What this policy covers
This policy applies to publishing services purchased from Vista Publishers by individual authors and businesses. Your written proposal identifies the services, price, payment schedule and deliverables. Mandatory consumer rights take priority over this policy and any project terms.
An individual may be a consumer when acting wholly or mainly outside their trade or profession. Being an author does not by itself decide your status. Business customers do not automatically receive consumer cooling-off rights, but retain their contractual and other applicable legal rights.
Upfront payments
We take payment upfront as specified in the accepted proposal or invoice. We identify the amount due, currency, applicable taxes and any agreed third-party costs before you commit. No payment is taken by the website inquiry form.
Paying upfront or labelling a payment a deposit does not remove a cancellation right. We do not automatically retain all advance payments when an unfinished project is cancelled.
Consumer cooling-off rights
For eligible UK distance service contracts, you may cancel without giving a reason during the 14 days beginning the day after the contract is made. EU consumers may have a corresponding withdrawal right under the law applicable to their contract. Where required cancellation information has not been supplied, the legal period may be extended.
A clear cancellation statement sent before the deadline is sufficient. Email, post or telephone us using the details below; the optional form below is available but not required. Keeping a written record can help. If no service has begun during the cooling-off period, we refund the service payment in full.
If you ask us to start early
We will seek your express request before starting during an applicable cooling-off period and explain the payment consequences. If you then cancel, we may deduct only the lawful proportionate price of services supplied up to cancellation, provided the required information and request were obtained. Where those conditions are not met, we will not charge for early performance that the law says you need not pay for.
For a UK service fully completed within that period, the cancellation right ends only where the statutory conditions are met, including your prior express consent to early performance and acknowledgement that full performance ends that right. Payment alone is not that consent. We provide the required contract confirmation in a form you can retain.
Cancellations outside the cooling-off period
Before work starts, we refund the upfront payment less any fair, documented and unavoidable third-party costs you specifically authorised, to the extent lawfully recoverable. During a project, any deduction is limited to conforming work already supplied and fair, unavoidable authorised commitments. We account for savings and take reasonable steps to reduce loss; costs are not counted twice.
We explain the calculation and return the remaining balance. After the agreed work has been fully and properly performed, we do not offer a change-of-mind refund for that completed work. Low book sales, a changed creative preference or a third-party platform decision alone do not establish a defect in services performed as agreed. This does not limit remedies for our breach or faulty work.
Faulty work, delays or our cancellation
Services must meet the agreed description and be carried out with reasonable care and skill. Where applicable law requires, you can seek correction or repeat performance without extra cost, within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience. If that remedy is impossible or not provided as required, a price reduction or refund, potentially a full refund, may be due. Other mandatory remedies remain available.
Tell us what has gone wrong and include relevant examples so we can investigate. A revision allowance or final approval does not remove statutory rights. If we cannot fulfil the project or cancel it, we refund payments for work not supplied and address any further remedy required by law; any value retained for usable, conforming work must be lawful.
Digital files, printing and outside suppliers
Bespoke editing or design is not automatically excluded from service cancellation rights. Separately supplied digital content may have different rules: a cooling-off right is lost on early supply only if all required express consent, acknowledgement and confirmation conditions have been met.
Genuinely personalised printed goods may be excluded from change-of-mind cancellation where the law allows; faulty or misdescribed goods remain covered by statutory remedies. Any separate goods order must specify delivery, returns and applicable exceptions before purchase. Third-party charges are not automatically non-refundable and cannot override rights you have against us.
Requesting and receiving a refund
Contact us with your name, project reference if available, and whether you want to cancel or report a problem. We do not require a reason for a statutory cooling-off cancellation. We explain any proposed deduction and request only information reasonably needed to deal with the request.
For a qualifying UK service cooling-off cancellation, reimbursement is made without undue delay and within 14 days of being informed. Other statutory refunds follow their applicable deadlines; an agreed non-statutory refund will be issued within 14 days of agreement. We use the original payment method unless you expressly agree otherwise, without a refund fee. Bank processing times can vary.
International customers and complaints
Mandatory protections in your country remain available where applicable, including EU consumer law and New Zealand consumer guarantees. USA and Canadian rights may vary by state or province; this policy does not impose one cooling-off rule worldwide.
Please contact us about a disputed decision. We will explain our position and provide any alternative dispute resolution information required by law if the matter remains unresolved. You do not lose access to competent courts, regulators or lawful payment-provider remedies by contacting us first.