Most creators write a refund policy once, tuck it in the footer and never read it again. One real case shows what happens when the promise on the sales page and the fine print don't match.
Last updated: October 2026 · By Gen X Still Standing
The pre-launch checklist in The Course Creator's Legal Minefield says your refund policy should be written down, match what you actually do, and be easy for customers to find. In the cases below, the trouble came from the gap between the guarantee on the sales page and the conditions buried in the fine print.
FTC and Utah Division of Consumer Protection v. Zurixx, LLC. The FTC and Utah regulators sued over Zurixx's real estate investment coaching programs. They alleged its contract terms made refunds nearly impossible to collect, and that separate agreements barred customers who got a refund from posting negative reviews or talking to regulators.
Zurixx advertised a money-back guarantee. The actual conditions were buried in fine print most customers never read.
It settled in 2022. The company was permanently banned from selling coaching programs. At the time the book was written, more than $12 million in refunds had gone out to the people it misled. The documents existed. They were written to look like protection while actually preventing it.
In the Matter of Publishing.com, the FTC settled with a self-publishing course company for $1.5 million. Its "no questions asked" money-back guarantee turned out to have a long list of conditions buried in fine print.
The book's takeaway: the FTC went after the broader pattern of false earnings claims, buried refund conditions, and unsupported guarantees.
Found a gap? You found it before a regulator did. How to fix it, and what else your checkout needs, is in the book.
Got a dispute, or terms you're not sure about? If real money, a real dispute, or real exposure is on the table, the book says a 30-minute consult is cheaper than finding out the hard way.
I spent 30 years building things with my hands. I had to close my company down and start over from zero.
Other creators already paid for these mistakes, some of them in the millions. Get the 9 real cases free, in plain English, before your next launch.
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Do I need a refund policy for my online course?
The book's pre-launch checklist includes a refund policy that is written, matches your actual practice, and is easy for customers to find.
Can refund terms get a business in trouble?
They can when the promise and the fine print don't match. Zurixx was permanently banned from selling coaching programs, and more than $12 million in refunds had gone out at the time of writing.
Is it safe to say "no questions asked"?
Only if it's true. Publishing.com's "no questions asked" guarantee had a long list of conditions buried in fine print. The FTC settled with the company for $1.5 million.
How do I check my own refund policy?
Read it like a customer would, next to your sales page and checkout. The promise and the conditions should match.
When should I talk to a lawyer?
When real money, a real dispute, or real exposure is on the table. One hour with a small-business attorney commonly runs $150 to $500.
Educational only, not legal advice. The author is not a lawyer. For your situation, talk to a licensed attorney. Written from US law; laws vary by state and country. Built by a Gen Xer with AI, for Gen Xers.
