Overview
Qolab operates escrow-based payments via Razorpay Route. Money flows from the brand to Razorpay's escrow at booking time, and only releases to the creator (or agency) after the brand approves the delivered content. This structure means most “refund” situations are handled inside the escrow + dispute flow, not as post-payment chargebacks.
Waitlist signups (pre-launch)
Joining the waitlist is free. No refunds apply. If you want your waitlist entry removed, see the Data Deletion page.
Booking refunds (post-launch)
How escrow closes
When a brand confirms a booking, Razorpay collects and holds the total amount (creator rate + 10% platform fee + applicable GST) in escrow. Funds release on one of these events:
- Brand approves the delivered content → creator / agency receives their portion, Qolab retains the platform fee.
- Brand rejects with cause → the booking enters our dispute process (see Section Refund process).
- Creator withdraws before starting → brand is refunded in full, no platform fee charged.
- Deadline passes without delivery → brand is refunded in full, no platform fee charged.
When a refund applies
- Non-delivery: the creator did not deliver any of the agreed content by the agreed deadline → full refund of creator rate + platform fee to the brand.
- Material deviation: delivered content materially breaches the agreed brief (wrong product, wrong language, missing deliverable type) → full or partial refund depending on what can be salvaged.
- Creator withdrawal: creator cancels after confirmation but before delivering → full refund.
- Brand cancels pre-start: brand cancels before the creator begins work → full refund; see Section Platform fee for gateway-fee handling.
- Payment error: duplicate charge, technical failure, or incorrect amount debited → full refund of the erroneous amount.
- Platform failure: Qolab ops fails to run the agreed escrow, invoicing, or dispute process → refund of the platform fee at our discretion (this is reviewed case-by-case, per Consumer Protection Act, 2019).
When a refund does NOT apply
- Content has been approved: once the brand marks delivered content as approved, the booking is complete. Approval is the final gate.
- Change of mind after approval:“the reel didn't get the reach I expected” after approval is not a valid refund reason. Creator performance outcomes are not guaranteed.
- Off-platform transactions: we cannot refund payments made outside of Qolab, even between parties who met on Qolab. This is also a breach of our non-circumvention clause.
- Subjective preference: if the content technically matches the agreed brief and the specifications in the booking (duration, style, call-outs), aesthetic preferences alone are not refund-eligible. Material quality concerns are handled separately — see Section Creative quality disputes.
Creative quality disputes
There's a grey zone between “matches the brief” and “genuinely poor quality.” We review creative quality complaints case-by-case:
- If the content technically matches the brief but is materially below industry standards (e.g., unusable blurriness, unintelligible audio, broken deliverable format), we may issue a partial refund at our reasonable discretion, typically 25–50% of the creator rate.
- If the content is clearly acceptable but the brand disagrees with the creative interpretation, we will not refund — but we will work with both parties to arrange a revision if the booking brief allowed revisions.
- Our creative-quality judgement is based on industry benchmarks (shot resolution, audio clarity, duration compliance, ASCI labelling), not aesthetic taste.
Platform fee + gateway fee treatment
Platform fee (Qolab's 10%)
Our 10% platform fee is generally non-refundable once a booking successfully completes (escrow released). Exceptions, reviewed case-by-case, apply when:
- Qolab's own ops process fails (missed dispute response, invoicing failure).
- Technical platform failure prevented completion.
- A Consumer Protection Act, 2019 redressal order requires refund.
Razorpay payment-gateway fees
For refunds issued on cancelled bookings (brand cancels pre-start, creator withdraws), Razorpay's gateway fees are typically refunded back to us along with the booking amount. Refunds are processed for the full amount. In the rare case where Razorpay does not refund the gateway fee to us (specific payment methods, delayed cancellations), we may deduct the actual non-recoverable gateway charge — typically under 2% — from the refund. We disclose the exact amount on your refund receipt.
Refund process
If you're a brand
If a booking has not yet been approved and you believe a refund applies:
- Click “Dispute this booking” in your Qolab dashboard (assigns a ticket ID: QD-xxxxxx), OR
- Email hello@qolab.in with booking ID, reason category (from eligible reasons), and supporting evidence (screenshots, brief comparison).
Operations reviews and issues a resolution typically within 5 working days; up to 15 working days for complex cases. Every dispute receives a ticket ID for tracking.
If you're a creator / agency
If a brand unfairly rejects your delivered content, raise a dispute from your Qolab dashboard. Our Operations team weighs both sides against the original brief. If we rule in your favour, full release of escrow to you.
Timeline
- Day 0
- Refund or dispute raised, ticket ID assigned.
- Day 1–5
- Operations reviews evidence from both parties.
- Day 5–7 (typical)
- Resolution issued: full refund / partial / release to creator / revision request.
- Day 7–15 (complex)
- Complex cases — multiple deliverables, multi-party disputes, potential fraud — may take up to 15 working days. We notify both parties of any extension.
- Day 7–14 (settlement)
- Razorpay processes the refund back to the brand's original payment method. Bank settlement takes 1–5 additional working days depending on method (UPI/card/netbanking).
Chargebacks
A “chargeback” is when a brand disputes a credit / debit card charge directly with their bank, bypassing Qolab's refund process.
- If a brand initiates a chargeback after approving the creator's delivered content, this is a material breach of our Terms of Service.
- We will contest the chargeback with Razorpay using the booking timeline, approval record, and deliverable evidence.
- The brand's Qolab account may be suspended pending resolution, and legal action may be pursued for recovery of the chargeback amount plus Razorpay chargeback fees and our costs.
- If the creator has already been paid out and the chargeback succeeds against us, Qolab bears that loss in the short-term and pursues recovery from the brand separately — the creator keeps their payment.
If you believe you have a legitimate reason to dispute a charge, please raise it through our refund process first— it's faster, fairer, and keeps your Qolab account in good standing.
Escalation
If you're not satisfied with our refund resolution, you may escalate under the dispute resolution process in our Terms of Service (binding arbitration in Bengaluru, Karnataka, under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996).
Consumer complaints may also be escalated to the National Consumer Helpline (1915) or the appropriate Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
Contact
Refund questions? Email hello@qolab.in or WhatsApp +91 95800 88540.