Refund and Cancellation Policy
iBetterCoach Version: 1.0 Date: [to be defined]
⚠️ Notice: Document aligned with Decree-Law 24/2014 (distance selling in Portugal) and Directive 2011/83/EU. Requires formal legal review before publication.
1. Scope
This Policy applies to all paid subscriptions of the iBetterCoach Platform contracted by consumers and professionals from the official website.
The Policy reflects the mandatory legal rights of the Portuguese and EU consumer, namely:
- Decree-Law 24/2014 of 14 February — distance contracts and contracts concluded outside business premises, transposing Directive 2011/83/EU
- Portuguese Consumer Protection Law (Law 24/96)
- Portuguese Civil Code — provisions on contractual performance and liability
- Law 144/2015 — alternative consumer dispute resolution
2. Right of withdrawal (14-day cooling-off)
2.1 Who benefits
Consumers (natural persons acting outside their professional activity) have the right to withdraw from the contract without giving any reason, within 14 calendar days from the date of contract conclusion.
This right is enshrined in Article 10 of DL 24/2014.
2.2 How to exercise
To exercise the right of withdrawal, the consumer must send an unambiguous communication to that effect to:
Email: support@ibettercoach.com Subject: "Withdrawal — DL 24/2014"
iBetterCoach provides a withdrawal form template at [URL]/legal/withdrawal, with email confirmation of receipt.
2.3 Effects
iBetterCoach fully refunds the consumer within a maximum of 14 days of receiving the communication, using the same means of payment, unless expressly agreed otherwise.
2.4 Legal exceptions
Under Article 17 of DL 24/2014, there is no right of withdrawal when:
- The consumer gave their prior express consent to start the service (e.g., immediate activation of premium features) and acknowledged that they would lose this right if the service was fully performed within the 14-day period
iBetterCoach may only invoke this exception if, at the time of subscription, the consumer expressly:
- ☐ Requested the immediate start of the service
- ☐ Acknowledged that they will lose the right of withdrawal after full performance of the contract
- ☐ Confirmed via durable means (email)
If the service has only been partially performed within the 14 days, the consumer retains the right to withdraw and is refunded the unconsumed portion (proportional).
3. Refunds outside the withdrawal period
3.1 "Satisfied or refunded" guarantee (voluntary commercial policy)
In addition to the legal right, iBetterCoach may offer, at its discretion, a 30-day commercial guarantee allowing the Professional Customer to request a full refund within the first 30 days of subscription if not satisfied, without justification.
This commercial guarantee does not apply to:
- Automatic renewals after the initial subscription
- Annual subscriptions already partially used beyond the initial 30 days
- Improper use cases or breach of the Terms of Use
- Accounts with intensive access (e.g., creation of more than 50 athletes in the period)
3.2 Cancellation without refund
After the 30 days of the commercial guarantee (or after the 14 days of withdrawal for consumers who have not consumed the service), the Customer may cancel their subscription at any time through their account settings. Cancellation:
- Takes effect at the end of the billing period already paid
- Does not generate a refund for the unused period, except in the cases set out in 3.3
The Customer continues to have access until the end of the paid period.
3.3 Refund for iBetterCoach default
The Customer is entitled to a proportional refund when:
- iBetterCoach discontinues an essential feature without an equivalent alternative
- There is a serious SLA breach for 3 consecutive months
- iBetterCoach decides to shut down the service without reasonable prior notice
4. Annual subscriptions
Annual subscriptions usually benefit from a discount over the monthly price (e.g., 2 months free on an annual plan).
In case of cancellation of an already paid annual subscription:
- Within the 14-day withdrawal period: full refund (consumers)
- Within the 30-day commercial guarantee: full refund (everyone)
- After 30 days: no refund, but access continues until the end of the contracted year, with no additional charges
5. Automatic renewal and right to cancel
All paid subscriptions renew automatically at the end of each period, unless cancelled in advance by the Customer.
iBetterCoach commits to:
- Notify by email at least 15 days in advance before each automatic renewal of annual plans
- Allow online cancellation at any time, without dependency on phone calls or obstructive mechanisms
- Not apply dark patterns that hinder cancellation
6. Refunds for technical errors or duplicate charges
In case of a technical error attributable to iBetterCoach (duplicate charge, charge after cancellation, payment system failure), iBetterCoach refunds in full within 5 business days of error confirmation.
7. How to request a refund
- Send email to support@ibettercoach.com
- Indicate: name, account email, reason for request, invoice identifier
- Wait for response: iBetterCoach will respond within a maximum of 5 business days
- Receive refund: via the same payment method, within a maximum of 14 days (withdrawal) or 30 days (commercial guarantee)
8. Disputes and alternative resolution
If the Customer disagrees with iBetterCoach's response, they may turn to Alternative Consumer Dispute Resolution (ADR) under Law 144/2015:
- National Information and Arbitration Centre for Consumer Conflicts (CNIACC)
- Lisbon Consumer Conflict Arbitration Centre
- CIAB — Information, Mediation and Consumer Arbitration Centre
- European ODR Platform: https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr
iBetterCoach voluntarily adheres to these mechanisms, without prejudice to the consumer's right to seek the Portuguese courts.
9. Contact
- Refund email: support@ibettercoach.com
- Legal email: legal@ibettercoach.com
Document prepared for iBetterCoach. Requires formal legal review before publication.