Refund Policy

1. Overview

Homeschool Hive provides a platform for homeschool groups to host, promote, and manage paid events. Refunds for event registrations are governed by the refund policy set by each event’s Group Organizer. Homeschool Hive acts as the payment facilitator but does not determine or guarantee refunds unless explicitly stated otherwise.

This Refund Policy is a legally binding component of the Terms of Service between the user and The Hive Network, LLC.

For full terms governing your use of the Platform, please review our Terms & Conditions.

2. Definitions

• Event Fee: The amount paid by a user to attend a specific event, set by the Group Organizer.
• Platform Fee: A fee charged by Homeschool Hive for providing the platform and payment processing services.
• Stripe Processing Fee: The fee charged by Stripe, our payment processor, typically 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, retained by Stripe and not refundable.
• Refund Cutoff Date: The deadline set by the Group Organizer after which refunds may be denied or limited. If the Group Organizer does not specify a custom refund cutoff, the Platform defaults to 24 hours before the scheduled event start time.
• Force Majeure: Unforeseeable circumstances such as natural disasters or acts of God that may affect event scheduling and refund policies.

3. What Fees Are Charged

• Members pay an event fee set by the Group Organizer.
• A 10% platform fee is added to each registration and retained by Homeschool Hive.
• Stripe's payment processing fee (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) is included in the total cost but is non-refundable.

4. Refund Control Responsibilities

• Before the Refund Cutoff Date:
• The Group Organizer is responsible for approving or denying refund requests for both the event fee and the platform fee.
• After the Refund Cutoff Date:
• Refunds for the event fee remain at the sole discretion of the Group Organizer. However, any decision regarding the platform fee is managed exclusively by Homeschool Hive and may be approved or denied at its discretion.
• Stripe Processing Fees:
• These remain non-refundable under all circumstances and are retained by Stripe regardless of the refund status of other components.

5. Refund Eligibility

• Full refunds (event fee + platform fee) may be issued if a member cancels their RSVP before the event's refund cutoff date.
• If an event is canceled, a full refund (excluding Stripe fees) will be processed automatically.
• Refunds requested after the cutoff are not guaranteed and may be partial or denied at the discretion of the Group Organizer.
• The platform fee may be refunded only if the request is approved by the platform.
• Stripe's processing fee is non-refundable and will not be returned under any circumstance.
• Time Limitation: All refund requests must be submitted within 90 days of the original payment date. Due to payment processor limitations, refunds cannot be processed for transactions older than 90 days, regardless of other eligibility criteria.

6. Group Membership Subscriptions

This section governs refunds and cancellations for paid group membership subscriptions, which are separate from individual event registrations.

A. Merchant of Record

For group membership payments, the Group Owner (operating through their connected Stripe account) is the merchant of record. This means the Group Owner is responsible for processing subscription payments, their business name appears on credit card statements, and they are primarily responsible for refund and dispute resolution. Homeschool Hive facilitates the payment but does not control Group Owner refund decisions.

B. Cancellation Options

Users may cancel their group membership at any time through their account settings. Two cancellation options are available:

• Immediate Cancellation with Prorated Refund: Membership ends immediately, and the user receives a prorated refund for the unused portion of the current billing period, minus applicable fees.
• End-of-Period Cancellation: Membership continues until the end of the current billing period. No refund is issued, but no further charges will occur.

C. Prorated Refund Calculation

When immediate cancellation is selected, the refund is calculated based on the remaining days in the billing period. Platform fees are prorated proportionally. Stripe processing fees from the original transaction are non-refundable.

D. Automatic Renewal Notice

Group membership subscriptions automatically renew at the end of each billing period until canceled. Users will receive email notification before each renewal charge. Users may cancel at any time before the renewal date to avoid the next charge.

E. Dispute Resolution

For disputes regarding group membership payments, users should first contact the Group Owner directly. If unresolved, users may contact Homeschool Hive at support@homeschoolhive.co. Homeschool Hive will facilitate communication but cannot compel Group Owner refund decisions.

7. Processing Timeline

Approved refunds are processed through Stripe and may take 5–10 business days to appear on your original payment method. Refunds will not exceed the original amount paid minus the Stripe fee.

8. Fee Transparency

A typical transaction consists of the event fee (e.g., $20), a 10% platform fee (e.g., $2), and Stripe's processing fee (2.9% + $0.30). For example, a $22 total may result in a Stripe fee of $0.94, which is not recoverable. In any refund, the most a user can receive is $22.00, with the Stripe fee ($0.94) absorbed by the customer.

9. Force Majeure and Dispute Escalation

A. Force Majeure Events

Homeschool Hive is not responsible for refunding payments when event cancellations or modifications result from force majeure events, including but not limited to natural disasters, severe weather, power outages, pandemics, acts of God, civil unrest, government orders, or other circumstances beyond reasonable control. Refund decisions for events affected by force majeure are at the sole discretion of the Group Organizer.

B. Dispute Escalation Process

If a user disagrees with a refund decision:

• Step 1: Contact the Group Organizer directly through the Platform messaging system.
• Step 2: If unresolved within 10 business days, submit a dispute to Homeschool Hive at support@homeschoolhive.co with documentation of prior communications.
• Step 3: Homeschool Hive will review the dispute and may, at its discretion, mediate between parties or issue a platform fee refund where appropriate.

C. Platform Decisions

Homeschool Hive reserves the right to issue platform fee refunds in exceptional circumstances, including but not limited to verified technical failures, material event misrepresentation, or repeated organizer misconduct. Such decisions do not obligate the Group Organizer to refund event fees.

10. Refund Recordkeeping

Homeschool Hive retains refund transaction records for a minimum of 3 years to ensure regulatory compliance and auditability.

11. Requesting a Refund

Disputes regarding payments should be directed to Homeschool Hive support. We encourage users to resolve issues directly with the Group Organizer before initiating chargebacks.

12. Refund Denial Scenarios

Refund requests may be denied in situations including, but not limited to:

• The request is submitted after the refund cutoff and does not meet exception criteria.
• The event was attended in full or partially by the member.
• The refund request is abusive, fraudulent, or lacks sufficient justification.
• The Group Organizer is no longer active on the platform and event verification is not possible.

Initiating a chargeback without first following the dispute resolution process outlined in this policy may result in account suspension and forfeiture of any pending refund requests. Homeschool Hive reserves the right to recover costs associated with fraudulent or abusive chargeback claims through appropriate legal channels.

13. Legal Disclaimers

This Refund Policy does not constitute a warranty or guarantee of service. Homeschool Hive is not responsible for errors, omissions, or disputes involving the Group Organizer, including misrepresentation of event details or refund terms not listed on the platform.

All determinations of refund eligibility are final once rendered by the responsible party (Organizer or Platform, as outlined).

14. Policy Integration

This Refund Policy is incorporated by reference into Homeschool Hive’s Terms of Service and should be read in conjunction with the Privacy Policy and Acceptable Use Policy.

15. Time Zone and Currency

All dates, deadlines, and cutoff times referenced in this policy are based on Eastern Time (ET), United States. All monetary values are in U.S. Dollars (USD) unless otherwise noted.

16. Platform Fee Refund Criteria (Post-Cutoff)

Homeschool Hive considers platform fee refund requests after the cutoff on a case-by-case basis, considering:

• Whether the event was materially changed or misrepresented.
• Whether the user was blocked from attending due to technical or platform errors.
• Evidence of extenuating circumstances (e.g., emergency, bereavement).
• History of user refund abuse or prior reversals.

All decisions are final and not subject to further appeal.

17. Third-Party Services

Homeschool Hive relies on third-party providers for payment processing, email communications, and virtual event infrastructure. We are not responsible for refunding charges resulting from outages, errors, or service failures caused by those third parties.

18. Governing Law and Venue

All refund-related disputes shall be governed by the laws of the State of Florida, United States. Any claim or dispute arising under this Refund Policy shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Lee County, Florida.

Effective Date

This Refund Policy is effective as of December 3, 2025. Continued use of Homeschool Hive after changes are made indicates your acceptance of the revised terms.