1. Definitions

In this Policy, the following words have the meanings given below. Each word is written with capital letters wherever it is used in this Policy.

1.1 “Article Processing Charge” means the fee a journal or publisher charges to publish a paper.

1.2 “Cancellation Request” means a written request by the Client to cancel a Service, or to ask for a refund, sent by email, with supporting documents, to [ info@iferp.in, info@iferp.net ] or through any other official channel specified by IFERP.

1.3 “Client” means any author, researcher, delegate, presenter, institution or other person who buys a Service from IFERP.

1.4 “Deliverables” means the work or output that IFERP provides to the Client under a Service, such as an edited paper, a report or a conference registration confirmation.

1.5 “Delisting” means a journal being removed from an Indexing database, or the database stopping or changing its coverage of that journal.

1.6 “Duplicate Payment” means paying the same amount twice for the same Service.

1.7 “Excess Payment” means paying more than the amount due for a Service.

1.8 “Force Majeure Event” means an event that is beyond IFERP’s reasonable control and that IFERP could not reasonably have foreseen or prevented. “Force majeure” is a term used in contracts and means “superior force”. In simple terms, it is something that happens that nobody could have reasonably stopped, and that makes it impossible or unreasonable to carry out a Service as planned. Examples are:

1. a. natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes and cyclones;
2. b. epidemics or pandemics;
3. c. war or civil disturbance;
4. d. government restrictions or travel restrictions;
5. e. strikes;
6. f. transport disruptions;
7. g. venue closures;
8. h. severe weather;
9. i. public emergencies;
10. j. internet or technology disruptions; and
11. k. any other unforeseen event of a similar kind.

1.9 “Hybrid Conference” means a conference that some participants attend in person and others attend online.

1.10 “IFERP” means Institute for Educational Research and Publication, a brand operated by Technoarete Private Limited, through which the Services are provided.

1.11 “Indexing” means the listing of a journal in a database such as Scopus or Web of Science. These databases are run by independent organisations and are used by researchers to find and recognise journals.

1.12 “No-Show” means a Client who has registered for a conference and then does not attend the Physical Conference, does not join the Virtual Conference, does not present an accepted paper, misses the allotted presentation or session, or does not use the conference services.

1.13 “Peer Review” means a review of a paper by independent experts in the same subject, who comment on its quality before it is sent to a journal or published.

1.14 “Physical Conference” means a conference attended in person at a venue.

1.15 “Policy” means this Refund, Cancellation and Service Resolution Policy.

1.16 “Published Link” means the link to, or copy of, the published article that IFERP shares with the Client.

1.17 “Rework” means correction or revision of a Deliverable within the scope of the original order.

1.18 “Services” means the Publication Services, Author Services and Conference Services described in Section 3.

1.19 “Stage” means the step of progress that a Service has reached. The Stages are listed in the tables in Section 6.

1.20 “Third-Party Charges” means money paid or committed by IFERP to outside parties for the Client’s Service, such as journals, publishers, venues, hotels and printers.

1.21 “Transaction Charges” means bank charges, payment gateway charges, currency conversion charges and international transaction charges. A payment gateway is the online system that processes card and bank payments.

1.22 “Transfer” means moving a paid registration or fee to another person, another IFERP conference, another date or another mode of participation, instead of receiving a refund.

1.23 “Virtual Conference” means a conference attended online.

1.24 “Working Day” means a day on which IFERP’s offices are open for business.

2. Purpose and Scope

2.1 This Policy explains when a Client can ask for a refund, cancel a Service, Transfer a registration or receive an alternative Service from IFERP. It is meant to give a fair, clear and consistent way to deal with such requests.

2.2 This Policy applies to every Client availing the Services.

2.3 This Policy covers requests relating to:

1. a. Publication Services;
2. b. Author Services;
3. c. Conference Services;
4. d. delay or non-delivery of a Service;
5. e. withdrawal or cancellation of a Service;
6. f. Third-Party Charges;
7. g. journal Indexing and Delisting; and
8. h. conference Transfers and changes to a conference.

2.4 Whether a refund is available depends on:

1. a. the Stage the Service has reached when IFERP receives the Cancellation Request;
2. b. the work IFERP has already done;
3. c. the money IFERP has already paid or committed to third parties; and
4. d. the reason for the request.

2.5 Where substantial work has already been done, submitted, delivered or passed to a third party, the matching charges may be partly or fully non-refundable.

3. Services Covered

3.1 Publication Services are services that help a Client get a paper published in a journal. They include:

1. a. journal selection and recommendation;
2. b. manuscript submission coordination (managing the sending of the paper to the journal);
3. c. pre-submission Peer Review;
4. d. communication with the publisher;
5. e. journal submission;
6. f. resubmission support; and
7. g. help with moving the paper to another journal.

3.2 Author Services are services that help a Client prepare a paper. They include:

1. a. manuscript editing and English language editing;
2. b. proofreading;
3. c. journal selection;
4. d. pre-submission Peer Review;
5. e. plagiarism check;
6. f. formatting and artwork editing;
7. g. journal submission;
8. h. editing of revised or rejected papers; and
9. i. Publication Success Bundle package.

3.3 Conference Services are services relating to IFERP conferences. They include registration for Physical Conferences and Virtual Conferences, registration Transfers and other conference-related services.

3.4 Each Service has its own refund table in Section 6. Publication Services use the table in Section 6.2. Author Services use the table in Section 6.3. The Publication Success Bundle package listed in Section 3.2(i) uses the table in Section 6.2, and Section 4.11 does not apply to it. Conference Services use the table in Section 6.4.

4. What Is Not Refundable

4.1 Completed services: No refund is given for a Service, submission, registration benefit or professional work that has been fully completed and delivered as agreed. IFERP may instead offer an alternative under Section 5.3.

4.2 Third-Party Charges: Money paid or committed to outside parties is not refunded by IFERP. Any refund of these amounts depends on the refund policy of that outside party. Third-Party Charges include:

1. a. Article Processing Charges;
2. b. publisher fees;
3. c. journal submission or processing charges;
4. d. venue commitments;
5. e. accommodation or logistics commitments;
6. f. printing and production expenses; and
7. g. charges of any other external service provider.

4.3 Transaction Charges: Transaction Charges are not refunded. These include payment gateway charges, international transaction charges, bank charges, currency conversion charges and foreign exchange differences. The refund paid to the Client may therefore be less than the amount the Client paid.

4.4 Journal rejection: A journal rejecting a paper does not mean that IFERP failed to deliver its Service. Where journal submission support or alternative journal help is part of the package the Client bought, IFERP may provide:

1. a. alternative journal recommendations;
2. b. re-routing of the paper to another journal;
3. c. resubmission coordination; or
4. d. communication support with the publisher.

Note: The support provided depends on the package the Client originally bought.

4.5 Delisting of a journal: IFERP checks the public Indexing status of a journal when it recommends the journal, when the Client selects it and when the paper is submitted. After that, the Indexing databases act on their own. They may stop covering a journal, remove it, change the years covered, re-assess whether it is eligible, change their policies or suspend Indexing. These decisions are outside IFERP’s control. A journal being delisted after submission, acceptance or publication is therefore not a ground for refund. In such a case IFERP may provide reasonable help, such as:

1. a. proof of the journal’s Indexing status at the time of submission;
2. b. consultation on alternative journals;
3. c. help with moving or resubmitting the paper; or
4. d. other support suited to the case.

4.6 Rework requests: Asking for Rework is not a ground for refund. Rework is limited to the scope and instructions agreed when the order was confirmed. Changes outside that scope may attract additional charges. If the Client is not satisfied with a Deliverable, IFERP’s normal solution is correction, revision or Rework within the agreed scope, not a refund. IFERP checks every Deliverable through an internal quality review. The Client must:

1. a. tell IFERP in writing;
2. b. point out the specific areas that need correction; and
3. c. give supporting details.

4.7 Not attending a conference (No-Show): A Client who does not attend a conference, presentation session, virtual session, meeting or other scheduled activity is not entitled to a refund. A No-Show is not refunded. Where possible, IFERP may offer a Transfer or virtual participation, at its discretion. This applies whatever the reason, including:

1. a. personal reasons;
2. b. travel delays;
3. c. flight cancellation;
4. d. visa problems;
5. e. internet or network problems at the Client’s end;
6. f. restrictions imposed by the Client’s institution;
7. g. schedule conflicts;
8. h. failure to join a virtual session; or
9. i. failure to give required documents within the set period.

4.8 Visa refusal: Getting a visa, travel approval, institutional permission, travel funding or immigration clearance is the Client’s own responsibility. A conference registration does not guarantee visa approval, travel approval, immigration clearance, institutional funding, travel grants or embassy appointments. A visa refusal does not give an automatic refund. IFERP will assess the request under the cancellation periods in Section 6.4 and the expenses already incurred. IFERP may offer virtual participation or a Transfer to another eligible conference. A Client who cannot attend because of a visa refusal and wishes to ask for a refund must submit:

1. a. a Cancellation Request;
2. b. a copy of the official visa refusal document; and
3. c. the registration and payment details.

4.9 Conferences already attended: Registration fees are not refunded once the Client has attended, presented at or accessed the conference, or has received the conference service.

4.10 Promotional and discounted registrations: Registrations made under special offers, early-bird offers, group discounts, institutional packages, scholarship-supported rates, special invitation rates or other discounted arrangements may be non-refundable or only partly refundable. The conditions are communicated at the time of registration, and those conditions apply.

4.11 Limits for Author Services: For Author Services, no refund will be started if:

1. a. the refund amount is less than USD 100 or equivalent;
2. b. the Cancellation Request is made more than 10 days after the order was placed; or
3. c. an invoice including taxes has already been issued.

4.12 The Client’s own costs: IFERP does not reimburse costs the Client bears directly, such as airfare, accommodation, visa charges, insurance, local transport and other third-party expenses. This applies even where IFERP cancels or changes a conference.

4.13 Force Majeure Events: IFERP is not liable for a Force Majeure Event, and no refund is payable solely because a Force Majeure Event has occurred. This applies to all Services. In the case of conferences, where a Force Majeure Event makes it necessary, IFERP may carry forward the registration amount or adjust it towards an alternative conference arrangement and may take any of the following measures:

1. a. reschedule the conference;
2. b. move the conference to another venue;
3. c. convert the conference to Virtual Conference or Hybrid Conference mode;
4. d. postpone the conference; or
5. e. hold the conference through any other suitable mode.

5. Exceptions and General Rules

5.1 When a refund may be considered: Even where Section 4 applies, a refund may be considered where there is documented evidence of:

1. a. IFERP not delivering the committed Service;
2. b. a verified error in a Deliverable that IFERP could not correct within a reasonable time;
3. c. a service deficiency that IFERP has expressly accepted after review;
4. d. a Duplicate Payment or Excess Payment; or
5. e. IFERP cancelling a conference for a reason other than a Force Majeure Event, and offering no suitable alternative.

5.2 Force Majeure Events are not an exception: Section 5.1 does not apply to a Force Majeure Event. Section 4.13 applies to it.

5.3 Alternatives to a cash refund: Instead of a cash refund, IFERP may offer:

1. a. Rework within the original scope;
2. b. an alternative Service;
3. c. alternative journal recommendations, re-routing or resubmission to another journal;
4. d. a Transfer of a conference registration; or
5. e. any other reasonable solution.

5.4 Transfer of registration and change of participation: The following rules apply:

1. a. IFERP may allow the Client to Transfer a registration to another eligible person, to another IFERP conference, to another conference date, or from Physical Conference to Virtual Conference participation, with prior written approval;
2. b. a request to Transfer to another person should be made before the conference programme and participant documents are finalised, and the Client must give the required details of the new participant;
3. c. the Client must pay any extra fee before the Transfer is confirmed;
4. d. where the new fee is lower, the balance is not refunded, except as stated in item (g);
5. e. a Transfer does not give a right to a cash refund;
6. f. a Transfer is subject to the availability of the conference, programme restrictions and IFERP’s confirmation;
7. g. a change from Physical Conference to Virtual Conference participation must be told to IFERP in advance, at least 30 days before the conference. The Virtual Conference fee is adjusted against the amount already paid. Any refund of the difference depends on the date of the request and the costs already committed, and non-recoverable expenses may be deducted; and
8. h. a change from Virtual Conference to Physical Conference participation requires payment of the fee difference.

5.5 Changes, postponement and cancellation by IFERP: The following rules apply to changes made by IFERP for operational, academic, safety, regulatory, venue, travel or speaker reasons. Changes caused by a Force Majeure Event are covered by Section 4.13.

1. a. IFERP may change the venue, date or programme, convert a Physical Conference to a Hybrid Conference or Virtual Conference, combine research areas, tracks or sessions, Transfer registrations to an equivalent conference or reschedule the event;
2. b. if IFERP postpones a conference, the registration normally remains valid for the new date. The Client may also be offered a Transfer to another IFERP conference, virtual participation or another suitable arrangement. Any Cancellation Request is reviewed based on the circumstances, the costs already incurred and the terms of this Policy;
3. c. if IFERP cancels a conference and cannot offer a suitable alternative, the Client will be offered a Transfer or a refund of the eligible amount; and
4. d. a refund is limited to the registration fee actually paid to IFERP. External costs of the Client are not reimbursed (Section 4.12), and Third-Party Charges already incurred and not recoverable may be excluded where the law permits.

5.6 Duplicate Payment or Excess Payment: IFERP will check the payment against its records. After verification, the extra amount may be refunded after deducting Transaction Charges.

5.7 Deductions from an approved refund: IFERP may deduct Transaction Charges, administrative charges and applicable taxes from an approved refund. Approved refunds are normally paid to the original mode of payment.

5.8 A request is not an approval: Asking for a refund does not mean it is approved. A refund is paid only after IFERP reviews and approves the request under Section 8.

6. Refund Matrix

6.1 The tables below show what happens if the Client cancels. The refund is worked out from the Stage reached on the date IFERP receives the Cancellation Request.

1. a. “Deduction” is the share of the amount paid for the Service that IFERP keeps for work done and costs committed;
2. b. “Refund” is the share of the amount paid for the Service that is returned to the Client;
3. c. a Stage is treated as reached when IFERP has begun work on it; and
4. d. Deductions under Section 5.7 are applied in addition.

6.2 Publication Services

6.3 Author Services

a. Editing, Formatting, Proofreading, Pre-submission Peer Review and Editing of Revised or Rejected Papers

b. Plagiarism Report and Journal Selection

c. Journal Submission

Note: The meaning of each Stage is the same as in the Publication Services table in Section 6.2. Section 4.11 also applies to Author Services, except the Publication Success Bundle package.

6.4 Conference Services

Note:

1. i. The Conference Services include both Virtual Conference and Physical Conference.
2. ii. “Allowed” means the Client may request a Transfer under Section 5.4. “May be permitted” means a Transfer is possible only if IFERP approves it. Conference refunds are processed 2 to 4 weeks after the conference. Transaction Charges are not refunded.

7. Time Limits to Ask for a Refund

7.1 Publication Services and the Publication Success Bundle package: The following limits apply:

1. a. disputes must be raised within 30 days of the submission acknowledgement, acceptance, rejection or decision communication;
2. b. a Cancellation Request made within 15 days from the date the Published Link is shared with the Client may be considered; and
3. c. a Cancellation Request made more than 15 days after the Published Link is shared will not be considered.

7.2 Author Services: Quality or service concerns must be raised within the revision or review period communicated with the Deliverable. The limit in Section 4.11 for Cancellation Requests also applies.

7.3 Conference Services: The Cancellation Request must reach IFERP before the applicable deadline in Section 6.4. The refund is worked out from the date IFERP receives the written request.

8. How IFERP Reviews a Request

8.1 When IFERP receives a Cancellation Request, it will:

1. a. verify the payment and service details;
2. b. identify the Stage the Service has reached;
3. c. review the completed Deliverables and Third-Party Charges;
4. d. examine the documents given by the Client;
5. e. check eligibility under this Policy;
6. f. tell the Client the proposed solution;
7. g. obtain internal approval where a refund applies; and
8. h. start the approved refund, Transfer, Rework or alternative Service.

9. Payment of Refunds

9.1 Approved refunds will be started within 15 to 30 Working Days from the date of final approval.

9.2 The money may take longer to reach the Client’s account, depending on the bank, card issuer, payment gateway and country of the transaction.

9.3 Refunds are normally paid to the original mode of payment.

9.4 The Client is responsible for giving correct registration, payment and bank details.

9.5 Where Transaction Charges apply, they are deducted from the refund (Sections 4.3 and 5.7).