Return Policy

Last Updated: March 23, 2026

1. General Policy Principles

GCIL is a nonprofit educational and religious organization.
Many of our offerings involve:

  • Immediate access to digital content
  • Limited classroom capacity
  • Administrative and logistical costs
  • Charitable program funding

For these reasons, refunds are limited and governed strictly by this policy.

Refund approvals are made in good faith and at the reasonable discretion of GCIL, subject to applicable law.

Refund requests must be submitted to:
admin@almawridus.org

2. Bookstore Purchases

Physical Books

GCIL strives to ensure high-quality printing and delivery of all books.

Refunds, replacements, or exchanges may be granted if:

  • Book is damaged during shipping
  • Incorrect title or quantity was delivered
  • Order is lost in transit
  • Book has major binding defects (e.g., pages detached, loose spine, missing pages)
  • Book contains significant printing defects (e.g., unreadable text, missing sections, upside-down printing, severe ink smudging)

Requests must be submitted within 7 days of delivery.

Customers may be asked to:

  • Provide photographs of the issue
  • Return the defective item (GCIL will advise whether return shipping is required)

Refunds or replacements are not provided for:

  • Minor cosmetic imperfections that do not affect readability
  • Normal wear and tear after use
  • Damage caused by improper handling or storage
  • Change of mind after purchase
  • Shipping delays caused by postal or courier services

Where replacement stock is unavailable, GCIL may issue:

  • A full refund, or
  • Store credit toward future purchases.

3. Educational Courses

Self-Paced Online Courses

Refund eligibility:

  • Request within 7 days of purchase, AND
  • Less than 20% of course content accessed

No refunds if:

  • Course substantially accessed
  • Certificate issued
  • Materials downloaded or redistributed

Live Courses / Cohort Programs

Refund structure:

  • More than 5 days before start date → Full refund (minus payment processing fees)
  • Within 5 days of start date → 50% refund
  • After first session attended → No refund

If GCIL cancels course:

  • Full refund OR
  • Transfer to future session

4. Sunday School Programs

Because Sunday School involves:

  • Teacher scheduling
  • Classroom allocation
  • Curriculum preparation

Refunds are limited.

Refund eligibility:

  • Before academic term begins → Full refund (minus admin fee)
  • Within first 2 weeks of term → 50% refund
  • After 2 weeks → No refund

No refunds for:

  • Absences
  • Behavioral dismissal
  • Voluntary withdrawal mid-term

Exceptions may be considered for:

  • Medical relocation
  • Verified family emergency

5. Memberships / Subscription Programs

Memberships support ongoing educational mission.

Cancellation:

  • May be done anytime through account portal
  • Stops future billing only

Refund eligibility:

  • Duplicate billing
  • Unauthorized transaction
  • Technical billing error

Annual memberships:

  • Pro-rated refund if cancelled within 14 days of purchase

No refunds for:

  • Partially used membership benefits
  • Failure to attend events
  • Change of personal circumstances

6. Educational Events / Workshops

Refund policy:

  • 7+ days before event → Full refund
  • Less than 7 days → Credit for future program
  • After event date → No refund

No refunds for:

  • No-show participants
  • Late arrivals
  • Program dissatisfaction after completion

7. Retreats / Special Residential Programs

Due to advance financial commitments:

  • Deposits may be non-refundable
  • Cancellation fees may apply
  • Specific refund terms will be stated at registration

GCIL may deduct:

  • Venue costs
  • Accommodation bookings
  • Meal arrangements
  • Administrative expenses

8. Donations

Donations are voluntary charitable contributions.

Refunds may be granted only if:

  • Donation made in error
  • Duplicate transaction
  • Unauthorized payment

Requests must be made within 15 days of donation.

Refunds are generally not granted for:

  • Completed charitable programs
  • General dissatisfaction
  • Donor change of intent after allocation

GCIL retains discretion to apply donations to mission-critical programs.

9. Chargebacks and Payment Disputes

Before initiating a chargeback, donors and participants are encouraged to contact GCIL.

Improper chargebacks may result in:

  • Suspension of user account
  • Restriction from future enrollments

10. Refund Processing Time

Approved refunds are typically processed within:

⏱ 7–14 business days

Actual timing depends on:

  • Payment processor
  • Bank policies
  • International transaction rules

11. Exceptional Circumstances

GCIL may consider refunds outside this policy in cases such as:

  • Medical emergencies
  • Visa/travel restrictions
  • Verified platform technical failure
  • Natural disasters affecting attendance

Such decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.

12. Contact for Refund Requests

Please include:

  • Full name
  • Offering name (course/book/event)
  • Payment date
  • Reason for refund

admin@almawridus.org