Refund, Cancellation and Consumer Rights Policy

Effective date: 05/05/2026
Business name: Goats Head Historical Fencing
Applies to: Beginner courses booked online, by email, by phone, or in person, unless stated otherwise.

1. Scope

This policy applies to bookings for beginner historical fencing courses offered by Goats Head Historical Fencing.

It explains:

• when a participant may cancel,
• when a refund, credit, transfer, or rescheduling may be available,
• when fees are non-refundable, and
• the consumer rights that apply under EU and Irish law.

This policy does not reduce or replace any mandatory rights a consumer has under applicable law.

2. Consumer rights

If you are booking as a consumer, you may have legal rights under Irish and EU consumer law, including rights relating to:

• the 14-day withdrawal period for distance and off-premises contracts,
• services being supplied with proper care and skill,
• services matching what was described at the time of booking, and
• remedies where services are not provided as agreed.

Nothing in this policy excludes rights that cannot legally be excluded or limited under applicable law. europa.eu irishstatutebook.ie

3. Booking and payment

A place on a beginner course is confirmed only when:

• we receive the required booking information, and
• full payment, or any stated deposit, has been received.

Places are limited and are reserved specifically for each participant. For that reason, our cancellation terms are designed to reflect the administrative costs, instructor allocation, venue costs, and the difficulty of refilling a cancelled place at short notice.

4. Your right to cancel within 14 days for online, phone or email bookings

If you book a course online, by phone, or by email, you will usually have a legal right to cancel within 14 days from the date the contract is made.

However, the following rules apply:

• If the course is scheduled to begin during that 14-day period, and you ask us to begin supplying the service before the withdrawal period ends, you expressly request early performance.
• If you then cancel during the 14-day period after the service has started, you may be required to pay for the part of the service already supplied up to the time of cancellation.
• If the course is fully performed within the 14-day period, and you expressly requested early performance and acknowledged that the right to cancel would be lost once the service is fully performed, then the right to withdraw is lost once the service has been fully delivered.
• If the course begins after the 14-day withdrawal period has expired, you may still cancel under Section 5 below, but the statutory withdrawal right will no longer apply.

For bookings made in person at our premises, the statutory 14-day withdrawal right will generally not apply unless required by law in the particular circumstances. europa.eu

5. Our standard cancellation policy

Subject always to Section 4 and Section 9, the following cancellation terms apply to beginner courses:

Time of cancellation before course start	Refund position
More than 14 days	Refund of fees paid minus a 15% administration fee
8 to 14 days	50% refund of fees paid
7 days or less	No refund
After the course has started	No refund for missed sessions or withdrawal part-way through the course

This structure is a practical low-refund approach, but it still leaves room for fairness and should be easier to defend than a blanket “no refunds in any circumstance” term.

6. Transfers instead of refunds

To minimise disruption and avoid unnecessary refunds, we may allow the following at our discretion:

• a transfer to a later beginner course,
• a transfer of the booking to another person who meets the course requirements, or
• a credit note for future use.

The following conditions apply:

• requests must be made in writing,
• transfers are subject to availability,
• the replacement participant must be suitable for the course,
• any price difference must be paid,
• credits are non-cash, non-transferable unless we agree otherwise, and
• credits must be used within 6 months of issue.

Where the law requires a monetary refund, this section does not limit that right.

7. Non-refundable items

To the extent permitted by law, the following are non-refundable once incurred or supplied:

• booking fees clearly identified at checkout as administration fees,
• any separately itemised third-party ticketing or payment processing fees, where permitted,
• equipment that has been supplied, opened, personalised, or hygienically unsuitable for return,
• merchandise or optional add-ons purchased separately from the course, except where mandatory consumer rights apply.

If a fee is mandatory and non-refundable, it should be clearly disclosed before booking.

8. Missed sessions, lateness and non-attendance

If you:

• fail to attend,
• arrive too late to participate safely,
• are refused participation for safety reasons under our published rules, or
• leave the course early by choice,

you will not be entitled to a refund for the missed session or unused part of the course, except where required by law.

Where appropriate, we may offer a catch-up place or transfer, but this is discretionary and subject to availability.

9. If we cancel, postpone or materially change a course

If we cancel a beginner course, you will be offered either:

• a transfer to another available date, or
• a full refund of amounts paid for the cancelled course.

If we need to postpone a course or make a material change to it, and the revised course is no longer suitable for you, you may choose either:

• a transfer to an alternative available course, or
• a refund of the amount paid for the affected booking.

We are not responsible for indirect or consequential losses such as travel, accommodation, loss of earnings, or other external costs, except where liability cannot be excluded by law.

10. If the service is faulty or not as described

Nothing in this policy affects your legal rights if the course:

• is not provided with reasonable care and skill,
• does not match its description,
• is not fit for the purpose made known to us where the law implies such a term, or
• otherwise breaches applicable consumer law.

Where required by law, appropriate remedies may include:

• repeat performance,
• a price reduction, or
• a refund, in whole or in part, depending on the circumstances. irishstatutebook.ie

11. Health, safety and suitability

Participants are responsible for ensuring that beginner historical fencing is suitable for them from a health and fitness perspective.

If you are unable to attend because of illness, injury, or other personal circumstances, our normal cancellation terms apply unless mandatory law requires otherwise. We strongly recommend that participants ensure they can attend all scheduled dates before booking.

We may require participants to follow safety instructions, wear required protective equipment, and behave appropriately. Removal from a class for serious or repeated safety breaches will not normally give rise to any refund.

12. How to cancel

All cancellation requests must be made in writing by email to:

[insert booking email address]

Please include:

• your full name,
• booking reference,
• course name,
• course start date, and
• the reason for cancellation.

A cancellation takes effect when we receive it.

If you are exercising a legal withdrawal right, you should clearly state that you wish to cancel the contract within the withdrawal period.

13. How refunds are paid

Where a refund is due, it will normally be made using the same payment method used for the original booking, unless otherwise agreed.

Refunds will usually be processed within 14 days after:

• we agree the refund is due, or
• where applicable, we receive any legally required confirmation or determine the amount payable for services already supplied.

14. Complaints

If you have a complaint about a course, cancellation, or refund decision, please contact:

[insert contact name or business email]

We will aim to review complaints fairly and respond within a reasonable time.

15. Contact details

Goats Head Historical Fencing
Gassmann Productions
y21Nx67 Davidstown Glynn, ROI

johngassmann.work@gmail.com / 0834344993