Sales, Exemptions and Refunds Policy

UCA management and personnel shall aim to ensure that the Sales, Exemptions and Refunds Policy.

The policy applies guiding principles for sales, exemptions and refunds.

1. sales linked with marketing, customer recruitment, pre-trading, pricing, customer acceptance, tax invoices, and payment.

(i)    Prior to trading, UCA shall conduct a trading check for agreements valued at $25,000 or more that involves: (i) completion of the Customer and Supplier Trading Form; (ii) contact with three (3) referees; (iii) informed decision making about the trading arrangement, and (iv) formal notification to the customer of the trade check decision.

(ii)   Pricing which reflects the costing model, fees (price lists), proposal, and/or Customer Agreement. Products may include consumables, documents, equipment, stationery, etcetera. Services may include professional, technical and support activities.

(a)   Customer Agreement where a written agreement between UCA and the student (or parent or legal guardian for customers under 18) –

i)      has a statement:

a)    about ‘provider default’ where UCA fails to provide a product/service. In the case of ‘provider default’, UCA shall :

  • offer an alternative UCA product/service to the original one at no extra cost to the customer.

OR

  • pay a full refund of the fees paid (including product/service money collected by agents on behalf of UCA) within two weeks (10 working days) of the decision by the authority responsible for decision making.

OR

  • reach mutual agreement of a decision with the customer.

b)    About ‘customer default’ where the product/service commences on the agreed starting day, but the customer changes their mind about the purchase of the product/service on that day (and has not previously notified UCA); or (ii) the customer changes their mind about the purchase of the product/service (either before or after the agreed starting day); or (iii) UCA refuses to provide, or continue providing, the product/service to the customer because of one or more of the following events:

  • failure to pay an amount the customer was liable to pay UCA, directly or indirectly in order to undertake the course; OR
  • the customer breached a condition of the Customer Agreement; OR
  • the customer behaves in an unprofessional manner.

ii)     describes refund conditions with calculation and total refund payment in the same currency paid, unless impractical, within two months to the person who enters into the contract with UCA, unless otherwise notified in writing by that person within two weeks (10 working days) in the case of ‘provider default’, or within four weeks (20 working days) in the case of ‘customer default’ or pay the refund to someone else but not an agent in another country.

iii)    requires the customer to provide a written refund request including relevant original documentation to be submitted to the Managing Director: (i) before the end of the product/service agreed delivery time; and (ii) for product/service credit within four weeks after the Project Start Date. UCA shall provide a letter stating the calculation method for the refund of all fees (non-refundable administration, pro-rata/percentage of product/service fees paid in advance before the ‘default date’ equal to the proportion of product/service delivery, and other product/service-related items).

(iii)  Customer acceptance of product and/or service provision shall occur by: (i) a verbal (face-to-face or telephone) or written (email message) confirmation for products or services up to $24,999 or (ii) a written agreement for products and/or services from $25,000.

(iv)  Tax invoices shall :

(a)   be issued by the supplier, unless it is an Recipient Created Tax Invoice (RCTI) (in which case it is issued by the recipient);

(b)   contain enough information to enable the following to be clearly identified ; and

(c)   contain recipient’s identity or ABN, where the total price of the sale is at least $1,000 or if the document was issued by the recipient (Taxation Administration Act, 1953, GST Ruling 2000/10 accessed 2013 March, 5 from http://www.ato.gov.au/businesses/content.aspx?doc=/Content/00104657.htm).

(v)   Payment shall be in Australian currency (cash, cheque, credit card or electronic funds transfer) within seven (7) days of the Tax Invoice Issue Date. Failure to pay fees may result in one or more of the following actions:

(a)   Late payment interest charge of 2% per month compounded to 24% per year on the overdue amount from the date the amount is due to the date it is paid in full. A minimum charge of AU$20.00 applies.

(b)   After close of business on the fourteenth (10 working) days, outstanding fees, expenses and interest shall be a debt due and payable by the Customer and if UCA engages debt recovery services, the fees, interest and recovery expenses shall be payable by the Customer on demand.

2.    Processing of exemptions for customers experiencing financial hardship. These exemptions shall be handled and subject to approval by the Managing Director. In some exceptional circumstances, UCA may apply pre-project exemptions (government funding agreement, discounts, fee exemption). Each customer shall have an individual account with all payments.

3.    Refunds describe the methods to protect the financial interests of customers for fees paid in advance and refund conditions. Refund information must be shared with each prospective customer at a reasonable time before an agreement/contract is entered into or an amount is paid for a product/service, whichever happens first.

(i)    All refunds are subject to approval by the Managing Director. Approved refunds shall be processed via the same method and in Australian currency.

(ii)   Refund Circumstances

(a)   Non-Refundable Fees

i)      Administration of AU$1,000 for each customer.

(b)   UCA SHALL GRANT a refund, in the case of:

i)      ‘provider default’, where UCA cancels a project, the customer shall receive a full refund of money received before the ‘default day’ payable within two weeks (10 working days) of ‘default day’.

ii)     ‘customer default’, where the customer cancels a project

a)    by 5:00pm one (1) week before the Project Start Date the customer shall receive a prorated refund less the Administration Fee, payable within four weeks (20 working days) of ‘default day’ with a written notice (refund request) to the Managing Director, UCA PO Box 1333, Robina QLD 4226 Australia.

iii)    credit balances created by overpayment, only if the customer has no other debts owing to UCA. UCA shall notify the customer in writing of a significant overpayment balance greater than $100 at the end of each month.

(c) UCA shall NOT GRANT a refund, in the case of:

i)      ‘customer default’, evidenced by written notice of the project cancellation

a)    not starting on the Project Start Date,

b)    abandonment after the Project Start Date.

This policy commitment for management, personnel (employed personnel & sub-contracted suppliers), customers, interested parties (visitors) and third parties (accredited conformity and government assessment body representatives) is essential.

Managing Director, 31 December 2017