Cancellation, Refund & Weather Policy

1. Refund Policy

Special Sips sells scheduled, date-reserved event services. Because booking an event removes the date from availability and commits planning time, staff, and resources, payments are generally non-refundable except as stated below and in the cancellation, rescheduling, force-majeure, and Special Sips cancellation sections above, which control over any conflicting summary.

The booking retainer is earned when paid and is non-refundable. On client cancellation, amounts paid are applied to the cancellation (liquidated-damages) amount for the applicable notice window, and any remainder after that amount is refunded. Refunds are also issued when Special Sips cannot perform for a reason within its reasonable control and no acceptable replacement is arranged, in which case amounts paid for unperformed services are refunded. No refund is due solely because responsible-service or safety measures were used, or because ordinary weather occurred and the event could proceed under the required backup plan.

Approved refunds are issued in USD to the original payment method through the payment processor when practical, normally within 5–10 business days of approval, less any earned retainer, completed work, and committed nonrecoverable third-party or custom costs. Duplicate or clearly erroneous charges are refunded in full promptly on verification. To request a refund or raise a billing question, contact swfl@specialsips.com.

2. Payments, Currency, and Card Processing

All prices, payments, retainers, and balances are stated and charged in United States Dollars (USD). The client is responsible for any foreign-transaction, conversion, or bank fees charged by their own card issuer.

When online card payment is enabled, card payments are processed by Stripe on secure, Stripe-hosted pages. Stripe is certified as a PCI Service Provider Level 1. Special Sips does not receive, store, or have access to full card numbers or card security codes; it retains only the payment amount, date, status, and processor reference needed for receipts, accounting, support, and dispute handling. Card charges appear on the client’s statement under a Special Sips billing descriptor.

By authorizing a payment, the client confirms they are authorized to use the payment method. Retainers and later payments are due on the dates shown in the accepted proposal’s payment schedule; the schedule does not by itself authorize automatic charges. A payment is complete only when Stripe confirms it has cleared; a declined, reversed, or uncollected payment does not confirm or maintain a booking. Special Sips may also record payments made by cash, check, or other offline methods that it has independently verified.

3. Client Cancellation

Cancellation must be in writing. Unless the proposal states otherwise, liquidated damages are: more than 60 days before the event, the earned booking retainer; 31–60 days, 50% of the event total; 15–30 days, 75%; and 14 days or fewer, 100%.

Amounts paid are credited against the cancellation amount and any unpaid amount may be invoiced. The schedule reflects planning, reserved labor, rentals, purchased products, administrative work, and lost booking opportunity that can be difficult to measure precisely.

4. Rescheduling

Rescheduling is subject to availability and written confirmation. A request more than 60 days before the event may be transferred once to an available replacement date within 12 months, subject to a $250 fee, current pricing, updated staffing and travel, and nonrecoverable third-party or custom costs.

A request inside 60 days may be treated as cancellation and a new booking. Payments are not transferable to another client without written approval.

5. Hurricanes, Evacuations, and Force Majeure

Force majeure includes a government evacuation order, legally mandated closure, emergency venue closure, hurricane, tropical storm, wildfire, major flood, widespread utility failure, or comparable event beyond reasonable control that makes performance legally prohibited or reasonably impossible.

The parties will first try to reschedule. Payments may transfer to an available date within 12 months less nonrecoverable expenses, committed third-party charges, custom purchases, and completed work. A forecast, ordinary bad weather, travel preference, or personal concern alone is not automatically force majeure.

6. Outdoor Events, Heat, and Weather

Outdoor events require an adequate backup plan, overhead cover or shade, stable flooring, and protection for staff, ingredients, electrical equipment, and rentals.

Staff are not required to work in lightning, dangerous winds, flooding, wildfire conditions, unsafe heat or air quality, or other conditions posing a reasonable threat. Ordinary rain, heat, humidity, or wind does not create an automatic refund when the event could proceed under the required backup plan.

7. Special Sips Cancellation

If Special Sips cannot perform for a reason within its reasonable control, it may provide a qualified replacement appropriate for the contracted service. If none is reasonably available, amounts paid for unperformed services will be refunded.

Liability for other losses is limited to amounts paid to Special Sips except where applicable law prohibits that limitation.