This Refund Policy applies to Inner Circle paid subscriptions to robert.winter.ink. It forms part of, and should be read alongside, the Terms of Service and the Privacy Policy.
The Short Version
Inner Circle membership is sold on a non-refundable basis as a general commercial rule. Every new subscriber receives a seven-day free trial; if the subscription isn't for you, cancel before the trial ends and you won't be charged. After the trial, charges already processed are not ordinarily refunded.
This general position is subject to the rights you have under the Australian Consumer Law and any equivalent consumer protection law that applies to you. Nothing in this policy excludes, restricts, or modifies those rights.
The Free Trial
Every new Inner Circle subscriber receives a seven-day free trial. During the trial you have full Inner Circle access—the archive, current essays, marginalia, and the weekly cadence. Payment details are required at sign-up, but no charge is made until the trial ends.
To end the trial without being charged, cancel through the member portal before the seven days expire. Cancellation during the trial is effective immediately. The first subscription charge is processed at the start of day eight only if the trial has not been cancelled.
Cancellation and Auto-Renewal
You may cancel your subscription at any time through the member portal. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current paid period, and you retain Inner Circle access until that date. Cancellation does not of itself trigger a refund for the unused remainder of the period.
You may also turn off auto-renewal at any time through the portal, which prevents future billing while preserving your access for the remainder of the current period.
A renewal notice is sent by email at least fourteen days before an annual renewal and at least seven days before a monthly renewal. If you do not wish to renew, cancel or turn off auto-renewal before that notice period lapses.
Refunds
As a general rule, subscription fees are not refundable after the free trial ends. I understand this is a firmer position than some publications take, but the economics of a sole-author publication do not support open-ended refund rights, and the seven-day trial exists precisely to remove the need for them.
Refunds will, however, be made where:
- Consumer guarantees under Australian law apply. Nothing in this policy excludes, restricts, or modifies any consumer guarantee or right that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law (Schedule 2 to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)). If the service fails to comply with a consumer guarantee—for example, if it is not rendered with due care and skill, or is not reasonably fit for the purpose for which it was supplied—you have remedies that, depending on the nature of the failure, may include a refund of fees paid.
- A charge has been made in error. If you have been charged twice, charged after cancellation, or otherwise billed in error, contact me via the contact form and I will investigate and refund as appropriate.
- Cessation of the Inner Circle service. If I cease to operate the Inner Circle, I will aim to continue your access through to the end of your current paid period, after which your subscription will not renew. I do not undertake to make automatic pro-rata refunds for unused time. Where cessation occurs before the end of a paid period, any claim will be dealt with in accordance with the rights that apply to you under the Australian Consumer Law and any equivalent consumer protection law.
Refunds are made to the original payment method and take up to fourteen days to appear, depending on your card issuer or bank.
European Union and United Kingdom Right of Withdrawal
If you are a consumer ordinarily resident in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, you have a statutory right under the EU Consumer Rights Directive (2011/83/EU) and the UK Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 to withdraw from a distance contract within fourteen days of its conclusion.
By activating an Inner Circle subscription and accessing paywalled Content, you expressly consent to the immediate supply of digital content and services, and acknowledge that your right of withdrawal is extinguished once you have done so. In practice, the seven-day free trial provides a no-cost window in which to decide whether the subscription suits you, and for most members this substitutes for the statutory withdrawal right without the need to invoke it.
If you are in the EEA or UK and wish to exercise a right of withdrawal in circumstances where it has not been extinguished, contact me via the contact form within the applicable period.
Revocation for Cause
Where an Inner Circle membership is terminated for cause under the Terms of Service—for example, for repeated breach of the acceptable-use provisions or for sharing of paywalled Content outside the Inner Circle—no refund is made in respect of the unused remainder of the current billing period.
Chargebacks
If you dispute a charge directly with your bank or card issuer rather than contacting me first, a chargeback process is initiated by the financial institution and imposes administrative costs on the publication. Most chargebacks are the result of a misunderstanding that could have been resolved by email. Please contact me before initiating a chargeback. Unresolved or frivolous chargebacks may result in the termination of your membership and the forfeiture of the remainder of the current billing period under the cause-based revocation provision above.
Pricing Changes
Changes to subscription pricing are notified at least thirty days in advance, in accordance with clause 3 of the Terms of Service. A price change does not affect any billing period for which you have already paid.
FAQ
Do you offer student discounts?
No. The Inner Circle runs on a simple principle: the work costs what it costs. I appreciate the enthusiasm of students—truly—but there are no discounted tiers at present.
What’s “Support My Work” about?
Some readers have asked for a way to contribute more than the standard annual fee. The Support My Work option exists for those inclined to support the work beyond the base rate. It is entirely optional and comes with a sincere thank-you—and exactly the same access. No velvet ropes, no secret handshake.
Note that a Support My Work contribution is a payment for the Inner Circle service at a higher-than-standard rate, not a donation for tax purposes. No deductible-gift receipt is issued, and the contribution is not tax-deductible.
Can I share membership content outside the Inner Circle?
In short: no. Your membership grants access to material that sits behind a paywall for a reason. Please don't circulate it elsewhere. Repeated or deliberate sharing will result in your membership being revoked—not out of malice, but because exclusivity only works if it remains exclusive. Revocation for this reason is revocation for cause, which does not attract a refund.
I have comments or ideas about the membership. How do I share them?
Good. Thoughtful readers make the work better. Use the contact form to send through any comments, ideas, irritations, or suggestions. I read everything, even if I don't reply in five minutes.
My membership renewed and I didn’t mean for that to happen. What now?
Renewal notices go out in advance precisely to prevent surprises—fourteen days before an annual renewal and seven days before a monthly one. But mistakes happen. Use the contact form and I will do my best to assist, within the bounds of this policy and any consumer rights that apply to you.
How do I update my account details (email, payment method, auto-renew, etc.)?
All account management lives in the member portal. You can update your email, change your payment method, and turn off auto-renewal without waiting for me to reply to an email at 11 p.m.
How can I get help for something not covered here?
Use the contact form. If the question is widely shared, I will add it to this page. If it is idiosyncratic, I will answer directly—with good cheer and minimal bureaucracy.
Contact Me
Last updated: 23 April 2026