Refund & Cancellation Policy

02 // Milestone-Based Consulting Engagements

Fixed-scope consulting and custom software development projects are structured around defined milestone deliverables set forth in the governing SOW.

• Initial Mobilization Deposits: Prior to project initiation, an initial retainer or deposit is required to reserve senior engineering capacity. Once discovery or architectural research has commenced, initial mobilization deposits are non-refundable.
• Milestone Acceptance: Milestones are deemed accepted upon formal written client sign-off or the expiration of the defined review window (typically 10 business days) following deliverable handoff without notice of non-conformity. Fees paid for accepted milestones are non-refundable.
• Uncommenced Phases: If a project is cancelled before commencement of subsequent phases, payments made for future uncommenced milestones will be refunded or credited after settling verified hours incurred in the active phase.

03 // Time-and-Materials & Dedicated Retainers

For fractional CTO advisory, ongoing technical audits, and monthly retainer agreements:

• Retainer payments reserve allocated engineering capacity for the designated billing cycle. Unused monthly retainer hours do not roll over to subsequent months unless explicitly codified in the SOW.
• Retainer engagements may be discontinued with thirty (30) days written notice prior to the upcoming billing cycle.
• Hours logged and services rendered during the active billing period remain fully payable and are non-refundable.

04 // Project Termination & Work in Progress

Either party may terminate a project as provided in the master Terms & Conditions. In the event of early termination by the Client without cause, VELOUR ESSENCE LLC shall invoice for all approved work completed through the termination date. All completed deliverables and work-in-progress code repositories will be transferred to the Client upon receipt of settlement payments.

05 // Dispute Resolution & Discrepancies

We are committed to fair, transparent client partnerships. If you believe an invoice or milestone deliverable does not accurately reflect the agreed Statement of Work, please notify us in writing within ten (10) business days of invoice receipt. Both parties agree to negotiate in good faith to resolve discrepancies through structured executive dialogue.

For billing questions, please contact our administrative team via our consultation portal with “Billing Inquiry” in the subject line, or directly via: