Refund Policy

Our approach to refunds

We invest real time, skill, and resources from the moment a project is scheduled. This policy protects your investment while recognizing work already performed.

Upwork contracts

If your project runs on Upwork under a Service Contract, refunds and payment release are handled through Upwork’s escrow system and the Escrow Instructions that apply to your contract (Fixed-Price, Hourly, Direct Contract, or other). That includes:

• How milestones are funded, released, or disputed in the Upwork workspace.
• Upwork’s dispute assistance and any payment protection offered for your contract type.
• Non-circumvention and off-platform payment rules under the Upwork User Agreement.

The deposit, milestone table, silent approval, and termination calculations below apply only to direct engagements paid outside Upwork escrow, unless your written contract with us says otherwise. When in doubt, follow your Upwork contract and Escrow Instructions.

The deposit (direct engagements)

Why we ask for a deposit

Before work begins, we typically require an upfront deposit. This lets us schedule your project, assign the right people, and start discovery and planning. It is a mutual commitment – you commit to the engagement, and we commit delivery capacity to you.

Deposit refund policy

Once project work has started, the deposit is non-refundable. That reflects hours and resources already dedicated on your behalf, not a penalty. This applies regardless of the reason for cancellation, including client-initiated cancellation after work has commenced.

Milestones and revisions (direct engagements)

Direct projects are structured around milestones. Each milestone payment is tied to a phase of work and becomes non-refundable once that phase is approved – either explicitly in writing, or through the 5-day silent approval window in our Terms of Service (not applicable to Upwork escrow contracts).

Approval locks the milestone. After you approve a phase – or the 5-day silent approval window passes – that phase payment is non-refundable, even if the project direction changes later.

Receiving a staging link, preview URL, or interim design files confirms work is in progress. At that point, the deposit and applicable milestone payments for that phase are non-refundable.

When a refund may be available

We want to do right by clients. A refund of amounts paid beyond the deposit may be considered when:

• TeamExio is unable to start work within 30 days of the agreed start date due to a failure on our part.
• TeamExio materially fails to deliver services described in your signed scope and cannot remedy the issue within 14 days of written notice.
• A project phase is cancelled before any work on that phase has commenced.

When refunds are not available

Refunds cannot be issued when:

• Work has already begun on the phase covered by the payment.
• You change project direction after formal approval of that phase.
• Delays were caused by the client – including late feedback, unavailability, or missing content or credentials.
• Dissatisfaction with creative or technical work delivered within the approved brief and scope.
• You request out-of-scope work that TeamExio declined in line with agreed terms.
• Complications arise from a client-supplied or AI-assisted brief that you confirmed as accurate.
• Dissatisfaction is raised after you have received, reviewed, or accessed deliverables via staging, preview, or repository access.

Subjective dissatisfaction

Refund requests based on subjective dissatisfaction with approved deliverables will not be honored. Our obligation is to deliver work that matches the approved scope and brief. Once a direction has been reviewed and approved at any stage, later preference changes are not grounds for a refund.

Additional revision rounds

Payments for revision rounds beyond the included allowance are non-refundable once that revision work has started.

Termination – how refunds are calculated

If a project is cancelled mid-phase, we calculate a fair refund as follows:

• The deposit is deducted first, as it is non-refundable once work has started.
• All work completed up to the termination date is invoiced at the agreed hourly or day rate in your contract.
• Any remaining prepaid balance after deducting completed work is refunded within 30 business days.

Upwork engagements must use Upwork’s dispute and refund process; this termination section does not replace it.

After final delivery

Once final deliverables are handed over, code is deployed, or agreed files are transferred, the project is complete. Refunds are not available at that stage. If you have concerns about final quality, contact us – we would rather resolve issues than leave you stuck.

How to reach us

If you believe a refund is warranted, email info@teamexio.com with a clear explanation, your project name, and relevant dates. We approach every request openly and aim for a fair outcome.

Effective date: May 2026. See also our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.