Refund Policy

REFUND & CANCELLATION POLICY

Champions FA Cup

1. Legal Framework

This Refund and Cancellation Policy is drafted in accordance with the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (South Africa), including but not limited to Section 17 relating to cancellation of advance bookings and the imposition of reasonable cancellation penalties.

This policy applies to all registrations, bookings, and payments made in respect of Champions FA Cup leagues, tournaments, camps, development programmes, and sanctioned events.

2. Nature of Registration and Advance Booking

All team registrations, player registrations, and event bookings constitute advance bookings for scheduled sporting events requiring confirmed logistical, operational, venue, staffing, compliance, and administrative commitments.

Upon confirmation of registration, Champions FA Cup incurs immediate and irreversible costs, including but not limited to:

• Venue reservations
• Match scheduling and officiating allocations
• Staffing and technical appointments
• Administration and compliance processing
• Marketing and competition structuring

For this reason, cancellation penalties apply as permitted under the Consumer Protection Act.

3. Right to Cancel

In accordance with Section 17 of the Consumer Protection Act:

A registering school, club, academy, parent, or legal guardian may cancel an advance booking prior to the event start date, subject to a reasonable cancellation penalty.

Cancellation must:

• Be submitted in writing via email to the official Champions FA Cup contact address;
• Be submitted by the authorised registered party;
• Clearly state the reason for cancellation.

Verbal cancellations or third-party communications will not be accepted.

4. Cancellation Penalties

The following cancellation penalties shall apply:

4.1 Cancellation More Than 20 Days Before Event Start Date

• A maximum of 50% (fifty percent) of the registration or booking fee will be refunded.
• The remaining 50% is retained as a reasonable cancellation penalty in light of administrative, operational, and logistical commitments already incurred.

4.2 Cancellation Within 20 Days of Event Start Date

• No refund will be granted.

This is deemed a reasonable cancellation penalty given that fixtures, staffing, venue allocations, and operational costs are fully committed within this period.

4.3 After Participation Has Commenced

Once a team or participant has attended any match, training session, camp activity, or related event:

• Services are deemed to have commenced and been partially rendered;
• No refund will be payable.

5. Non-Refundable Fees

The following fees are strictly non-refundable and excluded from any refund calculation, as they relate to services already rendered or third-party costs:

• Affiliate, league, or membership fees (e.g., R500);
• Player licensing or accreditation fees;
• Compliance, safeguarding, screening, or background verification costs;
• Payment processing or transaction fees;
• Deposits for tournaments or camps.

These costs are either administrative in nature or paid to third parties and are therefore not recoverable.

6. Deposits

Where a deposit is required to secure participation:

• The deposit constitutes confirmation of booking;
• Deposits are strictly non-refundable;
• The deposit may be retained as part of the reasonable cancellation penalty.

7. Processing of Approved Refunds

• Refund requests will be acknowledged within seven (7) business days;
• Approved refunds will be processed within two to four (2–4) weeks;
• Refunds will be paid via EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) only.

Champions FA Cup shall not be liable for delays arising from incorrect banking details supplied by the registering party.

8. Exceptional Circumstances

In assessing what is “reasonable” under the Consumer Protection Act, Champions FA Cup may consider:

• The nature of the event;
• The timing of cancellation;
• The likelihood of filling the vacant slot;
• Direct costs already incurred;
• Verified medical emergencies.

In cases of serious medical emergency (supported by valid medical documentation), the organisation reserves discretion to:

• Reduce the cancellation penalty; or
• Offer a credit toward a future event.

Such decisions remain at the sole discretion of Champions FA Cup and must comply with CPA fairness standards.

9. Event Cancellation by Champions FA Cup

If an event is cancelled by Champions FA Cup due to circumstances within its control:

• Participants will be entitled to a full refund; or
• A credit toward a future event.

If cancellation occurs due to force majeure (including extreme weather, government restrictions, civil unrest, or events beyond reasonable control), Champions FA Cup may offer:

• A partial refund; or
• A credit toward a rescheduled event.

10. Contact Information

All cancellation and refund correspondence must be sent to:

Email: info@championsfacup.com

All refund matters are administered by the designated Champions FA Cup administrator or refund officer.