Refund Policy

At a glance

• Consultation fees are normally non-refundable once the session is reserved or performance has started.
• Project and retainer fees are normally non-refundable once authorised work has commenced or project-specific costs have been committed.
• The refund-eligibility window closes at 18:00 IST at the end of one (1) working day, counting from and including the day of payment / the transaction date.
• STAROASIA's working days are Monday through Friday; operating hours are 10:00–18:00 IST.
• After that window, fees are normally non-refundable, subject to the signed engagement terms and mandatory applicable law.

Scope

STAROASIA is a registered firm name and the primary identity represented by this website. STARO is the collective abbreviation used to present the organisation as a whole and is not a separate contracting entity. This Refund Policy also applies to fees paid to STARO INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED where that company is identified on the applicable proposal, agreement or invoice. The named payment recipient remains responsible for processing an eligible refund.

This policy applies to fees including:

• Consultation calls and paid advisory sessions
• Sprint Audits and discovery engagements
• Project deposits, milestone payments, and full project fees
• Monthly or annual retainer fees
• Hourly billings
• Any other fees agreed in a Statement of Work, Master Services Agreement, or proposal

It applies regardless of the payment method used (bank transfer, UPI, card, international wire, or any other channel).

Consultation fees

Any fee paid for a consultation — including discovery calls, advisory sessions, strategy meetings, fractional CTO time or audits — is normally non-refundable once the session has been reserved or performance has started, except where the engagement terms or mandatory law provide otherwise.

This is because consultation fees compensate STAROASIA for the dedicated time and expertise reserved or delivered for your benefit. Once paid, that time and expertise are committed to you and cannot be recovered or resold.

Project & retainer fees

Project fees, milestone payments, deposits, and retainer fees are non-refundable from the moment work begins or any preparatory effort is started in the direction of your project or service.

This includes, but is not limited to, situations where we have:

• Reserved team capacity or scheduled resources for your engagement;
• Conducted internal kickoff, planning, or scoping meetings;
• Begun research, analysis, audits, or technical investigations;
• Started design, wireframing, architecture, or prototyping;
• Begun writing, configuring, or deploying code, infrastructure, or systems;
• Procured third-party software, services, or licences for your engagement;
• Engaged subcontractors, vendors, or external collaborators on your behalf;
• Sent you a written deliverable, draft, document, or other output of effort.

Any of the above — singly or in combination — constitutes "work commenced" for the purposes of this policy.

What "work commenced" means

To remove any doubt, "work has commenced" the moment STAROASIA begins any internal or external activity that is directly attributable to the delivery of your engagement. This is not limited to billable hours logged on a timer. Preparation, planning, communication, coordination, and reservation of capacity all qualify.

Preparatory work begins only after the Client has authorised the engagement through the applicable proposal, agreement, purchase order, written instruction or other agreed process. Payment may constitute authorisation only where the payment request clearly states that consequence.

The one-working-day window

Subject to the rules above, the only window during which a refund may be requested is the one (1) working day beginning on, and including, the calendar day on which the payment is made or the transaction is initiated, whichever is earlier.

For clarity:

• "Working day" means Monday through Friday under STARO's operating calendar in India, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and applicable public holidays.
• "Operating hours" are 10:00–18:00 IST on a working day.
• If payment is made on a working day during operating hours, the window closes at the end of that same working day — 18:00 IST.
• If payment is made on a working day after 18:00 IST, on a Saturday or Sunday, or on a public holiday, the window closes at 18:00 IST on the next working day.
• After the window closes, fees are ordinarily non-refundable unless the signed engagement or mandatory law requires a different result.

For business engagements, requests received after the standard window are assessed against the signed engagement, work performed, committed costs and any mandatory legal rights.

Exceptions and mandatory rights

A refund or other remedy may apply in circumstances including:

• Duplicate payment — where the Client has paid the same invoice twice in error. The duplicate amount will be refunded promptly.
• Payment in error — where the Client demonstrably paid an amount or to an account that was not the subject of any agreement with STAROASIA, and notified us within the one-working-day window.
• Service not supplied or material breach — where the signed agreement or mandatory law provides a refund or other remedy.
• Consumer cancellation rights — where a Client qualifies as a consumer and applicable distance-selling or consumer law provides a cancellation period or other non-waivable right.
• Where required by mandatory applicable law — to the extent the law requires.

Delivery concerns should first be addressed through the acceptance, remediation, change-management and dispute-resolution process in the engagement agreement. That process does not remove any statutory remedy.

If consumer law gives a right to withdraw from a remote service contract, STARO will obtain any legally required express request before starting during the withdrawal period and any acknowledgement required before the right may be lost after full performance. Charges for work performed during a valid withdrawal period will be limited as applicable law requires.

Requesting a refund

To request a refund that falls within this policy:

1. Send an email to info@staro.in from the same email address used during the engagement.
2. Subject line: "Refund request — [your name / company]".
3. Include: the invoice number or payment reference, the date and amount paid, the payment method, and a brief description of why you believe the refund qualifies.
4. Send the email within the one-working-day window defined above.

Requests received after the standard window will still be reviewed for duplicate payments, contractual remedies and mandatory legal rights.

Processing & timing

If your request qualifies, we will confirm in writing and process the refund to the original payment method within 10 working days of confirmation. The refund will be made in the original currency of payment, less any non-recoverable transaction fees or taxes charged by the payment processor or applicable authorities.

STAROASIA is not liable for any difference in value arising from currency exchange-rate fluctuations between the date of payment and the date of refund.

Chargebacks

We ask Clients to contact us first so we can investigate promptly. This request does not limit a lawful right to contact a bank, card issuer, payment provider, consumer authority or court. We may provide evidence when contesting an inaccurate or abusive chargeback and may suspend affected services where permitted by the engagement and applicable law.

Changes

STAROASIA may update this Refund Policy from time to time. The "Effective" date at the top of this page will be updated whenever we do. The policy in force at the time of your payment is the policy that applies to that payment.

Contact

Questions about a payment or this Refund Policy?

• Email — info@staro.in
• Phone / WhatsApp — +91 78350 01221
• Website identity — STAROASIA
• Applicable company — STARO INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, CIN U72900GJ2021PTC123354
• Registered office — B-403, S.G. Business Hub, S.G. Highway, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 382470, India