Cancellation & Refund Policy

This Cancellation & Refund Policy (“Policy”) governs cancellations, refunds and related payment matters for memberships, digital services, events and other paid offerings made available through Bharat Business Networks™.

This Policy forms an integral part of the Terms & Conditions of Bharat Business Networks™ and should be read together with the Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy and any specific terms displayed at the time of purchase.

1. PLATFORM OWNER

Bharat Business Networks™ is owned and operated by:

References to “Bharat Business Networks™”, the “Platform”, “Company”, “we”, “us” or “our” shall, depending on context, refer to BRIXTON & Co Consulting as the legal owner and operator of Bharat Business Networks™.

2. NATURE OF MEMBERSHIP & SERVICES

Bharat Business Networks™ provides digitally delivered membership, business networking, discovery and ecosystem access services.

Depending upon the applicable membership or offering, Services may include:

• Ecosystem Membership;
• digital membership identity;
• B.Cred™ verification;
• verified networking community;
• Member Dashboard;
• business discovery and lead access;
• business profiles and catalogue management;
• marketplace participation;
• Member-to-Member chat;
• community feed;
• collaborations and partnership opportunities;
• summits, forums, meetups and networking experiences;
• editorial recognition opportunities;
• brand partnership opportunities; and
• other digital ecosystem features.

Membership primarily represents access to the Bharat Business Networks™ ecosystem and applicable Platform functionality and does not constitute the purchase of a physical product.

3. GENERAL REFUND PRINCIPLE

Because Bharat Business Networks™ provides digitally delivered membership access and Services that may become available or commence immediately after activation, membership fees are generally non-refundable once the membership has been activated, except:

• where Bharat Business Networks™ expressly agrees otherwise in writing;
• where an established duplicate or erroneous payment has occurred;
• where the relevant Service has not been provided as agreed and an appropriate remedy is required;
• where Bharat Business Networks™ approves a refund at its discretion; or
• where a refund is required under applicable law.

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

4. MEMBERSHIP ACTIVATION

For purposes of this Policy, membership may be considered activated when one or more of the following has occurred:

• successful payment has been confirmed;
• the Member account has been upgraded;
• Member Dashboard access has been enabled;
• verification has commenced;
• B.Cred™ verification or membership identity processing has commenced;
• paid features have been enabled;
• business discovery or lead-access functionality has been made available;
• marketplace or networking functionality has been enabled;
• membership benefits have otherwise commenced; or
• activation has been confirmed to the Member electronically.

Once membership has been activated, the membership fee shall ordinarily become non-refundable.

5. CANCELLATION BEFORE ACTIVATION

Where a Member requests cancellation before membership activation or commencement of paid Services, Bharat Business Networks™ may review the request based upon:

• payment status;
• whether any Service has already commenced;
• payment-gateway status;
• administrative processing already undertaken; and
• applicable law.

Where cancellation is approved before activation, any refund will be processed in accordance with this Policy and the applicable payment-provider procedures.

6. NON-REFUNDABLE CIRCUMSTANCES

Except where otherwise required by applicable law, a refund will ordinarily not be provided solely because a Member:

• changes their mind after activation;
• no longer wishes to use the membership;
• does not regularly access the Platform;
• does not complete their profile;
• does not use available lead access;
• does not use the marketplace;
• does not participate in the Member community;
• does not communicate with other Members;
• does not attend networking experiences;
• fails to utilise membership benefits;
• is unable to dedicate sufficient time to the Platform;
• changes their business, profession, employment or location;
• closes or discontinues their own business;
• does not obtain expected commercial results; or
• otherwise chooses not to use Services made available to them.

Membership fees compensate Bharat Business Networks™ for providing access to the applicable ecosystem, infrastructure, functionality and membership benefits and are not dependent upon the frequency with which a Member chooses to use them.

7. NO REFUND BASED ON BUSINESS RESULTS

Bharat Business Networks™ provides access to business discovery, networking, visibility and collaboration opportunities.

It does not guarantee any particular commercial result.

Accordingly, a Member shall not ordinarily be entitled to a refund merely because they do not obtain:

• leads;
• customer enquiries;
• sales;
• contracts;
• revenue;
• partnerships;
• collaborations;
• vendor relationships;
• buyers;
• investors;
• funding;
• employment;
• marketplace transactions;
• brand partnerships;
• editorial recognition;
• media coverage;
• event invitations; or
• any particular return on the membership fee.

Business outcomes depend upon numerous factors outside the control of Bharat Business Networks™.

8. BUSINESS DISCOVERY & LEAD ACCESS

Access to a business record, company record, email address or other business information does not constitute a guaranteed sales lead or expression of purchasing intent.

A Member will not ordinarily be entitled to a refund because:

• a company does not respond;
• contact information has changed;
• a business is no longer active;
• a lead does not convert;
• an email is not answered;
• an opportunity does not progress;
• the Member's outreach is unsuccessful; or
• the Member does not achieve expected sales.

Bharat Business Networks™ may, where reasonably appropriate, correct or update information brought to its attention without creating an automatic refund entitlement.

9. B.CRED™ VERIFICATION

B.Cred™ verification is an internal verification and membership credibility feature of Bharat Business Networks™.

A refund will not ordinarily be provided because:

• verification takes reasonable processing time;
• additional information is requested;
• a Member fails to provide necessary verification information;
• information submitted cannot be verified;
• verification is paused because of inconsistent information; or
• verification status is subsequently withdrawn due to inaccurate, misleading or outdated information supplied by the Member.

Where Bharat Business Networks™ is unable to provide a paid verification-related Service for reasons attributable solely to Bharat Business Networks™, an appropriate remedy may be considered in accordance with applicable law and the circumstances.

10. EDITORIAL RECOGNITION & BRAND PARTNERSHIPS

Unless expressly sold as a separate guaranteed deliverable in writing:

• editorial recognition;
• Member features;
• interviews;
• awards or recognitions;
• brand partnerships;
• sponsorships;
• collaborations; and

promotional opportunities

are not guaranteed membership entitlements.

Failure to receive or qualify for any such opportunity does not create an entitlement to a membership refund.

Any separately purchased editorial, promotional, sponsorship or partnership Service may have its own cancellation and refund conditions.

11. EVENTS, SUMMITS, FORUMS & EXPERIENCES

Membership may provide eligibility, invitations, priority access or opportunities to participate in experiences organised or facilitated by Bharat Business Networks™.

Certain events may involve separate charges on actuals or event-specific pricing.

Where a Member separately purchases an event ticket or paid experience, the cancellation and refund terms communicated for that particular event shall apply.

Unless otherwise specified:

• membership fees are independent of individual event attendance;
• inability to attend an event does not entitle a Member to refund of the Ecosystem Membership fee;
• travel, accommodation and other personal expenses are the Member's responsibility; and
• cancellation of one event does not automatically result in cancellation or refund of the overall membership.

If Bharat Business Networks™ cancels a separately paid event and does not provide an appropriate substitute, rescheduling option or equivalent remedy, any applicable refund shall be handled according to the event-specific terms and applicable law.

12. EMI & FINANCED TRANSACTIONS

Bharat Business Networks™ may allow Members to purchase membership using EMI, card instalments or financing provided by third-party banks, NBFCs, card issuers or payment providers.

Bharat Business Networks™ and BRIXTON & Co Consulting are not lenders or financing institutions unless expressly stated otherwise and legally authorised.

12.1 EMI Represents a Payment Method

Selecting EMI generally changes how the Member pays for the membership and does not convert the membership into a monthly membership unless expressly stated otherwise.

Where the financing provider pays or settles the membership amount to Bharat Business Networks™, the underlying membership transaction may be treated as completed even though the Member continues to repay instalments to the financing provider.

12.2 Cancellation Does Not Automatically Cancel EMI

Cancellation, non-use, suspension or termination of membership does not automatically cancel EMI or financing obligations.

The Member remains responsible for repayments to the bank, lender, NBFC, card issuer or financing provider according to the separate financing agreement.

12.3 Approved Refunds on EMI Transactions

Where Bharat Business Networks™ approves a refund for a financed transaction, the refund shall be initiated through the original payment mechanism or another legally permissible method.

The Member acknowledges that:

• Bharat Business Networks™ does not control the lender's processing timelines;
• EMI adjustments may take additional time;
• interest or financing charges may be governed independently by the lender;
• foreclosure or cancellation charges may apply according to the lender's terms; and

Bharat Business Networks™ cannot guarantee how the lender will restructure or close the financing arrangement.

13. DUPLICATE PAYMENTS

If a Member is charged more than once for the same intended transaction because of a verified technical or payment error, the duplicate amount may be refunded after verification.

The Member should contact Bharat Business Networks™ with:

• registered name;
• registered email or mobile number;
• transaction IDs;
• dates of payment;
• amounts paid; and
• relevant payment evidence.

A legitimate duplicate payment claim will not be treated as a standard membership cancellation.

14. FAILED OR PENDING TRANSACTIONS

A payment may occasionally appear:

• failed;
• pending;
• deducted but unconfirmed; or

temporarily duplicated

because of a payment gateway, banking or network issue.

Members should allow the relevant bank or payment provider to complete its reconciliation process.

Where Bharat Business Networks™ has not received the relevant payment, the Member may need to contact their bank or payment provider.

Membership shall not be considered paid merely because an amount temporarily appears as debited if the payment transaction is subsequently reversed or was never settled to Bharat Business Networks™.

15. REFUND FOR SERVICE FAILURE OR MATERIAL DIFFERENCE

Nothing in the non-refundable provisions of this Policy prevents an appropriate remedy where a paid Service is materially:

• not provided;
• deficient in a manner for which Bharat Business Networks™ is legally responsible; or
• materially different from the specific paid Service represented or agreed at the time of purchase.

Depending upon the circumstances, the appropriate remedy may include:

• correction of the issue;
• restoration of access;
• replacement or re-performance of the affected Service;
• extension of access;
• account credit, where mutually agreed;
• partial refund; or
• full refund where appropriate or legally required.

Bharat Business Networks™ may reasonably investigate the circumstances before determining the appropriate remedy.

16. ACCOUNT SUSPENSION OR TERMINATION FOR VIOLATIONS

Membership may be suspended or terminated in accordance with the Terms & Conditions for reasons including:

• fraud;
• impersonation;
• false or materially misleading information;
• non-payment;
• unlawful activity;
• harassment;
• abuse;
• unlawful spam;
• misuse of business information;
• data scraping;
• reselling Platform data;
• misuse of B.Cred™;
• security threats;
• intellectual property infringement; or
• material violation of Platform policies.

Where membership is suspended or terminated due to the Member's material breach, no refund shall ordinarily be payable for the unused portion of membership, except where otherwise required by applicable law.

17. VOLUNTARY ACCOUNT CLOSURE

A Member may request closure of their Bharat Business Networks™ account.

Voluntary account closure after membership activation:

• does not automatically cancel the original membership purchase;
• does not automatically create a refund entitlement;
• does not cancel outstanding EMI obligations; and
• may result in loss of access to membership features and Member information.

Members should consider these consequences before requesting account deletion or closure.

18. CHANGE IN MEMBERSHIP PRICING

Bharat Business Networks™ may change its membership pricing for future purchases.

A Member shall not be entitled to a refund, credit or price adjustment merely because:

• membership is subsequently offered at a lower promotional price;
• an introductory offer becomes available;
• a different campaign is launched;
• another Member purchases at a different price; or
• future membership pricing increases or decreases.

The price applicable to a Member is ordinarily the price that was displayed and accepted at the time of their transaction.

19. CHANGES TO FEATURES

Bharat Business Networks™ is an evolving ecosystem and may introduce, improve, replace, rename, combine or modify features.

Reasonable changes to individual features do not automatically create a refund entitlement.

However, where a material paid Service is discontinued or materially changed in circumstances where applicable law requires a remedy, Bharat Business Networks™ shall provide an appropriate remedy in accordance with applicable law.

20. PROMOTIONAL & SPECIAL MEMBERSHIPS

Special offers, introductory memberships, Founding Circle memberships, promotional memberships, corporate programmes and other limited campaigns may have additional conditions.

Where clearly communicated and accepted at the time of purchase, those specific commercial terms shall apply alongside this Policy.

Promotional pricing does not alter the general non-refundable nature of activated digital membership unless expressly stated otherwise.

21. REFUND REQUEST PROCEDURE

Where a Member believes they are eligible for a refund under this Policy, they should contact:

Email: connect@bharatbusinessnetworks.com

The request should preferably include:

• Member's full name;
• registered email address;
• registered mobile number, where applicable;
• membership or account information;
• transaction ID;
• payment date;
• amount paid;
• reason for the refund request; and
• supporting information or evidence.

Incomplete requests may require additional information before they can be evaluated.

22. REVIEW OF REFUND REQUESTS

Submitting a refund request does not itself mean that a refund has been approved.

Bharat Business Networks™ may review:

• membership activation status;
• Services already provided;
• Platform usage records;
• verification status;
• payment records;
• reason for the request;
• applicable transaction terms;
• payment-provider requirements; and
• applicable legal obligations.

Bharat Business Networks™ will communicate the outcome through the registered contact information or other appropriate communication channel.

23. REFUND METHOD

Approved refunds will ordinarily be processed through:

• the original payment method; or
• another legally permissible method where the original method cannot reasonably be used.

Bharat Business Networks™ may require reasonable verification before processing a refund to protect against fraud or unauthorised claims.

24. REFUND PROCESSING TIME

Once a refund has been approved and initiated by Bharat Business Networks™, the time required for the amount to appear in the Member's account may depend upon:

• the payment gateway;
• issuing bank;
• card network;
• UPI provider;
• financing institution; or
• other third-party payment provider.

Bharat Business Networks™ does not control processing delays occurring solely within third-party banking or payment systems.

25. CHARGEBACKS & PAYMENT DISPUTES

If a Member believes that a payment is incorrect or unauthorised, they are encouraged to contact Bharat Business Networks™ promptly so the issue can be investigated.

Nothing in this Policy prevents a Member from exercising any lawful right available through their bank, card issuer, payment provider or applicable law.

However, initiating a knowingly false, fraudulent or misleading chargeback may result in:

• investigation;
• suspension of Platform access;
• preservation of transaction evidence; and
• appropriate recovery or legal action where warranted.

26. TAXES, PAYMENT-GATEWAY & FINANCING CHARGES

Where a refund is approved, treatment of:

• taxes;
• payment-gateway charges;
• lender interest;
• EMI processing fees;
• foreclosure charges;
• card charges; and

other third-party charges

shall depend upon applicable law and the policies of the relevant payment or financing provider.

Bharat Business Networks™ shall not retain amounts that applicable law requires it to refund.

27. MEMBERSHIP TRANSFER

Memberships are generally personal to the registered Member or registered entity and are non-transferable, unless Bharat Business Networks™ expressly approves a transfer in writing.

A Member's inability to transfer a membership does not itself create a refund entitlement.

28. FORCE MAJEURE

Bharat Business Networks™ shall not be responsible for temporary inability to provide Services due to circumstances beyond reasonable control, including:

• natural disasters;
• governmental restrictions;
• internet failures;
• telecommunications outages;
• cyberattacks;
• major infrastructure failures;
• public emergencies;
• war;
• civil disturbances; or
• similar force-majeure events.

Where a particular separately paid Service cannot ultimately be provided, Bharat Business Networks™ may offer an appropriate alternative, rescheduling, credit or refund where required by applicable law or the applicable Service terms.

29. RIGHTS UNDER APPLICABLE LAW

This Policy establishes the contractual cancellation and refund framework of Bharat Business Networks™.

However, nothing in this Policy shall:

• exclude liability that cannot legally be excluded;
• remove a mandatory statutory remedy;
• prevent a Member from raising a genuine grievance; or
• override applicable law.

Where applicable law requires a refund or other remedy notwithstanding a provision of this Policy, the applicable legal requirement shall prevail.

30. GRIEVANCES

For concerns relating to:

• payments;
• refunds;
• cancellations;
• duplicate transactions;
• membership activation; or
• billing,

please contact:

Bharat Business Networks™
BRIXTON & Co Consulting

Email: connect@bharatbusinessnetworks.com

Please provide sufficient transaction information to allow the matter to be reviewed.

31. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY

Bharat Business Networks™ may update this Cancellation & Refund Policy from time to time to reflect:

• changes to Services;
• changes in payment mechanisms;
• membership changes;
• operational requirements;
• regulatory developments; or
• changes in applicable law.

The latest version will display an updated “Last Updated” date.

Changes shall apply prospectively to the extent required under applicable law and the terms applicable to completed transactions will not be retrospectively altered in a manner prohibited by law.

32. RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER POLICIES

This Cancellation & Refund Policy should be read together with:

• Terms & Conditions;
• Privacy Policy;
• applicable membership offer;
• payment or EMI terms;
• event-specific terms; and
• other policies expressly applicable to the relevant Service.

Where a specific paid Service contains clearly disclosed cancellation terms accepted at the time of purchase, those specific terms shall apply to that Service to the extent they do not conflict with applicable law.

33. CONTACT INFORMATION