 weeks’ worth of the fee back to you, minus the value of any service you already used 4 . (Note: If you fully utilise a short-term subscription within 14 days – e.g. a one-week pass – your right to cancel may be lost once the service is completely delivered 4 .) • Cancellation After 14 Days: You can cancel your subscription at any time to stop the next billing. However, we do not normally refund the unused portion of your current billing cycle after the 14-day window. Your premium benefits will continue until the end of the paid period, but the period you already paid for is generally non-refundable if you cancel for convenience. This policy ensures fairness and keeps fees low for all users. (For instance, if you cancel halfway through a month, you will retain Pro access for the remainder, but a mid-month refund won’t be given.) • Billing Errors & Double Charges: If a technical error causes you to be charged twice or charged after you already cancelled, we will refund the erroneous charge in full. Similarly, if you accidentally purchased two subscription plans or tiers, notify us and we will merge or cancel and refund the duplicate purchase. We want to ensure you only pay for what you intended to. • Service Outages or Platform Issues: Our commitment is to provide the subscription service reliably. If a major outage or technical issue on our end significantly disrupted your paid subscription service (for instance, a server downtime that lasted days), please reach out. We will assess the impact and may offer a partial credit or pro-rated refund for the time the service was unavailable, as a gesture of good faith. • Upgrades/Downgrades: If you upgrade your subscription plan, we will apply any remaining credit from your current plan towards the upgrade fee (or pro-rate the new plan accordingly). If 2you downgrade or cancel, the change will take effect after your current paid period ends, with no penalty. (We generally don’t refund the difference for downgrades mid-cycle, but you’ll enjoy the higher tier until term end.) When Subscription Refunds Are Not Granted: - Change of Mind After 14 Days: If you simply decide you no longer need the subscription mid-term (after the initial 14-day period), we will not issue a refund for the unused time. We ask that you utilise the benefits for the remainder of the paid term, or you may cancel to prevent renewal. This approach keeps it fair and sustainable for us and the artists whose content you access. - Excessive Usage: If we find that a user has heavily used the subscription benefits (e.g. downloaded many included resources or gained significant value) and then requests a refund without a valid service issue, we reserve the right to decline the refund. Subscriptions are meant to be fair-use, not a risk-free trial after full use. - Repeated Cancellations: Our policy is trust-based, but if a pattern of subscribing just to obtain benefits and then demanding refunds emerges, we will treat this as abuse. Future refund requests may be refused in such cases, and the account may be reviewed for misuse. How to Request a Refund We aim to make the refund process straightforward and transparent: • Contact Method: To request a refund, please contact our support team via email at support@artlicencestudio.co.uk (or through the contact form on our website). Provide your account email, order number or transaction ID, the purchase or subscription in question, and a brief description of the issue/reason for refund. • Timeframe for Requests: It’s best to request a refund as soon as an issue arises. For digital product purchases, notify us within 14 days of purchase (or of discovering a defect). For subscription-related issues or billing errors, contact us within a reasonable time (e.g. within a month of the charge or problem). The sooner we know, the quicker we can help. • Review Process: Our team will review your request promptly. In some cases, we may ask for additional information to process the refund – for instance, a screenshot of an error, or confirmation that a file wasn’t downloaded (we can verify download logs). This helps us resolve things accurately and prevent fraud. We approach each case with trust in our users; our questions are only to clarify the situation and ensure fairness. • Outcome and Refund Processing: We will inform you of the outcome of your request. If approved, refunds are typically issued to the original payment method. We strive to process refunds quickly (usually within 5–10 business days). In any case, refunds for valid cancellations will be processed no later than 14 days from approval, as required by law 5 6 . You will receive an email confirmation once the refund is processed. (Please note that your bank or card provider may take additional time to post the credit to your account.) • Refund Amounts and Fees: When we grant a refund, we generally refund the full purchase price you paid. We do not deduct any handling or “restocking” fees for digital products. The aim is to minimise costs for our community. However, original transaction fees (e.g. currency exchange fees or payment processor fees) that we cannot recover may not be refundable in some cases. We will be transparent if any such deductions are necessary. (This is rare and we will inform you in advance – typically, you should receive the full net amount you paid.) • Effect on Creators: When a refund is issued for a digital art license, the associated sale is reversed. Any royalties or earnings that were credited to the independent artist for that sale will be deducted to uphold fairness. We handle this internally – you do not need to contact the artist. 3Our team communicates with the creator as needed so that they understand the refund was granted in line with our policy (e.g. due to a proven issue or returned license). This way, refunds remain fair to both buyers and creators. Fair Use and Abuse Prevention We maintain this refund policy to be generous in genuine cases but firm against misuse. Honesty and trust are the foundation: we trust our users to make legitimate refund requests, and in return we ask that you respect these terms. • Limited Abuse: If a user is found to be exploiting the refund policy – for instance, repeatedly purchasing digital content, downloading it, then claiming unwarranted refunds – we reserve the right to deny the request and may take further action on the account. This could include warnings or account suspension in serious cases. Our platform exists to support artists’ livelihoods and fair buyer rights, and abuse of refunds harms this ecosystem. • Monitoring: Art Licence Studio may monitor purchasing and download activity to detect patterns of abuse. We also fingerprint digital files where appropriate. This is to protect creators’ content from fraud. We value your privacy and any such measures are only to uphold the integrity of our marketplace – we will not intrude on legitimate users. • Community Trust: We prefer to resolve issues amicably and will usually give customers the benefit of the doubt. If you have a unique situation not explicitly covered by this policy, please reach out – we will listen and try to find a fair solution. Likewise, we ask that you approach refund requests in good faith. Together, this trust-based approach keeps our community strong and our fees low. Your Statutory Rights (UK Consumers) This policy is written to comply with UK consumer protection laws and to clarify how we handle refunds in light of those laws: • UK Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013: These regulations give UK consumers the right to a 14-day cooling-off period for most online purchases, during which you can cancel and get a refund 7 . For digital downloads, however, if you choose to download the content within that 14-day period, you must consent to waive the cooling-off right before downloading 8 . Art Licence Studio’s practice of limiting refunds on downloaded content reflects this law. In short, if you haven’t downloaded, you can change your mind within 14 days; if you have downloaded, the normal right to cancel no longer applies 2 . • UK Consumer Rights Act 2015: This law guarantees that digital products must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described. If a digital art product you purchase from us is faulty or not as advertised, you’re entitled to remedies. Our policy of offering a fix or replacement, or a refund if the issue can’t be fixed, follows your legal rights under this Act 3 . You also have a right to a refund if we fail to supply the digital content you paid for 9 (for example, if we had no legal right to license the artwork, which would be a “failure to supply” situation – though we ensure we have rights to all content we sell). • No Effect on Statutory Rights: This refund policy does not limit or replace your legal rights. We operate in line with all applicable consumer protection laws. If any part of this policy is ever in conflict with UK law, the law takes precedence. You can always seek advice about your consumer rights from agencies like Citizens Advice if needed. Our aim is that you never have to resort to that – we are committed to fair outcomes! 4Contact Us If you have questions about this Refund Policy or need assistance with a purchase: - Email: support@artlicencestudio.co.uk - Website: Visit our Support Centre at /support for FAQs or to submit a help request. - Company Address: Art Licence Studio Ltd, 5 Brayford Square, London, E1 0SG, United Kingdom (our registered office). We’re here to help and will respond as promptly as possible. Your feedback is also welcome – our policies are community-driven, and we periodically update them to serve you better. Thank you for being a part of Art Licence Studio. By creating a fair and abuse-free environment, we can continue to support the artists you love while ensuring you shop with confidence. Enjoy your art licensing experience, and please reach out if you need any assistance! 1 6 9 Digital content | Business Companion https://www.businesscompanion.info/en/quick-guides/digital/digital-content 2 How to Create a Clear, Legally Compliant Return Policy for Your UK Online Store | Sprintlaw UK https://sprintlaw.co.uk/articles/how-to-create-a-clear-legally-compliant-return-policy-for-your-uk-online-store/ 3 Consumer Rights Act https://www.ouryclark.com/resources/quick-guide/consumer-rights-act/ 4 5 8 Consumer Contracts Regulations - Which? https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/consumer-contracts-regulations-ajWHC8m21cAk 7 What Cancellation Rights Do You Need to Offer Consumers as a Service Provider? | LegalVision UK https://legalvision.co.uk/commercial-contracts/cancellation-rights-service-provider/ 5