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Refund Policy

Version 1 · Effective 2026-04-19

This policy explains when and how TheSiteNerds LLC issues refunds for project work, managed hosting, and other services. It summarizes and is consistent with the refund-related terms in our Master Services Agreement ("MSA") and Managed Hosting Agreement. If there's a conflict between this summary and the signed agreements, the signed agreements control.

1. Project Builds

Deposit (50% at signing)

The 50% deposit is non-refundable. The deposit reserves our schedule, covers discovery and planning work that begins immediately after signing, and compensates for the opportunity cost of declining other projects during that window.

Exceptions — we will refund the deposit if:

  • We cancel the engagement before starting work
  • We cannot deliver the project due to our fault or inability, and no work has yet been delivered
  • Applicable law requires a refund

Final Invoice (50% at launch)

The final invoice is paid before launch / DNS handover (MSA Section 3). Once the site is launched and the final payment received, the project is considered delivered and the final payment is not refundable.

30-Day Warranty

For 30 days after launch we will fix — at no charge — bugs in originally specified functionality, browser compatibility issues, mobile responsiveness issues, and security vulnerabilities in the code we wrote (MSA Section 8). The warranty is a free-fix commitment, not a refund. Cash refunds are not available for delivered projects.

Not covered by warranty: issues caused by your modifications or third-party additions after launch, hosting issues on infrastructure you manage, and new feature requests.

Early Termination

If you terminate the project mid-build:

  • The deposit is not refundable
  • Any work performed beyond the deposit is billed at the hourly rate stated in the MSA
  • If termination happens before any post-deposit work is performed, no additional amount is owed beyond the deposit

If we terminate mid-build due to your non-payment, failure to provide required materials, or requests that fall outside our ethical or technical capability (MSA Section 11), the same terms apply.

2. Managed Hosting

Monthly Fees

Managed hosting is billed month-to-month. We do not issue prorated refunds when you cancel mid-month. You retain access through the end of the current billing cycle, after which billing stops (Hosting Agreement Section 7).

Either party may terminate with 30 days' written notice. During that notice period, we continue hosting normally.

Tier Downgrades

Tier changes take effect at the start of the next billing cycle. Mid-cycle upgrades are prorated; mid-cycle downgrades are not (you retain the higher tier through the end of the current cycle).

Uptime Credits (not refunds)

If measured uptime in a given month falls below thresholds in the Hosting Agreement Section 5, we apply credits to future invoices:

  • Below 99.0% — 10% credit of that month's fee
  • Below 95.0% — 25% credit of that month's fee

Credits are applied to future invoices, not refunded in cash. Exclusions from uptime calculation are listed in the Hosting Agreement.

3. Change Orders

Approved change orders follow the same refund treatment as the underlying project or hosting work:

  • Fixed-price change orders are non-refundable once the work described is delivered
  • Hourly change orders are billed for hours worked; unused estimated hours are never invoiced
  • If you cancel an approved change order before work begins, no charge applies unless a deposit was taken (see the Scope & Change Order Policy for deposit rules)

4. How to Request a Refund

If you believe a refund is warranted under this policy:

  1. Email billing@thesitenerds.com with your invoice number, the reason for the request, and any supporting details
  2. We respond within 5 business days
  3. Approved refunds are issued via the original payment method within 10 business days of approval
  4. If we decline, we explain why in writing

Chargebacks. Please contact us before filing a credit-card chargeback. Chargebacks filed without first requesting a refund under this policy may be disputed and may result in suspension of services.

5. Disputes

If we can't reach agreement on a refund request, the dispute-resolution and governing-law terms in your signed MSA, Hosting Agreement, or our Terms of Service apply. For most clients this means New York law and Erie County, NY venue.

6. Updates

We may update this policy. The "Effective" date at the top reflects the latest version. Material changes affecting active clients will be communicated by email at least 14 days before taking effect. The policy in force at the time of your payment is the one that applies to that payment.

7. Contact

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