Return & Refund Policy

1. General Policy

Research Ustad aims to provide a fair and transparent learning experience. If an enrolled participant is not satisfied with a paid course after attending classes during the initial one-week period, the participant may submit a refund request under the conditions described below.

Any approved refund will be calculated after deducting the applicable fee for the classes already attended and any non-refundable payment gateway or transaction charges.

2. Refund Eligibility Period

A participant may request a refund within seven (7) calendar days from the date of the first scheduled class of the enrolled course.

• The request must be submitted through an official Research Ustad communication channel.
• The participant should provide their registered name, registration contact, course name and payment reference.
• Research Ustad may verify enrollment, payment and attendance records before approving the request.

A request submitted after this initial seven-day period may not qualify under the standard refund arrangement. Any exception will be considered at the discretion of Research Ustad and subject to the circumstances and applicable law.

3. How the Refund Amount Is Calculated

If a refund request is approved, the fee corresponding to the classes already attended will be deducted from the course fee. Applicable payment gateway or transaction charges will also be deducted where they have already been charged and are non-refundable.

Refund calculation

The figures above are illustrative only and are not actual Research Ustad course prices or gateway rates. The actual refund will be calculated using the participant's payment and attendance records.

Calculation method

Refundable amount = Amount actually paid towards the course − fee for attended classes − eligible non-refundable transaction charges.

If a course contains sessions of different durations or separately priced components, Research Ustad may use the published session-wise fee structure or a reasonable proportional calculation to determine the attended portion.

4. Payment Gateway and Transaction Charges

Any applicable payment gateway fee, payment processing fee, transaction charge, or third-party service charge is payable by the participant, where applicable.

If such a charge has already been imposed by the payment provider and is not returned to Research Ustad, it will not be included in the refundable amount.

Please review Show Charges for further information about payment-related charges.

5. Classes Already Attended

The fee for each class attended by the participant will be deducted before calculating the refund.

Attendance may be verified using official class attendance records, live-session participation records, learning-platform records, or other reasonable administrative records.

Where a participant attends only part of a class, the treatment of that session may be determined according to the course's published attendance and fee structure.

6. How to Submit a Refund Request

Participants should submit a refund request through an official Research Ustad contact channel and include:

1. Full name used during course registration.
2. Registered email address or phone number.
3. Course or programme name.
4. Payment transaction ID or reference number.
5. Payment date and amount.
6. A short explanation of the refund request.

Research Ustad may request additional information where necessary to verify the request.

7. Refund Review and Processing

Each refund request will be reviewed against enrollment, attendance and payment records.

Once approved, the refund will normally be initiated through the original payment method or another reasonable method agreed upon with the participant, subject to payment provider availability and verification requirements.

Processing time may vary depending on the bank, mobile financial service provider, card issuer, payment gateway, or other financial institution. Research Ustad cannot guarantee the exact time taken by an external provider.

8. Course Cancellation or Major Changes by Research Ustad

If Research Ustad cancels a paid course before it begins, or makes a material change that prevents the course from being delivered as substantially announced, affected participants may be offered an appropriate refund, credit, rescheduling, or alternative arrangement.

The applicable arrangement will be communicated to the affected participants. Any refund will be subject to applicable law and the actual payment and service status.

9. Non-Refundable Items and Situations

Unless applicable law requires otherwise, the following are generally not refundable under this paid-course policy:

• Fees attributable to classes already attended.
• Gateway, transaction, or processing charges already collected by a third-party payment provider and not returned.
• Third-party costs already incurred on behalf of the participant, where clearly disclosed and legally non-refundable.

A refund request may be declined where the participant submits false payment information, attempts to misuse the refund process, or fails to provide reasonably necessary verification information.

This provision does not remove any rights that cannot legally be excluded under applicable law.

10. Non-Course Services Are Excluded

This policy does not automatically cover:

• Research consultation or customized research services.
• One-to-one or group mentorship outside a paid course.
• Research project or thesis-related services.
• Publication, editing, or other specialized services.
• Third-party publication, registration, or submission fees.
• Any other service that is not explicitly identified as a paid course.

Such services, if offered, will be governed by their separately communicated service terms, written agreement, or applicable policy.