Refund & Cancellation Policy

2.1 Payment Processing

• Payment Processor: All payments are processed securely through Stripe. We do not store complete credit card information.
• Billing Currency: All prices are listed in USD. Your payment provider may charge currency conversion fees.
• Payment Methods: We accept major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) and debit cards. Additional payment methods may be available depending on your region.
• Billing Cycle: Subscriptions are billed monthly or annually depending on your selected plan.

2.2 Automatic Renewal

• Auto-Renewal: All paid subscriptions automatically renew at the end of each billing period unless canceled before the renewal date.
• Trial-Ending Reminder: We send you an email approximately 3 days before your free trial ends and your first charge is taken, so you have time to cancel if CreatorFlow is not right for you. You also receive a confirmation email once any payment has been processed.
• No Refunds on Renewal: Renewal payments are non-refundable. Your first charge after the free trial is also non-refundable, as described in Section 3.2.
• Price Changes: If we change our pricing, we will notify you at least 30 days before the new pricing takes effect. You will have the opportunity to cancel before the change.

2.3 Failed Payments

• Retry Attempts: If a payment fails, we will attempt to process it again automatically over the following 7 days.
• Email Notification: You will receive an email notification if a payment fails.
• Account Status: If payment issues are not resolved within 14 days, your account will be downgraded to the Free plan.
• Reactivation: You can reactivate your paid subscription at any time by updating your payment information.

2.4 Taxes

• Tax Responsibility: Prices are exclusive of applicable taxes (VAT, GST, sales tax, etc.). You are responsible for all taxes associated with your subscription.
• Tax Collection: We will collect and remit applicable taxes where required by law. Taxes will be added to your invoice.
• Tax Documentation: You may request a receipt or invoice for tax purposes by contacting info@creatorflow.so.

3.1 The 14-Day Free Trial

Every paid plan starts with a 14-day free trial. The trial is your evaluation period: you get full access to the plan you selected, and you are charged nothing while it runs. You never have to request a refund to try CreatorFlow, because you do not pay anything until you have used the product for two full weeks.

• Payment Method Required: A valid payment method is required to start a trial. We place a zero-amount authorization to verify the card. No funds are taken during the trial.
• Nothing Charged: Your total due at signup is $0.00. The price and the exact date of your first charge are shown to you at checkout before you confirm.
• Cancel Free: You may cancel at any time during the 14 days from Settings > Billing in your account. If you cancel before the trial ends, you are never billed and no refund is necessary.
• One Trial Per Customer: The free trial is available once per customer. It does not repeat when you change plans, resubscribe, or create an additional account.
• Access on Cancellation: If you cancel during the trial, your account moves to the Free plan and you keep the Free plan's 500 DMs per month.

3.2 After Your Trial Ends

UNLESS YOU CANCEL BEFORE YOUR FREE TRIAL ENDS, YOUR SUBSCRIPTION BEGINS AUTOMATICALLY AND THE PAYMENT METHOD YOU PROVIDED IS CHARGED THE PRICE SHOWN AT CHECKOUT. WE EMAIL YOU APPROXIMATELY 3 DAYS BEFORE THIS HAPPENS.

• First Charge Is Final: The charge taken at the end of your free trial is non-refundable. You had 14 days of full access at no cost to decide, and that is the window in which the decision is made.
• Renewals Are Final: Every renewal charge after the first is likewise non-refundable.
• Annual Plans: Annual subscriptions are non-refundable once charged, including unused months. Annual billing is discounted in exchange for the annual commitment, and the discount is applied upfront.
• No Prorated Refunds: We do not refund partial billing periods, unused months, or unused DMs if you cancel mid-cycle.
• Cancellation Still Works: You may cancel at any time to stop future charges. You keep access until the end of the period you have already paid for, then move to the Free plan.
• Exceptions: Sections 3.5 and 7 describe the situations in which we do refund a charge, including our own billing errors.

3.3 Returning Subscribers

Because the free trial is available once per customer, a subscription you start after having already used your trial is billed immediately rather than beginning with a trial period. For that case only:

• 14-Day Window: If you are billed immediately without a trial, you may cancel within 14 days of that payment for a full refund.
• Full Reimbursement: That refund is issued in full to your original payment method, with no processing fee or other deduction.
• After 14 Days: Charges are non-refundable once the 14 days have passed, and all subsequent renewals are non-refundable.
• How to Request: Email info@creatorflow.so from your account email address within 14 days of the charge.

3.4 DM Add-On Packs (One-Time Purchases)

DM Add-On packs are one-time consumable digital purchases available to Pro and Growth subscribers. They are governed by the following rules, which differ from subscription refunds:

• Refund Window: A DM Add-On pack is eligible for a full refund within 14 days of purchase, but only if zero DMs from that pack have been consumed.
• Non-Refundable After Consumption: Once any DM from a pack has been sent, the pack becomes non-refundable. This applies under EU Consumer Rights Directive Article 16(m), which excludes the right of withdrawal for digital content or digital services where performance has begun with the consumer's prior express consent.
• No Expiry: Add-On DMs never expire. They roll over until consumed.
• Free Plan Purchases: If an Add-On pack is purchased while on the Free plan (where Add-Ons are not supported), a full refund will be issued regardless of the above.
• Failed Payments: An Add-On pack is not credited until payment is successfully completed. No DMs from the pack are accessible until payment is confirmed.
• How to Request: Email info@creatorflow.so from your account email with the subject 'Add-On Refund Request' and your purchase date. We will verify consumption status before approving.

3.5 What We Always Refund

Regardless of anything else in this policy, we refund the following in full, to your original payment method, with no processing fee or other deduction:

• Duplicate Charges: Any duplicate or double charge for the same billing period.
• Charges After Cancellation: Any charge taken after you had already cancelled and received confirmation of that cancellation.
• Our Billing Errors: Any charge for the wrong plan, the wrong amount, or an account that was not yours. See also Section 7.2.
• Trial Charges in Error: Any charge taken during a free trial period rather than at the end of it.
• How to Report: Email info@creatorflow.so from your account email with the date and amount of the charge. You do not need to give a reason for these.

3.6 Refund Exceptions

Outside Section 3.5 and Section 7, refunds are at our sole discretion. Refunds are NOT available in the following circumstances:

• Completed Trials: You did not cancel before your free trial ended and were charged as disclosed at checkout.
• Renewals: Automatic renewal charges after your initial subscription period.
• Terms Violations: Accounts terminated for violating our Terms of Service or Acceptable Use Policy.
• Abuse: Excessive or fraudulent refund requests, or repeated use of trials to avoid payment.
• Downgrade: Switching from a paid plan to a lower-tier plan or Free plan mid-cycle.
• Unused Service: You did not use the Service during a period you paid for. Access, not usage, is what you purchase.
• Chargeback Abuse: If you dispute a charge with your bank instead of contacting us first, your account may be permanently suspended. Please email us before opening a dispute; we resolve genuine billing problems quickly.

3.7 Refund Process

• Request Method: Email info@creatorflow.so from your account email address with the subject "Refund Request."
• Required Information: Include your account email, subscription plan, and reason for the refund request.
• Review Time: We will review your request within 2-3 business days.
• Approval: If approved, refunds are processed within 5-10 business days to the original payment method.
• Account Status: Upon refund approval, your account will be downgraded to the Free plan.
• Notification: You will receive an email confirmation once the refund is processed.

3.8 Promotional Subscriptions

If you received a promotional free period or discounted subscription in addition to, or instead of, the standard free trial:

• Free Promotional Periods: No charge occurs during the free period; no refund is applicable as no payment was made.
• Cancel Before It Ends: Where a promotional period converts to a paid subscription, the price and conversion date are disclosed to you before you accept. Cancel before that date and you are not billed.
• Paid After Promo: Once a promotional period converts and you are charged, that charge is non-refundable on the same terms as Section 3.2.
• Non-Transferable: Promotional periods cannot be paused, extended, or transferred to another account.
• No Conversion: Unused promotional time cannot be converted to credits or refunds.

4.1 Your Statutory Right

• 14-Day Withdrawal: You have the right to withdraw from your subscription contract within 14 calendar days of the day the contract is concluded, without giving any reason.
• When the Contract Is Concluded: For subscriptions that begin with a free trial, the contract is concluded when you start the trial, not when the first payment is taken. Your withdrawal period therefore runs alongside your free trial.
• Exercising It: Cancelling your trial from Settings > Billing before it ends withdraws you from the contract and prevents any charge. You may also send a clear statement by email to info@creatorflow.so. The model withdrawal form in our Terms of Service (Section 7.3) is available but not mandatory.
• Full Refund: If any payment has been taken and you are entitled to withdraw, we reimburse all payments received in full, using the same means of payment you used for the initial transaction, within 14 days of being informed of your decision. No fee is deducted.

4.2 The Right Arises Once

Where a distance contract begins with a free period and converts automatically into a paid subscription unless cancelled, the right of withdrawal is guaranteed once, at the conclusion of that contract. This is established by the Court of Justice of the European Union in Case C-565/22 (Verein fur Konsumenteninformation v Sofatutor GmbH, 5 October 2023).

• One Right: Your withdrawal right arises when you start your free trial. A further right does not arise when the trial converts to a paid subscription, nor on any subsequent renewal.
• Clear Prior Information: Before you confirm, our checkout displays the length of the free trial, the exact price payable afterwards, the date of your first charge, and the recurring nature of the subscription. We also email you approximately 3 days before that charge.
• If You Were Not Informed: If you did not receive clear and comprehensible information about the total cost payable after the free trial before concluding the contract, a further withdrawal right arises when the trial ends. Contact info@creatorflow.so and we will honour it.
• Subscriptions Without a Trial: If you subscribe without a free trial, the contract is concluded at that purchase and a withdrawal right arises then. Section 3.3 describes how this is handled.

4.3 Relationship with This Policy

• Statutory Rights Are Unaffected: Nothing in this policy limits or removes your statutory rights as a consumer. Where this policy and EEA consumer law differ, consumer law prevails.
• Best Terms Apply: Where both a statutory right and a commercial term apply to the same charge, you benefit from whichever is more favourable to you.
• Digital Content Add-Ons: DM Add-On packs are consumable digital content. Section 3.4 sets out the Article 16(m) rules that apply to them once DMs from a pack have been sent.
• Non-EEA Customers: Customers outside the EEA are not entitled to the statutory withdrawal right, but the free trial in Section 3.1 and the guarantees in Section 3.5 apply to everyone.

5.1 How to Cancel

You can cancel a free trial or a paid subscription at any time using one of the following methods:

• During Your Free Trial: Go to Settings > Billing and click "Cancel Subscription" before your trial ends. You will not be charged.
• Dashboard: Log in to your CreatorFlow account, go to Settings > Billing, and click "Cancel Subscription."
• Email Support: Email info@creatorflow.so with the subject "Cancel Subscription" from your account email address.
• Immediate Effect: Cancellations submitted before your next billing date will prevent future charges.

5.2 What Happens After Cancellation

• Billing: Your subscription will not renew, and you will not be charged again.
• Access: You will retain access to paid features until the end of your current billing period.
• Downgrade: At the end of your billing period, your account will automatically downgrade to the Free plan.
• Data Retention: Your account data, automation templates, and collected emails will be retained on the Free plan (subject to Free plan limits).
• Reactivation: You can reactivate your paid subscription at any time from your account settings.

5.3 Account Deletion

If you want to permanently delete your CreatorFlow account (not just cancel your subscription):

• How to Delete: Go to Settings > Account > Delete Account, or email info@creatorflow.so.
• Data Deletion: All account data, including collected emails, automation templates, and usage history, will be permanently deleted within 90 days.
• No Recovery: Deleted accounts cannot be recovered. This action is irreversible.
• Outstanding Charges: You remain responsible for any outstanding charges before account deletion.

6.1 Downgrade Process

• Immediate Downgrade: Downgrades take effect at the end of your current billing period.
• No Prorated Refunds: You will not receive a refund or credit for unused time on your current plan.
• Continued Access: You retain access to your current plan's features until the end of the billing period.
• Feature Limitations: After the downgrade, your account will be subject to the limits of the new plan (e.g., account limits, DM conversation limits).

6.2 Free Plan Limits

If you downgrade to the Free plan, the following limits will apply:

• 1 Instagram Account: You can only connect one Instagram account (additional accounts will be disconnected).
• 500 DM Conversations/Month: Limited to 500 automated DM conversations per month.
• Limited Features: Some Pro features (e.g., advanced analytics, multi-workspace support) will be unavailable.
• Data Retention: Your data will be retained, but you may not be able to access all of it until you upgrade again.

7.1 Service Outages or Technical Issues

• Refund Eligibility: If the Service experiences prolonged downtime (more than 72 consecutive hours) or critical technical issues that prevent you from using core features, you may be eligible for a prorated refund or credit.
• Request Process: Contact info@creatorflow.so with details of the outage or issue. We will investigate and determine eligibility.
• SLA Credits: Enterprise customers with a Service Level Agreement may be eligible for credits as specified in their agreement.

7.2 Billing Errors

• Double Charges: If you are accidentally charged twice for the same subscription period, we will refund the duplicate charge immediately.
• Incorrect Amount: If you are charged an incorrect amount due to a pricing error or system malfunction, we will refund the difference.
• Reporting: Report billing errors to info@creatorflow.so within 30 days of the charge.

7.3 Account Suspension or Termination by CreatorFlow

• Violations: If your account is suspended or terminated for violating our Terms of Service, no refund will be issued.
• Error Suspension: If your account is suspended or terminated in error, we will reinstate your account and issue a refund or credit for any period you were unable to access the Service.
• Instagram Bans: If your Instagram account is banned or restricted by Meta, no refund will be issued as this is beyond our control.