Legal & Transparency

Refund & Cancellation Policy

Pune Culture is committed to transparent, fair, and legally compliant billing practices. This Refund & Cancellation Policy governs all paid services and is compliant with the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and the IT Act, 2000.

Last updated: July 2025

Jurisdiction: Pune, Maharashtra, India

1. Scope & Applicability

This Refund & Cancellation Policy ("Policy") applies exclusively to paid services offered by Pune Culture (puneculture.com), operated by Tittli Events and Digital Services, a sole proprietorship based in Maharashtra, India. This Policy is binding upon all business entities, proprietorships, and individuals who purchase any paid service from Pune Culture.

Paid services currently offered by Pune Culture include:

Partner Listing Subscriptions: Monthly or annual subscription plans for PG owners, hostels, cafes, restobars, pubs, and other establishments to list and promote their business on the Platform.
Premium / Featured Placement: One-time or recurring fees for enhanced visibility, homepage features, or category-topping positions on the Platform.
Advertising & Promotional Campaigns: Paid advertising placements on the Platform, including banner advertisements or sponsored content.
Verified Badge: One-time processing fee for business verification and listing credibility badge.

Note: Pune Culture is a paid membership platform. All users are required to subscribe to a plan to access platform features. This Policy governs all membership subscriptions and partner listing services.

2. Membership & Paid Access

Pune Culture operates as a paid membership platform. All users must subscribe to an active membership plan to access platform features. The following applies to all paid members:

Membership plans are available on a monthly or annual billing cycle.
All membership fees are displayed in Indian Rupees (INR) and are inclusive of applicable GST unless otherwise stated.
Members gain access to platform features including browsing listings, community participation, reviews, event listings, and curated guides based on their plan tier.
Membership does not include partner listing or advertising services, which are separately billed.

Note: If someone claiming to be from "Pune Culture" asks you for payment outside the official platform, it is a scam. Report it immediately to [email protected].

3. Paid Services & Subscriptions

3.1 Subscription Plans

Partner listing subscriptions are billed on a monthly or annual cycle as selected at checkout. Annual subscriptions are billed in full upfront. All prices are displayed in Indian Rupees (INR) and are inclusive of applicable GST unless otherwise stated.

3.2 Auto-Renewal

Subscriptions automatically renew at the end of each billing period unless cancelled before the renewal date. You will receive a renewal reminder email 7 days before the renewal date to the email address associated with your account. Failure to receive this reminder (e.g., due to spam filtering) does not exempt you from renewal charges. You are responsible for managing your subscription settings.

3.3 Payment Methods

Payments are processed by authorized third-party payment gateways. Supported methods include UPI, net banking, debit/credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, RuPay), and select digital wallets. Pune Culture does not store or have access to your full card details — all payment data is encrypted and handled directly by the payment gateway.

3.4 GST Invoicing

GST-compliant invoices are automatically generated and emailed to your registered address upon each successful payment. For GST input credit claims, ensure your GSTIN is correctly entered in your billing profile before payment. Invoices cannot be retroactively amended to add GSTIN.

4. Refund Eligibility Criteria

Pune Culture offers refunds only in the following specific circumstances. Refund eligibility is determined by Pune Culture at its sole reasonable discretion, subject to the conditions below:

4.1 Full Refund — Guaranteed

Technical Double Billing: If a system error results in your payment being charged more than once for the same order in the same billing cycle. Evidence of double charge (bank statement or payment gateway transaction IDs) required.
New Subscription Cancellation (within 48 hours): If you cancel a new subscription within 48 hours of the initial purchase AND your listing has not yet been reviewed and activated on the Platform. Applicable to first-time purchases only.
Service Non-Delivery: If Pune Culture fails to deliver the purchased service (e.g., listing never goes live despite full compliance from your end) within 10 business days of payment and you have not received any service benefit.
Unauthorized Transaction: If you can demonstrate that the charge was the result of unauthorized use of your payment credentials and you file a report within 7 days of the transaction.

4.2 Pro-Rata Refund — Case-by-Case

Annual Plan Downgrade/Cancellation: For annual subscriptions cancelled after the 48-hour window but within the first 30 days, a pro-rata refund for the unused months may be issued at Pune Culture's discretion, minus a 15% early cancellation processing fee.
Platform Service Unavailability: If the Platform experiences verified downtime exceeding 72 consecutive hours due to technical failures attributable to Pune Culture (not including force majeure events), a pro-rata credit for the affected period may be issued.

5. Non-Refundable Situations

The following situations are explicitly non-refundable. By purchasing services, you acknowledge and accept these terms:

✗Active listing periods after listing activation on the Platform, regardless of listing performance.

✗Premium / Featured placement fees once the promotional campaign has gone live on the Platform.

✗Partial billing cycles, including unused days within a monthly subscription period.

✗Cancellations made after the 48-hour cooling-off window on new subscriptions.

✗Annual subscriptions cancelled after the first 30-day window.

✗Subscription fees for a renewal period where you failed to cancel before the auto-renewal date and the renewal has already been processed.

✗Verified badge processing fees once the verification process has been initiated.

✗Listing fees for accounts that are suspended or terminated due to violations of our Terms of Service, Content Policy, or Community Guidelines.

✗Purchases where substantial use of the service has been made (e.g., listing has been live and actively generating leads).

✗Advertising campaign fees once the campaign impression delivery has begun.

✗Any amounts paid as processing charges, payment gateway fees, or GST components.

6. Cancellation Procedure

To cancel your subscription and stop auto-renewal:

Option 1 — Self-Service (Preferred)

Log in to your Pune Culture account → Navigate to Dashboard → Billing Settings → Click 'Cancel Subscription'. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. You will retain access until the period expires.

Option 2 — Email Request

If you cannot access your dashboard, email [email protected] with subject line 'Subscription Cancellation Request' from your registered email address. Include your account username and the reason for cancellation. We will process the request within 3 business days and confirm via email.

Important: Cancellation only stops future auto-renewal. It does not trigger a refund for the current billing period. If you intended to cancel before a renewal and missed the deadline, please contact us within 48 hours of the renewal charge — we will review the circumstances.

7. Refund Processing & Timeline

When a refund is approved, the following timelines apply:

Refund Type	Processing Time	Credit To
UPI / Net Banking	3–5 business days	Original bank account
Credit / Debit Card	5–7 business days	Original card
Digital Wallets	3–5 business days	Original wallet balance
Platform Credit	24–48 hours	Account credit balance

All approved refunds are processed through the same payment gateway used for the original transaction. Pune Culture does not process refunds via cash, bank transfer, or alternate payment methods. Timeline is from the date of Pune Culture's refund initiation; additional bank processing time may apply based on your financial institution.

8. Payment Disputes & Chargebacks

Before initiating a payment dispute or chargeback with your bank or card issuer, we strongly request that you contact us first at [email protected]. Most billing issues can be resolved quickly through direct communication.

If you initiate a chargeback without first contacting us:

Your account and listing will be immediately suspended pending resolution of the dispute.
We will submit evidence of the valid transaction to the payment gateway and your bank, including purchase records, service delivery confirmation, and communication history.
If the chargeback is found to be fraudulent or without valid basis, you may be held liable for chargeback fees imposed by the payment gateway (typically ₹500–₹2,500 per chargeback).
Accounts involved in fraudulent chargebacks will be permanently terminated and may be referred to law enforcement authorities.

9. Consumer Rights Under Indian Law

Pune Culture operates in compliance with the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and associated E-Commerce Rules, 2020. Your statutory rights as a consumer under Indian law are not diminished by this Policy. You retain the right to:

Be protected against unfair trade practices and misleading advertisements under Chapter II of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
Seek redressal for deficiency in service at the appropriate Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (District, State, or National), based on the monetary value of your claim.
File a complaint with the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) at 1800-11-4000 or at consumerhelpline.gov.in.
Access the eDaakhil online portal (edaakhil.nic.in) for filing consumer complaints.

Note: This Policy does not override or diminish your rights under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. If you believe Pune Culture has engaged in an unfair trade practice or deficiency in service that this Policy inadequately addresses, you are entitled to seek independent legal redressal.

10. Refund Inquiries & Support

For all billing questions, subscription cancellations, and refund requests, please contact our billing support team:

Pune Culture — Billing Support

Email: [email protected]

Subject: "Billing / Refund Request — [Your Account Email]"

Phone: +91 73859 89950

Response Time: Within 2 business days

When contacting us about a refund, please include: (1) your registered account email address; (2) the transaction/order ID (found in your payment confirmation email); (3) the date and amount of the charge; and (4) the reason for your refund request. Requests without this information will experience delays.

This Refund & Cancellation Policy was last reviewed and updated in July 2025. Pune Culture reserves the right to update this Policy at any time. Material changes will be communicated via email to registered partners.

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