Refund & Cancellation Policy

Overview & Scope

This Refund and Cancellation Policy ("Policy") governs the terms under which clients of PalladiumIP Consultants Ltd may cancel services, request refunds, or seek remedies in connection with services purchased through our website or by direct engagement.

This Policy applies to: IP Training Courses (public and corporate programmes), IP Consulting & Advisory Services, IP Filing & Prosecution Services, and Company Formation Services in the UAE.

This Policy is designed to comply with UAE Federal Law No. 15 of 2020 on Consumer Protection and its Executive Regulations, and — for EU and UK consumers — EU Directive 2011/83/EU on Consumer Rights and the UK Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.

IP Training Courses

2.1 Public Scheduled Training Courses

All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing to info@palladium-ip.com with the subject line: "Training Cancellation — [Name] — [Course Date]".

2.2 Delegate Substitution

You may substitute a registered delegate with another individual from the same organisation at any time prior to course commencement, at no charge. Please notify us by email as early as possible.

2.3 Corporate / In-House Training Programmes

For bespoke, organisation-specific IP training programmes delivered on-site or virtually:

• More than 21 days before delivery: Full refund of any advance payment received, less any non-recoverable third-party costs already incurred (venue, materials, travel bookings) — documented and shared with the client
• 8–21 days before delivery: 50% of the agreed programme fee is retained to cover preparation and resource allocation costs
• 7 days or less before delivery: 75% of the agreed programme fee is retained. Non-recoverable third-party costs are additionally charged at cost

2.4 Postponement by PalladiumIP

If PalladiumIP must postpone or cancel a scheduled training course (due to insufficient enrolment, instructor unavailability, force majeure, or other circumstances beyond our control), registered participants will be offered a full refund of course fees paid, or a free transfer to the next available course date.

IP Consulting & Advisory Services

3.1 Fixed-Fee Consulting Engagements

For consulting services agreed on a fixed-fee basis (IP audits, IP strategy development, due diligence reports):

• Before commencement: Full refund of any advance payment, less a 10% administration fee
• After partial completion: A pro-rata refund proportionate to the uncompleted portion of the work, less non-recoverable costs. PalladiumIP will provide a written breakdown
• After full completion and delivery: No refund is payable. Dissatisfaction with quality — please see Section 10 (Dispute Resolution)

3.2 Retainer & Time-and-Materials Engagements

• Unused retainer balances may be refunded upon 30 days' written notice of termination, subject to deduction of work-in-progress at the applicable hourly rate
• Time-and-materials fees for work already performed are non-refundable

IP Filing & Prosecution Services

4.1 Professional Fees (PalladiumIP)

• Before application is filed: If you instruct withdrawal before filing, fees paid less the value of professional work already completed (preparation, clearance searches, advisory) will be refunded
• After application is filed: Professional fees for the filing itself are non-refundable once the application has been submitted to the relevant IP office
• Prosecution stage fees: Fees for prosecution activities (responding to office actions, attending hearings, etc.) are non-refundable once that stage of work has been completed

4.2 Official / Government Filing Fees

Government and official fees paid to IP offices on your behalf are non-refundable once paid to the relevant authority. See Section 6 for full details.

4.3 Trademark Watch & Monitoring Services

Annual trademark watch services may be cancelled by written notice at any time. A pro-rata refund of the unused portion of the annual fee (calculated by whole remaining months) will be issued upon cancellation.

Company Formation Services (UAE)

• Before submission to government authority: Full refund of PalladiumIP's professional fees less work completed, upon written cancellation request
• After submission to government authority: PalladiumIP's professional fees are non-refundable. Government fees paid are subject to the refund policies of the relevant authority (DED, DMCC, IFZA, Meydan, Shams, etc.) which are outside PalladiumIP's control
• We will assist you in pursuing refunds from government authorities where applicable, though we cannot guarantee the outcome of such requests

Government & Official Fees — Non-Refundable

This includes fees paid to:

• UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MOIAT)
• African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO)
• Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle (OAPI)
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) — PCT and Madrid Protocol
• Zimbabwe Intellectual Property Office (ZIPO)
• GCC IP offices (SAIP, QIPP, and others)
• UAE free zone authorities (DMCC, IFZA, Meydan, Shams, etc.)

Refusal, withdrawal, or lapse of an IP application does not give rise to a right to recover government fees paid. We advise all clients of this position before commencing any filing work.

Force Majeure

Neither PalladiumIP nor the client shall be liable for delays or failures in performance resulting from circumstances beyond reasonable control, including: acts of God, natural disasters, war, government restrictions, pandemic measures, IP office closures, or system failures of third-party platforms.

In force majeure circumstances, PalladiumIP will seek to reschedule affected services at the earliest practicable date and will communicate transparently with affected clients. Where rescheduling is not possible, refund entitlements will be assessed on the principles set out in this Policy with reasonable adjustments for exceptional circumstances.

EU & UK Consumer Right of Withdrawal

If you are a consumer resident in the European Union or the United Kingdom, you may have a statutory right to withdraw from a distance or off-premises contract within 14 calendar days of the date of the contract, in accordance with EU Directive 2011/83/EU and the UK Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.

Conditions applicable to PalladiumIP's services:

• Services commenced with your consent: If you have expressly requested that services commence within the 14-day withdrawal period and acknowledged that the right of withdrawal will be lost once fully performed, the right of withdrawal is extinguished upon full performance
• Digital content: Where digital content (e.g., training course materials, downloadable guides) has been delivered and accessed, the right of withdrawal is excluded where you consented to immediate delivery
• Partial performance: If you withdraw within the 14-day period after services have partially commenced, you will be liable for a pro-rata payment for services performed up to the point of withdrawal

To exercise the right of withdrawal, notify us in clear, unequivocal terms in writing (email acceptable) before expiry of the 14-day period. Refunds for valid withdrawals will be processed within 14 days of receipt of your withdrawal notice.

Refund Process & Timelines

9.1 How to Request a Refund

9.2 Processing Timelines

9.3 Payment Method

Approved refunds will be processed using the same payment method used for the original transaction unless an alternative is agreed in writing. PalladiumIP does not bear bank charges or currency conversion costs incurred by the client.

Complaints & Dispute Resolution

If you are dissatisfied with a service delivered by PalladiumIP and your concern is not resolved through our standard refund process:

• Step 1 — Internal Escalation: Submit a formal written complaint to info@palladium-ip.com with the subject "Formal Complaint". We aim to respond substantively within 10 business days
• Step 2 — Mediation: Where the dispute remains unresolved, the parties may agree to seek resolution through a recognised mediation service
• Step 3 — UAE Consumer Protection: UAE-based consumers may refer disputes to the UAE Consumer Protection Department under the Ministry of Economy
• Step 4 — Legal Proceedings: Disputes unresolved through the above steps shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Dubai, UAE, save where EU or UK consumer protection laws afford you the right to bring proceedings in your country of residence

For EU consumers, the EU ODR platform is available at ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr.

Contact Us

We are committed to resolving all client concerns professionally, fairly, and in a timely manner. Our goal is to ensure every engagement with PalladiumIP reflects our standards of excellence and our commitment to client-centric service delivery.