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Customer policies

Refunds, cancellations, and how we deliver digital work — in plain language.

Last updated: October 14, 2026

Who we are

b9design is run by Ludwig Traut, a sole proprietor based in Pretoria, serving clients across South Africa. We are not VAT-registered. Prices we quote are shown accordingly.

We design and build websites, web applications, and mobile apps, and we provide hosting and monthly support where agreed. We also run a referral programme that can earn account credit — not cash — when someone you refer becomes a paying client.

You can pay by PayFast (secure online card and other PayFast methods) or by EFT (bank transfer) when we send you banking details. These policies sit alongside our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Refund policy

We want you to know upfront what you can expect back if plans change. This section covers custom projects, prepaid work, hosting, and support plans.

Deposits and milestone payments

For most custom website and app projects we ask for a 50% deposit before work starts, with further payments tied to agreed milestones (for example design sign-off, build, launch). The exact split is always written in your quote or statement of work.

  • Deposit once work has started: The deposit is non-refundable once we have begun work on your project (for example discovery, design, or development). It covers the time we set aside for you.
  • Later milestone payments: If you cancel after a milestone is delivered and accepted, that milestone payment is generally not refunded.
  • Unused prepaid work: If you paid ahead for work that has not yet been done, we refund the unused portion pro-rata (fair share based on what was left to do).

Hosting, support, and subscriptions

  • Monthly hosting and support are billed in advance for the upcoming period.
  • No refund for the current billing period once it has started — you keep access until the period ends.
  • If you cancel, service continues until the end of the period you already paid for (see Cancellation policy).

Referral credit

Referral rewards are account credit toward b9design services. They are not cash, cannot be swapped for a bank refund, and follow the rules on the referral programme page.

Cooling-off (Consumer Protection Act & ECT Act)

If you are a consumer buying online or at a distance, South African law may give you a limited time to cancel certain agreements. That right does not apply once digital work has started at your request, or where the law allows an exception. If you think cooling-off applies to you, contact us promptly — we will explain your options in plain language.

How to request a refund

Email ludwig@b9design.co.za with your name, project or invoice reference, and a short explanation. We aim to respond within a few business days. Approved refunds are processed within 14 business days to the same method you paid with where possible (PayFast or EFT). Bank processing may add extra time.

Cancellation policy

You may stop working with us or end a monthly plan. How you cancel depends on what you bought.

Custom projects (websites and apps)

  • Email ludwig@b9design.co.za if you want to cancel an in-progress project. Tell us what has been delivered and what you still need.
  • You pay for work completed up to the cancellation date. Refunds for unused prepaid amounts follow the Refund policy.
  • We can hand over work completed so far (for example files or access you have paid for) as agreed in your contract.

Monthly hosting, support, or platform plans

  • Give at least 30 days' written notice by email to ludwig@b9design.co.za (or cancel in your dashboard if that option is available for your plan).
  • Your plan runs until the end of the current paid period. We do not refund the current period.
  • After cancellation, we may switch off hosting or access at the period end. Export any content you need before that date.

If we cancel

We may suspend or end service for non-payment, abuse, or legal risk, as set out in our Terms of Service. We will try to give reasonable notice where we can.

Delivery policy

b9design sells digital services. We do not ship physical goods.

What “delivery” means

  • Websites and apps: “Delivery” is when your site or app is live on the agreed domain or when we hand you production access (for example hosting login, repository access, or app store submission — as quoted).
  • Design files and content: Delivered by secure download, shared drive, or repository when a milestone is complete.
  • Hosting and support: Active for the billing period you paid for. There is no parcel in the post — your site stays online on our infrastructure (or yours, if agreed).

Timelines

Every project quote includes an estimated timeline (for example weeks to launch). Dates depend on you providing content, feedback, and approvals on time. If something delays the project, we will agree a revised plan with you.

Acceptance

When a milestone or final launch is ready, we will ask you to review and confirm. If we do not hear back within a reasonable time after we notify you, we may treat the milestone as accepted so the project can move forward — we will always tell you when we do this.

Questions

Email ludwig@b9design.co.za if you are unsure what has been delivered or what access you should have received.