Refund & Cancellation Policy

Empathy First Media is committed to customer satisfaction. This Refund and Cancellation Policy outlines the circumstances under which we offer refunds for our digital products and services, and how cancellations are handled. As a digital marketing agency selling services and digital goods online, our offerings may include intangible products (e.g., e-books, online courses, downloadable templates) and professional services (e.g., consulting, marketing campaigns). Please read this policy carefully before making a purchase.

Digital Products (E-books, Online Courses, Downloads):

Due to the intangible and instant-access nature of digital products, we generally do not offer unconditional refunds once a digital product has been accessed or downloaded. When you purchase a digital item from us, you receive immediate value (access to knowledge or content that cannot be “returned”). However, we want you to be satisfied with your purchase:

• If you experience any technical issues downloading or accessing a digital product, please contact our support team for assistance. We will ensure you get the product in the format you need or provide a fix.

• If a digital product you purchased is defective or not as described, we will either replace it with the correct item (if applicable) or issue a refund at our discretion. For example, if files are missing or the content is significantly different from what was advertised, that would qualify for a replacement or refund.

• Accidental Duplicate Purchase: If you accidentally purchase the same digital item twice, we will refund the duplicate charge upon proof of the duplicate transaction.

• Satisfaction Guarantee (if offered): In some cases, we might explicitly offer a satisfaction guarantee or trial period for a digital product (this will be stated on the product page if so). For instance, an online course might come with a 7-day money-back guarantee if you have not accessed more than a certain portion of the content. Where such a guarantee is stated, we will honor it according to the terms provided (e.g., request a refund within 7 days of purchase and provide feedback on why it didn’t meet your needs, and we will process it, provided you have not consumed or downloaded the entire course).

It’s important to note that when you buy digital content in certain jurisdictions, consumer laws may provide a right of withdrawal (cooling-off period). For example, under EU law, customers have a 14-day right to cancel a digital content purchase and receive a refund unless they have begun the download/stream and acknowledged that this waives their withdrawal right​. We comply with these laws:

• EU/UK Customers: If you are an EU/UK consumer, you have the legal right to withdraw from the purchase of digital content within 14 days of purchase provided you have not started downloading or streaming the content. If you wish to exercise this right, do not download or access the digital product and contact us within 14 days for a refund. If you already accessed the content (for instance, started the download or viewed members-only material), you may have waived your right to cancel by explicitly consenting to immediate delivery at the time of purchase and acknowledging the waiver of the 14-day cooling-off period​. In practice, during checkout we may ask EU/UK customers to tick a box agreeing to immediate access to content and waiving the right of withdrawal. If you did not agree to such terms and have not accessed the content, you can still cancel within 14 days. We will process eligible EU refund requests as soon as possible (typically within 5-10 business days).

• Outside the EU/UK, or after the cooling-off period, our standard no-refund policy for downloaded content applies, except in cases of defects or misdescription as noted.

Services (Digital Marketing Services, Consulting, Subscriptions):

For services provided by Empathy First Media (such as SEO services, marketing campaigns, consulting sessions, etc.), cancellations and refunds are handled as follows:

• One-Time Services or Projects: If you purchase a one-time service (for example, a website audit or a fixed-price marketing package), we will typically begin work on your project shortly after purchase or at the scheduled start date.

  • If you request a cancellation before we have begun any work or delivered any insights, we can offer a full or partial refund as appropriate. For instance, if you cancel within 24 hours of purchase and we have not started the project, a full refund will be granted.

  • If work has already commenced, any refund would be prorated. We may deduct fees for work already completed or non-recoverable expenses incurred by us up to the point of cancellation. We will be transparent about what portion of the fee is non-refundable based on work delivered. You will receive any work product completed up to cancellation.

  • If a project includes specific milestones or deliverables, and you are dissatisfied with intermediate results, please communicate with us. We will make good faith efforts to address your concerns. If after revisions or discussions you still wish to terminate the project, we will negotiate in good faith a fair resolution, which may include a partial refund for undelivered milestones.

• Monthly Retainer Services / Subscription Plans: If you have signed up for a recurring service subscription (e.g., monthly social media management, ongoing SEO services):

  • You may cancel future service at any time by providing notice to us (generally 30 days’ notice is appreciated for smooth transition). Upon cancellation, we will stop the next billing cycle. If you already paid for the current month, that fee covers services through the end of that month and is not refundable (except in situations of breach or non-performance on our part). We do not typically offer prorated refunds for unused days in a monthly service cycle once work has started that month.

  • In some cases, we may have a minimum commitment period (e.g., 3-month minimum for certain campaigns). If that applies, it will be stated in the service agreement. Early cancellation before the minimum term may incur a fee or forfeiture of a prior discount. We will clarify any such terms in the service contract.

  • We won’t lock you in unfairly: after any minimum term, you can cancel for the next month. We do ask for formal cancellation via email to [email protected] or through our client portal.

  • If you prepaid for a longer period (say, 6 or 12 months in advance) and wish to cancel early, please contact us. We will review how to refund the unused portion. In many cases, we will refund the balance of months not yet commenced, minus any discounts that were given for long-term prepayment (i.e., we may recalculate what you owe as if you had been on a shorter plan, and refund the rest).

• Consulting Calls or Strategy Sessions: If you booked a one-on-one consulting session or call:

  • To cancel or reschedule, please provide at least 24 hours’ notice. With 24+ hours notice, we can reschedule at no cost or issue a refund if you cannot reschedule.

  • If you cancel with short notice (less than 24 hours) or miss the appointment, we reserve the right to charge for the session (or count it against any package hours) as we likely could not fill that slot. We will try to reschedule in good faith, but no-show appointments may not be refunded.

  • If we have to cancel or reschedule (due to an emergency on our side), we will do our best to notify you promptly and offer alternative times or a refund if rescheduling is not possible.

Courses or Membership Programs: If we offer a membership or cohort-based course (e.g., a 6-week program):

• We may have a specific refund policy for that program, which will be communicated at signup. Often, once the program starts and you have access to materials or a community, refunds are not possible except perhaps during an initial trial period.

• If a program is canceled by us (for example, not enough participants or a trainer illness), we will refund you in full.

• If you need to withdraw from a multi-week course due to extenuating circumstances, please reach out. Depending on the scenario, we might offer a prorated refund or credit you to join a future session of the course instead.

Product Bundles or Packages: If you purchased a bundle of multiple digital products or a combination of product + service at a discounted bundle rate, partial refunds are generally not available for unused parts of the bundle (because the pricing assumed full bundle purchase). However, we will handle these on a case-by-case basis. For example, if a bundle included a future consulting session you don’t plan to use, we might allow a partial credit at our discretion.

Method of Refund: Refunds will be issued to the original payment method. If you paid by credit card, the refund will be credited to that card (it may take 5-10 business days for your bank to show the refund). If you paid via PayPal or another platform, it will be refunded there. We can also offer refunds via company check or bank transfer if needed in certain cases (for instance, if a card refund window has passed).

Chargebacks: We encourage customers to reach out to us to resolve any payment issues or dissatisfaction before resorting to a chargeback through the bank. Chargebacks initiate a dispute process. We are committed to addressing concerns amicably and fairly. Unauthorized chargebacks for valid charges may be contested by us. To avoid misunderstandings, please communicate with our billing support at [email protected] if you have an issue with a charge.

Cancellations by Empathy First Media: We reserve the right to cancel an order or service (with full refund) under rare circumstances, such as:

• Suspected fraudulent or unauthorized transaction.

• Inability to deliver the service or product as described, due to unforeseen technical or resource issues.

• A clear pricing or description error on our Site (e.g., a product listed as $0 or a typo in pricing). If we must cancel on our end, we will notify you and process a prompt refund.

How to Request a Refund or Cancellation: To request a refund or cancel a service, please contact our support team. The fastest method is via email:

• Email: [email protected] or [email protected] (for billing-related requests).

• Phone: (866) 219-8591 (Billing & Financials department) during business hours. Please provide your order number or invoice number, date of purchase, and the reason for your cancellation/refund request. This information helps us process your request efficiently and improve our offerings. We aim to respond to refund requests within 2 business days and, if approved, process refunds within 5 business days.

No Refund Situations: There are a few situations where refunds will generally not be provided:

• Change of Mind after Access: If you purchased a digital product and downloaded/accessed it, and then simply changed your mind or decided it wasn’t what you wanted (but it was as described), we typically will not refund in this case (outside of EU 14-day rule as noted). We encourage customers to review product descriptions, previews, or ask questions prior to purchase.

• Late Cancellation of Service: If a service deliverable was already completed or is nearly complete, a cancellation at the tail end may not result in a refund. For instance, trying to cancel a marketing campaign a day before it ends will not be practical. We expect timely communications.

• Breach of Terms: If we terminated your access to a product or service due to a violation of our Terms of Use or policies (for example, abusive behavior, or sharing a paid digital product illegally), you are not entitled to a refund for any unused portion due to the breach.

• Partial Non-utilization: If you purchased a bundle or subscription and simply didn’t use all the features or content, that alone isn’t grounds for a refund. (However, we welcome feedback if something was underutilized, to see if we can assist or improve the offering.)

European Union Consumer Rights: We already described the 14-day right of withdrawal for digital content. For services, note that if you’re an EU consumer and you purchase our services online, you also have a 14-day cooling-off period for services. However, if you request us to start the services within that period (and we do start), then if you cancel within the 14 days, we can charge for the portion of services provided up to the point of cancellation. If the services were fully performed within the 14 days (with your consent), you may lose the right to cancel. We follow the EU Consumer Rights Directive in this regard​.

CCPA Compliance (No Penalty for Cancellation): If you’re a California customer, note that we will never penalize you for exercising any rights (this generally applies to privacy rights, but in spirit, we also do not penalize customers for canceling a service contract early beyond what’s contractually owed for work done – no “retaliation”).

Contact for Questions: If anything is unclear or if you have questions about our refund and cancellation processes, please contact us prior to purchase. We want you to feel confident in doing business with us. Transparency and fairness are our goals.

By making a purchase on our Site, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to this Refund and Cancellation Policy. This policy is designed to be compliant with applicable consumer protection laws and to build trust with our customers.

Last Updated: April 2025