The hosting platform will usually tell you it's just software and the creator sets the refund policy. That's often technically true — but it doesn't mean you're out of options.
Understanding Who You Actually Contracted With
Platforms like Kajabi and Teachable operate as infrastructure providers — they give creators the tools to build and sell a course, but the sales contract itself is typically between you and the individual creator, not you and the platform. This is why platform support often (correctly, from a contract standpoint) directs refund requests back to the creator: the platform genuinely isn't the seller of record for the specific course. This distinguishes course-hosting platforms from a marketplace like Udemy, where the platform itself is more directly involved in the transaction and has its own stated refund policy that applies regardless of the individual instructor.
Where Real Leverage Actually Exists
- The payment processor — Stripe, PayPal, or the card network processing the transaction has its own dispute mechanism, largely independent of what the platform or creator says. If the course wasn't delivered as described, this is often your most reliable path.
- A chargeback through your card issuer — banks evaluate "services not as described" or "services not rendered" disputes based on evidence you submit, not based on the platform's terms of service. A creator's refusal to refund doesn't prevent a successful chargeback if your evidence is strong.
- The creator's own advertised guarantee — if a sales page specifically promised a money-back guarantee or personalized support that wasn't delivered, this is a concrete, provable misrepresentation you can cite directly, separate from the platform's general terms.
- Consumer protection complaint bodies — depending on your jurisdiction, a formal complaint to a consumer protection authority can apply pressure even when the platform itself declines direct involvement, particularly if a pattern of complaints against the same creator exists.
Building Your Case
- Screenshot the specific sales page claims — guarantee terms, promised support, advertised outcomes — before requesting a refund, since these can be edited afterward.
- Request a refund from the creator first, in writing, citing the specific promise that wasn't honored.
- If refused, contact the payment processor (Stripe/PayPal) directly if you paid through them, explaining the specific mismatch between what was promised and delivered.
- If you paid by card, initiate a chargeback with your bank, submitting the same evidence — the specific advertised promise, and how it wasn't met.
- Report a pattern of refund refusals to relevant consumer protection bodies, since this strengthens the position of others facing the same issue with that creator.
Related Kibbo Tools
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission — Disputing Credit Card Charges. consumer.ftc.gov