Returns & Refunds Policy
Sweet Little Crumb / This Formulating Life
The Short Version
We’re a service-based cosmetic formulation consultancy. We don’t sell physical products off a shelf (yet), so our refund policy works a bit differently to what you might be used to from retail. Most of what we provide falls into one of three categories: professional services (formulation development, consulting, reviews, regulatory support), digital products (stock formulations available for immediate download), and education services (tutoring, workshops, Q&A, educational material development).
Each of these has slightly different refund and cancellation terms (because they’re fundamentally different types of work), but the underlying principle is the same across all of them: if we don’t deliver what we promised, we’ll make it right. That’s not just good business practice, it’s the law (and also just the decent thing to do).
Professional Services
Custom formulation development, reverse engineering, formulation review, reformulation, regulatory services, stability testing coordination, project management, general consultancy, and troubleshooting.
How Cancellations Work
Before we’ve started work: If you need to cancel after submitting your request but before we’ve commenced work, a cancellation fee of 25% of the service fee applies. This covers the administrative time involved in setting up your project (NDA processing, file creation, scheduling, and the time we’ve reserved in our calendar for your work).
After work has commenced: Cancellations after work has started are not eligible for a refund. If we’ve already begun formulating, researching, reviewing, or otherwise working on your project, those hours and that expertise have been invested and can’t be un-spent. Partial deliverables may be provided at our discretion.
If we terminate: Either party can terminate with written notice. If we need to terminate (which is rare and usually only happens if we’ve been provided with false or misleading information), fees for work already completed are non-refundable.
When You Are Entitled to a Remedy
Under the ACL, our services must be provided with due care and skill, be reasonably fit for the purpose you made known to us, and be delivered within a reasonable time (or within the timeframe we agreed upon). If we fail to meet any of these consumer guarantees, you are entitled to a remedy.
For a major failure (where the service has a serious problem, can’t be used for its normal purpose, or doesn’t achieve the result you told us about and it can’t be easily fixed within a reasonable time), you can choose to cancel the contract and receive a refund for the unused portion of the service, or you can seek compensation for the drop in value.
For a minor failure (where the problem can be fixed), we will re-perform the relevant part of the service at no additional cost to you within a reasonable timeframe.
What Doesn’t Qualify for a Refund
Change of mind. If we’ve delivered the service as described and to the agreed scope, but you’ve simply decided you no longer need it (or you want to go in a different direction), that’s not something we can refund. We understand plans change (it happens all the time in product development), but the work has been done.
Formulation performance after your own manufacturing. Our deliverables are theoretical formulations and professional documentation. How a formulation performs once you (or your contract manufacturer) make it depends on ingredient sourcing, equipment, operator skill, environmental conditions, and a dozen other variables outside our control. We’re responsible for the quality of the formulation science. We’re not responsible for what happens at the bench once it leaves our hands (though we’re always happy to help troubleshoot, that’s a separate service).
Stock Formulations
Pre-developed, ready-made formulations available for immediate digital download. Sold as-is, without customisation. DIY Range purchases are for personal use only. Brand Licensing provides commercial usage rights.
The Digital Product Reality
Because stock formulations are delivered as digital files with immediate access upon purchase, no change-of-mind refunds are available after digital delivery. Once you’ve received the digital file, you’ve received the product. This is consistent with how digital products work across all industries (you can’t un-read a formulation document, just like you can’t un-watch a movie you’ve downloaded).
When You Are Entitled to a Remedy
Digital products are still covered by consumer guarantees under the ACL. If a stock formulation doesn’t match the description provided in the product listing, if the file is corrupted or can’t be accessed, or if the formulation documentation is incomplete or missing components that were advertised, you’re entitled to a remedy.
In practice, this usually means we’ll re-supply the correct or complete file. If the problem is a major failure (for example, the formulation is fundamentally not what was described), you can request a full refund.
What Doesn’t Qualify
Dissatisfaction with formulation performance after you’ve made the product yourself. Stock formulations are sold with clear disclaimers that performance may vary based on ingredient sourcing, manufacturing methods, equipment, and operator competence. We can’t guarantee your results will match our laboratory preparations (though we do provide thorough documentation to give you the best possible chance).
Purchasing the wrong formulation type or licensing tier. If you bought a DIY Range formulation when you needed Brand Licensing (or vice versa), that’s a purchasing decision, not a product fault. Again, please check the listing carefully or contact us before purchasing.
Education Services
Tutoring (individual and group sessions), educational material development, workshops (in-person and online), the Meet the Formulators webinar series, education-focused consultancy, and the Q&A Service (Ask the Formulator).
Tutoring and Consultancy Sessions
You can cancel or reschedule a tutoring or consultancy session with 24 hours’ notice or more at no charge. Less than 24 hours’ notice may incur a 50% fee. Less than 4 hours’ notice (or a no-show) incurs the full fee. This is because that time slot was reserved for you, and late cancellations mean we can’t offer it to another client.
We reserve the right to cancel or reschedule sessions due to unforeseen circumstances (illness, family emergencies, the occasional Queensland weather event that takes out the internet) with as much notice as reasonably possible. If we cancel, you will not be charged.
Q&A Service
The Q&A Service is non-refundable once a question has been submitted. Once you’ve submitted your question, we’ve committed time and expertise to providing your answer. If we fail to respond within the stated timeframe (48–72 hours depending on complexity), or if our response doesn’t address the question you actually asked, contact us and we’ll make it right.
Workshops
Workshop cancellations by us due to circumstances beyond our control (including but not limited to health restrictions, travel limitations, or venue unavailability) will be rescheduled where possible. If rescheduling isn’t feasible, a full refund will be provided.
If you need to cancel your workshop registration, our ability to offer a refund will depend on how close to the workshop date you cancel and whether materials have already been prepared or dispatched. Contact us as early as possible.
What Doesn’t Qualify
Education services cannot guarantee learning outcomes, skill acquisition, or examination performance (we wish we could, but we’re teachers, not magicians). If you’ve received the education service as described and participated in the session, dissatisfaction with your own learning progress is not grounds for a refund. However, if the session itself was not delivered with due care and skill, the ACL consumer guarantees apply.
How to Request a Refund or Remedy
Contact us directly. We’re actual people (well, one person, mostly), and we’d much rather work through any issues with you directly than have things escalate. Here’s what to do:
Refund Method
Refunds will be processed using the same payment method you used for the original transaction (so if you paid via PayPal, the refund goes back to PayPal). Processing times depend on your payment provider but we aim to action all refunds within 10 business days of agreeing on a resolution.
Transaction Fee Note
If We Can’t Resolve It Between Us
We genuinely hope it never gets to this point (and in almost 20 years of formulating, good faith communication has resolved every issue we’ve encountered). But if we can’t agree on a resolution, here’s what happens next:
Good faith negotiation first. We’ll always try to work it out directly. Both parties should approach the conversation honestly and with a genuine willingness to find a fair outcome.
Mediation. If direct negotiation doesn’t resolve things, either party can suggest mediation. This is a less formal (and less expensive) process than going to court, and often helps both parties find a workable solution.
External dispute resolution. You can also contact the Office of Fair Trading Queensland (part of the Queensland Government’s Department of Justice and Attorney-General) for assistance with consumer disputes.
Legal proceedings. As a last resort, legal proceedings shall be conducted in Queensland, Australia. This policy is governed by the laws of Queensland and the Commonwealth of Australia.
Things We Want to Be Really Clear About
We know refund policies can feel like legal jargon designed to confuse people into not asking for their money back. That’s not what this is. Here’s our honest position:
We stand behind our work. If we’ve made an error, delivered something that doesn’t match what was agreed, or otherwise failed to meet the standard you’re entitled to expect from a professional formulation consultancy, we will fix it. Full stop.
We’re not responsible for things outside our control. We provide theoretical formulations, documentation, education, and professional guidance. We cannot control what happens when those formulations are manufactured by you or a third party, how ingredients from your chosen suppliers perform, whether your target market’s regulations change after delivery, or whether the final product meets consumer expectations in ways that go beyond the agreed scope.
We’d rather talk than argue. If something isn’t right, please tell us. We’re a small consultancy run by an actual human who genuinely cares about the quality of work that leaves this workshop. Nine times out of ten, a quick email or conversation resolves things before they become a formal complaint.
“No refunds” doesn’t mean “no rights.” Where this policy states that certain fees are non-refundable (for example, for work already completed or digital products already delivered), this applies to change-of-mind situations and circumstances where the service has been delivered as described. It does not limit your rights under the Australian Consumer Law. If a consumer guarantee has not been met, you are entitled to a remedy regardless of what this policy says.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this policy, or if you need to make a refund request, we’re here.
Email: nskiller@sweetlittlecrumb.net
Website: sweetlittlecrumb.com.au
Policy Updates
We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be available on our website. If we make material changes, we’ll notify existing clients via email. Continued use of our services after policy updates constitutes acceptance of the revised terms (but, again, no update can reduce your rights under the ACL).
This policy was prepared in accordance with Australian consumer law requirements and professional standards for cosmetic formulation consultancy services. It is not legal advice. If you are unsure about your rights, contact the Office of Fair Trading Queensland or seek independent legal advice.
This policy should be read in conjunction with the relevant service-specific Terms and Conditions, our Privacy Policy, and any applicable Non-Disclosure Agreement.
