The clauses that matter
- Cancellation window before start — full vs partial refund, and the cutoff date
- Withdrawal after start — almost always non-refunded; check credit/transfer-to-future-batch terms instead
- Non-attendance (missed sessions) — recovery options: recordings, seat in a later cohort
- Provider cancellation — full refund or reschedule, in writing
- Payment-plan default terms — what happens to partial payments
The Indian context
Consumer-protection law in India covers deficiency of service generally; disputing a course you attended but disliked is far weaker than disputing one that never delivered. Practical protection is front-loaded: pay by traceable instruments, keep the advertised terms (screenshot the page), and get the refund policy in writing before paying — the questions-to-ask guide includes the exact script.
A provider-honesty signal
Clear, published refund and cohort-transfer terms correlate with providers who expect you to stay. Vagueness on refund questions in the sales call is data about the whole relationship.