1. Legal rights

This policy applies to HostWins web hosting, WordPress hosting, email hosting, domains and website design. It does not remove rights under the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) or Electronic Communications and Transactions Act (ECTA) where applicable. A credit does not replace a legally required refund unless you choose it.

2. Cooling-off for online orders

Where ECTA section 44 applies, a consumer may cancel an online service transaction without reason or penalty within seven days after the agreement is concluded. Payments for a qualifying cancellation must be refunded within 30 days. Statutory exceptions apply, including relevant services whose performance started with the consumer’s consent before that period ended.

We assess the actual transaction and consent; being a digital service or activating an account is not by itself a blanket waiver. Any request to start early must be informed. Applicable CPA rights, including rights arising from direct marketing, remain available.

3. Monthly and annual hosting or email

Outside a statutory cooling-off or service-failure remedy, an ordinary monthly cancellation takes effect at the end of the current paid month, with service available until that date. An early stop requested solely for convenience does not generate an automatic refund for days remaining in that month.

For an ordinary prepaid annual cancellation, unused complete months after the effective cancellation date are refunded using the amount actually paid for that hosting or email service divided by its purchased number of months. The current commenced month remains payable. There is no automatic extra penalty month or retrospective removal of an annual discount.

Where law requires a different or larger refund, that requirement prevails. A written offer may provide additional benefits, but no separate 30-day money-back guarantee is created by this policy.

4. Billing errors and inadequate service

We will correct duplicate charges, overpayments and other verified billing errors. If we cannot supply the service you ordered, we will notify you and refund the amount due. If service is deficient, we will investigate and provide an appropriate remedy, including rectification or a reasonable refund for the failure where the CPA requires it.

An uptime-related refund or credit is assessed on the service, outage and applicable guarantee. This does not remove statutory remedies or impose a new fixed compensation cap.

5. Domain transactions

Once an authorised registration, renewal or transfer has been completed, registry charges are generally committed and ordinary change-of-mind refunds are not offered for those completed domain transactions. This remains subject to statutory rights, HostWins errors and any reversal available under the applicable registry rules.

We do not retain registration payment for a domain we cannot supply. Report spelling errors and unwanted renewals immediately. We will check whether the transaction can still be stopped or reversed and explain any lawful charge.

6. Website design and bundles

If a design project is cancelled, the calculation will account for work actually completed and authorised, non-recoverable third-party costs, up to the agreed project price and only as law permits. We will provide an itemised calculation and refund any excess prepaid amount. A deposit is not automatically forfeited.

For a bundle, only item values agreed or disclosed at purchase will be used. No retrospective charge will be invented for an included item. Statutory cooling-off and service-quality remedies take priority over this ordinary cancellation calculation.

7. Request and payment

Email or submit a ticket with your invoice number, affected service and reason. Say whether you also want cancellation and on what date. A recorded request valid under law is accepted even if you cannot use a particular portal feature.

We aim to acknowledge requests within two business days and process approved ordinary refunds within ten business days after verification and agreement of the calculation. A shorter mandatory deadline takes priority; ECTA qualifying cooling-off refunds remain subject to its 30-day deadline. We will explain any investigation delay and keep you updated.

Refunds normally follow the original payment route. An alternative requires proportionate payer verification. We do not automatically deduct gateway fees or issue account credit instead of money. Any legally permitted deduction must have a disclosed basis. We will confirm processing; bank settlement times may vary.

8. Review and disputes

Ask for a review if you disagree with the outcome. You retain access to your bank’s dispute process, the National Consumer Commission, any competent dispute body and the courts. Internal escalation is not a waiver of your rights.

Contact HostWins

Email support@hostwins.co.za, call +27 71 881 4553, or open a support ticket. Include your service or invoice reference. Never send your password or full card details.