Refund & Cancellation Policy

1. Overview

SMS Training Academy is committed to delivering high-quality training experiences and to treating all refund and cancellation requests fairly. Our refund entitlements depend on the type of training programme, how far in advance a cancellation is made, and whether the programme has been accessed or commenced.

2. Instructor-Led Training (ILT)

The following refund schedule applies to all in-person Instructor-Led Training programmes. Cancellations must be submitted in writing to training@smscert.com. The number of calendar days is calculated from the date the written cancellation request is received to the scheduled first day of the programme.

Notice Period	Refund Entitlement	Processing Time
21 or more calendar days before start	90% of fees paid	7–10 business days
14–20 calendar days before start	75% of fees paid	7–10 business days
7–13 calendar days before start	50% of fees paid	7–10 business days
1–6 calendar days before start	25% of fees paid	7–10 business days
No-show / cancellation on programme day	No refund	—

All refund amounts are gross — gateway charges as described in Section 8 are deducted before processing. Participants who withdraw after the programme has commenced are not entitled to a refund for any portion of the programme not attended.

3. Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT)

The same tiered refund schedule as Section 2 applies to Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) programmes:

Notice Period	Refund Entitlement	Processing Time
21+ calendar days before start	90% of fees paid	7–10 business days
14–20 calendar days before start	75% of fees paid	7–10 business days
7–13 calendar days before start	50% of fees paid	7–10 business days
1–6 calendar days before start	25% of fees paid	7–10 business days
No-show / cancellation on session day	No refund	—

For VILT programmes, "commencement" is defined as the scheduled start time of the first live session. Technical difficulties experienced by the Participant (such as internet connectivity, device compatibility, or platform access issues) do not qualify as grounds for a refund once the programme has commenced.

4. Self-Paced eLearning Courses

4.1 Full Refund Period

A full refund (less gateway charges) is available for self-paced eLearning courses if both of the following conditions are met:

• The refund request is submitted within 48 hours of enrolment confirmation; and
• The Participant has not accessed any course content (no module openings, video plays, or assessment attempts logged in the system).

If either condition is not met, no refund is available. Access to the Platform triggers the system log regardless of whether content was formally "viewed" — the system log is the authoritative record.

4.2 No Refund After Access

Once any content within an eLearning course has been accessed, no refund is available under any circumstances. This is because the intellectual property — the course content — has been delivered and accessed by the Participant at that point.

4.3 Exceptions

Where a technical fault on SMS's Platform prevents access to course content for a sustained period (48 hours or more), SMS will, at its discretion, offer an extended access period or a credit, in lieu of a refund.

5. Event Registrations

This section covers registrations for SMS Training Academy events — conferences, seminars, alumni meets and similar gatherings — including any guest places booked on the same registration. It applies to paid Event registrations; a free or complimentary place is covered by 5.5 below.

5.1 Cancellation by the Participant

Cancellations must be sent in writing to training@smscert.com and take effect on the date we receive them. The notice period is counted from that date to the event date, and the same scale as Instructor-Led Training applies:

Notice Period	Refund Entitlement	Processing Time
21 or more calendar days before the event	90% of fees paid	7–10 business days
14–20 calendar days before the event	75% of fees paid	7–10 business days
7–13 calendar days before the event	50% of fees paid	7–10 business days
1–6 calendar days before the event	25% of fees paid	7–10 business days
On the event day, or no-show	No refund	—

Where a registration covers several attendees, cancelling one guest place refunds that place at the rate above; the rest of the registration is unaffected.

5.2 Substitution

Rather than cancelling, you may send someone else in your place at no charge, provided you tell us in writing at least 48 hours before the event and the replacement attendee meets any eligibility condition the event sets (for example an alumni-only category). A substitution is not a refund: the fee paid transfers with the place.

5.3 Cancellation by SMS Training Academy

If we cancel an event outright, you choose either a full refund of everything you have actually paid, or a credit of the same amount valid for 12 months against another Academy event or programme. Where we cancel, we absorb the payment gateway charges rather than deducting them.

5.4 Postponement or Rescheduling by SMS Training Academy

If we move an event to a new date, your registration moves with it and nothing further is payable. If the new date does not suit you, tell us within 14 calendar days of the announcement and you may choose either a credit valid for 12 months, or a full refund of what you have paid. After that period the standard scale in 5.1 applies, counted to the new event date.

5.5 Free and Complimentary Registrations

Where no payment was taken — a free event, a complimentary place, or a registration fully covered by a coupon — there is nothing to refund. Cancelling is still appreciated, since it releases your place, and can be done from the link in your registration e-mail or by writing to us.

5.6 No-Show

A registration that is neither attended nor cancelled in advance is not refundable, and the fee cannot be transferred to a later event.

5.7 Event-Specific Terms

An individual event may publish its own cancellation or refund terms on its registration page — for instance where a venue, caterer or third-party organiser commits costs earlier than usual. Where that happens, the terms shown on that event's registration page apply instead of 5.1 to 5.6, and they are shown before you pay. Everything else in this Policy, including Section 8 on gateway charges and Section 13 on how a refund is requested and processed, continues to apply.

6. Corporate Training Programmes

Refund and cancellation terms for corporate training programmes — including customised in-house training, group bookings, and blended learning contracts — are governed by the written agreement between SMS and the Client organisation.

Where no specific contractual terms are in place, the standard ILT or VILT refund tiers (Sections 2 and 3) apply to individually enrolled corporate Participants. For group bookings, the cancellation notice period is calculated from the total group booking contract date, not from individual enrolments.

For enquiries about corporate programme cancellations or adjustments, contact: info@smscert.com

7. Subscriptions & Access Plans

Subscription-based access plans to SMS Training Academy content are not currently available. This section will be updated when subscription products are launched. When available, subscription terms — including free trial conditions, billing cycles, and cancellation terms — will be published on the relevant subscription product page and incorporated into this Policy.

8. Payment Gateway Charges

Secure online payments are processed through our approved payment partners. Transaction fees charged by these payment partners are incurred by SMS at the time of the original transaction and are non-refundable in all cases, regardless of the reason for cancellation or the approved refund percentage.

These charges typically represent 2–4% of the gross transaction value, depending on the payment method, currency, and gateway used. The exact deduction will be calculated and communicated to the Participant or Client at the time a refund is approved.

In exceptional circumstances — for example, where a programme is cancelled by SMS for reasons within SMS's control — SMS may elect to absorb gateway charges and process a full gross refund. This is at SMS's sole discretion.

9. Currency Conversion & Foreign Exchange

Where payment was made in a currency other than the currency in which fees are quoted, the refunded amount will be calculated in the original currency of the transaction. SMS is not responsible for any difference in the value of a refund due to exchange rate fluctuations between the date of original payment and the date of refund processing.

Foreign transaction fees, bank charges, or currency conversion costs imposed by the Participant's bank or card issuer are not borne by SMS and will not be refunded.

10. Exceptional Circumstances

SMS Training Academy recognises that exceptional personal circumstances may arise that prevent participation in a programme. Requests for refunds or credits outside the standard tiers may be considered on a case-by-case basis in the following circumstances:

• Serious illness or medical emergency of the Participant or an immediate family member (supporting documentation required);
• Bereavement of an immediate family member;
• Natural disasters or force majeure events directly affecting the Participant;
• Visa or travel document refusal where in-person attendance was required (documentation of refusal required);
• Significant, documented change in employment status directly affecting eligibility or the relevance of the programme.

In these circumstances, SMS may offer one of the following at its discretion: a transfer to the next available programme cohort at no additional cost, a credit note valid for 12 months towards any SMS Training Academy programme, or a partial or full refund less gateway charges. Approval of exceptional circumstance requests is not guaranteed and is subject to SMS's review of the supporting documentation.

To submit an exceptional circumstances request, contact training@smscert.com with the subject line "Exceptional Circumstances Request" and attach relevant supporting documents.

11. Cancellations by SMS Training Academy

SMS Training Academy reserves the right to cancel, reschedule, or modify any Programme at any time. If SMS cancels a scheduled Programme:

• Enrolled Participants will be notified by email as soon as practicable;
• Participants will be offered the choice of: a transfer to the next available cohort of the same Programme, a credit note for the full amount paid (valid 12 months), or a full refund of fees paid — including any gateway charges that SMS elects to absorb in these circumstances;
• SMS is not liable for any consequential costs incurred by Participants in connection with the cancelled Programme, including but not limited to non-refundable travel costs, accommodation, or visa fees.

Where a Programme is rescheduled (not cancelled), enrolled Participants who cannot attend the rescheduled date will be treated as having cancelled on the date of the rescheduling notification, with the standard cancellation tiers applied as at that date relative to the original programme date.

12. Programme Transfers

Subject to availability and programme type, Participants may request a transfer to a different date or cohort of the same Programme in lieu of cancellation. Transfer requests must be submitted in writing to training@smscert.com. The following conditions apply:

• Transfers are subject to availability and are not guaranteed;
• A maximum of one complimentary transfer per enrolment is permitted if requested at least 14 days before the original programme start date;
• A second or subsequent transfer, or a transfer requested within 14 days of the programme, may be subject to an administration fee;
• Transfers to a higher-priced cohort or programme require payment of the price difference;
• Transfers to a lower-priced cohort do not entitle the Participant to a partial refund of the difference.

Substitution of one Participant for another from the same organisation is permitted with advance written notice, provided the substitute Participant meets any applicable prerequisites.

13. Refund Request Process

14. Contact for Refund & Cancellation Enquiries

All cancellation and refund requests must be submitted in writing. Verbal requests cannot be accepted.

This Refund and Cancellation Policy was last updated in June 2026 and applies to all enrolments from that date. Previous versions are available upon written request. SMS Training Academy reserves the right to update this Policy at any time, with reasonable notice.