Refund & Service Policy
LingoLab & Career Counselling — written in plain language, so you always know where you stand
✨ Last Updated: January 15, 2025 | Pakistan's #1 Study Abroad & IELTS ExpertsReady to Start Your Study Abroad Journey?
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Built on Trust, Transparency & Genuine Care
We know choosing a study-abroad partner is a big decision — that's why we've kept this policy honest and easy to understand. It explains exactly what to expect from us, how our fees work, and the few situations where a refund is possible, so there are never any surprises.
Legal Framework: Issued under the Contract Act, 1872, and applicable Consumer Protection Laws of Pakistan. By enrolling or making any payment, you confirm you've read and agreed to the terms below.
1 What We Do — and How Our Fees Work
LingoLab provides expert consultancy for counselling, university applications, visa advisory, and English test preparation (IELTS, PTE, TOEFL, Duolingo, LanguageCert & Oxford ELLT). Every fee you pay reflects real, immediate value: your counselor's time, our institutional expertise, planning, coordination, and the resources dedicated specifically to your case from day one.
📌 Setting Honest Expectations
We provide expert guidance and advisory support — final decisions on visas, admissions, and test scores always rest with universities, embassies, and testing bodies, not with us. This honesty protects you from false promises and helps you make informed decisions.
⏰ Why Fees Are Non-Refundable Once Services Begin
As a general rule, fees are non-refundable once a service has started — this includes SOP/CV work, portal setup, document review, class enrollment, trainer assignment, or any communication and coordination on your file. Professional time, once spent, can't be reclaimed. The good news: we've outlined every exception clearly in Section 2 below, so you know precisely where you stand.
2 When a Refund Is Available
We want to be fair. Below are the specific, verified situations in which a refund may be issued.
✓ Duplicate or Excess Payment
Accidentally paid twice or transferred more than the agreed fee? Once verified against our bank and payment records, the excess amount is returned to your original payment source. Processing time: 4–8 weeks from verification.
✓ Paid, But No Work Has Begun
If absolutely no work has started on your file — no counselor assigned, no documents reviewed, nothing planned — you may request a refund of a service fee (not consultancy/assessment fees) in writing within 48 hours of payment. A 10–20% administrative deduction applies to cover bank and processing costs already incurred on our end.
✓ A Confirmed Error on Our Part
If you met every deadline and submitted complete documents, but a confirmed clerical error by our team directly prevented submission of your application, a partial refund applies to the unused portion of services — once the error is verified in writing by management. (Initial consultancy fees remain non-refundable, as that advice was already delivered.)
3 Fees That Are Always Non-Refundable
Some services are delivered to you immediately and in full — expert evaluation, strategic planning, and professional analysis simply can't be "returned" once given. For that reason, the following remain non-refundable under any circumstance:
- Initial Consultancy & Profile Assessment Fees — your evaluation, feasibility analysis, and strategy session are delivered the moment they happen
- Registration, Onboarding & File-Opening Fees — covering account setup and resource allocation dedicated to you
- Any fee once "service has started" — including SOP/CV drafting, document review, portal setup, class enrollment, trainer assignment, or study material access
4 Outcomes Beyond Our Control
We're proud of the guidance we give — but some things are simply outside anyone's hands. Understanding this upfront protects you from unrealistic promises made by others in the industry.
🏛️ Visa & University Decisions
Visa approval and university admission are decided solely by embassies and institutions. Refusals, delays, waitlisting, additional document requests, or interview requirements are normal parts of the process, not a service failure — so no refund applies based on these outcomes. What we guarantee instead is our full effort: expert guidance, accurate documentation, and honest advice throughout.
📊 Test Preparation Results
We don't guarantee specific band scores — your result depends on your proficiency, attendance, and effort. Once you're enrolled in a batch, assigned a trainer, or given access to materials, training fees are non-refundable, reflecting the real resources committed to your seat.
💳 Third-Party Fees
University, embassy, testing body, and medical/biometric fees go directly to those organizations, not to LingoLab — so refunds for these must be requested from them directly, under their own policies.
🌍 Policy Changes & Force Majeure
Immigration law changes, university policy updates, and force majeure events (pandemics, natural disasters, political instability) are unpredictable and unavoidable — no refund applies, though we'll always keep you informed and help you explore alternatives.
5 Helping Us Help You
Your success depends on us working as a team. Please provide complete, accurate, and truthful information — including any past visa refusals or academic gaps — and respond to us promptly so we can act on your behalf without delay.
⚠️ Please Note
No refund applies where an issue results from false, incomplete, or withheld information, missed deadlines on your end, or non-cooperation — since these prevent us from delivering the service properly. Submitting forged documents to immigration authorities is also a criminal offense, and we reserve the right to end services immediately if this occurs.
6 Change of Plans & Package Services
Life happens — financial, family, or personal circumstances can change your plans. We genuinely understand, but since professional time already invested can't be reclaimed, no refund is issued if you change your mind, pause, defer, or choose to proceed differently (including switching consultants or applying independently).
If you purchase a package covering consultation, five university applications, SOP writing, and visa guidance, and later decide to proceed with only two universities after consultation and SOP work are complete — no partial refund applies, since your package reflects one integrated engagement, not separately priced tasks. Completing any single milestone confirms the full package is underway.
7 Our Promise to You
Even with these limits on refunds, our commitment to you is unwavering:
- ✅ Honest advice — even when it's not what you hoped to hear
- ✅ Ethical conduct — no shortcuts, no false promises
- ✅ Certified, experienced professionals guiding every case
- ✅ Clear, proactive communication at every stage
- ✅ Your success genuinely matters to us — we invest in it fully
We commit to integrity, transparency, and diligence in everything we do — never guarantees of visa approval or admission, and never anything unethical or illegal.
8 Client Acknowledgment
By making any payment to LingoLab, you confirm that:
- ✓ You've read and understood this Policy, and had the chance to ask questions beforehand
- ✓ Refunds are limited to the specific situations outlined in Section 2
- ✓ Visa decisions, admissions, and test scores are outside LingoLab's control
- ✓ Fees cover professional time, expertise, and service — not guaranteed outcomes
- ✓ You're providing complete, accurate information and agree to cooperate fully
This Policy is a legally binding agreement between you and LingoLab & Career Counselling, governed by the Contract Act, 1872, and applicable Consumer Protection Laws of Pakistan.
Fees are non-refundable by default, except for the specific circumstances in Section 2. Approved refunds are treated as a goodwill exception, not a right or precedent.