Cancellation & Refund Policy

1. Foundational Operating Principles

Learning Buddha is dedicated to delivering high-caliber educational tutoring and professional tele-counselling. Because verified teachers and certified professional counsellors reserve dedicated, non-recoverable calendar slots for confirmed bookings, our Cancellation & Refund Policy balances operational flexibility for learners and clients with predictability, professional respect, and fair compensation for educators and practitioners.

This policy governs all six recognized stakeholder roles across the platform, establishing clear rules for customer refunds, session credits, instructor compensation, and sales commission reconciliations.

2. Academic Tutoring Policies (Students & Teachers)

Classroom schedules for school curricula, language learning, and competitive exams operate under strict attendance and leave management protocols:

• Course Cancellation Within 24 Hours of Booking & Payment: Any course cancellation requested within 24 hours of initial booking and payment is subject to a 100% full refund to the original payment source.
• Course Cancellation Beyond 24 Hours of Booking & Payment: Cancellations requested after 24 hours from booking and payment are governed by our prorated unused-balance formula (completed classes are billed at the standard non-discounted single-class rate, remitted statutory GST is non-refundable, and the residual balance is refunded).
• Advance Student Leave Policy (≥ 48 Hours): Enrolled learners can apply for planned leave at least 48 hours prior to class time via the LMS “Raise Leave Request” functionality. The system automatically marks affected dates as “Student On Leave”, pauses class reminder phone calls, frees up the teacher’s calendar, and generates an extended class schedule. No class credits are deducted.
• Late Student Absence (Under 48 Hours): The LMS system blocks leave requests attempted in less than 48 hours with an explicit prompt. If a student misses a scheduled class without 48-hour advance notice, the session is marked as “Student Absent”, the class credit is counted as consumed, and the absence is factored into the student’s attendance score.
• Teacher Planned Leave & Substitute Protocol (≥ 48 Hours): Teachers must submit leave requests at least 48 hours in advance. Enrolled students receive an interactive notification prompt:
  • Student selects “YES”: Administration assigns a verified substitute teacher. The student attends the scheduled session on time and rates the substitute.
  • Student selects “NO”: The class is skipped and cleanly rearranged under the student’s trusted regular teacher upon their return.
• Teacher Unplanned Absence: If a teacher fails to join a scheduled class without prior approved leave and no substitute is arranged, the session is marked as “Teacher Absent”. The class credit is preserved, an expedited priority makeup class is scheduled, and the teacher is subject to disciplinary score deductions.
• Free Demo Classes:
  • First Demo Missed: If a prospective learner misses their first scheduled demo, our coordination team reaches out once to reschedule (“Rescheduled, customer missed first demo”).
  • Second Demo Missed: If the learner fails to attend the rescheduled second demo, the booking is automatically classified as “Cancelled”, and no additional free slots will be provided.

3. Tele-Counselling Policies (Counselees & Counsellors)

Professional tele-counselling consultations across personal, marital, career, and lifestyle categories operate under strict calendar reservation rules:

• Advance Reschedule Notice (≥ 24 Hours): Counselees may request to reschedule an upcoming confirmed session via their dashboard by clicking “Request Reschedule” at least 24 hours prior to the appointment. Rescheduling is subject to counselor calendar availability and administrative approval. Upon approval, updated video joining links are generated automatically.
• Short-Notice Reschedule (4 to 24 Hours): Requests submitted between 4 and 24 hours prior to the session require administrative review and are accommodated on a best-effort basis depending on counselor scheduling constraints.
• Late Cancellations (Under 4 Hours) & Client No-Shows: If a counselee cancels less than 4 hours before the appointment or fails to join a confirmed video call, the slot is classified as “Forfeited / Missed”. No refund, fee credit, or complimentary reschedule is granted, and the counselor is compensated for the reserved professional slot.
• Counselor-Initiated Cancellations: In the rare event a counselor becomes unavailable due to emergency leave or verified technical failure, the counselee is notified immediately and offered:
  • An immediate priority reschedule with the same counselor or an alternative qualified specialist; OR
  • A 100% full refund authorized back to the original payment source without administrative deductions.

4. Comprehensive Master Refund Eligibility Matrix

The following matrix establishes refund entitlements and resolution procedures across all standard operational scenarios:

5. Multi-Session Package Refund Calculation & Formula

When purchasing bundles of 3 or more counseling sessions, a statutory 15% multi-session discount is applied. If a client subsequently seeks a refund for the unused balance of a multi-session package:

• Discount Reversal: The sessions already completed will be billed at the standard, un-discounted single-session consultation fee.
• Statutory Tax Treatment: Statutory GST (18%) already remitted to the Government of India for completed sessions remains non-refundable.
• Mathematical Settlement Formula:
  Refund Amount = Total Fee Paid − (Completed Sessions × Standard Single Consultation Rate) − Remitted Statutory GST
• Residual Balance Disbursement: Any positive residual balance is credited directly back to the user’s source payment method.

6. Cross-Role Financial & Operational Impact of Cancellations

Cancellations and leave submissions carry specific operational and financial ramifications for internal practitioners and staff:

• Teachers: Payout is calculated based on sessions where both Teacher and Learner are active. If a student takes approved leave (≥ 48 hrs), the teacher’s schedule frees up for demo assignments. If a teacher is absent without an approved substitute, payout is zero and disciplinary score deductions apply.
• Counsellors: If a counselee cancels late (under 4 hours) or fails to attend, the counsellor receives reserved slot compensation per platform terms. If a counsellor takes leave affecting confirmed bookings, the counsellor is responsible for coordinating reschedules via the administrative dashboard.
• Sales Counsellors: If an enrolled learner requests a refund within approved policy terms, the sales commission associated with unconsumed, refunded sessions is adjusted and clawed back in the subsequent pay cycle.
• Administrators: Administrative staff oversee dispute resolutions, verify attendance telemetry, authorize manual payment gateway refunds, and manage substitute teacher assignments.

7. Refund Initiation & Processing Timelines

All refund requests are handled systematically through verified payment channels:

• Submitting a Claim: Users initiate refunds via the portal Help & Support section or by emailing customersupport@learningbuddha.in citing their Invoice Number, Transaction ID, and Student ID or Counselee ID.
• Review SLA: Our accounts team reviews and resolves refund requests within 2 business days.
• Payment Gateway Execution: Once approved, refunds are transmitted directly to the source payment method via Razorpay.
• Bank Settlement Timeline: In accordance with Indian banking protocols, refunds typically reflect in the user’s bank account, credit card, or UPI statement within 5 to 7 business days post-initiation.