Overview

Forensic Times offers annual membership subscriptions — Student ($49/year), Professional ($149/year), and Institutional (custom pricing). Because our memberships provide immediate access to publishing services, funding applications, the members' community, and the Research Excellence Award programme from the moment of purchase, refunds are subject to the conditions set out in this policy.

We stand behind the quality of our platform. If you are not satisfied, we encourage you to contact us and give us the opportunity to resolve your concern before requesting a refund.

14-Day Cooling-Off Period

If you are a consumer purchasing a Forensic Times membership for the first time, you are entitled to a full refund within 14 days of your purchase date, subject to the following conditions:

• Your refund request is received within 14 calendar days of your initial purchase
• You have not submitted any content for publication on the platform during this period
• You have not applied for or received any funding through the grant or sponsorship programme
• You have not claimed or been awarded any portion of the Research Excellence Award

To request a cooling-off refund, email [email protected] within 14 days of purchase with your name, registered email address, and membership order reference. We will process eligible refunds within 10 business days.

Refunds After 14 Days

After the 14-day cooling-off period, membership fees are generally non-refundable. However, we will consider refund requests on a case-by-case basis in the following exceptional circumstances:

• Serious technical failure: Where a significant platform error or outage prevented you from accessing your membership benefits for an extended and documented period, and we were unable to resolve the issue within a reasonable time
• Duplicate payment: Where you were charged more than once for the same membership period due to a billing system error
• Unauthorised transaction: Where you can demonstrate that your account was accessed and a membership was purchased without your knowledge or consent, and you have notified us promptly
• Exceptional personal circumstances: We understand life is unpredictable. Requests based on serious illness, bereavement, or other significant hardship will be reviewed with care and compassion at our discretion

Refunds approved after 14 days may be full or pro-rata depending on the circumstances and the portion of the membership term remaining. We reserve the right to decline requests that do not meet these criteria.

Non-Refundable Situations

Refunds will not be issued in the following situations:

• You changed your mind after the 14-day cooling-off period has expired
• You did not use your membership benefits — non-usage does not entitle you to a refund
• Your account was suspended or terminated due to a breach of our Terms of Use
• Content you submitted was rejected by our editorial team
• A funding application was declined
• You did not win the Research Excellence Award
• You are dissatisfied with the editorial decisions made regarding your submitted content
• Your membership was purchased as part of an institutional plan — please see Section 6
• Referral commissions earned through the Campus Ambassador Programme — these are non-refundable once paid

Automatic Renewals

Forensic Times memberships renew automatically at the end of each annual term. We send a renewal reminder by email at least 14 days before your renewal date. It is your responsibility to cancel your membership before the renewal date if you do not wish to continue.

If you forget to cancel before your renewal is processed, you may request a refund of the renewal charge within 7 days of the renewal date, provided you have not used any member services during the new term — including accessing premium content, submitting content, or applying for funding.

Renewal refund requests received after 7 days, or where member services have been accessed, will be declined. To cancel your automatic renewal, go to your account settings or email [email protected].

Institutional Memberships

Institutional memberships — purchased by universities, colleges, law firms, forensic organisations, or government bodies — are subject to the terms agreed in the institutional membership agreement signed at the time of purchase.

In the absence of specific agreement terms, the following applies:

• Institutional memberships are non-refundable once activated and member access has been granted to enrolled students or staff
• Where an institutional membership is purchased in error before any access is granted, a full refund may be requested within 7 days of purchase
• Partial refunds for individual members leaving an institution mid-term are not available — institutional plans cover the organisation, not named individuals

To discuss institutional billing concerns, please contact [email protected] directly. We will always seek a fair resolution for institutional partners.

Funding & Grant Disbursements

Funding disbursed through the Forensic Times grant and sponsorship programme is issued for specific, approved purposes — such as conference attendance, research costs, or field visit expenses. The following terms apply:

• Funding disbursements are not refunds — they are grants issued subject to approval
• If an approved event, conference, or activity is cancelled, the recipient must notify Forensic Times promptly and return any unspent funds within 14 days
• If a recipient is found to have used disbursed funds for a purpose other than that stated in the approved application, Forensic Times reserves the right to recover the full amount and terminate the membership
• Declined funding applications carry no entitlement to any compensation or membership fee adjustment

Research Excellence Award

The $10,000 monthly Research Excellence Award is a prize programme, not a guaranteed benefit of membership. The following applies:

• Not winning the award does not entitle any member to a refund or compensation of any kind
• Award payments made to winners are final and non-returnable, except where the award was granted based on fraudulent activity, view manipulation, or breach of our Terms of Use — in which case Forensic Times reserves the right to recover the full award amount
• If the monthly award is deferred or cancelled due to insufficient funding or platform irregularities, this does not constitute grounds for a membership refund

Refund Summary Table

A quick reference guide to our refund positions:

How to Request a Refund

To submit a refund request, please email [email protected] with the following information:

• Full name as registered on your account
• Registered email address
• Membership order reference (found in your purchase confirmation email)
• Date of purchase
• Reason for your refund request — please be as specific as possible
• Any supporting documentation, if applicable (e.g. evidence of billing error, medical documentation for compassionate requests)

Incomplete requests may delay processing. We will acknowledge your request within 3 business days and provide a decision within 10 business days of receiving all required information.

Processing & Timeline

Once a refund is approved, we will process it using the original payment method where possible. Please allow the following timelines:

• Credit or debit card refunds: 5–10 business days to appear on your statement, depending on your card issuer
• PayPal refunds: 3–5 business days
• Bank transfer refunds: 5–10 business days, subject to international processing times

Refunds are issued in USD. If your original payment was made in a different currency, the refunded amount will reflect the exchange rate applied at the time of the original transaction. Forensic Times is not responsible for any currency conversion fees applied by your bank or payment provider.

If you have not received your refund within the stated timeframe, please first check with your bank or payment provider before contacting us.

Your Statutory Rights

This Refund Policy does not affect your statutory rights under applicable consumer protection law. Depending on your country of residence, you may have additional rights regarding refunds, cancellations, and digital services that we are required to honour.

For consumers in the United Kingdom, your rights are protected under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.

For consumers in the European Union, your rights are protected under the Consumer Rights Directive and applicable national implementing legislation, including a 14-day right of withdrawal for digital services not yet commenced.

For consumers in other jurisdictions, your local consumer protection laws may provide additional rights. We will always honour the minimum rights required by the law applicable to you.

Nothing in this policy is intended to limit or exclude any rights you have under mandatory applicable law.