REFUND & CANCELLATION POLICY
Last updated: 2026-09-15
This policy applies to services provided under the Epitome brand by Alignment Studios Oy, Business ID 3477835-5.
Any mandatory rights provided by applicable consumer law take precedence over this policy. The accepted booking or proposal may contain engagement-specific terms. Where those terms differ from this policy, the accepted booking or proposal applies to the extent permitted by law.
1. CONSUMER WITHDRAWAL RIGHTS
If you purchase a service online as a consumer, you generally have the right to withdraw from the contract within 14 days of entering into it.
If you expressly request that the service begin during the withdrawal period and subsequently withdraw before the service has been completed, you must pay for the proportion of the service delivered before your withdrawal notice was received.
The withdrawal right ends before the 14-day period has expired only when the service has been fully performed following your express request and you have acknowledged in advance that full performance ends your withdrawal right.
To exercise this right, contact Epitome using the contact details provided at booking or on the Epitome website, before the withdrawal period ends.
These statutory rights do not apply to clients purchasing services primarily for business or professional purposes.
2. HOW FEES ARE EARNED
Fees become earned, and non-refundable, as sessions are used, work is performed, preparation or assessment is completed, or access or capacity is reserved for the client. This principle applies throughout this policy and to every service format below, subject to the statutory consumer rights in Section 1.
3. FOCUSED CONSULTATION
Focused Consultation sessions are paid at booking. Confirmed sessions and optional written plans are non-refundable once delivered, per Section 2.
Cancellation and rescheduling are governed by Section 8.
4. TARGETED CONSULTATION
Targeted Consultation is a tailored Consulting process involving assessment, planning and one or more further sessions used to test, correct and refine the direction.
Payments are non-refundable once the process has started, per Section 2.
If the client decides not to continue, any unused prepaid Consulting sessions remain available until their expiry date but are not exchangeable for cash.
5. VALIDITY OF CONSULTING SESSIONS
Prepaid Consulting sessions are valid for 12 months from the date of purchase unless a longer period is confirmed in writing.
Sessions forming part of a Targeted Consultation should normally be used within the timeframe agreed for the process. Any remaining entitlement expires no later than 12 months after purchase.
Unused sessions expire without refund. Ordinary workload, scheduling preferences, lack of availability on the client's part or failure to book sessions do not extend the validity period.
If serious illness, accident or another circumstance genuinely beyond the client's reasonable control prevents the sessions from being used, Epitome may extend the validity period for a reasonable time. The client must notify Epitome as soon as reasonably possible, and supporting information may be requested.
6. INTENSIVE ADVISORY
Intensive Advisory is a defined Advisory phase for which Epitome reserves capacity and provides prioritized access.
The scope, duration, access, specialist involvement, payment schedule and fee are fixed in the accepted proposal. Any change requires written agreement between the parties.
Payments may be made in full or according to the payment schedule stated in the proposal. Payments for a phase that has started are non-refundable per Section 2.
If the client ends the engagement early, fees already paid are non-refundable as above. Any remaining payment obligations are determined by the accepted proposal.
If serious illness, accident or another circumstance beyond the client's reasonable control temporarily prevents participation, the parties may agree in writing to pause the engagement and resume the remaining work within a reasonable period. A pause does not create an automatic right to a refund.
7. ONGOING ADVISORY
Ongoing Advisory is a continuing strategic relationship structured for the period, scope, cadence, specialist involvement and package fee stated in the accepted proposal.
The agreed structure does not change during the engagement unless both parties agree to the change in writing.
Payments for a period that has started are non-refundable per Section 2.
The engagement ends at the conclusion of the agreed period unless a further period is accepted in writing. There is no automatic obligation to renew unless automatic renewal is expressly included in the accepted proposal.
Early termination and any remaining payment obligations are governed by the accepted proposal.
8. SESSION CANCELLATIONS AND NO-SHOWS
Sessions are scheduled in advance using the time zone shown in the booking confirmation.
A session may be rescheduled without losing it when the request is received more than 24 hours before the scheduled start time.
A session is considered used when:
it is canceled less than 24 hours before its scheduled start time;
a rescheduling request is made less than 24 hours before its scheduled start time;
the client does not attend; or
the client arrives too late for the session to be meaningfully delivered.
A rescheduled session must be used before the applicable engagement or session validity period expires.
If Epitome cancels a session, it will be rescheduled. If it cannot be delivered within a reasonable period, the amount paid for that session will be refunded.
9. TERMINATION BY THE CLIENT
The client may end an engagement by providing written notice.
Ending an engagement does not create a refund right for work already completed, sessions already used, access already provided, costs already incurred or capacity already reserved, per Section 2.
Any refund relating to an undelivered portion is determined by this policy, the accepted proposal and mandatory law.
10. TERMINATION BY EPITOME
Epitome may pause or terminate an engagement if:
an invoice or agreed payment is not paid by its due date;
required information, materials, decisions or participation are not provided within a reasonable time;
sustained non-participation prevents the engagement from progressing;
the client materially breaches the agreement;
the client behaves abusively, threateningly or in a way that makes the professional relationship unsafe or impossible to continue;
the client requests unlawful, deceptive or professionally inappropriate work; or
continuing the engagement would exceed the relevant specialist's professional competence or create a material legal, ethical or safety risk.
Where reasonable, Epitome will provide notice and an opportunity to resolve the issue before terminating.
Completed work, used sessions and access or capacity already provided are non-refundable. If Epitome terminates an engagement without a breach or other termination ground attributable to the client, any clearly identifiable prepaid and undelivered future portion will be refunded.
11. DIRECTION & PERCEPTION ENGAGEMENTS AND MATERIAL CHANGES
Direction and Perception engagements are accepted on the basis of the individual, work, objective and intended use described in the application, discussions and accepted proposal.
Epitome may refuse a requested change, pause the work or terminate the Direction and Perception component of an engagement if:
the objective or nature of the work materially differs from what was disclosed;
relevant information was materially misrepresented or concealed;
the objective changes so substantially that the original basis and agreed scope no longer exist; or
continuing the work would support conduct that is unlawful, deceptive, discriminatory, exploitative or materially harmful, or would otherwise conflict with ethical principles disclosed before the engagement.
Where reasonable, Epitome will first seek clarification and determine whether the engagement can continue within an appropriate agreed scope.
No refund is issued for completed work or used sessions. Unused prepaid Consulting sessions covering Direction, Perception or both will be refunded. In an Advisory engagement, any clearly identifiable prepaid future period following termination will be refunded after deducting completed work, costs incurred and capacity already reserved.
This section applies specifically to Direction and Perception services. Performance services are affected only where a separate general termination ground applies or the parties agree that the combined engagement cannot reasonably continue.
12. FORCE MAJEURE
Neither party is responsible for a delay caused by serious illness, accident, government action, major technical disruption, natural event or another circumstance beyond that party's reasonable control.
If Epitome cannot deliver a scheduled session or agreed work, it will be rescheduledcheduledcheduled or delivered as soon as reasonably possible. If delivery remains impossible within a reasonable period, the affected undelivered portion will be credited or refunded.
If the client is affected, the parties may agree to reschedule, pause the engagement or extend the validity of unused sessions for a reasonable period. Force majeure does not create a refund right for work already completed or capacity already provided.
13. INDEPENDENT SPECIALISTS
The contracting service provider is identified in the booking, proposal or invoice.
Where Alignment Studios Oy is the contracting party, it may use appropriately qualified specialists or subcontractors in delivering the engagement and remains responsible for the service under the agreement.
Where an independent specialist contracts with and invoices the client directly, that specialist's own terms, cancellation policy and professional responsibility apply to their services.
14. PAYMENTS AND REFUNDS
Approved refunds are issued to the original payment method where reasonably possible.
Processing time depends on the payment provider. Any payment processing or bank charges that cannot be recovered may be deducted where permitted by law and disclosed to the client.
A missed or overdue payment may result in work, access and sessions being paused until payment is received. Applicable interest and reasonable collection costs may be charged in accordance with law.