Kotei Designs

Refund & Cancellation Policy

Effective Date: 22 August 2026

1. Purpose

This Refund & Cancellation Policy establishes the terms governing cancellations, refunds, project interruptions, revisions, and the release of deliverables for services provided by Kotei Designs.

Kotei Designs is committed to conducting its business fairly and transparently. At the same time, every design project requires the allocation of professional time, creative resources, research, planning, project capacity and expertise. Once work begins, those resources are committed to the client's project and cannot necessarily be recovered.

This policy is therefore intended to provide a reasonable balance between protecting the client's interests and protecting Kotei Designs from losses resulting from cancellations, delays, abandonment or changes of mind.

All projects are subject to a separate client agreement or contract, which must be accepted and signed before work commences. Where there is a conflict between this policy and a specific signed contract, the terms of the signed contract will apply to the extent permitted by applicable law.

2. Payment Requirements

Unless otherwise agreed in writing:

• Brand identity and other project-based services require a 50% deposit before work commences.

• The remaining 50% balance is payable before final deliverables are released.

• Kotei Designs may agree to an alternative payment arrangement with a client. Any such arrangement must be documented in writing and incorporated into a signed agreement before the alternative arrangement takes effect.

• Certain services may be offered under a fixed monthly premium arrangement. Such arrangements are subject to their own agreed terms.

No design work will commence until the required initial payment has been received and the applicable client agreement has been signed.

3. Three-Day Cancellation Grace Period

A client may cancel a project within three calendar days of making a payment, provided that work has not commenced.

Where the client cancels within this period and Kotei Designs has not commenced work, the amount paid will be refunded in full, subject to any payment-processing costs that cannot legally or practically be recovered.

The three-day grace period is intended to give the client a reasonable opportunity to reconsider the engagement before Kotei Designs commits substantial professional resources to the project.

The grace period does not prevent Kotei Designs from recovering amounts properly payable for work that the client expressly requested and that was performed before cancellation.

4. Cancellation After Work Has Commenced

Once work has commenced, the project enters a different commercial stage because Kotei Designs has begun allocating professional time, creative resources and project capacity to the engagement.

4.1 Cancellation within the three-day grace period

If the client cancels within the three-calendar-day grace period after work has already commenced:

Where a 50% deposit was paid:

Kotei Designs may retain 70% of the deposit already paid as a cancellation charge, with the remaining 30% refundable, subject to any applicable payment-processing deductions permitted by law.

Where the full project fee was paid before work commenced:

Kotei Designs may retain 50% of the total project fee, with the remaining 50% refundable, subject to any applicable payment-processing deductions permitted by law.

These charges reflect the work, time, planning, resources and project capacity already committed to the engagement.

4.2 Cancellation after the three-day grace period

After the three-calendar-day cancellation period has expired, payments already made toward the project are generally non-refundable, subject to the client's rights under applicable South African law and any specific terms contained in the signed client agreement.

Kotei Designs will assess exceptional circumstances on a case-by-case basis and may, at its discretion, offer a partial refund or alternative resolution where appropriate.

5. Cancellation Due to Subjective Dissatisfaction

Design is inherently subjective. Kotei Designs therefore provides clients with an opportunity to provide feedback and request revisions within the agreed scope.

Each project includes three rounds of revisions, unless otherwise specified in the applicable quotation or contract.

A client who remains subjectively dissatisfied after the agreed design process and included revision rounds have been completed is not automatically entitled to a full refund.

Where a refund is considered appropriate, the amount will take into account:

• The amount of work already completed;

• Research and strategy undertaken;

• Concepts and design development produced;

• Revisions already performed;

• Project time and resources committed;

• Deliverables already produced; and

• Any other relevant circumstances.

No refund will be granted merely because the client subsequently decides that the design is not to their personal taste where Kotei Designs has substantially fulfilled the agreed scope and provided the contracted revision opportunities.

6. Revisions

Unless otherwise stated in writing, each project includes three rounds of revisions.

Revisions are intended to refine the agreed creative direction and do not constitute an unlimited opportunity to restart the project.

A request may be considered additional work where it:

• Introduces a substantially different creative direction;

• Changes the original brief materially;

• Requires the creation of an entirely new concept after a concept has been approved;

• Adds deliverables not included in the original scope; or

• Requires substantial additional design work beyond the included revision allowance.

Additional work may be quoted and charged separately before the additional work begins.

7. Client Delays and Inactivity

Kotei Designs depends on timely client communication, feedback, approvals, information and materials in order to maintain project progress.

If a client fails to respond or provide required information for 10 consecutive working days, Kotei Designs may place the project on hold.

A project placed on hold does not constitute a cancellation by Kotei Designs.

To reactivate a project after it has been placed on hold, the client will be required to pay a reactivation fee equal to 10% of the total project value.

Reactivation is also subject to Kotei Designs' availability and may require a revised delivery timeline.

Any outstanding payment obligations remain applicable while a project is on hold.

8. Changes to the Original Brief

The agreed quotation, proposal, scope of work and client brief establish the basis of the project.

Requests that materially change the original scope may result in additional fees and/or an amended delivery timeline.

Kotei Designs will communicate any material additional costs before undertaking the additional work wherever reasonably possible.

A client may not treat substantial changes to the original brief as ordinary revisions for the purpose of obtaining additional work without charge.

9. Monthly Fixed-Premium Services

Where Kotei Designs provides services under a fixed monthly premium arrangement, cancellation will take effect at the end of the client's current paid billing period unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Payments relating to a billing period that has already commenced are generally non-refundable because the payment reserves Kotei Designs' professional availability and service capacity for that period.

Work already completed, committed or scheduled during the applicable billing period remains subject to the agreed payment terms.

Any minimum commitment, notice period or other special cancellation condition applicable to a particular monthly package will be stated in the client's agreement.

10. Where Kotei Designs Cannot Complete the Project

If Kotei Designs becomes unable to deliver the agreed project due to circumstances attributable to Kotei Designs and cannot reasonably provide an alternative delivery arrangement, the client will be entitled to a full refund of amounts paid for the undelivered service, subject to applicable law.

Where Kotei Designs can reasonably complete the project at a later date, Kotei Designs may propose an alternative delivery timeline.

The alternative timeline will only proceed where it is agreed upon by both parties.

Kotei Designs will not unilaterally extend a project indefinitely without communicating with the client.

11. Refund Requests

All refund requests must be submitted through formal written communication.

The preferred method is email sent to the official Kotei Designs business email address.

For record-keeping purposes, Kotei Designs may also retain:

• Signed contracts and agreements;

• Signed quotations and proposals;

• Invoices and payment records;

• Email correspondence;

• Written WhatsApp correspondence;

• Written approvals and revision confirmations;

• Written notices of cancellation;

• Written amendments to the scope of work;

• Written payment arrangements; and

• Other records of communication relevant to the project.

For significant contractual matters—including cancellation, approval, payment arrangements, scope changes, refunds and release of final files—Kotei Designs may require confirmation by email or signed written agreement.

Electronic communications and records will be retained and may be relied upon as evidence of communications or agreements between the parties to the extent permitted by applicable law.

Kotei Designs does not represent that any particular form of communication will automatically be admissible or determinative in legal proceedings.

12. Refund Processing

Once a refund has been approved, Kotei Designs will process the refund within three working days.

The actual time for the funds to reflect in the client's account may depend on the relevant bank, payment processor or financial institution.

Where legally permissible, non-recoverable payment-processing fees or transaction charges may be deducted from the refund.

13. Release of Final Deliverables

Final brand identity files and other final deliverables will ordinarily be released only after full payment of the applicable project fee has been received.

An exception may be made where Kotei Designs and the client have expressly agreed to an alternative payment arrangement.

In such circumstances, the arrangement must be documented in a signed contract or written agreement specifying the applicable payment obligations and conditions.

Until the applicable payment conditions have been fulfilled, Kotei Designs retains the right to withhold final deliverables.

14. Effect of a Refund on Design Rights

Where a refund is issued, whether in whole or in part, the client relinquishes any right to use, reproduce, distribute, modify, publish, commercialise or otherwise exploit the concepts, designs, artwork, files or other creative materials for which the refund relates, unless Kotei Designs expressly agrees otherwise in writing.

Refunding a client does not transfer ownership or usage rights in the refunded work.

Any use of refunded concepts or materials without written permission from Kotei Designs may constitute an unauthorised use of intellectual property.

15. No Guarantee of Business Results

Kotei Designs provides professional branding, design and related creative services.

Kotei Designs does not guarantee:

• Increased sales;

• Increased revenue;

• Increased customer numbers;

• Increased social-media engagement;

• Increased market share;

• Business growth;

• Commercial success;

• Customer response; or

• Any other specific business outcome.

Brand identity is an important component of a broader business and marketing system, but its commercial performance is affected by numerous factors outside Kotei Designs' control.

Clients engage Kotei Designs with the understanding that building and developing a successful brand involves inherent commercial risk.

16. Exceptional Circumstances

Kotei Designs may consider exceptional circumstances on a case-by-case basis.

Examples may include circumstances that materially prevent either party from reasonably continuing with the project.

Any discretionary refund, credit, alternative arrangement or other concession offered by Kotei Designs in such circumstances does not establish an automatic entitlement to the same treatment in future projects.

17. Applicable Law and Consumer Rights

This policy is intended to operate in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa.

Nothing in this policy is intended to exclude, restrict or unlawfully limit any right or remedy that a client may have under applicable South African legislation.

Where applicable, the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 and other relevant legislation will continue to apply.

Where a provision of this policy conflicts with a mandatory legal requirement, the mandatory legal requirement will prevail to the extent of the conflict.

18. Amendments to This Policy

Kotei Designs reserves the right to update or amend this Refund & Cancellation Policy from time to time.

The version applicable to a particular project will ordinarily be the version incorporated into or referenced by the client's agreement at the time the project is entered into.

Any material contractual amendment applicable to an existing client will be communicated to the client and, where necessary, incorporated into a written agreement.

19. Client Acknowledgement

By signing a Kotei Designs client agreement, quotation or contract, the client acknowledges that they have had an opportunity to read and understand the applicable payment, cancellation, refund, revision and deliverable-release terms.

The client's signature or other legally valid acceptance of the applicable agreement confirms their acceptance of these terms, subject to their rights under applicable law.

Kotei Designs
South Africa