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.
• 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. Dispute Escalation

Homeschool Hive is not responsible for refunding payments when event cancellations result from force majeure events (e.g., natural disasters, power outages, or civil unrest). Refund decisions in such cases are handled by the Group Organizer.

9. Force Majeure and Cancellation Exceptions

Homeschool Hive is not responsible for refunding payments when event cancellations result from force majeure events (e.g., natural disasters, power outages, or civil unrest). Refund decisions in such cases are handled by the Group Organizer.

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 in violation of this Refund Policy may result in account suspension or collection actions.

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 June 16, 2025. Continued use of Homeschool Hive after changes are made indicates your acceptance of the revised terms.