Return & Refund Policy

Return & Refund Policy

This Return and Refund Policy ("Policy") outlines the terms and conditions for refunds related to the AI image generation services provided by Studio Ghibli ("we," "our," or "us") via the website https://www.studioghibli.io. By purchasing credits or using our services, you agree to comply with this Policy.

Overview

Studio Ghibli provides AI-powered image generation services where users can transform their photos into a Ghibli-inspired art style. Access to the generation service beyond any potential free trial requires the purchase of "Credits".

Credit System and Refunds

Free Trial Credit

  • New users may receive one (1) complimentary credit upon signing up to try our service. The provision of this free credit is subject to system availability and may be temporarily suspended or unavailable during periods of exceptionally high system load or resource constraints.
  • This free trial credit, if provided, is non-refundable and non-transferable.

Purchased Credits

  • Credits are added to your account immediately upon successful purchase.
  • Purchased credits have a defined validity period as specified at the time of purchase (e.g., 1 month, 1 year from purchase date). Please check the details on the purchase page.
  • Used credits (credits consumed for image generation) cannot be refunded or restored.
  • Expired credits cannot be refunded or extended.
  • Credits are non-transferable between accounts.

Refund Eligibility for Purchased Credits

You may be eligible for a refund for unused purchased credits under the following specific conditions:

  1. Credits with Long Validity: The purchased credits must have had an original validity period greater than one (1) month (e.g., 1 year) as specified at the time of purchase, AND the refund request must be made within 14 days of the original purchase date. Only the value corresponding to the unused credits from that specific eligible purchase can be refunded. The credits must still be within their original validity period.
  2. Technical Issues: Our service failed to deliver the purchased credits to your account due to a verifiable technical error on our side.
  3. Billing Errors: You were demonstrably charged incorrectly for your purchase (e.g., double-charged).

Non-Refundable Situations

Refunds will not be issued in the following cases:

  • The initial free trial credit (if provided).
  • Credits (free or purchased) that have been used for image generation.
  • Purchased credits that have expired.
  • Purchased credits that had an original validity period of one (1) month or less (regardless of usage).
  • Purchased credits (even those with >1 month validity) for which a refund request is made more than 14 days after the purchase date.
  • Credits purchased using promotional codes or special discounts (unless explicitly stated otherwise in the promotion terms).
  • If you are dissatisfied with the results of the AI image generation, as the nature of AI generation involves variability. We may offer a free trial credit (subject to availability) for you to evaluate the service beforehand.
  • Delays in processing for free users during periods of heavy traffic, as paid users receive priority processing.
  • Cases of violation of our Terms of Service, leading to account suspension or termination.

Subscription Cancellation (If Applicable)

If we offer subscription plans in the future that grant credits periodically, the following terms will apply:

  • You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings or by contacting support.
  • Cancellation will take effect at the end of your current billing period.
  • You will retain access to subscription benefits (including any remaining credits from that period) until the end of the current billing period.
  • No partial refunds are provided for unused portions of the current billing period upon cancellation. Any credits granted by the subscription remain subject to their own validity and usage rules as outlined in this policy (including refund eligibility based on their implicitly granted validity, if applicable).

Refund Process

How to Request a Refund

To request a refund for eligible purchased credits:

  1. Email our support team at [email protected] within the applicable timeframe (14 days for eligible long-validity credits).
  2. Include the following information:
    • Your account email address (used for login).
    • Order number or transaction ID of the purchase.
    • Clear reason for the refund request, referencing the eligible conditions above (e.g., "Unused credits from purchase X, originally valid for 1 year, requested within 14 days").
    • Number of unused purchased credits from the specific eligible purchase for which you are requesting a refund.
  3. Our support team will review your request against the eligibility criteria outlined in this policy, typically within 3-5 business days. We may ask for additional information.

Refund Processing

  • Approved refunds will be processed back to the original payment method used for the purchase.
  • Please allow 5-10 business days for the refund to reflect in your account, depending on your bank or payment provider.

Special Circumstances

Service Interruptions

In the event of significant, extended service interruptions caused by issues on our end that prevent the use of purchased credits, we may, at our sole discretion:

  • Extend the validity period of affected purchased credits.
  • Issue compensation credits.
  • Offer a partial or full refund for unused purchased credits affected by the outage, potentially overriding standard eligibility rules on a case-by-case basis.

Account Termination

If your account is terminated due to violations of our Terms of Service:

  • All unused credits (free and purchased) will be forfeited immediately.
  • No refunds will be issued.
  • Any active subscriptions (if applicable) will be cancelled immediately without refund.

Changes to This Policy

We reserve the right to modify this Return and Refund Policy at any time. Changes will be effective immediately upon posting the updated Policy on our website (https://www.studioghibli.io). Your continued purchase or use of our services after changes are posted indicates your acceptance of the new Policy.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Return and Refund Policy, please contact us at:

Last updated: 2025-03-31