Refund Policy Details

Quick answer: Surmado offers a 7-day money-back guarantee on all plans. If a report doesn’t deliver actionable value, email hi@surmado.com within 7 days with your Intelligence Token and explanation. Refund processed within 3-5 business days. No questions asked for legitimate quality issues.

Reading time: 6 minutes

What you’ll learn:

• Valid refund scenarios with processing times: technical error like AI Visibility tested wrong business (immediate same-day full refund + free re-run), duplicate purchase from double-clicking checkout (same-day refund of duplicate), report doesn’t deliver actionable insights like all AI platforms return generic responses (1-2 day review, full refund)
• Non-refundable scenarios explained with reasoning: low Presence Rate (22%) is actionable insight not quality issue (report reveals visibility gap to fix), buyer’s remorse or changed mind without product defect, consumed deliverables (PDF downloaded AND JSON accessed = can’t “return” knowledge)
• 7-day window enforcement with examples: report delivered Nov 9 = deadline Nov 16 at 11:59 PM (refund request Nov 15 within window, Nov 17 outside window), exception if you contacted within 7 days but we didn’t respond promptly (our fault extends window)
• Common scenario resolutions: AI Visibility tested wrong business (approved full $50 refund), low score unhappy with 38/100 (denied, report found issues to fix = valuable), wrong personas submitted by user (denied user error, pay $50 for new report with correct personas)
• Refund request process: email hi@surmado.com with Intelligence Token (SIG-2025-11-XXXXX format) + brief explanation, 12-24 hour review response time (business days), 3-5 business days processing to original payment method after approval (total 4-6 days request to bank account)

Refund rate: Under 2% (99%+ of reports provide actionable insights).

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When Refunds Apply

Valid Refund Reasons

1. Technical Error (Surmado’s fault)

Examples:

• AI Visibility tested wrong business (we entered incorrect website)
• Site Audit failed to complete (crashed mid-test, no report generated)
• Strategy analyzed wrong question (transcription error)
• Intelligence Token doesn’t work (404 error when fetching JSON)

Outcome: Full refund + free re-run (if you still want the report)

Processing: Immediate (same day)

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2. Report Doesn’t Deliver Actionable Insights

Examples:

• AI Visibility: All AI platforms return generic responses (no business recommendations), Presence Rate couldn’t be calculated
• Site Audit: Site too simple to audit (1-page site with no issues found, nothing to fix)
• Strategy: Question outside AI expertise (highly technical domain-specific question AIs can’t address)

Outcome: Full refund (no re-run, product not suitable for your use case)

Processing: 1-2 business days (we review report to understand why it failed)

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3. Duplicate Purchase (User Error)

Examples:

• Accidentally bought AI Visibility twice for same business (double-clicked checkout)
• Ran Site Audit on same site within 24 hours (meant to run on different site)

Outcome: Refund duplicate purchase (keep original report)

Processing: Same day

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When Refunds DON’T Apply

1. Expected Results (Product Working as Designed)

Examples:

• AI Visibility: Low Presence Rate (22%) - Not refundable (report shows you’re not visible, that’s actionable insight)
• Site Audit: Low score (38/100) - Not refundable (report found issues to fix, that’s valuable)
• Strategy: Recommendations you disagree with - Not refundable (AI analysis is subjective, not guaranteed correct)

Why: Report delivered what it promises (diagnostics, analysis, recommendations). Low scores or unexpected results are still actionable.

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2. Changed Mind (Not Quality Issue)

Examples:

• “I decided I don’t need this” (buyer’s remorse, not product defect)
• “I wanted different personas tested” (user error, not technical error)
• “I realize I should have bought a different report type” (wrong product selection, not quality issue)

Outcome: Generally not refundable (contact support@surmado.com, we may offer partial job toward different product)

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3. Used Intelligence Token / Downloaded Report

Refunds typically not granted if:

• You’ve downloaded PDF report AND accessed Intelligence Token JSON (consumed both deliverables)
• Exception: If report quality is genuinely poor (we review case-by-case)

Why: Digital products are consumed immediately (can’t “return” knowledge you already have)

Gray area: If you only downloaded PDF but didn’t access JSON, we may still refund (contact us)

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4. Outside 7-Day Window

Refund window: 7 calendar days from report delivery

Examples:

• Report delivered Nov 9, refund requested Nov 17 (8 days later) - Outside window
• Report delivered Nov 9, refund requested Nov 15 (6 days later) - Within window

Exception: If you contacted us within 7 days but we didn’t respond promptly (our fault), we extend window

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How to Request a Refund

Step 1: Gather Information

You’ll need:

• Intelligence Token (format: SIG-2025-11-XXXXX, SCAN-2025-11-XXXXX, or SOLUTIONS-2025-11-XXXXX)
• Find in: PDF report header or purchase confirmation email
• Reason for refund (brief explanation: what didn’t work, what you expected vs received)
• Purchase date (verify within 7-day window)

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Step 2: Email Support

Send to: hi@surmado.com

Subject: “Refund Request: [Intelligence Token]”

Email template:

Subject: Refund Request: SIG-2025-11-A1B2C

Hi,

I purchased an AI Visibility report on [date] (Intelligence Token: SIG-2025-11-A1B2C).

I'm requesting a refund because: [brief explanation, e.g., "The report tested the wrong business" or "No actionable insights provided - all personas returned generic responses with no business mentions"].

Purchase confirmation email attached.

Thank you,
[Your name]

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Step 3: Wait for Review

Response time: 12-24 hours (business days)

We review:

• Intelligence Token validity
• Report quality (did it deliver what’s expected?)
• Purchase date (within 7-day window?)
• Reason (technical error, quality issue, or preference?)

Possible outcomes:

• Approved: Refund processed, confirmation email sent
• Denied: Explanation why refund doesn’t apply, alternative offered (e.g., partial job)
• Clarification needed: We ask follow-up questions to understand issue

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Step 4: Refund Processed

Processing time: 3-5 business days after approval

Refund method: Original payment method (credit card, debit card)

Amount: Full purchase price

• AI Visibility: $50 refund
• Site Audit: $50 refund
• Strategy: $50 refund

Confirmation: Email sent when refund processed (check bank statement in 3-5 days)

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Common Refund Scenarios

Scenario 1: AI Visibility Tested Wrong Business

What happened: Submitted “Acme HVAC”, report tested “Acme Consulting”

Reason: Technical error (we entered wrong business)

Refund: Approved (full $50 refund + free re-run with correct business)

How to prevent: Double-check business name and website before submitting (preview if available)

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Scenario 2: Low Presence Rate (22%)

What happened: AI Visibility shows 22% Presence Rate, user unhappy with low score

Reason: Expected result (report reveals you’re not visible in AI platforms - that’s actionable insight)

Refund: Denied (report working as intended)

Why: Low Presence Rate means you have work to do (that’s valuable to know). AI Visibility’s job is to show reality (not guarantee high scores).

Alternative: Use report to fix content gaps (create FAQ pages, add schema, publish blog posts), re-run in 90 days to measure improvement

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Scenario 3: Wrong Personas Submitted

What happened: User submitted generic personas (“HVAC”), wanted specific personas (“Emergency AC repair Phoenix”)

Reason: User error (submitted wrong personas, not technical error)

Refund: Typically denied (you got report you asked for, just not the one you wanted)

Alternative: Run new AI Visibility with correct personas ($50, no discount)

Exception: If personas were auto-generated by our system incorrectly, refund approved

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Scenario 4: Site Audit Found No Issues (Perfect 100/100 Score)

What happened: Site Audit scored site 100/100, user feels “nothing to fix” means report has no value

Reason: Rare but possible (well-optimized site)

Refund: Case-by-case (we review)

• If truly 100/100 with zero issues found: Partial refund considered (report validated site is perfect, that has value)
• If 100/100 is due to technical error (scan didn’t run properly): Full refund

In practice: 99.9% of sites have at least minor issues (missing alt text, schema opportunities, etc.). Truly perfect 100/100 is extremely rare.

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Scenario 5: Strategy Recommendations Seem Wrong

What happened: Strategy recommends X, but user believes Y is correct answer

Reason: Subjective disagreement (AI analysis vs user intuition)

Refund: Typically denied (Strategy provides analysis, not guaranteed-correct answers)

Why: Strategy is second opinion tool (stress-tests your thinking). Disagreeing with recommendations doesn’t mean report is defective.

Example:

• Strategy: “Don’t raise prices (churn risk high)”
• User: “I’m raising prices anyway”
• Not refundable (Strategy provided analysis, you made different decision)

When refund might apply: If Strategy used incorrect industry benchmarks (e.g., cited SaaS metrics for e-commerce business), we may refund or re-run

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Partial Refunds

Surmado doesn’t offer partial refunds (no 50% refunds, no prorated refunds).

Options:

• Full refund (100% if quality issue)
• No refund (if product delivered as expected)
• Job toward different product (case-by-case basis)

Example: Bought Site Audit ($50), realize you needed Site Audit ($50)

• Not eligible for refund (product worked, just wrong choice)
• Alternative: We may offer $50 job toward Site Audit (pay $50 more, get Pro report)

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Multiple Report Refunds

If you purchased multiple reports (e.g., ran all three job types separately):

Each report is refunded individually based on its own merit.

• AI Visibility: $50 refund (if quality issue)
• Site Audit: $50 refund (if quality issue)
• Strategy: $50 refund (if quality issue)

Contact support with the specific Intelligence Token for each report you’re requesting a refund on.

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Processing Time

Refund request to approval: 12-24 hours (business days)

Approval to bank account: 3-5 business days

Total: 4-6 business days from request to money in account

Delays possible if:

• Submitted over weekend (we review business days only)
• Complex case requiring investigation
• Payment processor delays (bank-side processing)

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What Happens After Refund

You lose access to:

• Intelligence Token (JSON endpoint returns 404 error)
• PDF report download link (expires)

You keep:

• Downloaded PDF (we can’t delete from your computer)
• Knowledge from reading report (can’t un-learn insights)

Important: Don’t request refund if you want to reference report later. Refund = access revoked.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a refund if I just don’t like the results?

No, unless results are genuinely incorrect (technical error).

Examples:

• Low Presence Rate (22%): Not refundable (report shows reality)
• Low Site Audit score (38/100): Not refundable (found issues to fix)
• Strategy recommendations you disagree with: Not refundable (subjective analysis)

Surmado reports show reality (not what you want to hear). Low scores are actionable (tells you what to fix).

What if the report is accurate but not useful?

Depends on why it’s not useful.

Example 1: AI Visibility tested right business, but Presence Rate is 0% (you’re invisible to AI)

• Not refundable (report revealed you have major visibility gap - that’s useful to know)

Example 2: Strategy answered your question, but recommendations are generic

• Possibly refundable (if truly no specific insights, we review)

Contact support with explanation. We review case-by-case.

Can I get a refund after 7 days?

No, except in exceptional circumstances:

• You contacted us within 7 days but we didn’t respond (our fault)
• Technical error on our side prevented you from accessing report within 7 days

7-day window is firm for buyer’s remorse or quality issues.

How do I know if I’m within the 7-day window?

7 days = 7 calendar days from report delivery

Example:

• Report delivered: Nov 9 at 2:00 PM
• 7-day window closes: Nov 16 at 11:59 PM
• Refund request Nov 15: Within window ✓
• Refund request Nov 17: Outside window ✗

Check purchase confirmation email for delivery timestamp.

What if I made a mistake in my purchase (wrong product)?

Contact support immediately (within 24 hours if possible).

Possible solutions:

• Wrong product (bought AI Visibility, meant to buy Site Audit): We may cancel and refund, let you purchase correct product
• Wrong business (tested Competitor A, meant to test your business): If we haven’t started processing, we cancel and correct. If already processed, you pay for new report.

Prevention: Review purchase summary before final checkout.

Can I request a re-run instead of refund?

Yes, if issue is technical error (our fault).

Example:

• AI Visibility tested wrong business: Free re-run + keep incorrect report (or refund if you don’t want re-run)
• Site Audit crashed mid-test: Free re-run (no report was generated)

If issue is user error (wrong personas submitted): No free re-run, pay $50 for new report.

Do you offer refunds for subscriptions (Pro/Portfolio)?

Contact hi@surmado.com for subscription-related refund inquiries. Pro and Portfolio plans are month-to-month and can be cancelled anytime with 30 days notice.

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Questions about refunds? Email hi@surmado.com with your Intelligence Token and explanation. We respond within 12-24 hours (business days).