Client Refund & Service Recovery Policy

French Connections HCB, 21st July 2026

Purpose

At French Connections HCB, our goal is to deliver a professional, transparent, and supportive relocation experience for every client.

This policy is designed to provide clarity regarding refunds, cancellations, service interruptions, and dispute resolution, ensuring fairness to both Clients and the French Connections Team.

1. General Principles

French Connections HCB operates as a professional services and coordination business.

Many services involve third-party providers, government agencies, legal advisors, landlords, translators, and immigration-related processes.

Certain costs are incurred immediately upon engagement and may not be recoverable.

Wherever possible, we will seek practical and fair solutions before refund discussions arise.

2. Cooling-Off Period

Clients may cancel their engagement within 7 calendar days of signing the service agreement, provided that:

  • no substantive work has commenced.
  • no third-party costs have been incurred.
  • no application or filing process has been initiated.

If eligible, a refund will be processed less:

  • banking fees,
  • currency exchange costs,
  • and any direct administrative expenses already incurred.

3. Non-Refundable Costs

Where a Client discontinues a service or a relocation project is paused, French Connections HCB may consider a refund for any unused portion of the service package. Any refund will be assessed based on the stage of the engagement, work completed, and services already delivered.

The following items are non-refundable once incurred:

  • Government filing fees.
  • Visa or residency application fees
  • Translation or notarisation costs
  • Legal and tax advisory fees
  • Third-party contractor or consultant costs
  • Travel bookings
  • Property reservation deposits
  • Banking and foreign exchange fees
  • Any work already completed or substantially delivered.

Bespoke planning services, including managed scouting trips and tailored relocation planning, become non-refundable once planning activities have commenced, as third-party costs and professional resources are committed at that stage.

If a Client becomes unresponsive for an extended period or fails to provide required documentation within reasonable operational timelines, French Connections HCB reserves the right to pause, reschedule, close, or re-scope the engagement without refund obligation.

NOTE: French Connections HCB is not responsible for delays or outcomes resulting from the actions or decisions of government authorities, immigration offices, embassies, consulates, or other independent third parties. Refunds will not normally be available where such delays or outcomes are outside our reasonable control.

4. Service Levels, Engagement Structure & Refund Approach

French Connections HCB offers three distinct service levels — Standard, Premium, and Elite — each designed to provide differing levels of support, responsiveness, access, and personalisation.

As the level of service increases, so too does the allocation of Team resources, operational planning, specialist coordination, and priority support infrastructure. For this reason, refund assessments are made not only on the basis of time elapsed, but also on the level of engagement selected, work completed, resources allocated, and third-party costs incurred.

Refunds will be processed in the original invoiced currency where reasonably possible, and French Connections HCB shall not be responsible for exchange-rate fluctuations occurring between payment and refund dates.

Our objective is always to act reasonably, fairly, and in good faith while recognising that many operational costs are committed shortly after a client engagement begins.

Standard Service Package

(Structured, self-directed support model)

The Standard package is designed for Clients who are comfortable with a more independent and self-managed relocation experience, supported by digital resources, guidance materials, and structured email-based assistance.

Due to the lower-touch and fast-activation nature of this service model:

  • refunds are generally limited once onboarding and orientation materials have been issued.
  • and no refunds will normally be available once substantive service delivery has been delivered.

This package is designed for Clients seeking a more independent and cost-conscious support structure.

Premium Service Package

(Interactive support experience)

The Premium package includes increased access to Team support, coordination assistance, additional communication touchpoints, and enhanced operational involvement.

Where cancellation occurs before substantial delivery has commenced, French Connections HCB may consider partial refunds on a discretionary basis after taking into account:

  • work completed,
  • Team and specialist time allocated,
  • onboarding and planning activities,
  • operational commitments,
  • and any third-party expenses already incurred.

Elite Service Package

(Highly personalised and priority support model)

The Elite package is a high-touch, priority engagement model involving dedicated support access, increased Team availability, enhanced communication responsiveness, and deeper operational coordination.

Given the intensive resource allocation and priority scheduling involved in Elite engagements:

  • a significant portion of service costs are typically committed shortly after onboarding.
  • and refunds will therefore be limited once service delivery has materially commenced.

Where appropriate, French Connections HCB may instead seek to resolve concerns through enhanced service recovery measures, additional support, or senior management review.

NOTES: One OFII appointment rescheduling request is included at no additional charge. Any subsequent rescheduling requests may be subject to an administration fee, which will be advised at the time of the request.

  • Professional renovation quotation fees are non-refundable once the quotation has been delivered. Where the Client subsequently instructs the proposed works through French Connections HCB, the quotation fee will be credited in full against the final project.

5. Cancellation Thresholds & Refund Eligibility

To maintain clarity and fairness, the following general refund principles apply across all service levels unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Before Approximately 25% Completion

If a Client chooses to cancel services before approximately 25% of the agreed engagement has been completed, French Connections HCB may, at its discretion, refund a portion of unused service fees after deducting:

  • administrative costs,
  • onboarding expenses,
  • third-party commitments,
  • banking and foreign exchange fees,
  • and professional time already incurred.

Between Approximately 25%–75% Completion

Where meaningful service delivery, planning, coordination, or advisory work has already commenced, partial refunds may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Assessments will include:

  • the stage of completion,
  • operational resources committed,
  • specialist and Team involvement,
  • third-party supplier costs,
  • and services already delivered or substantially underway.

After Approximately 75% Completion

Once services have reached approximately 75% completion, refunds will generally no longer be available, as the majority of operational work, advisory support, coordination activities, and external commitments will have already been incurred or delivered.

French Connections HCB cannot guarantee:

  • government processing times,
  • visa approvals,
  • tax rulings,
  • banking approvals,
  • property availability,
  • or third-party response times.

Refunds will not normally be issued for delays caused by:

  • immigration authorities,
  • embassies,
  • legal or tax agencies,
  • utility providers,
  • strikes,
  • geopolitical events,
  • or force majeure events outside reasonable operational control.

NOTES: If a visa or residency application is refused despite the Client having fully complied with all documented requirements and instructions, French Connections HCB will, at its discretion, either resubmit the application at no additional professional service fee or refund the applicable service fee less any non-refundable costs already incurred.

  • For session-based services or engagements involving multiple individuals, each session or individual case will be assessed independently when considering any refund request, based on the services delivered at the time of the request.
  • In the event of a force majeure event—including, but not limited to, acts of government, natural disasters, strikes, public health emergencies, geopolitical events, or any other circumstance beyond the reasonable control of either party—we will make every reasonable effort to suspend, reschedule, or continue the affected services where practicable. If this is not possible, any refund will be assessed in accordance with this Policy after deducting any non-refundable costs already incurred or committed on the Client’s behalf.

6. Written Refund Requests & Time Limits

All cancellation and refund requests must:

  • be submitted in writing by the Client;
  • clearly outline the reason for the request.
  • identify the services in question.
  • and include any supporting information relevant to the review.

To ensure operational clarity and timely review, refund requests must be submitted within a maximum period of six (6) months from the original service commencement date.

Requests submitted beyond this timeframe will not normally be considered.

French Connections HCB will review all written requests in good faith and respond within a reasonable commercial timeframe.

Where service expectations are not met, French Connections HCB will seek to resolve concerns through:

  • escalation review,
  • additional support,
  • reassignment of a Team member where appropriate,
  • corrective action plans,
  • or goodwill accommodations where reasonable.

The objective is always resolution first, refund second.

7. Service Recovery Commitment

French Connections HCB is committed to maintaining a professional, supportive, and solutions-oriented Client experience.

Where service expectations are not met, French Connections HCB will seek, where reasonably appropriate, to resolve concerns through:

  • escalation review,
  • additional support,
  • reassignment of a Team member where appropriate,
  • corrective action plans,
  • or goodwill accommodations where commercially reasonable.

The objective is always to seek practical resolution and constructive support before refund discussions arise.

8. Client Responsibilities

Clients are expected to:

  • provide accurate and timely information.
  • respond to requests within reasonable timelines.
  • supply required documentation.
  • and communicate respectfully with all Team members and partners.

Refund requests may be denied where delays or disruptions result from incomplete, inaccurate, or withheld information.

NOTE: If a Client is unresponsive for more than thirty (30) consecutive days or fails to provide information or documentation reasonably required to progress the engagement, French Connections HCB reserves the right to pause, close, or re-scope the engagement. Any refund will be assessed in accordance with this Policy.

9. Refund Review Process

All refund requests must:

  • be submitted in writing.
  • clearly outline the concern.
  • include supporting documentation where relevant.

French Connections HCB will review requests within fourteen (14) business days and share an update on the claim.

Any approved refund will normally be processed within ninety (90) business days, subject to UK consumer laws, banking systems, and international transfer timing.

10. Good Faith & Fairness

French Connections HCB values long-term relationships and reputation.

This policy is intended to balance:

  • fairness to Clients,
  • operational realities,
  • third-party costs,
  • and the professional time and expertise invested by the Team.

11. Policy Updates

French Connections HCB reserves the right to update this policy periodically to reflect operational, legal, or regulatory changes.