Refund & Cancellation Policy

1. Purpose

The Hidden Beach Organisation CIC organises events, markets, cultural activities and other community projects and also provides opportunities for traders, advertisers, sponsors and commercial partners.

This policy explains our general approach to cancellations, transfers, credits and refunds.

Different terms may apply to particular events, services or commercial agreements. Where specific terms were clearly provided when a booking or purchase was made, those terms should be read alongside this policy.

Nothing in this policy affects any statutory rights that cannot lawfully be excluded or restricted.

2. Event Tickets – Customer Cancellations

Event tickets are purchased for a specific event, date or performance.

If an event is going ahead as advertised but a ticket holder changes their mind, becomes unable to attend or no longer wishes to attend, the ticket will normally be non-refundable.

This includes circumstances such as changes to personal plans, travel difficulties or other circumstances preventing the ticket holder from attending.

Hidden Beach may consider exceptional circumstances at its discretion, but this does not create an automatic entitlement to a refund.

3. Events Cancelled by Hidden Beach

If Hidden Beach cancels a ticketed event and the event will not be rescheduled, ticket holders will be entitled to a refund of the ticket price paid to Hidden Beach.

Where tickets have been purchased through a third-party ticketing provider, the refund may need to be processed through that provider.

Any separately charged third-party booking, transaction or administration fees will be dealt with according to the terms that applied when the ticket was purchased and applicable consumer rights.

4. Postponed or Rescheduled Events

If an event is postponed or moved to another date, existing tickets will normally remain valid for the replacement date.

If a ticket holder cannot attend the replacement date, they may request a refund.

We will provide reasonable information about how and by when refund requests should be made when announcing the rescheduled event.

5. Changes to Events

Events sometimes require changes to programmes, running times, performers, activities, layouts or other arrangements.

Minor or reasonable changes will not normally create an automatic entitlement to a refund.

Where Hidden Beach makes a significant change that materially alters what a customer purchased, we will consider the appropriate refund or alternative arrangements taking account of the circumstances and applicable consumer rights.

6. Weather and Outdoor Events

Many Hidden Beach activities take place outdoors.

Customers should be prepared for normal seasonal weather conditions.

If an event continues despite rain, cold, wind or other weather conditions, refunds will not be provided simply because of the weather or because a customer chooses not to attend.

Customers should dress appropriately for the conditions.

Safety remains our priority. Hidden Beach may alter, suspend, postpone or cancel an event if weather conditions create an unacceptable safety risk.

If Hidden Beach cancels an event because of unsafe weather conditions, the cancellation provisions in this policy will apply.

7. Partial Disruption

Occasionally circumstances outside our reasonable control may result in delays, temporary interruptions or changes to part of an event.

A partial disruption will not necessarily result in a full refund.

Where a substantial part of an event cannot take place, Hidden Beach will consider the circumstances and determine an appropriate response, taking account of applicable consumer rights.

8. Trader Bookings

A confirmed trader booking reserves trading space or capacity that may otherwise have been offered to another trader.

For this reason, if a trader cancels a confirmed booking, the booking fee is non-refundable.

There is no automatic entitlement to move the booking to another trading date.

9. Exceptional Trader Circumstances

Hidden Beach recognises that exceptional circumstances can occasionally arise.

At our discretion, we may offer a trader an alternative available trading date or another appropriate resolution.

Any such arrangement is discretionary and will depend on circumstances and availability.

Offering an alternative on one occasion does not create an entitlement to the same arrangement for future cancellations.

10. Trader No-Shows

If a trader does not attend a confirmed trading date, the booking fee will not be refunded.

Failure to attend does not create an automatic entitlement to transfer the payment to another date.

11. Trading Dates Cancelled by Hidden Beach

If Hidden Beach cancels a trading date, we will normally first offer the affected trader a suitable alternative available trading date.

If an appropriate alternative cannot be offered, or the alternative offered is not reasonably suitable for the trader, the relevant booking fee may be refunded.

12. Weather and Trader Bookings

Markets and outdoor trading activities may operate in varying weather conditions.

Where a trading event continues, a trader choosing not to attend because of the weather will not normally be entitled to a refund.

Hidden Beach may suspend or cancel trading where weather or site conditions create an unacceptable safety risk.

Where Hidden Beach cancels the trading date, Section 11 will apply.

13. Magazine Advertising

Advertising bookings reserve space within a publication and may involve design, administration and production commitments.

An advertising booking may be cancelled before the publication has gone to print, subject to any specific terms agreed with the advertiser and any work already commissioned or undertaken.

Once the relevant publication has gone to print, the advertising booking is non-refundable.

Advertisers are responsible for providing required copy, artwork, approvals and other materials within agreed deadlines.

Failure by an advertiser to supply required material on time does not automatically create an entitlement to a refund.

14. Advertising Problems

If Hidden Beach is unable to provide advertising that has been paid for, we will consider an appropriate replacement, credit or refund according to the circumstances.

Where an error has occurred, the appropriate remedy will depend upon its significance and the service purchased.

Nothing in this section affects applicable statutory rights.

15. Sponsorship and Bespoke Commercial Agreements

Sponsorship arrangements, partnerships, bespoke advertising packages and other individually negotiated commercial arrangements may have their own payment and cancellation terms.

Where specific terms have been agreed for such an arrangement, the terms contained in the relevant agreement, booking confirmation, proposal or invoice will apply.

16. Duplicate or Incorrect Payments

If a customer or organisation has accidentally been charged twice, has paid an incorrect amount or believes a payment has been processed in error, they should contact us.

Once verified, genuine duplicate or incorrect payments will be corrected or refunded as appropriate.

17. Exceptional Circumstances

Hidden Beach retains discretion to consider refund, credit or transfer requests arising from exceptional circumstances even where this policy does not provide an automatic entitlement.

Decisions will be made according to the individual circumstances.

The exercise of discretion in one case does not establish an entitlement or precedent for another case.

18. Requesting a Refund

Refund requests should be sent to:

hello@hiddenbeach.uk

Please provide sufficient information for us to identify the transaction, including where applicable:

• your name;
• email address used for the booking;
• event or booking concerned;
• order, booking or invoice number;
• amount paid;
• date of payment; and
• reason for requesting the refund.

We may request additional information where reasonably necessary to verify the payment or determine whether a refund is due.

19. Refund Processing

Where a refund is approved, Hidden Beach aims to process it within 10 working days.

Refunds will normally be returned using the original payment method.

Once a refund has been processed by Hidden Beach, banks, card providers and payment platforms may require additional time before the money appears in the recipient's account.

These external processing times are outside Hidden Beach's control.

20. Third-Party Ticketing and Payment Platforms

Some payments or tickets may be processed through third-party services.

Where this occurs, refunds may need to be processed through the same platform and may also be subject to relevant terms disclosed when the purchase was made.

Hidden Beach cannot control the processing times of third-party payment providers.

21. Free Events

Where no payment was made for an event or reservation, cancellation of the booking does not create an entitlement to a monetary refund.

We encourage people who cannot attend a free event with limited capacity to cancel their reservation where possible so the place can be offered to somebody else.

22. Fraudulent or Abusive Claims

Hidden Beach reserves the right to investigate refund requests where there is reasonable evidence of fraud, misuse, duplicate claims or deliberate abuse of the refund process.

This does not affect a person's right to raise a genuine dispute or exercise their statutory rights.

23. Payment Disputes and Chargebacks

If there is a problem with a payment or service, we encourage customers to contact hello@hiddenbeach.uk first so that we have an opportunity to investigate and resolve the issue.

Nothing in this section removes any legal rights a customer may have through their card issuer, payment provider or applicable consumer law.

24. Statutory Rights

Nothing in this policy is intended to exclude, restrict or replace rights or remedies provided by applicable UK consumer law where those rights cannot lawfully be excluded.

Where a customer's statutory rights provide greater protection than this policy, those statutory rights will apply.

25. Contact

Questions about cancellations or refunds should be sent to:

hello@hiddenbeach.uk

26. Responsibility and Review

The Directors of The Hidden Beach Organisation CIC have overall responsibility for this policy.

The policy will be reviewed periodically and may be updated as Hidden Beach's events, booking systems and commercial activities develop.

Organisation: The Hidden Beach Organisation CIC Policy: Refund & Cancellation Policy Contact: hello@hiddenbeach.uk Effective: September 2026 Next review: September 2027