Refund Policy
Creator Scout Technologies Pvt. Ltd. | Version 2.0
This Refund Policy outlines the conditions under which Creator Scout processes refunds for subscription payments and campaign escrow transactions. The flowchart governing campaign lifecycle and cancellation stages is the operational reference document and is to be read alongside this policy.
1Subscription Fees
This applies regardless of reason — including but not limited to unused days, inactivity, feature dissatisfaction, downgrading plans, or early cancellation. You may cancel your subscription at any time from your account settings; cancellation will stop future renewals but will not trigger a refund for the current active period. You retain access to your plan until the billing cycle ends.
By purchasing a subscription on Creator Scout, you explicitly acknowledge and agree to this no-refund policy.
2Creator Non-Performance — Full Refund Guarantee
Creator Scout operates an escrow-based payment model to protect brands. Where a creator fails to fulfil their obligations under the circumstances listed below, the brand is entitled to a full refund with zero deductions. The entire payment amount, including the platform fee, will be returned to the brand in full with nothing withheld.
The following situations qualify:
Order not accepted or rejected
The creator does not accept the collaboration request within the 72-hour acceptance window, or explicitly rejects it. The full refund is processed automatically upon expiry or rejection.
Creator goes silent (ghosting)
The creator becomes unresponsive after accepting the order and fails to communicate or deliver for 5 consecutive days without explanation. The brand must raise a dispute from the order page. Creator Scout will review and, upon confirmation, initiate a full refund to the brand’s original payment source or Creator Scout Wallet.
Missed deadline — no work submitted
The creator fails to submit any script or b-rolls and fails to deliver the agreed content by the confirmed deadline without an approved extension. The brand is entitled to a full refund. The brand may alternatively choose to extend the deadline from the order page.
Missed deadline — partial work submitted
Where the creator submitted script or b-rolls but failed to deliver the final content by the confirmed deadline without an approved extension, the brand may either extend the deadline or raise a formal dispute. Where a dispute is raised, the refund is not automatic and will be determined by Creator Scout on a milestone basis, proportional to the stage of work completed at the time of the missed deadline. The milestone reference is as follows: script submission corresponds to 30% of campaign value delivered; b-roll submission corresponds to 60% of campaign value delivered.
Substandard delivery
Refunds under this clause, where automatic, will be processed within 7 business days. Dispute-based refunds under this clause will be processed within 3 business days of the final dispute decision.
3Campaign Escrow Refunds and Kill Fees
Campaign funds deposited into escrow are governed by the campaign lifecycle stage at the time of cancellation. The following structure applies when a brand initiates a cancellation.
Stage 1 — Before Creator Accepts the Campaign
If the brand cancels before the creator has accepted the order, a full refund is issued. No kill fee applies if the refund is credited to the brand’s Creator Scout Wallet. A 3% kill fee applies on the campaign value if the refund is issued to the brand’s original payment method. The platform fee is fully refundable at this stage.
If the creator rejects the order or the 72-hour acceptance window lapses without a response, the brand receives a full refund automatically with no kill fee regardless of refund destination. The platform fee is fully refundable in these cases.
Stage 2 — After Creator Accepts, Brand Cancels Within 24 Hours
Sub-case A — No script submitted within 24 hours of acceptance
A 3% kill fee applies if the refund is credited to the Creator Scout Wallet, retained entirely by Creator Scout. A 6% kill fee applies if the refund is issued to the original payment method, retained entirely by Creator Scout. The creator receives no compensation at this sub-stage as no work was submitted. The platform fee is fully refundable at this stage.
Sub-case B — Script submitted and approved within 24 hours of acceptance
A 30% kill fee applies on the campaign value. The entire 30% is paid to the creator as compensation for creative work delivered and approved. Creator Scout retains the platform fee, which is non-refundable from this point. The remaining 70% of campaign value is refunded to the brand.
Sub-case C — Script submitted but not approved within 24 hours of acceptance
A 15% kill fee applies on the campaign value. The entire 15% is paid to the creator as compensation for creative work submitted. Creator Scout retains the platform fee, which is non-refundable from this point. The remaining 85% of campaign value is refunded to the brand.
Stage 3 — Brand Cancels After 24 Hours of Acceptance, No Work Submitted
A 30% kill fee applies on the campaign value. Creator Scout retains the platform fee, which is non-refundable. The remaining 70% of campaign value is refunded to the brand.
Stage 4 — Brand Cancels After 24 Hours of Acceptance, Script Submitted
A 30% kill fee applies on the campaign value regardless of whether the script was approved or not. The entire 30% is paid to the creator. Creator Scout retains the platform fee, which is non-refundable. The remaining 70% of campaign value is refunded to the brand.
Stage 5 — Brand Cancels After 24 Hours of Acceptance, B-Roll Submitted
A 60% kill fee applies on the campaign value regardless of whether the b-roll was approved or not. The entire 60% is paid to the creator. Creator Scout retains the platform fee, which is non-refundable. The remaining 40% of campaign value is refunded to the brand.
Stage 6 — Final Deliverable Submitted
If a dispute is raised within the 72-hour window, funds remain in escrow until Creator Scout issues a resolution. The refund, if any, will be determined on a milestone basis in accordance with Creator Scout’s dispute framework. Creator Scout’s decision on fund disbursement is final and binding for escrow purposes.
!Creator-Initiated Cancellations
- Brand refund: The brand receives a full refund of the campaign value minus a 3% payment processing charge retained by Creator Scout to cover payment gateway and payment aggregator costs.
- Creator compensation: The creator receives no compensation regardless of the stage of work completed at the time of cancellation. Any partial work submitted prior to cancellation is not eligible for kill-fee treatment.
- Repeated cancellations: Creators who cancel more than 3 orders in any rolling 6-month period will have their profile visibility reduced on Creator Scout. Deprioritised profiles continue to appear in marketplace search results but are shown after non-penalised creators.
- Account suspension: Creator Scout reserves the right to suspend or permanently remove accounts that demonstrate excessive or abusive cancellation patterns, at its sole discretion.
A cancellation reason is required at the point of cancellation. The brand is notified immediately and the refund is initiated automatically. Referral commissions associated with a cancelled order are reversed upon cancellation.
4Processing Time
Automatic refunds are processed within 7 business days from the date the refund is triggered. Dispute-based refunds are processed within 3 business days of the final dispute decision being issued. Refunds are credited to the original payment source — bank account, UPI, or card — or to the Creator Scout Wallet depending on the applicable stage and the brand’s selection. Creator Scout is not responsible for delays caused by banks or payment gateways once the refund has been initiated from our end.
5Non-Refundable Items
The following are explicitly non-refundable under all circumstances:
- Platform fee once the campaign has reached script submission with brand cancellation occurring after 24 hours of acceptance, or at any later stage
- Kill fees already disbursed to a creator as compensation at any stage
- All subscription fees without exception
- Add-on features or one-time purchases once activated
- Any GST or taxes collected and remitted to the government
- Payment gateway or processing charges incurred at the time of the original transaction
6How to Request a Refund
Refunds on Creator Scout are self-serve and do not require contacting support for standard campaign cancellations.
- Go to the Refund page from your brand dashboard.
- Select the order you wish to cancel or request a refund for.
- Choose the reason for your refund from the available options.
- The refundable amount applicable at the current campaign stage will be automatically calculated and displayed before you confirm.
- Confirm the refund. The amount will be credited to your original payment method or Creator Scout Wallet depending on the stage and your selection.
For billing errors, duplicate charges, or issues that cannot be resolved via the Refund page, contact billing@creatorscout.in with your registered email and transaction ID. Our team will acknowledge within 2 business days.
Version history
| Version | Summary of Changes |
|---|---|
| 1.0 | Initial release |
| 1.1 | Minor amendments |
| 2.0 | Full rewrite. Aligned with campaign lifecycle flowchart. Added milestone-based refund logic for partial submissions. Separated Stage 2 into three sub-cases. Corrected creator compensation to 0% where no work submitted. Updated auto-approval window to 72 hours. Substandard delivery clarified as dispute-triggered, not automatic. Ghosting defined as 5 consecutive days. Processing timelines standardized. |
Billing or refund queries?
Email us at billing@creatorscout.in
Creator Scout Technologies Pvt. Ltd., India