Refund and Credit Policy

This policy explains how we handle refunds, credits and replacement Sessions. It sits under our Service Terms, which set out the framework for your rights. If anything in this policy appears to conflict with the Service Terms, the Service Terms apply.

Nothing in this policy limits your rights under the Australian Consumer Law. You are always entitled to the Consumer Guarantees, and where those guarantees apply you may be entitled to a remedy regardless of anything set out below.

 

If your Student cannot attend a Session

Tell us in writing at least 48 hours before the Session starts. Email contact@speakingschools.com.au, or use the contact details on your Booking Confirmation.

 

Holiday workshops and one-off Sessions

These are treated as casual bookings.

Notice given	What happens
48 hours or more	We will offer a replacement Session, transfer or rebooking where one is reasonably available. If that is not reasonably available or does not suit, we will offer a credit or refund.
Less than 48 hours, but you tell us	A cancellation fee of 50% of the Fees for that Session applies. We may waive or reduce this where there are extenuating circumstances.

Holiday workshop programs run as blocks of up to three days. Where you book two programs, each is a separate Booking and is treated separately under this policy.

Replacement Sessions for holiday workshops may be offered for individual days, and may be at a different venue or on different dates.

 

Weekly term Programs

Your Booking reserves your Student’s place for the full term, and we generally cannot offer that place to another student if your Student does not attend.

Notice given	What happens
48 hours or more, with a reasonable reason	We may offer a credit, make-up Session, replacement Session or other arrangement, for up to one missed Session per term
More than one missed Session in a term	No further refund, credit or make-up Session is required, although we may offer one at our discretion where there are extenuating circumstances.
Less than 48 hours, or no notice	The Fees for that Session are retained

Credits and replacement Sessions are generally offered for whole Sessions rather than part-Sessions.

 

Withdrawing from a term Program

If you want to withdraw your Student from the remainder of a term Program, tell us in writing at least 14 days before the next Session you wish to withdraw from.

Where you give at least 14 days’ notice, we will refund or credit, whichever you prefer, the Fees paid for all Sessions falling after the withdrawal takes effect, less an administration fee of $30. Withdrawal takes effect 14 days after we receive your notice, or on a later date you nominate.

Sessions falling before the withdrawal takes effect are treated as missed Sessions under this policy if not attended.

Nothing in this section limits your rights under the Australian Consumer Law. If you are withdrawing because of a problem with the Services, the Consumer Guarantees or other sections of this Policy or the Terms of Service may entitle you to a full refund of Fees for Sessions not yet provided, without any administration fee.

If you are withdrawing after your Student’s first Session of a multi-Session Program, our money-back guarantee below may suit you better, as it has no administration fee or 14 days’ notice period.

 

If your Student does not attend

Where a Session is missed without prior written notice, that Session is forfeited and no refund or credit is given.

 

Private coaching

Private coaching sessions reserve a coach’s time one-to-one for your Student.

Notice given	What happens
48 hours or more	We will offer to reschedule where the coach’s availability reasonably allows. Rescheduled sessions are generally held on the same day and time as your original booking and added to the end of your package. If a reschedule is not reasonably available, we will consider a credit or refund.
Less than 48 hours	A cancellation fee of 50% of the Fees for that Session applies, and a reschedule will not generally be offered. We may waive or reduce this fee where there are extenuating circumstances.

Changing the regular day or time of your ongoing sessions by agreement with the coach is not a cancellation and is not counted.

 

If your Student is sent home or cannot continue

If your Student is sent home because of their behaviour, their Fee for that Session is forfeited.

If your Student is not permitted to continue their sessions because of their behaviour, a cancellation fee of 50% of the Fees for the remaining Sessions applies, and the balance will be refunded. We may waive or reduce this fee at our discretion, including where there are extenuating circumstances.

If your Student is sent home because they are unwell, or because they do not feel safe, we will treat that as an extenuating circumstance and will offer a credit, make-up Session or refund as appropriate.

Nothing in this section limits your rights under the Consumer Guarantees.

 

If we cancel or change a Session

We may need to cancel, reschedule, relocate or change a Session or Program where it is reasonably necessary, for example because of low enrolment, coach illness, venue unavailability, safety concerns or events outside our control.

If that happens:

1. We will tell you as soon as we reasonably can.
2. We will offer a replacement Session, transfer, rescheduled Session or other suitable alternative where one is reasonably available.
3. If no suitable alternative is available, or the alternative does not suit you, you choose whether to take a credit or a refund. The choice is yours.

Where you are out of pocket because of something we did wrong, we will cover those costs to the extent the law requires.

 

If we end your Booking, or a change on our side affects you

If we end your Booking, we will give you at least 14 days’ written notice, and you are entitled to a refund of the Fees paid for any Services not yet provided, unless you would prefer a credit or a replacement Session.

The same applies if we change who is delivering your Student’s Program, or transfer your Booking to another entity, and that change materially affects you. You may cancel the affected Booking and receive a refund of Fees paid for Services not yet provided.

 

Our money-back guarantee

If you are not satisfied with a multi-Session Program after your Student’s first Session, you may ask for a refund of the Fees for the unused Sessions.

To use the guarantee, tell us in writing before the second Session.

The guarantee does not apply to one-off Sessions or Programs, or once your Student has attended the second or any later Session.

 

How credits work

• Credits can be used towards any future Program.
• Credits are generally valid at the location where they were issued. If you want to use a credit at another Speaking Schools location, contact us and we will do what we can to arrange it.
• Credits issued for missed classes expire 6 months from the date we issue them, unless we agree otherwise in writing.
• Credits issued due to class changes or cancellations expire 24 months from the date we issue them, unless we agree otherwise in writing, and can be converted to a refund upon request.
• If you need longer, ask us. We will generally extend a credit on request.
• Where we issued the credit because we cancelled, and there is no reasonably suitable Program available for you to use it on, the expiry is extended automatically for that period.
• Credits can be used for another student you nominate, with our agreement.

 

Government vouchers

Where a government voucher, for example a State or Territory scheme voucher, was redeemed as part of your Fees, that portion is not refundable, unless a refund is required by law or by the rules of the voucher scheme.

 

How to request a refund or credit

You can contact us either way:

• Email contact@speakingschools.com.au, or
• contact the provider delivering your Student’s Program directly. Their details are on your Booking Confirmation.

Tell us:

• your Student’s name and the Program or Session concerned;
• what you are asking for; and
• briefly, why.

 

What happens next

Step	Timing
We acknowledge your request	Within 2 business days
We respond with an outcome	Within 10 business days
Approved refunds are processed	Within 10 business days of approval

Refunds are returned to the original payment method wherever possible. Where that is not possible, for example because the original payment is too old for the payment provider to reverse, we will contact you to arrange an alternative.

Credits are issued to your account, and you can check the balance and expiry by contacting us.

 

If you are not happy with our decision

Contact us first, and we will try to resolve it. If we cannot, the dispute process in clause 12 of the Service Terms applies: either of us can give written notice of a dispute, and we will try in good faith to resolve it before either party takes any other step.

Nothing stops you from contacting a regulator or a consumer protection body at any time.