Refund & Cancellation Policy

This Refund & Cancellation Policy forms part of our Terms and Conditions of Service. By using DeathCertificateCounsel.org (the "Platform") or making any payment, you agree to this policy.

All amounts paid on the Platform (currently ₹2250) are paid only towards the Platform Facilitation Fee for administrative coordination services. The Platform is not a law firm or a government body. It does not provide legal advice, does not issue death certificates, and does not guarantee any outcome. This policy does not cover fees paid directly to an independent Lawyer, or any government, court, notary or third-party charges.

At a Glance

1. Definition of Service Commencement

Service is deemed to have commenced when both of the following have happened:

1. You give written confirmation to proceed, by replying to the Platform's "Confirmation Email" or through WhatsApp or any other electronic channel; and
2. The Platform sends an acknowledgement, such as:
   "Thank you for contacting us. We will get back to you with an update regarding administrative coordination within 24 business hours. If your message is regarding something else, please allow us 24–48 business hours to respond."

From that point, administrative work begins, including request logging, data verification, internal queue allocation, Lawyer availability mapping, system notifications and coordination preparation. Some of these actions are automated and may happen outside business hours.

2. Cancellation & Refund Before Service Commencement

If you want to cancel before confirming the Confirmation Email, email support@deathcertificatecounsel.org with your Order ID and registered mobile number.

Approved refunds in this case are processed after deducting applicable payment gateway charges and taxes, if any.

3. No Refund After Service Commencement

After service has commenced, a refund will be considered only where there is a proven deficiency in service attributable solely to the Company, or under the exceptions in Sections 5 and 7. This is subject to your rights under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

Situations where no refund will be issued

• You change your mind after confirming the request or the Confirmation Email.
• You ask to cancel after the acknowledgement has been sent, when internal processing has already begun.
• You are dissatisfied with the advice, opinion, guidance or conduct of an independent Lawyer, whose professional actions are outside the Company's control.
• You do not respond to calls, emails, messages or coordination attempts.
• You are unavailable or unreachable, or you miss a scheduled session.
• You provide incorrect, incomplete, false or misleading information or documents.
• You cancel for personal reasons or because your circumstances have changed.
• The Registrar, municipal body, court or any other authority delays, rejects or refuses your application, or asks for further documents.
• You have already obtained the certificate elsewhere after service commencement.
• You raise a chargeback, payment reversal or dispute with a bank or payment gateway after service commencement.

Important clarification

• Internal administrative work and coordination count as valid commencement of service.
• A change of mind or dissatisfaction with an outcome is not a deficiency in service.
• Once service has commenced, a refund cannot be claimed as a matter of right.

4. Lawyer-Related Dissatisfaction

Lawyers on the Platform are independent professionals. The Platform is not responsible for their advice, availability, conduct, fees or outcomes. Dissatisfaction with a Lawyer is not grounds for a refund of the Platform Fee. Any concern about a Lawyer's professional services, or about fees paid directly to a Lawyer, must be raised with that Lawyer.

5. Exception: Failure to Facilitate

If the Platform fails to begin any facilitation or coordination activity within 15 (fifteen) days of service commencement, and this is not caused by your non-responsiveness or unavailability, you may request a refund review. If the review confirms the failure, the Platform Fee will be refunded after deducting payment gateway charges and taxes, if any.

6. Rescheduling & Missed Sessions

• Contact attempts: The Lawyer will make up to three (3) attempts to reach you on your registered mobile number and/or email. If you don't respond, the session may be treated as attempted, and no refund will apply.
• Rescheduling limit: A confirmed session can be rescheduled up to three (3) times. A fourth request is treated as a new appointment, and the full Platform Fee is payable again, with no credit for the earlier payment.
• Delay: The Lawyer may start the call up to three (3) hours after the scheduled time. This alone is not grounds for a refund.
• Technical issues: A session missed because of network or device problems on either side is not grounds for a refund. Rescheduling is subject to availability.
• Refund request before booking: If you ask for a refund after commencement but before a session is booked, the appointment will be put on hold until the accounts team reviews your request.

7. Goodwill Consideration

In exceptional circumstances, the Company may, at its sole discretion, offer a partial refund of up to 20% of the Platform Fee as a gesture of goodwill. This is not a right, and it does not set a precedent for any other request.

8. Chargebacks & Payment Disputes

If you raise a chargeback, reversal or dispute with your bank, card issuer or payment gateway, all refund processing will be suspended until the dispute is fully resolved. Where the law permits, the Platform may recover the costs caused by an unjustified dispute. We recommend contacting us first, since most issues can be resolved directly.

9. Force Majeure

No refund is payable where a delay or non-performance is caused by events beyond the Platform's reasonable control. These include system outages, network failures, natural disasters, epidemics, government actions or restrictions, closure of government offices, and third-party service disruptions.

10. How to Request a Refund

1. Email support@deathcertificatecounsel.org from your registered email ID with the subject "Refund Request – [Order ID]".
2. Include your full name, registered mobile number, Order ID, payment date and the reason for the request.
3. We will acknowledge your request within 48 business hours and share the outcome after review.

11. Refund Processing Timeline

Approved refunds are processed within 7–10 business days to the original payment method. The Platform is not responsible for delays by banks, payment gateways or financial institutions.

12. Finality of Decision

Refund decisions made under this policy are final, subject to applicable law. If you are not satisfied with the decision, you may escalate it to our Grievance Officer as set out in the Terms and Conditions.

13. Contact