Cancellation & Refund Policy
This Policy explains how cancellations, project pauses, completed work, unused work, custom digital deliverables, and refund requests are handled for Moon Umlaut production and editorial services.
1. Cancellation Before Work Begins
If a client cancels before production work begins, Moon Umlaut will review any payment already received and any costs, scheduling commitments, or nonrecoverable expenses already incurred. Where no work has begun and no nonrecoverable cost exists, an appropriate refund may be available.
2. Cancellation After Work Begins
Once production begins, charges reflect work performed, time used, completed stages, reserved production capacity, and any nonrecoverable project cost. Amounts attributable to work already performed are generally not refundable.
If a project is cancelled partway through, Moon Umlaut may determine the remaining balance or any appropriate refund by reference to the work completed and the project-specific terms.
3. Customized Digital Services
Podcast editing, episode production, transcripts, show notes, and related editorial materials are customized digital services. Completed and delivered work is generally not refundable merely because the client later changes creative direction, release plans, branding, or publication strategy.
4. Quality or Scope Concerns
If a client believes a deliverable does not match the agreed scope, the client should identify the specific issue and provide sufficient information for Moon Umlaut to evaluate it.
When appropriate, a reasonable correction or in-scope revision may be offered before a refund is considered.
5. Technical Limitations of Source Audio
Editing can improve many ordinary recording issues but cannot guarantee restoration of missing speech, severe clipping, corrupted files, extreme echo, overlapping voices, missing channels, or other defects that are technically irreversible.
A refund is not automatically available where the underlying problem originates in client-supplied material and Moon Umlaut has performed the agreed service using the material provided.
6. Transcription and Editorial Corrections
Transcription accuracy depends on recording quality, speaker clarity, accents, specialized terminology, names, and overlapping speech. Reasonable corrections may be handled as revisions when they fall within the agreed scope.
Changes requested because the client later supplies new terminology, speaker information, source material, or different editorial direction may be treated as additional work.
7. Client Delays
Projects may be paused if necessary source files, instructions, approvals, or payments are not provided. An extended pause may require a new production schedule when the client returns.
Work already completed before the pause remains billable.
8. Missed Release Dates
A refund is not automatically available for a missed release date caused by late client materials, late approvals, third-party platform outages, account-access issues, or other circumstances outside Moon Umlaut's agreed production responsibilities.
9. Publishing Platform Decisions
Podcast hosts and distribution services are independent third parties. A platform's rejection, outage, delayed processing, policy change, or distribution limitation does not automatically create a refund right for production work that was completed as agreed.
10. Duplicate or Incorrect Payment
If the same invoice is accidentally paid more than once or a payment is demonstrably made in error, the matter should be reviewed and an appropriate correction or refund may be issued.
11. Approved Refunds
Where a refund is approved, it may be returned through the original payment method or another reasonable method agreed by the parties. Processing time may depend on the payment provider or financial institution.
12. Chargebacks
Clients are encouraged to raise a billing or service concern directly before initiating a payment dispute so that the project record, scope, delivery, and payment history can be reviewed.