Refund Policy

1. Overview

All refunds are processed in Indian Rupees (INR) back to the original payment method via Razorpay. Detailed terms by product follow below.

2. Masterclasses (pre-recorded courses)

Examples: Karthick Subbaraj Teaches Filmmaking, G Venket Ram Teaches Photography, Ravi Basrur Teaches Music Composition, DRK Kiran Teaches Art Direction, Nelson Dilipkumar Teaches Filmmaking, The Storytelling Masterclass, and similar.

• 7-day window: request a full refund within 7 calendar days of purchase.
• Watch-limit condition: the refund window closes early if you've watched more than 25% of the masterclass's total runtime. Our player tracks per-chapter completion.
• After 7 days: no refunds. The masterclass remains yours for life — re-watch any chapter forever.
• Coupon / discounted purchases: same 7-day window applies. The refund is the net amount you paid, including discount.

3. Live cohorts + Forge programs

Examples: The Breakthrough Filmmaker Programme (BFP), Forge Creators, The Advance Direction Program, and any other live, instructor-led program with weekly assignments + live sessions.

• Before the cohort starts: full refund, no questions asked. Email us up to 24 hours before the announced start date.
• Within Day 1–7 of the cohort: pro-rated refund (the amount you paid minus the value of weeks already started), provided:
  • You attended the first live session, or
  • You submitted Week 1's assignment.
  We need this evidence so we know you actually gave the cohort a chance — refunds without participation are routinely abused.
• After Day 7: no refunds. By this point, the cohort has invested mentor time, peer-review pairings, and live-session capacity in you.
• Application fee: if you paid a separate application fee to be considered for the cohort, the application fee is non-refundable once we've reviewed your application (typically within 7 days). It is refundable up until review.
• Confirmation fee + balance model: some cohorts (e.g. Forge editions) use a confirmation fee to hold your seat, followed by a balance due on a specific deadline. The confirmation fee is refundable within 7 days of payment if you haven't been admitted yet, but non-refundable once we've confirmed your seat and you've signed the joining agreement.
• Deferral instead of refund: if you have a genuine emergency that prevents you from completing the cohort, you can request a one-time deferral to the next batch instead of a refund. Email us with the reason — we approve almost all deferral requests on first ask.

4. Workshops (1–3 day intensives)

• Up to 48 hours before start: full refund.
• Within 48 hours of start, or after start: no refund.
• You may transfer your seat to a future workshop date for a small re-scheduling charge (₹500), subject to availability. Email us at least 24 hours before the original start.

5. Free events

Webinars, AMAs, demo days, and similar zero-fee events have nothing to refund. You may simply unenrol or stop attending.

6. How to request a refund

1. Email support@leveluplearning.in from the email address you used to purchase.
2. Subject line: "Refund request — [name of course/cohort]"
3. In the body, share: the order ID (from your purchase email), the date you paid, and a one-line reason. Reasons are appreciated but not required for in-window masterclass refunds.
4. For cohort refunds, also tell us whether you attended Session 1 and/or submitted Week 1.

We acknowledge every refund email within 24 hours (Indian business hours: Mon–Fri, 10am–6pm IST).

7. Processing time + method

• Approval: we'll confirm your refund eligibility within 3 working days of your request.
• Initiation: approved refunds are initiated to Razorpay the same working day.
• Settlement: Razorpay typically returns funds to your original payment method within 5–7 working days. UPI is often faster (1–3 days); credit cards can take up to 10 working days.
• Original-method refund: all refunds go back to the exact payment instrument you used. We cannot refund to a different card/UPI/bank account.
• Currency: all refunds are in INR. International customers may see a small forex difference vs the original charge — this is set by your card issuer's exchange rate on the day, not us.

8. What's non-refundable

• Masterclasses where 25%+ of the runtime has been watched.
• Live cohorts after Day 7 of the cohort starting (deferral may still be possible — see Section 3).
• Workshops once they've started or are within 48 hours of starting.
• Razorpay payment-gateway fees on disputed/chargeback transactions (set by Razorpay, not us).
• "Bundle" purchases where you've already consumed one of the bundled items beyond the masterclass 25% watch limit.

9. Exceptional circumstances

We will consider refunds outside the standard windows on a case-by-case basis where there's a clear and verifiable reason — e.g. medical emergency with documentation, bereavement, content not delivered as promised, a technical issue on our side that prevented you from accessing the content for an extended period.

Email us with the details. We don't promise — we listen.

10. Chargebacks

Please email us BEFORE raising a chargeback or dispute with your bank. Chargebacks cost us Razorpay penalty fees regardless of outcome, and they take 30–60 days to resolve versus our 7-day refund processing. We will always work with you to resolve issues directly — that route is faster and cheaper for everyone.