Refund & Cancellation Policy

1. Introduction

At StemNest Academy, we are committed to delivering high-quality, personalised tutoring and we want every family to feel confident when enrolling with us. This Refund & Cancellation Policy ("Policy") sets out the circumstances in which refunds may be requested, the process for doing so, and how refunds are calculated and processed.

This Policy applies to all paid services purchased through the StemNest Academy Platform at www.stemnest.co.uk, operated by StemNest Academy Ltd, registered in England and Wales.

This Policy should be read alongside our Terms of Use and Payment Policy. Nothing in this Policy affects your statutory rights as a consumer under UK law, including the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

2. Demo Classes

StemNest Academy offers a free Demo Class to all prospective students before any payment is required. The Demo Class is provided at no charge and carries no obligation to purchase.

Because the Demo Class is free, no refund is applicable. We strongly encourage all families to attend the Demo Class before committing to a paid enrolment, so you can experience our teaching quality and platform first-hand.

3. Refund Eligibility

To be eligible for a refund, you must meet all of the following conditions:

• You have successfully enrolled in and paid for a course or session package with StemNest Academy;
• You have not completed the full course or used all purchased sessions;
• Your refund request is submitted within the applicable refund window (see Section 4);
• Your enrolment has not been terminated by StemNest Academy for cause, including breach of our Terms of Use, code of conduct violations, or disruptive behaviour;
• You have not previously transferred your credits, switched courses, or changed tutors through our team — doing so constitutes acceptance of the adjusted arrangement and removes refund eligibility for those credits.

4. Refund Window

Refund requests must be submitted within the following timeframes:

Any refund request submitted after the applicable 10-day window will not be eligible for a refund, regardless of whether sessions have commenced. We recommend raising any concerns as early as possible.

The 10-day window is not reset by subsequent instalment payments. Refund eligibility is assessed from the date of the first payment only.

5. How to Request a Refund

To request a refund, please follow these steps:

1. Submit a written request
   Email us at refunds@stemnest.co.uk with the following information:
   • Student's full name and registered email address
   • Course or session package details
   • Date of payment
   • Reason for the refund request
2. Confirmation of receipt
   We will acknowledge your request within 48 hours of receiving it.
3. Exit meeting
   As part of our refund process, we may ask you to attend a brief exit meeting with a member of our team. This gives us the opportunity to understand your concerns and explore whether any resolution is possible before processing the refund. If you decline to attend, we reserve the right to decline the refund request.
4. Review and decision
   We will review your request and notify you of our decision within 5 business days of the exit meeting.

6. Review & Processing

Once a refund is approved, StemNest Academy will process the refund within 10 business days. The actual time for funds to appear in your account will depend on your bank or payment provider and is typically 3–7 additional business days.

StemNest Academy is not responsible for delays caused by banks, card networks, or payment processors once the refund has been initiated from our end.

7. Refund Amount

The refund amount will be calculated as follows:

• The total amount paid, minus the cost of any sessions already attended or delivered up to the date of the refund request;
• Where applicable, minus any payment processing fees charged by our payment provider that are non-recoverable by StemNest Academy;
• Where you enrolled under a promotional discount, referral credit, or special offer, the refund will be calculated based on the actual amount paid — promotional credits are non-refundable.

If you enrolled on an instalment plan, an additional processing charge of up to 5% may be deducted from the refund amount to cover bank processing fees. StemNest Academy reserves the right to adjust this charge in line with changes to banking or payment provider rates.

Any dispute fees incurred as a result of a chargeback or payment dispute raised directly with your bank or card provider will be deducted from the refund amount.

8. Refund Method

Refunds will be issued using the same payment method used for the original purchase wherever possible. If the original payment method is no longer available (for example, an expired card), we will work with you to arrange an alternative refund method by mutual agreement.

Refunds will not be issued in cash. Refunds to international bank accounts may be subject to currency conversion and may take longer to process.

9. Cancellation of Individual Sessions

If you need to cancel or reschedule an individual session, please notify us as early as possible:

To cancel or reschedule a session, please contact us at hello@stemnest.co.uk or through your student dashboard.

10. Non-Refundable Situations

Refunds will not be issued in the following circumstances:

• The 10-day refund window has passed;
• The full course or all purchased sessions have been completed;
• Your enrolment was terminated by StemNest Academy due to a breach of our Terms of Use or code of conduct;
• You have transferred credits, switched courses, or changed tutors through our team;
• The sessions were purchased using referral credits, promotional credits, or gifted class credits;
• You enrolled under a special promotional offer where the terms explicitly stated the purchase was non-refundable;
• You fail to attend the required exit meeting as part of the refund process.

11. Payment Disputes

We strongly encourage you to contact us directly at refunds@stemnest.co.uk before raising a dispute with your bank or payment provider. Most issues can be resolved quickly through our internal process.

Raising a chargeback or dispute directly with your bank or card provider does not constitute an official refund request under this Policy. If a dispute is raised directly with a payment provider:

• StemNest Academy reserves the right to suspend access to all services, including scheduled sessions, for the duration of the dispute resolution process;
• Any dispute fees charged by the payment provider will be deducted from any refund amount;
• The 10-day refund window will not be extended or reset as a result of a payment dispute.

12. Processing Delays

StemNest Academy is not liable for delays in the refund process caused by circumstances beyond our control, including banking system delays, payment gateway processing times, or public holidays. No interest, penalties, or compensation will be payable for such delays.

13. Amendments

StemNest Academy reserves the right to update this Policy at any time. The most current version will always be available on our website. Your continued use of our services following any update constitutes your acceptance of the revised Policy.

Special promotional programmes may be subject to separate refund terms, which will be communicated to you at the time of enrolment.

14. Contact Us

For all refund and cancellation enquiries, please contact us:

We aim to respond to all refund enquiries within 48 hours on business days (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays).