Refund & Cancellation Policy

This Refund and Cancellation Policy ("Policy") forms part of the Terms of Service of InfluencerMetric India ("Company"). It sets out the circumstances in which refunds are available to Brands and the treatment of taxes on refunded amounts. This Policy is intended to be fair to both Brands and Influencers while complying with the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and applicable Indian law.

1. Before Order Acceptance by the Influencer

If a Brand cancels an order before the Influencer has accepted it, the Brand is entitled to a full refund of the amount paid (order value + platform fee). The refund will be processed within 5–7 business days to the original payment method via Razorpay.

During this window, no work has begun and no fee has been earned. The full escrow amount is released back to the Brand.

2. After Acceptance, Before Work Begins

If a Brand cancels an order after the Influencer has accepted it but before the Influencer has commenced work (no deliverable submitted, no content produced), the Brand is entitled to a 90% refund of the order value. A 10% processing and cancellation fee is retained by the Company to compensate the Influencer for the accepted commitment and to cover administrative costs.

The 10% retained fee is non-refundable and is treated as platform revenue.

3. After Work Has Started, Before Deliverable Submitted

If a Brand cancels an order after the Influencer has commenced work (evidenced by activity in the order workspace or interim uploads) but before a final deliverable is submitted, the Brand is entitled to a 50% refund of the order value. The remaining 50% is paid out to the Influencer as compensation for work performed.

The Company's platform fee (10% brand fee + 5% influencer fee) is deducted from the respective portions before disbursement.

4. After Deliverable Submitted

Once an Influencer has submitted a deliverable, no automatic refund is available. The Brand must either:

• Approve the deliverable (triggering escrow release), or
• Request a revision (subject to the revision limit agreed in the listing), or
• Raise a formal dispute within 7 calendar days of deliverable submission.

If the Brand takes no action within 72 hours of submission (or after the live-check passes, where applicable), the order is auto-approved and funds are released to the Influencer. No refund is available after auto-approval.

5. Dispute-Based Refunds

Where a dispute is raised within the permitted window, the Company will review evidence from both parties and issue a ruling within 5 business days. Possible outcomes include:

• Full refund to Brand: If the Influencer materially failed to deliver as briefed.
• Partial refund (split): If there is partial fault on either side; the Company determines the split percentage.
• Full release to Influencer: If the deliverable meets the brief and the Brand's objection is not substantiated.

The Company's dispute ruling is final for the purposes of escrow release. Users retain the right to pursue arbitration or appropriate legal remedies as provided in the Terms of Service.

6. Summary Table

7. TDS Implications on Refunds

Under Section 194R of the Income Tax Act, 1961, TDS deducted on influencer payouts is deposited with the Income Tax Department on your behalf. Accordingly:

• TDS already deducted and deposited with the government cannot be refunded by the Company. This applies where an Influencer has already been paid (in full or in part) prior to a cancellation or dispute ruling.
• Where a refund is processed before TDS has been deducted (i.e., the Influencer has not yet been paid), no TDS will be deducted and the full applicable refund amount is returned to the Brand.
• The Influencer may claim the TDS already deposited as a credit against their income tax liability when filing their income tax return. The Company will issue Form 16A to the Influencer for all TDS deducted in the financial year.

8. GST on Refunded Platform Fees

GST at 18% is charged on the Company's platform fee. Where a refund of the platform fee is granted:

• The GST component of the refunded platform fee will also be refunded proportionally.
• The Company will issue a credit note (as required under the GST Act) for the refunded GST amount.
• Where only a partial platform fee is refunded (e.g., in a 50% refund scenario), only the GST on the refunded portion is credited.
• GST on the non-refundable portion of the platform fee is not refundable.

9. Refund Timeline and Method

• All refunds are processed to the original payment method used at checkout (Razorpay — UPI, net banking, debit card, credit card, or wallet).
• Refunds are initiated within 2 business days of a refund decision being made.
• Once initiated, refunds typically appear in your account within 5–7 business days, depending on your bank or payment provider.
• Credit card refunds may take up to 10 business days depending on your issuing bank's processing cycle.
• The Company is not responsible for delays caused by Razorpay or your bank after the refund has been initiated.

10. Non-Refundable Items

The following are never refundable:

• TDS already deposited with the Income Tax Department
• Platform fees where the Influencer has delivered the agreed work and the Brand approved (or auto-approved) it
• Amounts already paid out to an Influencer following a completed order
• Any add-on fees (e.g., licensing add-ons) where the rights have already been granted and the deliverable approved

11. Grievance Redressal

If you are not satisfied with a refund decision, you may escalate your grievance to our Grievance Officer as required under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019:

• Name: Nahid Saleem
• Email: grievances@influencermetric.in
• Address: InfluencerMetric India, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Response Time: Within 48 hours; resolution within 30 days.

You also retain the right to approach the appropriate Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, or to pursue arbitration as provided in the Terms of Service.

12. Contact for Refund Queries

• Refunds: refunds@influencermetric.in
• Support: support@influencermetric.in
• Grievances: grievances@influencermetric.in