Refunds & cancellations
This policy applies to fee-based consultations and advice engagements with Ashford Lane Financial Advice. It does not cover insurer premiums or investment platform charges paid to third parties.
Eligibility
Refunds relate to our advice fees only. If you cancel before we begin substantive work (fact-find meeting or research), you may be eligible for a full refund of fees already paid for that engagement, less any non-refundable booking deposit stated in your letter of engagement.
Timeframe to request a refund
Please request refunds in writing within fourteen days of the event giving rise to the request (cancellation, material delay caused by us, or delivery of work that does not match the agreed scope).
Full and partial refunds
- Full refund: Cancellation at least five working days before the first fact-find meeting, where no research has started.
- Partial refund: If research or drafting has begun, we refund the unused portion of the fee after deducting time already spent at the rates implied by your engagement letter.
- No refund of completed stages: Once a written plan has been presented and the engagement stage completed, that stage’s fee is non-refundable.
Non-refundable items
Third-party product premiums, medical underwriting fees charged by insurers, and platform or fund charges are outside our control and are not refunded by Ashford Lane. Introductory phone calls that we offer without charge have no fee to refund.
Deposits
Where a booking deposit is required to reserve a meeting slot, the deposit is credited toward the engagement fee. Deposits may be retained if you cancel within two working days of the meeting or fail to attend without notice.
Cancellation and rescheduling
You may reschedule a meeting once without charge if you give at least two working days’ notice. Further reschedules or late changes may incur an administration charge disclosed in advance. We will reschedule at no cost if we must cancel for adviser illness or office closure.
No-shows
If you miss a scheduled fact-find without notice, we may charge for the reserved time or retain the deposit. A new meeting can be booked subject to availability.
Work already started
When you cancel after providing documents and we have begun analysis, fees reflect work completed to that date. You will receive any unfinished notes only where appropriate under regulatory rules; draft recommendations not yet presented remain our working papers.
Refund process and timing
Email hello@programmingenvironments.digital with your name, engagement reference, and reason. Approved refunds are processed within fourteen working days to the original payment method where possible.
Exceptions
Statutory cooling-off rights for certain distance contracts may apply in addition to this policy. Nothing here limits rights you cannot waive under UK consumer law. Investment losses following implemented recommendations are not “refunds” of advice fees; complaints about advice quality follow our formal complaints procedure supplied in disclosure documents.