Refund & Cancellation Policy

Refund Eligibility Summary

How Billing Works

1.1. First 30 Days Free for Subscriptions (Free Period)

Every monthly subscription service purchased directly from IN-STORE (currently IN-STORE AI Marketer, IN-STORE AI DocFlow, IN-STORE AI Sales, IN-STORE AI TenderFlow, Ad Accounts Setup & Management, Weekly Competitor Analysis and Social Media Content Support) starts with thirty (30) days at no charge (the "Free Period"), beginning on the Service Start Date, which is the date Client completes checkout for that monthly service (or the start date stated in the Order Form). IN-STORE starts the work during the Free Period. A valid payment method is collected at checkout through our payment processor, Stripe, but nothing is charged for the monthly service during the Free Period. The first monthly fee is charged automatically to that payment method when the Free Period ends, thirty (30) days after the Service Start Date, unless Client cancels before then (Section 3). The Free Period is available once per Client business for each monthly service and is not repeated if the same monthly service is cancelled and purchased again. The Free Period does not apply to One-Time Projects, which are paid in full at checkout (Section 1.7).

1.2. No Setup Fee

IN-STORE does not charge a setup fee, onboarding fee, integration fee, or any other one-time activation charge. For monthly services, the Free Period covers the setup and intake period; the fee for a One-Time Project is the price of that service, not a setup fee. There are no hidden fees associated with starting a subscription.

1.3. Monthly Billing Cycle

For monthly services, the first monthly fee is charged when the Free Period ends, and the same fee is then charged in advance on the same calendar date each month (the "Billing Date"). Billing continues automatically each month until the service is cancelled or paused. Monthly services have no annual or long-term contract and can be cancelled in any month (Section 3), including a service for which IN-STORE requests a longer commitment (Section 1.8).

1.4. Intake Deadline & Automatic Charge

Client has up to three (3) calendar months from the Service Start Date to complete the intake process at in-store.ca/marketing-intake-form and to provide the access, materials and approvals IN-STORE reasonably requests. Billing does not depend on completion of the intake: monthly fees are charged from the end of the Free Period, and One-Time Project fees at checkout, as described in this Section 1. If the intake is not completed within three (3) months:

• IN-STORE may, after notifying Client by email, place the affected service in a paused state (no further charges, no active service delivery);
• Fees charged before the pause are non-refundable and do not qualify for a Service-Fit Refund under Section 2.8;
• The service may be reactivated at any time by completing the intake and notifying IN-STORE in writing.

Delays in completing the intake do not extend the Free Period.

1.5. Currency & Taxes

All prices and fees are stated and charged in United States Dollars (USD), unless a different currency is shown at checkout, in the Order Form or on the invoice. Prices are exclusive of applicable taxes (such as GST/HST, PST or QST, or U.S. state and local sales taxes), which are calculated and added at checkout or on the invoice.

1.6. Advertising Spend Is Billed by the Platform

Where the Services include managing advertising campaigns, the advertising budget ("media spend") is charged by the relevant advertising platform - Meta, TikTok, Google or another provider - directly to Client's own payment method on Client's own advertising account. Media spend never passes through IN-STORE, is not part of the Monthly Subscription Fee, and does not appear on IN-STORE invoices.

1.7. One-Time Services (One-Time Projects) - Paid at Checkout

Some services are one-time services, each a "One-Time Project" - currently IN-STORE Business Consulting (a personal consultation for mid-sized and large companies, including an assessment of business processes and a detailed proposal identifying the components, places, departments and structures where AI optimization can reduce costs and speed up processes), Market Position Research & Analytics and Marketing Strategy. One-Time Projects have no Free Period. The full fee for a One-Time Project is charged once, at checkout, when the order is placed (or as stated in the Order Form), and is not charged again. IN-STORE starts the work after the payment has been received and Client has provided the information reasonably required.

Refund before work starts. If Client asks for a refund in writing under Section 6 within seven (7) days after the payment date and IN-STORE has not yet started the work, IN-STORE will cancel the order and refund the fee paid, less non-recoverable payment processing and transaction fees, to the original payment method. The work starts when IN-STORE holds the first consultation, kickoff or working session with Client, or begins research, analysis or drafting for the order, whichever comes first. Booking or scheduling a session does not by itself start the work.

After work starts. Once the work has started, or any Deliverable has been delivered, the One-Time Project fee is non-refundable, unless an authorized IN-STORE manager agrees otherwise in writing under Section 2.9. If Client then asks IN-STORE in writing to stop, IN-STORE will deliver the work completed up to that point and is not required to complete the remainder. The Service-Fit Refund in Section 2.8 does not apply to One-Time Projects.

Missing information. If Client does not provide the information, materials, access or meeting availability reasonably required for a One-Time Project within three (3) months after checkout, IN-STORE may close the order after notifying Client by email, and the fee is not refunded except as stated above or under Section 2.9.

1.8. Requested Commitment (Non-Binding)

For some monthly services, IN-STORE asks Client to plan for a minimum period of service (a "Requested Commitment"), which is shown on our website, at checkout or in the Order Form. Currently, IN-STORE asks Client to plan for six (6) months of Ad Accounts Setup & Management, because that is the time IN-STORE plans for setting up, testing and optimizing the advertising accounts and campaigns. A Requested Commitment is a recommendation, not a minimum term or a binding contract period:

• Client may cancel the service in any month under Section 3, including during the Free Period and during the Requested Commitment. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current paid billing period (or at the end of the Free Period, without charge);
• No early cancellation fee, penalty or other charge applies, and Client does not have to pay for the remaining months of the Requested Commitment;
• Fees for later months never become due early, including if the service ends because of Client's breach or non-payment; in that case only amounts already due remain payable;
• Client may pause the service (Section 4) or delete the account (Section 3.5) on the same terms as any other monthly service;
• The setup and optimization work is planned over the Requested Commitment. If Client stops the service earlier, that work may not be completed, and IN-STORE does not guarantee any results, including results that might be expected over the full period (Section 2.3);
• Stopping the service before the end of a Requested Commitment does not by itself entitle Client to a refund of fees already charged; refunds are available only under Sections 2.4, 2.5, 2.8 and 2.9.

1.9. Starting Prices, Discounts & Special Prices

Prices shown as "from" an amount are starting prices. The final price depends on the scope selected and is the price shown at checkout or in the Order Form, which governs. Discounts and special prices are offered only by an authorized IN-STORE manager, through a personal discount code or a written offer. Discount codes are personal to the Client they are issued to, are not transferable, have no cash value, apply only to the services, periods and amounts stated when issued, and cannot be combined with other offers unless the offer says so. When a discount period ends, the regular price applies from the next Billing Date. Any refund is limited to the amount actually paid.

Refund Policy

2.1. General No-Refund Rule

2.2. Specifically Non-Refundable Items

• Monthly subscription fees already charged - regardless of how much of the billing period has elapsed at the time of cancellation (except a Service-Fit Refund approved under Section 2.8);
• Fees charged before a service is paused because the intake was not completed (Section 1.4);
• Content and deliverables already produced - reports, AI-generated content, campaigns, and materials created prior to cancellation;
• Partial months - there are no pro-rata refunds for cancellation partway through a billing cycle;
• Payments made during a subscription pause;
• Fees relating to third-party services passed through from third-party platforms;
• Advertising and media spend charged by an advertising platform directly to Client's own account (see Section 2.7);
• One-Time Project fees once the work has started or a Deliverable has been delivered, or after the seven (7) day refund window in Section 1.7 has passed;
• Monthly fees already charged for a service that Client stops before the end of a Requested Commitment (Section 1.8).

2.3. No Refund for Dissatisfaction with Results

IN-STORE provides technology-enabled services and does not guarantee specific business outcomes (e.g., number of leads, revenue growth, search rankings, conversion rates). Dissatisfaction with service results - where IN-STORE has delivered the agreed services - does not entitle Client to a refund. The limited Service-Fit Refund in Section 2.8 concerns IN-STORE's ability to meet Client's documented needs, not business results.

2.4. Exception: IN-STORE Cancels Without Cause

If IN-STORE terminates this Agreement without cause, IN-STORE will refund the pro-rata portion of the current month's prepaid fee corresponding to the unused days in the billing cycle. If IN-STORE terminates a paid One-Time Project without cause before it is completed, IN-STORE will refund the fee paid, less the reasonable value of the work already delivered. Apart from a refund of a One-Time Project fee before work starts under Section 1.7, a Service-Fit Refund under Section 2.8 and any refund agreed in writing under Section 2.9, these are the only circumstances in which IN-STORE will issue a monetary refund.

2.5. Exception: Extended Service Outage

If IN-STORE's Platform experiences a confirmed service outage attributable to IN-STORE lasting more than seventy-two (72) consecutive hours, IN-STORE may issue a service credit equal to the pro-rata daily rate for the outage period. Such credit will be applied to the next billing cycle and is not redeemable for cash.

2.6. Chargeback Policy

Initiating a credit card chargeback for fees that are non-refundable under this Policy constitutes a material breach of the Service Agreement. IN-STORE reserves the right to immediately suspend all Services upon notice of a chargeback and pursue recovery of the disputed amount plus reasonable collection costs. If you have a billing concern, please contact us at legal@in-store.ca before initiating a dispute.

2.7. Advertising / Media Spend

Because media spend is charged by the advertising platform directly to Client's own account (Section 1.6), IN-STORE never receives or holds those funds and cannot refund them. Refunds, advertising credits and billing disputes concerning media spend are governed exclusively by the policies of the platform concerned (for example Meta's or TikTok's advertising billing policies). Where a genuine platform billing or delivery error has occurred, IN-STORE will, on request, assist Client in preparing and submitting a dispute to the platform, but the decision rests solely with the platform.

2.8. Limited Exception: Service-Fit Refund of the Last Monthly Fee

If Client and IN-STORE are in a genuine dispute about the quality of a monthly service, IN-STORE will refund the most recent monthly fee paid for that service (a "Service-Fit Refund") if all of the following conditions are met:

• Documented needs: the needs that Client says are not being met were documented before the disputed billing period - in the intake, the Order Form, an approved Change Order or written communications with IN-STORE - and are reasonable and within the scope of the purchased service;
• Opportunity to fix: Client has sent IN-STORE a written notice describing the specific shortcomings (a "Quality Notice") and has given IN-STORE at least ten (10) business days from receipt to remedy them, and IN-STORE has not remedied them within that period. A Quality Notice may be sent together with the refund request;
• Time limit: Client submits a written refund request under Section 6 within fourteen (14) days after the date on which the most recent monthly fee for that service was charged;
• Project manager confirmation: IN-STORE's assigned project manager, or another IN-STORE manager authorized to act in their place, after reviewing the request reasonably and in good faith, confirms in writing that IN-STORE cannot meet Client's reasonable, documented needs. No Service-Fit Refund is due without that written confirmation. Silence, delay, or statements by other staff, contractors, partners, website chat, chatbots or AI voice assistants are not a confirmation;
• Client compliance: Client is not in breach of the Service Agreement, has paid all amounts due, has provided the access, materials, information and approvals IN-STORE reasonably requested, and has not started a chargeback or payment dispute for the fee concerned;
• Once only: neither Client nor any affiliate or other account of the same business has previously received a Service-Fit Refund.

Amount and method. A Service-Fit Refund is limited to the most recent monthly fee actually paid for the service concerned (one month only, after any discount, together with the sales tax charged on that fee), less non-recoverable payment processing and transaction fees. It is issued only to the original payment method, within fifteen (15) business days of approval. It never includes earlier monthly fees, One-Time Project fees, fees for third-party services, or advertising or media spend charged by an advertising platform.

Effect. When a Service-Fit Refund is approved, the service concerned ends on the date of approval, and no further fees are charged for it. If a further monthly fee for that service is charged while a timely refund request is under review and the refund is approved, that further fee is also refunded in full. Deliverables delivered before the date of approval remain licensed to Client under Section 9.2 of the Service Agreement despite the refund; work in progress, unpublished drafts, and IN-STORE's Platform, automations, templates and workflows are not delivered or licensed. Access to the Platform ends and Client data is handled as described in Sections 3.3 and 3.4.

Sole remedy. A Service-Fit Refund is Client's sole and exclusive remedy for the dispute concerned, and by accepting it Client agrees that the dispute about that service is fully and finally settled. If Client disagrees with a refusal, Client may use the dispute resolution process in Section 19 of the Service Agreement.

2.9. Other Refunds & Special Terms Only in Writing

No refund, credit, discount, extension or other special term, other than those set out in this Policy and the Service Agreement, binds IN-STORE unless it is confirmed in writing (email is sufficient) by an authorized IN-STORE manager from an @in-store.ca email address. Statements by other staff, contractors, partners, website chat, chatbots or AI voice assistants do not create any refund right. A refund or special term granted to one Client, or on one occasion, does not create a right to the same treatment in the future.

Cancellation Policy

3.1. How to Cancel

Client may cancel a monthly service in any month (including a service with a Requested Commitment under Section 1.8), and may request the cancellation and refund of a One-Time Project under Section 1.7, by:

• Email: Written notice to legal@in-store.ca with subject "Subscription Cancellation - [Company Name]";
• Account portal: Using the cancellation option in the Client account, under Settings, Payments & subscription;
• Written notice: Delivering written notice to IN-STORE's registered address.

Verbal, phone, chat or AI voice assistant cancellation requests are not accepted. A cancellation submitted in the account portal takes effect when submitted; a cancellation sent by email or letter takes effect when IN-STORE receives it. IN-STORE will confirm every cancellation in writing.

3.2. When Cancellation Takes Effect

3.3. Service Continuation & Access After Cancellation

Upon cancellation, Services continue until the end of the current paid billing period. Client retains access to all platform tools and delivered content until the end of the final paid period, after which access will be revoked.

3.4. Data Deletion After Cancellation

Following the end of the final billing period, IN-STORE will hold Client data for 60 days to support transition needs. After 60 days, Client data will be permanently deleted in accordance with IN-STORE's Privacy Policy. Data obtained from advertising platforms (such as Meta or TikTok) on Client's behalf is deleted on the accelerated schedule set out in the Privacy Policy (within 30 days of access revocation, termination or a deletion request), and Client may additionally revoke IN-STORE's platform access at any time directly in Meta Business Manager or TikTok Business Center - see the Data Deletion Instructions in the Privacy Policy.

3.5. Immediate Account Deletion

Cancelling a subscription and deleting an account are two different things. Cancelling stops the billing and starts the 60-day hold described above. Deleting the account skips the hold entirely.

Deleting the account during a Requested Commitment (Section 1.8) does not create any charge for the remaining months. If a paid One-Time Project is in progress, deleting the account ends that project, and its fee is refunded only as described in Section 1.7.

IN-STORE retains only what the law requires: invoices and payment records for 7 years. Card details are never held by IN-STORE at all - they are held by our payment processor. Content already published to Client's own website or social accounts remains on Client's property and is not removed by IN-STORE. Copies of deleted data may persist in encrypted backups until those backups are overwritten on their normal rotation, within 30 days. See the Data Deletion Instructions for the full procedure.

Subscription Pausing

4.1. Client-Initiated Pause

Clients may voluntarily pause their subscription for up to six (6) consecutive months by submitting a written request to legal@in-store.ca at least fifteen (15) days before the next Billing Date. The pause begins at the end of the current paid period; no monthly fee is charged and no active services are delivered during the pause. A voluntary pause does not entitle Client to a refund of the month in which the pause request is submitted. A pause is available on the same terms for a service with a Requested Commitment (Section 1.8).

If a subscription remains paused for more than six (6) months without reactivation, IN-STORE reserves the right to treat the subscription as cancelled after providing at least thirty (30) days' written notice.

4.2. Reactivation

To reactivate, Client must complete the intake process and submit a written reactivation request to legal@in-store.ca. Upon reactivation, regular monthly billing resumes from the reactivation date. IN-STORE will confirm the new Billing Date in writing within three (3) business days.

White-Label Partner Billing & Cancellation

White-Label Partners are subject to the Free Period, billing, intake and cancellation terms described in this Policy, unless otherwise specified in a separate White-Label Addendum or Partner order. The Service-Fit Refund in Section 2.8 applies to Partners only if the White-Label Addendum expressly says so, and is never available to End Clients directly. Partners are responsible for managing their own billing arrangements with End Clients independently of IN-STORE. Partner cancellation follows the procedure in Section 3. IN-STORE is not responsible for and has no liability in connection with refunds that a Partner may choose to provide to its End Clients.

Refund Request Procedure

If you believe you are entitled to a refund or credit under Section 1.7, 2.4, 2.5 or 2.8, please follow this procedure:

• Step 1 - Submit request in writing: Email legal@in-store.ca with subject "Refund Request - [Company Name] - [Invoice Date]";
• Step 2 - Include supporting detail: Describe the basis for the refund claim and include relevant invoice numbers. For a Service-Fit Refund (Section 2.8), also identify the documented needs relied on and attach or refer to the Quality Notice;
• Step 3 - Review period: IN-STORE will review and respond within ten (10) business days (for a Service-Fit Refund, within ten (10) business days after the remedy period in Section 2.8 ends);
• Step 4 - Processing: Approved refunds are processed to the original payment method within fifteen (15) business days of approval.

Changes to This Policy

IN-STORE may update this Refund & Cancellation Policy from time to time. When changes are made, IN-STORE will update the "Last Updated" date, publish the updated Policy on our website, and notify active Clients by email at least thirty (30) days before changes take effect. The version of this Policy in effect at the time of a billing dispute governs that dispute.