Refund Policy

ATOM CONSULTING, LLC ("ATOM CONSULTING," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to delivering high-quality consulting, software development, and technical services to our clients. This Refund Policy outlines the terms and conditions under which refunds may be requested, reviewed, and processed.

Due to the professional nature of consulting and technology services, which involve the allocation of specialized human resources, expertise, and time, our refund policy differs from those applicable to physical goods or standard consumer products. Once professional services have been rendered, the time and expertise invested cannot be recovered.

This policy applies to all services provided by ATOM CONSULTING, including IT consulting, custom software development, technical staffing, engineering consulting, cloud infrastructure services, and business process optimization engagements.

By engaging ATOM CONSULTING's services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Refund Policy. This policy is incorporated by reference into our Terms and Conditions.

**Hourly Consulting Engagements:** Consulting hours that have been delivered and documented are generally non-refundable. Once a consultant has performed work on your behalf — including research, analysis, strategy development, advisory sessions, or any other professional service — those hours are considered rendered and payment is due in full.

**Retainer-Based Consulting:** For clients on monthly retainer arrangements, unused hours within a billing period do not carry over to subsequent periods and are non-refundable, unless otherwise specified in the engagement agreement.

**Pre-Paid Consulting Blocks:** If you have pre-paid for a block of consulting hours and wish to cancel before all hours are consumed, a refund may be considered for unused hours, less any applicable administrative fees, provided that cancellation is requested in writing with at least fourteen (14) days' notice.

**Assessment and Discovery Fees:** Fees paid for initial assessments, discovery sessions, technical audits, and feasibility studies are non-refundable once the assessment has been conducted and a report or findings have been delivered.

**Project Deposits:** Software development projects typically require a deposit payment before work commences. Deposits serve to secure ATOM CONSULTING's resources, schedule development team availability, and initiate project planning activities.

**Non-Refundability of Deposits:** Deposits are generally non-refundable once project planning has commenced, as they compensate ATOM CONSULTING for resource allocation, preliminary planning, and opportunity costs associated with committing development resources to your project.

**Partial Refund Consideration:** In limited circumstances, a partial refund of a deposit may be considered if: • The project is cancelled before any development work has commenced • Cancellation is requested within seventy-two (72) hours of deposit payment • ATOM CONSULTING has not yet allocated specific resources to the project

Any partial refund of a deposit will be subject to an administrative fee of up to 20% of the deposit amount to cover processing and planning costs already incurred.

The following services and fees are non-refundable under all circumstances:

• **Delivered Consulting Hours:** Any consulting time that has been performed and documented • **Completed Development Milestones:** Software development work that has been completed and delivered • **Discovery and Assessment Services:** Technical assessments, audits, and feasibility studies once delivered • **Rush or Expedited Services:** Any premium fees paid for expedited delivery • **Third-Party Costs:** Fees paid to third-party vendors, platforms, or services on the Client's behalf • **Licensing Fees:** Software licenses or subscriptions procured on the Client's behalf • **Travel and Expenses:** Reimbursable expenses incurred in connection with an engagement • **Training Services:** Training sessions that have been conducted • **Completed Staffing Placements:** Fees for technical staffing placements where the candidate has commenced work

These services represent work already performed or costs already incurred that cannot be reversed or recovered by ATOM CONSULTING.

A refund request may be considered for review under the following circumstances:

**Service Not Delivered:** If ATOM CONSULTING fails to deliver contracted services within an agreed timeframe and the delay is solely attributable to ATOM CONSULTING (not Client delays, scope changes, or force majeure events), the Client may request a refund for undelivered work.

**Material Breach:** If ATOM CONSULTING materially breaches the terms of an engagement agreement and fails to cure such breach within a reasonable period after written notice, the Client may be eligible for a partial refund for work not yet performed.

**Duplicate Payments:** If a Client makes a duplicate payment due to a billing error, the duplicate payment will be refunded in full.

**Billing Errors:** If an invoice contains a demonstrable billing error (e.g., incorrect hours billed, incorrect rate applied), the overcharged amount will be credited or refunded.

All refund requests must be submitted in writing to services@consultingatom.com and must include a detailed explanation of the basis for the refund request.

**Client-Initiated Cancellation:** If a Client cancels a project after work has commenced, the Client is responsible for payment of all work completed up to the date of cancellation, plus any non-cancellable third-party costs incurred on the Client's behalf.

**Cancellation Notice:** Clients must provide written cancellation notice to ATOM CONSULTING. The effective date of cancellation is the date written notice is received.

**Work in Progress:** Upon cancellation, ATOM CONSULTING will prepare a final accounting of work completed and costs incurred. The Client will be invoiced for all work completed and costs incurred through the cancellation date.

**Deliverables Upon Cancellation:** Upon receipt of final payment, ATOM CONSULTING will deliver all completed work product to the Client. Work product that is incomplete at the time of cancellation will be delivered in its current state, without warranty.

**Cancellation Fees:** Depending on the stage of the project and the terms of the engagement agreement, a cancellation fee may apply to compensate ATOM CONSULTING for resource reallocation costs and lost opportunity.

Many software development and consulting engagements are structured around milestones, with payments due upon completion of each milestone.

**Milestone Acceptance:** Upon delivery of a milestone, the Client has an agreed acceptance period (typically five to ten business days) to review the deliverable and provide written acceptance or a list of defects requiring correction.

**Milestone Payment Obligation:** Once a milestone is accepted (or deemed accepted due to failure to provide timely feedback), the corresponding milestone payment becomes due and non-refundable.

**Milestone Disputes:** If a Client disputes that a milestone has been satisfactorily completed, the Client must provide written notice specifying the deficiencies within the acceptance period. ATOM CONSULTING will review the dispute and work to resolve any legitimate deficiencies.

**Partial Milestone Completion:** If a project is cancelled mid-milestone, the Client will be invoiced for the proportional value of work completed within that milestone, based on ATOM CONSULTING's reasonable assessment of completion percentage.

**Monthly Retainer Arrangements:** Clients on monthly retainer arrangements are billed at the beginning of each billing period. Retainer fees are non-refundable once the billing period has commenced.

**Retainer Cancellation:** Clients may cancel a retainer arrangement by providing written notice at least thirty (30) days before the next billing date. Cancellation will take effect at the end of the current billing period.

**Unused Retainer Hours:** Unused retainer hours within a billing period do not carry over to subsequent periods and are not eligible for refund, as the retainer fee compensates ATOM CONSULTING for resource availability and scheduling, not just hours consumed.

**Retainer Modifications:** Requests to modify retainer scope or hours must be submitted in writing at least fifteen (15) days before the next billing date. Modifications are subject to resource availability.

**Placement Fees:** Fees for technical staffing placements are earned upon the commencement of the placed candidate's work. Once a candidate has commenced work, placement fees are non-refundable.

**Replacement Guarantee:** If a placed candidate voluntarily terminates their engagement within thirty (30) days of commencement, ATOM CONSULTING will make reasonable efforts to identify a replacement candidate at no additional placement fee, subject to the terms of the staffing agreement.

**Contract Staffing:** For contract staffing arrangements, billing is based on hours worked and is non-refundable. Clients may terminate contract staffing arrangements in accordance with the notice provisions in the staffing agreement.

**Background Check and Onboarding Fees:** Administrative fees associated with background checks, onboarding, and compliance activities are non-refundable once incurred.

ATOM CONSULTING takes chargebacks seriously and will vigorously contest any chargeback that is not supported by legitimate grounds under this Refund Policy.

**Before Initiating a Chargeback:** We strongly encourage Clients to contact us directly at services@consultingatom.com before initiating a chargeback with their financial institution. Most billing disputes can be resolved more quickly and efficiently through direct communication.

**Consequences of Unwarranted Chargebacks:** If a Client initiates a chargeback that is subsequently determined to be unwarranted, the Client will be responsible for all fees and costs associated with contesting the chargeback, including any chargeback fees imposed by the payment processor. ATOM CONSULTING reserves the right to suspend or terminate services to Clients who initiate unwarranted chargebacks.

**Documentation:** ATOM CONSULTING maintains detailed records of all services rendered, communications, and deliverables, which will be provided to payment processors in response to chargeback disputes.

ATOM CONSULTING is committed to resolving billing disputes and refund requests fairly and promptly. Our resolution process is as follows:

**Step 1 — Submit a Written Request:** Submit your refund request or billing dispute in writing to services@consultingatom.com. Include your name, company name, engagement details, the amount in dispute, and a detailed explanation of the basis for your request.

**Step 2 — Acknowledgment:** We will acknowledge receipt of your request within two (2) business days.

**Step 3 — Review:** Our team will review your request, gather relevant documentation, and assess the merits of the claim. This review typically takes five to ten (5-10) business days.

**Step 4 — Response:** We will provide a written response to your request, either approving the refund, proposing a partial refund or credit, or explaining why the request does not qualify under this policy.

**Step 5 — Escalation:** If you are not satisfied with our response, you may escalate the matter in accordance with the dispute resolution provisions in our Terms and Conditions.

If you believe that services delivered by ATOM CONSULTING do not meet the standards or specifications agreed upon in your engagement agreement, please follow this process:

**Immediate Notification:** Notify ATOM CONSULTING in writing as soon as you identify a service quality issue. Prompt notification allows us to address issues before they escalate.

**Detailed Documentation:** Provide a detailed written description of the issue, including specific examples of how the deliverable fails to meet agreed specifications. Vague or general dissatisfaction without specific reference to agreed specifications does not constitute a valid service dispute.

**Cure Period:** Upon receipt of a valid service dispute notice, ATOM CONSULTING will have a reasonable cure period (typically ten to fifteen business days) to address the identified deficiencies.

**Good Faith Resolution:** Both parties agree to work in good faith to resolve service disputes. ATOM CONSULTING's obligation is to deliver services that meet the specifications agreed upon in the engagement agreement, not to guarantee subjective satisfaction.

Approved refunds will be processed within the following timeframes:

**Credit Card Refunds:** Refunds to credit cards will be processed within five to seven (5-7) business days of approval. The time for the refund to appear on your statement depends on your card issuer and may take an additional three to five (3-5) business days.

**ACH/Bank Transfer Refunds:** Refunds via ACH or bank transfer will be processed within seven to ten (7-10) business days of approval.

**Check Refunds:** If a refund is issued by check, please allow ten to fifteen (10-15) business days for processing and mailing.

**Account Credits:** In some cases, ATOM CONSULTING may offer an account credit in lieu of a cash refund. Account credits will be applied to future invoices and do not expire for twelve (12) months from the date of issuance.

All refunds will be issued in U.S. dollars and in the same form as the original payment, unless otherwise agreed.

ATOM CONSULTING recognizes that exceptional circumstances may arise that are not fully addressed by this standard Refund Policy. In such cases, refund requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis at the sole discretion of ATOM CONSULTING management.Factors that may be considered in exceptional circumstances include:• The nature and severity of the circumstances giving rise to the request• The Client's history and relationship with ATOM CONSULTING • The extent to which ATOM CONSULTING contributed to the circumstances • The financial impact on both parties • Applicable legal requirements

Any exception granted by ATOM CONSULTING does not constitute a waiver of this policy or an obligation to grant similar exceptions in the future.

In the event that ATOM CONSULTING is unable to deliver contracted services due to circumstances beyond its reasonable control (including but not limited to natural disasters, pandemics, government actions, or major infrastructure failures), ATOM CONSULTING will work with affected Clients to reschedule services or provide alternative arrangements.

In such circumstances, refunds will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, taking into account costs already incurred, work already performed, and the nature of the force majeure event. ATOM CONSULTING will act in good faith to reach a fair resolution with affected Clients.

ATOM CONSULTING reserves the right to modify this Refund Policy at any time. Changes will be effective upon posting to our website. The Refund Policy in effect at the time of your engagement will govern refund requests related to that engagement.

We encourage you to review this Refund Policy periodically. For active engagements, the Refund Policy in effect at the time the engagement agreement was executed will apply, unless the parties agree in writing to apply a revised policy.

Material changes to this Refund Policy will be communicated to active clients via email.

For refund requests, billing disputes, or questions about this Refund Policy, please contact us:

ATOM CONSULTING, LLC 1340 Hiram Davis Rd Lawrenceville, GA 30045 United States

Email: services@consultingatom.com Phone: 470-934-0489

Business Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Eastern Time

Please include "Refund Request" or "Billing Dispute" in the subject line of your email to ensure prompt routing to the appropriate team member.