Refund Policy

This Refund Policy explains how UniCare e.V. handles requests for refunds of donations made through our website or through other approved payment channels.

UniCare e.V. is committed to treating donors fairly and transparently while ensuring that charitable funds are handled responsibly and in accordance with our charitable purposes.

1. Scope of this Refund Policy

This Refund Policy applies to donations made to UniCare e.V., including:

• one-time donations;
• recurring donations that have already been processed;
• donations made through the UniCare e.V. website;
• donations processed through approved payment service providers; and
• other electronic donations accepted by UniCare e.V.

This policy concerns donations that have already been processed.

The cancellation of future recurring donations is governed separately by our Cancellation Policy.

2. Difference Between a Cancellation and a Refund

Cancellation and refund requests are treated as separate processes.

A cancellation stops future recurring donations from being initiated under an existing recurring donation instruction.

A refund concerns a donation that has already been processed.

Cancelling a recurring donation does not automatically refund donations that were processed before the cancellation became effective.

For information about stopping future recurring donations, please see our Cancellation Policy.

3. General Refund Principle

Donations made to UniCare e.V. are intended to support our charitable activities and may be allocated to projects shortly after they are received.

For this reason, successfully processed donations are generally considered final.

However, UniCare e.V. recognises that exceptional circumstances may occur. Refund requests will therefore be considered fairly and individually in accordance with this policy and applicable law.

Nothing in this Refund Policy limits any mandatory rights that a donor may have under applicable banking, payment-services or consumer-protection law.

4. Circumstances in Which a Refund May Be Considered

UniCare e.V. may consider a refund request in circumstances including, but not limited to:

4.1 Duplicate Donation

A donor has unintentionally been charged more than once for the same intended donation.

4.2 Incorrect Donation Amount

A clear error occurred when entering or processing the donation amount and the amount processed was not the amount the donor intended to donate.

4.3 Technical or Processing Error

A donation was incorrectly processed because of a technical, administrative or payment-processing error.

4.4 Unauthorised Donation

The donor believes that a donation was made without their authorisation or that their payment details were used improperly.

Such cases may require additional verification and may also be referred to the relevant payment service provider or financial institution.

4.5 Recurring Donation Processed After Cancellation

A recurring donation was processed after UniCare e.V. had already completed and confirmed the cancellation of the relevant recurring donation instruction.

This does not include a payment that had already been submitted for processing before the cancellation was completed.

4.6 Other Exceptional Circumstances

UniCare e.V. may consider other exceptional circumstances where it would be reasonable and appropriate to refund a donation.

Each request will be assessed individually.

5. How to Request a Refund

Refund requests should be submitted to:

Email: info@unicare-foundation.com

To enable UniCare e.V. to identify and review the relevant transaction, the donor should provide, where available:

• full name;
• email address used when making the donation;
• date of the donation;
• donation amount;
• transaction or donation reference;
• payment method used; and
• a brief explanation of the reason for requesting the refund.

UniCare e.V. may request additional information where reasonably necessary to verify the donor, identify the transaction, prevent fraud or properly assess the refund request.

Donors should never send passwords, PIN codes, security codes or complete payment-card details by email.

6. Review of Refund Requests

Each refund request will be reviewed individually.

During the review, UniCare e.V. may consider:

• whether the transaction can be identified;
• whether the donation was correctly authorised;
• whether a duplicate or incorrect payment occurred;
• whether there was a technical or administrative error;
• whether a recurring donation had already been cancelled;
• whether there are indications of fraud or misuse;
• whether the funds have already been committed or transferred to a charitable project;
• information provided by the donor;
• information provided by the payment service provider; and
• any applicable legal or payment-scheme requirements.

UniCare e.V. may request additional documentation or information before making a decision.

7. Verification and Fraud Prevention

For the protection of donors and UniCare e.V., refund requests may be subject to verification.

Where a refund request appears unusual, inconsistent or potentially fraudulent, UniCare e.V. may carry out additional checks before processing the request.

These checks may include verification of:

• donor identity;
• original transaction information;
• payment account information;
• relationship between the donor and payer; and
• other information reasonably required to establish that the refund request is legitimate.

A refund may be delayed while necessary verification is completed.

8. Refund Decision

After reviewing the request, UniCare e.V. will determine whether the refund is approved, partially approved or declined.

The donor will be informed of the outcome using the contact details available to UniCare e.V.

Where a request is declined, UniCare e.V. may provide the donor with an explanation, subject to applicable legal, security and confidentiality requirements.

9. Method of Refund

Where a refund is approved, UniCare e.V. will normally return the funds to the original payment method or originating account used for the donation.

This approach helps protect both donors and UniCare e.V. against fraud, money laundering and misuse of charitable funds.

UniCare e.V. will generally not redirect a refund to:

• an unrelated third party;
• a different bank account;
• a different payment card;
• a cash recipient; or
• another payment method selected after the original donation.

If a refund to the original payment method is technically impossible, UniCare e.V. may request additional information and verification before determining an appropriate alternative method.

10. Full and Partial Refunds

Where appropriate, UniCare e.V. may issue either a full or partial refund.

A full refund returns the entire eligible donation amount.

A partial refund may be appropriate where only part of a transaction was incorrect or where other circumstances justify refunding only part of the donation.

Any partial refund will be assessed and documented in the same manner as a full refund.

11. Processing Time

UniCare e.V. will review refund requests as soon as reasonably possible.

Once a refund has been approved and initiated, the time required for the funds to appear in the donor’s account may depend on the payment method, payment service provider, card issuer or bank involved.

Processing times outside the control of UniCare e.V. may therefore vary.

12. Fees

UniCare e.V. does not charge donors an administrative fee for submitting a legitimate refund request.

Where a refund is approved, UniCare e.V. will process the approved refund in accordance with this policy.

Any charges independently imposed by a donor’s bank, card issuer or other payment provider are outside the control of UniCare e.V.

13. Recurring Donations

A refund of an individual recurring donation does not automatically cancel future recurring donations.

If a donor also wishes to stop future recurring donations, the recurring donation must be cancelled separately in accordance with our Cancellation Policy.

Likewise, cancellation of a recurring donation does not automatically create a right to a refund for donations that were successfully processed before the cancellation became effective.

14. Donations Allocated to Specific Projects

Where a donor has selected a specific charitable project, UniCare e.V. may allocate the donation to that project after receipt.

A refund request should therefore be submitted as soon as possible after the donor becomes aware of an error or other issue.

The fact that funds have already been allocated or committed to a charitable project may be considered as part of the review of a discretionary refund request.

This does not affect any mandatory rights available to the donor under applicable law.

15. General Donations

Donations that are not restricted to a particular project may be allocated by UniCare e.V. to charitable activities based on current project requirements and funding needs.

The same refund procedure applies to general donations and project-specific donations.

16. Unauthorised or Fraudulent Transactions

If a donor believes that a donation was made fraudulently or without authorisation, the donor should contact UniCare e.V. as soon as possible.

The donor may also have rights through their bank, card issuer or payment service provider.

UniCare e.V. may investigate the transaction, request additional information and cooperate with the relevant payment provider, financial institution or competent authority where appropriate.

17. Chargebacks and Payment Disputes

A refund request made directly to UniCare e.V. is separate from any chargeback, payment dispute or statutory reimbursement procedure available through a donor’s bank, card issuer or payment service provider.

Donors are encouraged to contact UniCare e.V. directly where appropriate so that we have an opportunity to investigate and resolve the matter.

Nothing in this policy restricts a donor from exercising any mandatory rights available through their bank, payment service provider, card scheme or applicable law.

18. AML/CFT and Compliance Controls

Refunds are subject to UniCare e.V.’s internal financial and AML/CFT controls.

UniCare e.V. may delay or suspend a refund where additional verification is reasonably required due to concerns regarding:

• fraud;
• money laundering;
• terrorist financing;
• sanctions;
• unusual transaction patterns;
• unclear source of funds;
• identity discrepancies; or
• other financial-crime risks.

Where appropriate, the matter may be escalated internally or handled in accordance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

19. Record Keeping

UniCare e.V. maintains appropriate records relating to refund requests and refund decisions in accordance with applicable legal, accounting, compliance and data-protection requirements.

Records may include the original transaction details, the reason for the refund request, supporting information, the review performed and the outcome of the request.

20. Personal Data

Personal information provided in connection with a refund request will be processed in accordance with UniCare e.V.’s Privacy Policy and applicable data-protection requirements.

Information will only be used and retained as necessary to process the request, comply with legal obligations, maintain appropriate financial records and prevent fraud or misuse.

21. Changes to this Refund Policy

UniCare e.V. may update this Refund Policy when necessary to reflect changes to our payment processes, charitable activities, legal requirements or internal procedures.

The most recent version will be published on our website together with the date on which it was last updated.

22. Contact Information

For refund requests or questions regarding this Refund Policy, please contact:

UniCare e.V.
Butzweilerhofallee 3
50829 Cologne
Germany

Email: info@unicare-foundation.com
Website: unicare-foundation.com