Refund Policy & Money-Back Guarantee
We stand behind the value of Forum membership. This page sets out exactly when and how refunds apply — including our usage-based conditions.
Effective date: 13 August 2026 · Governing law: Canton of Zurich, Switzerland
At a Glance
60 days
Guarantee window from first payment
30–60 days
Processing time after approval
Submit all refund requests here
1. The 60-Day Money-Back Guarantee
All paid memberships — General Body tiers (Observer, Researcher, Scholar, Professional, Executive, Honorary Advisor) and GEDC Delegate tiers (Junior and Senior) — are covered by a 60-day money-back guarantee from the date of first payment.
If you are not satisfied with your membership within the first 60 days, you may request a refund by emailing [email protected]. Approved refunds are processed within 30 to 60 calendar days of the verified request.
The refund amount — full or partial — depends on whether you have utilised membership benefits during the guarantee window. See Section 2 for the usage-based conditions.
2. Usage-Based Refund Conditions
The guarantee is designed to protect genuine dissatisfaction — not to allow members to access proprietary resources and then reclaim their fee. The following conditions apply within the 60-day window:
Full Refund
A full refund of the membership fee is issued where:
- The member has not accessed any proprietary resources — including the Research Library, Strategic Alignment Booklet, Geoeconomic Frameworks, Investment Club blueprints, GPS Platform data, or Telos Forensic Telemetry reports.
- The member has not attended any monthly meetings, quarterly summits, or the Global Assembly under their membership entitlement.
- The membership application was rejected by the Forum after payment was received (full refund issued regardless of the guarantee window).
- A verified technical billing error resulted in a duplicate or incorrect charge (the erroneous amount is refunded in full).
Partial Refund
A partial refund may be issued where the member has utilised some but not all membership benefits. The refund amount is calculated by deducting the fair-use value of benefits accessed from the total membership fee. Factors considered include:
- Number of proprietary documents downloaded or accessed (Research Library, frameworks, blueprints).
- Attendance at Forum events (monthly meetings, summits, Assembly sessions) under the membership entitlement.
- Use of the Member Directory, speed-mentoring programme, or committee participation.
- Completion of the Strategic Alignment Booklet assessment (where the assessment itself constitutes a proprietary intellectual asset).
The Forum Secretariat will provide a written breakdown of the partial refund calculation within 10 business days of receiving the request. The member may accept or dispute the calculation before processing.
Refund Not Applicable
A refund will not be issued in the following circumstances:
- The request is made after the 60-day guarantee window has elapsed from the date of first payment (except for verified billing errors).
- The membership was terminated by the Forum for breach of the Terms of Use, the House Rule of Confidentiality, or the Master Membership Disclaimer & Operational Disclosure Notice.
- The member has shared dashboard credentials with a third party or modified and redistributed Forum intellectual property.
- The member has filed or attempted to file a fraudulent chargeback with their payment provider.
- Committee and Governing Council memberships — these are governed by separate institutional pricing agreements and refund terms set out in the relevant prospectus or council briefing.
- Academic Access memberships during the 90-day free trial period (no charge is made during the trial; the guarantee applies from the date of first annual billing).
- Event tickets purchased separately from membership within 30 days of the event date (see Section 5).
3. How to Submit a Refund Request
Email [email protected] from your registered Forum email address with the following information:
- Subject line:
Refund Request — [Your Full Name] - Your membership tier (e.g. GEDC Senior Delegate, Professional, Executive).
- Date of first payment and the last four digits of the card or payment method used.
- Brief reason for the request (optional within the 60-day window, but helpful for processing).
- Benefits accessed — please self-declare which resources or events you have used, if any. This helps the Secretariat calculate any partial refund accurately and speeds up processing.
Processing timeline
The Secretariat will acknowledge your request within 3 business days and provide a refund determination (full, partial, or denied with written reasons) within 10 business days. Approved refunds are processed to your original payment method within 30 to 60 calendar days of approval, depending on your card issuer or bank.
4. Cancellation After the Guarantee Period
After the 60-day guarantee period, you may cancel your membership at any time. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current annual billing period. No partial refunds are issued for unused portions of the membership year following the guarantee window.
To cancel, email [email protected] or use the cancellation option in your member dashboard.
5. Event Ticket Refunds
For in-person seminars, summits, and conferences, tickets cancelled 7 or more calendar days before the event receive a full refund. 72 hours to fewer than 7 calendar days before the event receive a 50% refund. 72 hours of the event are non-refundable.
Members attending events under their membership entitlement do not purchase separate tickets and are not subject to this section.
6. Governing Law & Disputes
This Refund Policy is governed by Swiss law. Any disputes arising from a refund determination are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts of the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland.
If you believe a refund determination is incorrect, you may request a written review by emailing [email protected] within 14 days of receiving the determination. The Forum will respond within 10 business days.