Refund & Cancellation Policy

1. Overview

Cornerstone AI builds custom operating systems for growing businesses. Our core engagement is the eight-week OS build: a single, fixed-scope project, priced and agreed in writing before week one begins. This policy explains how refunds and cancellations are handled.

2. The eight-week OS build

The build is a fixed fee of $6,000 covering the week-one working session, eight weeks of development, two training sessions for your team, handover, and a further four weeks of support at no charge. It is payable in full before the build begins.

• Cancellation before the build begins: if you cancel before the week-one workshop, you receive a full refund of anything paid.
• Cancellation during the build: you may stop at any point. You will be billed only for work completed to the date of cancellation, and every deliverable produced to that point is handed over to you.

3. Continuing afterwards

The build includes four weeks of support after handover at no charge. After that, some clients continue on Keep building (new development plus fixes) or Support (fixes only). Both are billed per four week cycle and neither renews on its own. Neither is a condition of the build, and the system keeps running without either.

• No lock-in: either may be cancelled at the end of any four week cycle. There is no minimum term.
• Prepaid fees: any prepaid fees for unused work within a notice period are refunded on a pro-rata basis.
• Work already delivered: cycles in which work has been delivered are not refundable, as the service has been provided.

4. Third-party and usage costs

Your system runs inside your own accounts, so the AI's usage and any third-party software you use are billed to you directly by those providers, not by us. Those costs are outside this policy and are not refundable by Cornerstone AI. We will tell you what to expect before anything is connected.

5. Scope changes

If the scope of a project changes during the engagement, we will discuss and agree on adjusted timelines and costs before proceeding. You are never billed for work that was not agreed upon in advance.

6. Ownership of deliverables

Everything is built inside your own accounts from day one, and on payment you own all deliverables produced during the engagement: system designs, documentation, and any custom software built for your business. Cancellation does not affect ownership of work that has been paid for and delivered.

7. How to request a refund or cancel

To request a refund or cancel an engagement, please contact us in writing:

Email: [email protected]

We will acknowledge your request within 2 business days and process any applicable refund within 14 business days of approval.

8. Governing law

This policy is governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa, including the Consumer Protection Act, 2008 (Act No. 68 of 2008) and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, 2002 (Act No. 25 of 2002), where applicable.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. Existing engagements will be governed by the policy in effect at the time the engagement was entered into.