Refund & Return Policy
Last Updated: June 5, 2025
This Refund & Return Policy (“Policy”) outlines the terms and conditions under which Al Ujrat (“Al Ujrat,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) handles refunds for transactions conducted on its platform (the “Platform”). This Policy is an integral part of our Terms & Conditions.
As Al Ujrat is a platform facilitating services between Employers and Freelancers, the concept of “returns” in the traditional sense of physical goods does not typically apply. This policy focuses on refunds related to services and platform fees. All project or service cessations, including those desired by mutual agreement between an Employer and a Freelancer, must be processed through a formal cancellation initiated by one party via the Platform, or through the Platform’s dispute resolution mechanism.
Table of Contents
1. Scope of Refunds & Handling of Fees
- 1.1. For Services Paid by Employer to Freelancer:
- Employers may be eligible for a full or partial refund of the principal service amount paid for a Freelancer’s service under specific circumstances. All such refund considerations are processed through our Dispute Resolution mechanism (see Section 7 of our Terms & Conditions and Section 3 of this Policy). Grounds for refund may include:
- The Freelancer fails to deliver the agreed-upon service.
- The service delivered by the Freelancer is verifiably and significantly not as described in the project agreement or service listing.
- The Freelancer cancels the project/service after the Employer has made payment into Al Ujrat’s holding account (see Section 3.4.2 for specific handling).
- Employers may be eligible for a full or partial refund of the principal service amount paid for a Freelancer’s service under specific circumstances. All such refund considerations are processed through our Dispute Resolution mechanism (see Section 7 of our Terms & Conditions and Section 3 of this Policy). Grounds for refund may include:
- 1.2. Platform Fees:
- Initial Platform Fees (Non-Refundable):
- All initial platform fees paid by Employers (e.g., Project Posting Fee, Featured Project Fee, Job Posting Fee, Urgent/Featured Job Fee) are non-refundable once the service associated with the fee (e.g., posting visibility) has been rendered.
- All initial platform fees paid by Freelancers (e.g., Monthly Subscription Fee to view projects, Service Listing Fee, Job Application Fee) are non-refundable.
- Employer’s Transaction Service Fee (4% for Projects, 5% for Listed Services):
- This is the fee paid by the Employer on top of the project/service amount when hiring/purchasing.
- If a Freelancer initiates the cancellation of a Project/Service, the Employer’s Transaction Service Fee paid for that specific engagement will be refunded to the Employer in the form of Al Ujrat platform credit. This credit can be used by the Employer for future Al Ujrat services (e.g., project posting fees, future transaction service fees).
- If an Employer initiates the cancellation of a Project/Service before the Freelancer has demonstrably started work or incurred direct, verifiable costs (such as travel), the Employer’s Transaction Service Fee is non-refundable.
- If an Employer initiates the cancellation of a Project/Service after the Freelancer has demonstrably started work or incurred direct, verifiable costs, and the matter proceeds to a dispute resolution resulting in a partial or full refund of the principal service amount to the Employer, the Employer’s Transaction Service Fee is non-refundable. Furthermore, in such cases where a dispute resolution leads to a refund (full or partial) to the Employer, Al Ujrat will deduct an additional penalty of 5% from the Employer’s refunded principal service amount. This 5% penalty is retained by Al Ujrat.
- Al Ujrat’s Commission Fee (10% from Freelancer):
- If an Employer receives a 100% refund of the principal service amount through the dispute resolution process (meaning the Freelancer is not paid for that work), Al Ujrat will not charge its 10% commission to the Freelancer for that transaction.
- For partial refunds resulting from a dispute where the Freelancer receives a portion of the principal service amount, Al Ujrat’s 10% commission will only apply to the amount the Freelancer actually receives.
2. Conditions for Refund Eligibility (for Principal Service Amount)
- 2.1. Timeframe for Request:
- An Employer must request a refund by initiating a dispute before marking the Project or Service as “Complete” in the Al Ujrat system. Once a Project/Service is marked as complete by the Employer, funds are released to the Freelancer (less Al Ujrat’s commission), and refunds of the principal service amount are generally no longer possible through the Platform’s standard process for that transaction.
- 2.2. Valid Reasons & Evidence:
- Refund requests are subject to review through the Dispute Resolution process. Valid reasons include non-delivery, significantly substandard delivery, or non-compliance with agreed terms by the Freelancer. The Employer (and Freelancer, in defense) will be required to provide evidence to support their claim. The specific evidence required will be determined by Al Ujrat’s support team on a case-by-case basis.
- 2.3. Non-Refundable Situations (General, for Principal Service Amount):
- Services where the Employer has marked the project as “Complete.”
- Situations where dissatisfaction is minor or based on subjective preferences not explicitly outlined in the project agreement.
- If the Employer has violated Al Ujrat’s Terms & Conditions in relation to the project/service in question.
3. Refund, Cancellation, and Dispute Process
- 3.1. Initiation:
- All requests for refunds concerning service delivery, or cessations of projects/services post-engagement, must be initiated by one party (Employer or Freelancer) formally:
- Raising a “Dispute” through the Al Ujrat Platform if there is disagreement regarding service completion, quality, or payment.
- Initiating a “Cancellation” through the Al Ujrat Platform if one party wishes to terminate the project/service.
- 3.2. No Informal Mutual Cancellations:
- There is no informal “mutual cancellation” process where users can independently agree to terminate a project and settle funds outside of Al Ujrat’s defined procedures. One party must always formally initiate the cancellation via the Platform, which will then be subject to the rules outlined in this Policy and the Terms & Conditions.
- 3.3. Investigation & Dispute Resolution:
- Al Ujrat’s support team will investigate disputes as per Section 7 of the Terms & Conditions. This includes the rule that if a party fails to respond to three (3) consecutive notifications from Al Ujrat regarding an active dispute, the dispute may be resolved in favour of the responsive party.
- 3.4. Outcomes of Cancellations & Disputes:
- 3.4.1. Employer Initiates Cancellation:
- Before Freelancer Starts Work/Travels: The Employer’s Transaction Service Fee (4%/5%) is non-refundable. The principal service amount held by Al Ujrat will typically be refunded in full to the Employer, unless the Freelancer can demonstrate incurred, non-recoverable costs directly attributable to the project initiation, which may be subject to dispute resolution.
- After Freelancer Starts Work/Travels: This will typically be treated as a dispute. The Employer’s Transaction Service Fee (4%/5%) is non-refundable. If the dispute resolution results in a partial or full refund of the principal service amount to the Employer, Al Ujrat will deduct an additional 5% penalty from the Employer’s refunded principal service amount, which is retained by Al Ujrat. The Freelancer may be eligible for payment for work completed, as determined by the dispute resolution, from which Al Ujrat’s 10% commission will be deducted.
- 3.4.2. Freelancer Initiates Cancellation:
- If a Freelancer cancels a confirmed project/service, the Employer will receive a full refund of the principal service amount paid. The Employer’s Transaction Service Fee (4%/5%) paid for that specific engagement will be refunded to the Employer as Al Ujrat platform credit.
- The Freelancer may be subject to penalties as outlined in the Terms & Conditions (e.g., warnings, strikes, account suspension for repeated cancellations).
- 3.4.3. Disputes Regarding Service Quality/Completion:
- If a dispute is raised by the Employer regarding service quality or completion, Al Ujrat will mediate. The outcome may result in a full refund to the Employer, a partial refund to the Employer (with partial payment to the Freelancer), or full payment to the Freelancer.
- If a partial or full refund of the principal service amount is issued to the Employer, Al Ujrat will deduct a 5% penalty from the Employer’s refunded amount, which is retained by Al Ujrat.
- Al Ujrat’s 10% commission will only be charged on the amount, if any, released to the Freelancer.
4. Refund Issuance
- 4.1. Method of Refund (Principal Service Amount):
- Approved refunds of the principal service amount for Employers will be processed back to the original payment method used by the Employer (e.g., bank account, credit/debit card, mobile wallet).
- 4.2. Method of Refund (Employer’s Transaction Service Fee as Platform Credit):
- When the Employer’s Transaction Service Fee (4%/5%) is refunded as platform credit (e.g., due to Freelancer cancellation), this credit will be applied to the Employer’s Al Ujrat account and can be used for future Al Ujrat platform fees. This credit is non-withdrawable and non-transferable.
- 4.3. Partial Refunds:
- If a partial refund of the principal service amount is deemed appropriate, the amount will be determined by Al Ujrat’s support team. The Employer will receive their determined share (less any applicable 5% Al Ujrat penalty if the refund results from a dispute initiated due to service issues), and the Freelancer will receive their determined share (less Al Ujrat’s 10% commission).
- 4.4. Processing Time for Approved Refunds:
- Once a monetary refund is approved, please allow approximately 5-10 business days for the funds to appear in your account, depending on your bank or payment provider’s processing times. Platform credits will be applied to the Employer’s Al Ujrat account more promptly.
5. Policy Modifications
Al Ujrat reserves the right to modify this Refund & Return Policy at any time. Any changes will be effective immediately upon posting the revised policy on the Platform. We will notify users of significant changes via email or platform notifications.