Effective Date: As approved by the Board of Trustees  |  Last Updated: 01.10.2026

1. Introduction

Advocate Council of India (ACI) is an independent public charitable trust engaged in legal education, professional development, legal awareness, research, training and initiatives promoting access to justice.

This Refund, Cancellation and Payment Policy explains the conditions under which payments made through the ACI website, online learning platform, membership programmes, events and other services may be refunded or cancelled.

By making a payment through the ACI website, the user acknowledges that they have read and understood this Policy.

2. Scope of This Policy

This Policy applies, as applicable, to:

• Online courses, training programmes and educational content.
• Student, professional, corporate and other membership programmes.
• Workshops, seminars, conferences and paid events.
• Job portal subscriptions and other paid digital services.
• Publications, resources and other paid offerings.
• Donations and voluntary contributions made to ACI.
• Payments processed through authorised payment gateways.

The refund conditions may differ depending on the nature of the service purchased or the purpose of the payment.

3. Refunds for Online Courses and Educational Programmes

3.1 Refund request period

A refund request for an eligible online course must ordinarily be submitted within 7 calendar days from the date of successful purchase.

3.2 Conditions for eligibility

A refund may be considered where:

• The request is submitted within the prescribed period.
• The course has not been accessed, substantially used or completed.
• The request relates to a genuine payment or technical issue that can be verified.
• The request satisfies the applicable course-specific terms disclosed at the time of purchase.

3.3 Courses already accessed

Courses that have been accessed, substantially consumed or completed will ordinarily not qualify for a refund, subject to applicable law and any specific commitment made by ACI at the time of purchase.

3.4 Technical problems

If a learner is unable to access a purchased course because of a verified technical issue attributable to ACI, ACI may first attempt to restore access or provide an appropriate solution. Where the issue cannot reasonably be resolved, a refund may be considered.

3.5 Promotional offers

Purchases made under discounts, promotional campaigns, bundled offers or special pricing are subject to the terms disclosed for that offer. A promotional purchase will not automatically be excluded from a refund where a refund is otherwise required under applicable law or the applicable purchase terms.

4. Membership Fees

Membership fees are paid for the membership category and the associated benefits, access and facilities described at the time of enrolment.

A membership refund request must ordinarily be submitted within 7 calendar days of payment and before the membership benefits have been materially used or activated, unless the membership-specific terms provide otherwise.

Refund eligibility will be assessed with reference to:

• The membership category purchased.
• Whether membership has been approved or activated.
• Whether member-only content, facilities or benefits have been accessed.
• Whether the request arises from a duplicate payment, failed transaction, material service issue or other valid circumstance.

Renewal fees, membership benefits already substantially used and membership periods already consumed will ordinarily not qualify for a refund, subject to applicable law and the terms disclosed at purchase.

Membership does not guarantee employment, clients, income, professional recognition, referrals or any particular outcome.

5. Workshops, Seminars and Events

Cancellation and refund requests for paid workshops, seminars, conferences and other events will be governed by the specific terms published for the relevant event.

Where ACI cancels an event without providing a rescheduled date or an alternative arrangement accepted by the participant, the participant will ordinarily be eligible for a refund of the event fee paid to ACI.

Where an event is rescheduled, the participant may be offered the option of attending the rescheduled event or seeking an appropriate refund, in accordance with the event-specific terms and applicable law.

Requests for participant-initiated cancellations will be considered according to the cancellation deadline and refund conditions disclosed before payment.

6. Job Portal, Digital Services and Other Paid Offerings

Fees paid for job portal subscriptions, premium digital access, downloadable resources, publications or other paid services will be assessed according to the specific terms disclosed for the relevant offering.

Refunds will ordinarily not be available merely because a user changes their mind after activating or substantially using a digital service.

However, duplicate payments, failed transactions, material non-delivery of a paid service, or other circumstances warranting a refund will be reviewed individually and handled in accordance with applicable law.

Payment for a job portal service does not guarantee a job, interview, placement or selection.

7. Donations and Voluntary Contributions

Donations and voluntary contributions made to ACI to support its charitable objectives are ordinarily non-refundable once received and accepted.

However, a duplicate donation, an erroneous transaction, an unauthorised payment or another verifiable payment error may be reviewed for correction or refund, subject to applicable law and the circumstances of the transaction.

Donations must not be treated as purchases of courses, memberships, employment opportunities, legal services or guaranteed benefits.

Where a donation receipt or tax-related document has been issued, any necessary correction or cancellation will be handled in accordance with applicable requirements.

8. Duplicate, Failed and Unauthorised Transactions

If an amount is debited more than once for the same purchase, or payment is deducted without successful confirmation of the intended transaction, the user should contact ACI with the relevant transaction details.

ACI will verify the payment against its records and payment gateway information. Any confirmed excess or duplicate payment will be processed for refund or reversal, as appropriate.

Unauthorised transactions should also be reported promptly to the relevant bank or payment service provider.

9. Cancellation by ACI

ACI may cancel, postpone, withdraw or modify a course, event or service where reasonably necessary because of operational, technical, administrative or other legitimate circumstances.

Where ACI cancels a paid offering and does not provide an appropriate replacement, rescheduled service or alternative accepted by the purchaser, a refund of the relevant fee paid to ACI will ordinarily be provided.

Any refund will be limited to the amount actually paid to ACI for the affected offering, except where applicable law requires otherwise.

10. How to Request a Refund

Refund requests must be submitted in writing to:

Email: writeus.advocatecouncilofindia@gmail.com

Please include the following information:

• Full name of the purchaser.
• Registered email address and contact number.
• Name of the course, membership, event or service.
• Date and amount of payment.
• Transaction ID or payment reference number.
• Reason for requesting the refund.
• Relevant payment confirmation or supporting documents, where available.

ACI may request additional information reasonably necessary to verify the transaction and assess the request.

Users should not send passwords, OTPs, complete card details or other unnecessary sensitive financial information by email.

11. Review and Processing of Refunds

ACI will review a refund request and communicate its decision after verifying the relevant records and applicable terms.

Where a refund is approved, ACI will ordinarily initiate processing within 14 working days from approval, subject to verification, payment gateway procedures, banking timelines and applicable law.

The time taken for the refunded amount to appear in the user’s account may depend on the bank, payment gateway or original payment method.

Where a request is declined, ACI may communicate the principal reason for the decision.

Nothing in this Policy is intended to exclude or restrict any refund, remedy or consumer right that cannot lawfully be excluded.

12. Refund Method and Charges

Where practicable, an approved refund will be made to the original payment method used for the transaction.

Any adjustment for a genuine, separately disclosed and legally permissible charge will be assessed in accordance with the applicable purchase terms and law. No charge will be deducted where such deduction is not legally permissible.

13. Grievance Redressal

If a user is dissatisfied with the handling of a refund request, they may submit a written grievance to the email address provided in this Policy.

The grievance should include the transaction reference, the earlier correspondence, if any, and a concise explanation of the unresolved issue.

ACI will acknowledge and review grievances in accordance with its applicable grievance-handling procedure and legal obligations.

14. Amendments to This Policy

ACI may revise this Policy from time to time to reflect changes in its services, operational procedures or applicable law.

The updated version will be published on the ACI website with the revised effective or update date. The terms applicable to a completed purchase will be assessed with reference to the terms disclosed at the time of purchase, subject to applicable law.

15. Institutional Identity

Advocate Council of India is an independent public charitable trust. It is not a governmental authority, statutory Bar Council, court or university.

ACI’s courses, memberships and other offerings are governed by their published terms. Unless expressly recognised by a competent authority under applicable law, completion certificates issued by ACI represent completion of the relevant programme and do not independently confer a statutory qualification, licence or right to practise.

16. Contact Details

Advocate Council of India (ACI)

6/C, Aftab Mosque Lane, Gopal Nagar, Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal – 700027, India.

Email: writeus.advocatecouncilofindia@gmail.com

Website: https://advocatecouncilofindia.org/

This Policy should be read together with ACI’s Terms and Conditions, Membership Rules, applicable course or event terms, and Privacy Policy.