STAGE ZERO - Refund Policy

This Refund Policy explains how refunds may be handled on STAGE ZERO. It applies to supporter contributions, crowdfunding payments, platform fees, platform subscriptions, optional tips, and other payments made through the Platform.

STAGE ZERO supports non-investment crowdfunding for approved creative Projects. Supporter contributions are intended to help Project Posters fund production-related costs for small independent film, television, or media Projects.

A “Project” means a film, television, or media idea, concept, pitch, or proposal posted by a user on STAGE ZERO to seek help bringing that concept closer to production.

A Project may be posted to seek financial support through non-investment crowdfunding, collaboration from other users, crew members, production help, feedback, audience interest, or a combination of these.

A Project is not a published film, completed media work, streaming upload, distribution listing, content sale, pay-per-view product, or monetised media item. Projects are used for project development, collaboration, audience support, and crowdfunding information only.

Users may not use Projects to publish, distribute, sell, license, stream, broadcast, monetise, or commercially exploit their own completed media content or third-party media content through STAGE ZERO.

Crowdfunding on STAGE ZERO is non-investment based. Supporters do not receive equity, repayment rights, profit share, revenue share, royalties, securities, or any other financial return.

Supporters may receive updates, recognition, project forum access, or creator-defined non-financial perks where offered by the Project Poster.

Creative Projects involve uncertainty. A supporter contribution does not guarantee that a Project will be completed, released, delivered by a specific date, or meet a Supporter’s expectations.

Project Posters are responsible for describing their Projects accurately, using funds in line with the stated Project purpose, and providing reasonable updates to Supporters where appropriate.

Refund eligibility may depend on the Project terms, the stage of the Project, whether funds have already been paid out or committed to production costs, payment-provider rules, and applicable consumer law.

STAGE ZERO may review refund requests where there is evidence of:

• Duplicate payment.
• Unauthorised payment.
• Technical payment error.
• Suspected fraud.
• Materially misleading Project information.
• A user’s failure to comply with STAGE ZERO’s Terms of Service, Acceptable Use Policy, or Project rules.
• A payment-provider requirement, chargeback process, or legal obligation.

Refunds may not be available in all circumstances, including where:

• Funds have already been paid out to the Project Poster and committed to production-related costs.
• The Project is delayed but the Project Poster is still actively working on it.
• The Supporter changes their mind after making a contribution.
• The Supporter is dissatisfied with creative choices, Project direction, or final Project quality.
• The relevant Project terms stated that contributions were non-refundable, subject to applicable law.

Platform subscriptions, visibility features, promotional tools, Project boosts, and other platform services may be subject to separate pricing and billing terms shown before purchase.

Platform subscriptions are paid by users to STAGE ZERO for platform features. They are not subscriptions paid by one user to another user.

Subscription fees, platform fees, and optional tips or service contributions to STAGE ZERO may be non-refundable unless required by law, payment-provider rules, or specific terms shown at the time of payment.

Payments on STAGE ZERO are processed by approved third-party payment providers, including Stripe where available and approved.

Payment disputes, chargebacks, unauthorised payment claims, and payment reversals may be handled by the applicable payment provider according to its rules and processes. STAGE ZERO may share relevant transaction, Project, and account information with payment providers where required to investigate or respond to disputes.

STAGE ZERO may delay, pause, or cancel payouts where required to investigate suspected fraud, misleading Project information, chargeback risk, disputes, policy violations, legal concerns, or payment-provider requirements.

Payouts may also be subject to identity verification, Project review, fraud monitoring, payment-provider checks, refund obligations, and any reserve or delay required by the payment provider.

To request a refund review, please contact us with the relevant payment and Project details.

Email: hello@stagezerocreative.com

Please include your name, account email, Project name, payment date, payment amount, and a short explanation of the issue.

We may update this Refund Policy from time to time. The version in effect at the time of payment may apply to that payment, subject to applicable law and payment-provider rules.