Donations and refunds policy
Cases eligible for refund and their detailed procedures
Donations and refunds policy
Company establishment date: June 29, 2026 | Version: 2.0 We believe in the donor's right to fully understand the donation and refund policy before making the decision to donate. This policy is formulated with the utmost clarity and transparency and complies with international consumer protection regulations. Legal frameworks to which this policy complies: • European Consumer Protection Directive 2011/83/EU (contracts concluded at a distance) • British Consumer Rights Act 2015 (Consumer Rights Act) • Turkish Consumer Protection Law No. 6502/2013 • Saudi consumer protection system • UAE Consumer Protection Law (Decree No. 15 of 2020) • Consumer protection laws in other Arab countries • APEC Framework Principles for Consumer Protection
Nature of Donations — The difference between a donation and a purchase
Donating is fundamentally different from purchasing a good or service: Donate: • A free, voluntary donation for humanitarian purposes • Does not create a title or claim to specific services • Addressed directly to beneficiaries to whom you are not personally related Purchase: • A commercial transaction that results in a right to obtain a specific good/service • Generally refundable according to consumer laws Basic policy: Due to the humanitarian nature of donations and the immediate channeling of funds to field projects, fully processed donations are not refundable as a general rule. Protected exceptions: However, we are committed to providing a refund in the exceptional cases detailed in this policy, and in all cases where mandatory laws in your country require a refund.
Cases in which a refund is granted
Case 1 - Documented technical errors (highest priority): Requires immediate full refund: • The amount was deducted more than once due to a reliable technical error (two transactions appeared instead of one) • Deducting an amount different from the amount you clearly agreed to • Complete debit from your bank account when the transaction failed in our system (you did not receive a confirmation) • A technical error in identifying the beneficiary campaign, such that your donation was directed to a campaign other than the one you chose Action: We issue the refund as soon as we verify the error without any diligence or delay. Case 2 — Documented Fraud (Full Refund): • Using your card or account without your permission and proving this with an official report from the bank or police • There is an official report issued by your financial institution confirming the fraudulent activity • Notify the site that your email account has been hacked and donations have been made without your knowledge Action: Full refund + full cooperation with the bank and law enforcement. Third case — campaign cancellation (full refund or transfer): • If the campaign to which you donated is canceled before any field implementation begins • We will inform you immediately of your choices: a full refund or a transfer to the campaign of your choice Procedure: Full refund or transfer as desired within 7 days. Case 4 - Error in amount (immediate request): • If you made a mistake in entering an amount much larger than intended and contact us within one hour • We examine each case individually — if the funds have not yet been transferred to the field partner, we may refund the difference Action: Contact us immediately at info@forrelief.org stating the intended amount and the actual amount. Case Five - Exceptional Humanitarian Circumstances: • A documented financial emergency (illness, death, disaster) occurring within 24 hours of the donation • There is reasonable evidence of unexpected financial distress Procedure: We examine each case with compassion and fairness — donations to ongoing projects may not be refundable. Additional rights under the laws of some countries: For European and British users: The “right of withdrawal” law may give you 14 days to review electronic transactions, although the nature of humanitarian donations differs from commercial contracts. If you think this right applies to your situation, write to us and we will consider it seriously.
Cases in which a refund is not granted
We believe in complete clarity, as these cases do not require recovery: • Change of opinion 7 days after donation without a qualifying reason • Dissatisfaction with the frequency of updates received from the campaign • Dissatisfaction with field reports despite their accuracy and reliability • Feeling remorseful about donating without an objective reason • Wanting to transfer the amount to another campaign (but we can make a new donation) • The donation period expires without the campaign completing its objectives (the funds are directed to similar campaigns) • Payment gateway processing fees originally charged (Stripe/PayPal) • Donations that have already been directed to the field partner and have begun to be implemented
Recurring Monthly Donations — Cancellation and Refunds
Right of cancellation: Cancellation is an absolute and unconditional right. You may cancel your monthly subscription at any time for any or no reason. How to cancel: • Email: info@forrelief.org • Cancellation request: Send the cancellation request to info@forrelief.org from the email address used for the donation, with the receipt number. • You can also request cancellation via info@forrelief.org Effective period of cancellation: • Cancellation will take effect immediately upon confirmation • No amount will be deducted in the next month’s cycle • You will receive a cancellation confirmation message within one hour Refunds of payments made before cancellation: • As a general rule, payments for previous months are not refundable • Critical exception: If an amount is deducted after the confirmed cancellation date, it will be refunded immediately and in full with an official apology Subscription suspension: If you are experiencing temporary financial difficulty: • You can request to suspend the subscription for 1-3 months • The subscription returns automatically after the end of the suspension period • Email us at info@forrelief.org Change the monthly amount: • You can reduce or increase the subscription amount at any time • The change will take effect from the following month's cycle Operational procedures for cancellation, suspension and amount changes: 1. Request and verification: Email info@forrelief.org from the address used for the donation, identifying the receipt number and request type. For suspension, specify one to three months; for an amount change, specify the new amount and currency. Do not send your full card number or security code. Support logs the receipt time and identifies the associated subscription. If information is insufficient, the team promptly requests the missing details before making changes. 2. Cancellation and confirmation within one hour: Cancellation requests receive urgent priority and are routed to an authorised subscription operator. Cancellation is performed immediately and verified with the payment provider before confirmation is sent within one hour of receiving a request that can be verified and acted on. Confirmation identifies the request, cancellation time and cessation of renewal charges. An acknowledgement or a website record change alone is not confirmation, and cancellation is separate from refunding past payments. If execution fails, the request is immediately escalated to the duty officer and the donor receives a status update within the same hour, without a false success confirmation. 3. Preventing charges after cancellation: The operator reviews the subscription, open invoices and pending collection attempts, and stops collection for future periods. If a charge occurs after confirmed cancellation, the team initiates a full refund to the original payment method immediately after verification and sends the refund reference. Bank processing determines when funds reach the account. 4. One-to-three-month suspension and automatic resumption: Start and end dates are agreed in writing. Collection stops during the suspension and invoices for that period are handled so they are not collected as arrears after resumption. Earlier invoices are reviewed separately. Automatic resumption is scheduled with the payment provider. Confirmation states the dates, amount, currency and next charge date. A reminder is sent before resumption; the donor may request cancellation before the next charge. The team verifies resumption and ensures suspended months are not collected. 5. Amount change from the next monthly cycle: The team verifies the donor's explicit request for the new amount and currency and schedules it from the next renewal. No additional subscription, immediate payment or current-cycle adjustment is created because of the change. Confirmation states the old and new amounts and effective date. If the next payment is already processing, the donor is informed and the appropriate action is agreed before confirming the change. 6. Records and follow-up: Request, verification and execution times, the subscription reference, provider confirmation and donor communications are retained in a restricted-access record. The responsible operator reviews open requests and scheduled actions daily and escalates delays. Exceptions are handled directly with the provider when needed; a website success message alone is not relied on as confirmation.
Procedures for submitting a refund request
Step 1 — Apply (within 7 days of donation): Send an email to: info@forrelief.org The letter must include: • Message subject: “Refund Request — [Receipt Number]” • Your full name as entered when donating • The email used when donating • Donation date, amount and currency • Electronic receipt number • The reason for requesting a refund in detail • Any supporting documentation (screenshot, account statement, fraud report) Step 2 — Confirm receipt (within 48 business hours): • Automated confirmation message with reference number (#REF-XXXXX) • Appoint a specialized employee to review your application Step 3 — Review and Verification (within 5 business days): • We verify the transaction details in our system • We will contact you if we need additional information • We review the status of funds being channeled to the field partner Step 4 — Decision and Notification (within 2 days of completion of review): • We will notify you of the decision explaining the reason for approval or rejection • In the event of rejection, we will explain the method of objection Step 5 — Refund Processing (After Approval): • Stripe: 5-10 business days (depends on bank and country) • PayPal: 3-7 business days • The original payment gateway processing fee (1.5-3%) may be deducted in cases not caused by a technical error Step 6 — Confirm receipt: • We send a confirmation message that the recovery has been completed • If you do not receive the amount within the specified period, contact us immediately
Recovery priority table
Refund requests are processed according to the following priority levels: Highest priority (response within 24 business hours): • Double deduction or documented technical error • Fraud documented with official data • Discount after confirmation of subscription cancellation High priority (reply within 48 business hours): • Canceling a campaign before implementation • Error in the amount (immediate submission within an hour) • Documented emergency circumstances Regular priority (response within 5 business days): • Other cases that require detailed review • Requests that require verification from the field partner Note: If you are a European or British donor and consider that the right of “Cooling-off Period” applies to your case, indicate this explicitly in your application and we will give you priority.
Have a refund request?
Our team responds within 48 business hours — we are committed to resolving your claim fairly