Merchant Refund, Cancellation
05th Sept 2026
OOTER
Merchant Refund, Cancellation & Campaign Protection Policy
**Effective Date:** 05 September 2026
**Platform:** OOTER
**Operated by:** Adbook Communication Private Limited
---
## 1. Purpose
This Merchant Refund, Cancellation & Campaign Protection Policy (“Policy”) establishes the rules governing:
* Merchant cancellation of confirmed OOTER campaigns
* Protection of confirmed OOTER campaigns
* Campaign interruptions and downtime
* Inventory damage or unavailability
* Merchant-side operational failures
* User-side campaign issues
* Refunds, compensation and campaign extensions
* Payment holds and recovery
* Force majeure situations
* Enforcement actions for repeated violations
This Policy forms an integral part of the OOTER Merchant Terms of Usage.
---
## 2. Scope
This Policy applies to all merchants, media owners, inventory owners, agencies, operators, contractors and authorized representatives listing outdoor advertising inventory on OOTER.
It applies to all OOTER-confirmed bookings, whether the inventory is:
* Billboards
* Hoardings
* Unipoles
* Digital screens
* Bus shelters
* Transit media
* RWA media
* Lift branding
* Cab branding
* Retail media
* Railway advertising
* Any other outdoor advertising format listed on OOTER
---
## 3. Definitions
### 3.1 Merchant
A person, company, agency or organization authorized to own, operate, manage or commercially sell advertising inventory listed on OOTER.
### 3.2 Confirmed Campaign
A campaign for which the booking has been confirmed on OOTER and the merchant has received or is eligible to receive a booking confirmation.
### 3.3 Campaign Period
The approved period for which the advertiser has booked and paid for the inventory.
### 3.4 Downtime
Any period during which the booked advertising inventory is unavailable, non-functional, materially obstructed, damaged, removed or otherwise unable to deliver the agreed advertising exposure.
### 3.5 Merchant-Side Failure
Any cancellation, interruption, replacement, obstruction, double booking, unauthorized removal, non-availability or other failure attributable to the merchant or its representatives.
### 3.6 User-Side Failure
Any issue caused by the advertiser/user, including delayed creative submission, non-compliant creative, payment-related issues or other circumstances attributable to the user.
---
# 4. General Campaign Protection Principle
Once an OOTER booking is confirmed, the merchant is required to protect and provide the booked inventory for the entire confirmed campaign period.
A merchant must not:
* Sell the same committed inventory to another party
* Replace the booked inventory without OOTER approval
* Remove the campaign without valid reason
* Cancel the campaign for commercial convenience
* Give preference to an offline/direct customer over a confirmed OOTER campaign
* Mark inventory as unavailable after receiving an OOTER booking
* Transfer the campaign to another site without approval
Confirmed OOTER campaigns receive priority over subsequent offline or third-party bookings for the same committed inventory.
---
# 5. Merchant Cancellation
Merchant cancellation of a confirmed campaign is permitted only under genuine and verifiable circumstances.
Valid circumstances may include:
1. Government or municipal restrictions
2. Legal or regulatory restrictions
3. Permanent or substantial site damage
4. Structural safety concerns
5. Removal of the advertising structure by an authorized authority
6. Force majeure events
7. Other circumstances accepted by OOTER after verification
The merchant must immediately inform OOTER and provide supporting evidence.
---
# 6. Unjustified Merchant Cancellation
Cancellation due to commercial reasons or merchant preference shall generally be treated as an unjustified cancellation.
Examples include:
* Receiving a higher-paying offline booking
* Giving the site to another advertiser
* Deciding not to continue with OOTER after booking confirmation
* Incorrectly maintaining inventory availability
* Double booking
* Failure to coordinate with the merchant's own sales team
* Internal communication failures
* Failure to update inventory
* Price disputes after confirmation
* Attempting to renegotiate a confirmed booking
Such cancellation may result in enforcement action and financial penalties.
---
# 7. Merchant Cancellation Penalty
For an unjustified merchant-side cancellation or replacement of a confirmed campaign, OOTER may impose a penalty of **up to 10% of the applicable campaign booking value**, depending on the severity and circumstances of the violation.
OOTER may additionally recover:
* User compensation
* Refund-related costs
* Rebooking or replacement costs
* Operational expenses
* Proven losses directly arising from the merchant's failure
Repeated violations may result in suspension or permanent removal of the merchant account.
---
# 8. Double Booking
A merchant must not sell or commit an OOTER-confirmed inventory to another advertiser during the confirmed OOTER campaign period.
If double booking occurs, the merchant must immediately:
1. Inform OOTER
2. Stop the conflicting booking where legally and commercially possible
3. Protect the OOTER campaign
4. Provide supporting information requested by OOTER
5. Cooperate in resolving the issue
Double booking may be treated as a serious merchant violation.
---
# 9. Campaign Interruption
If a confirmed campaign is interrupted due to a merchant-side issue, the merchant must notify OOTER immediately.
The merchant must take reasonable steps to restore campaign delivery as quickly as possible.
Depending on the verified downtime, OOTER may require:
* Restoration of the campaign
* Campaign extension
* Replacement inventory
* Partial or full financial adjustment
* Compensation to the user
* Payment hold
* Other corrective action
---
# 10. Site Damage
If the booked advertising site is damaged during the campaign, the merchant must arrange restoration as soon as reasonably possible.
Where practical, the merchant should restore the site within **2–3 working days**.
Following verified downtime, OOTER may provide the advertiser with a campaign extension.
The standard extension may be **at least 2 additional days**, subject to the actual downtime and campaign circumstances.
In exceptional cases, an extension of up to **4 days** may be provided or required.
---
# 11. Campaign Extension
Where campaign delivery is interrupted because of a merchant-side issue, OOTER may extend the campaign to compensate for verified downtime.
The extension will generally correspond to the period for which the advertiser did not receive the contracted exposure.
Campaign extensions may be subject to:
* Site availability
* Regulatory restrictions
* Technical feasibility
* Campaign duration
* User requirements
* Verification of downtime
---
# 12. Replacement Inventory
Where the original inventory cannot be restored within a reasonable period, OOTER may request the merchant to provide replacement inventory.
Replacement inventory should, where reasonably possible, provide comparable:
* Location
* Visibility
* Format
* Size
* Audience relevance
* Campaign exposure
Replacement shall be subject to OOTER approval.
A merchant cannot unilaterally replace a booked inventory with a materially different location or format.
---
# 13. User-Caused Campaign Issues
A merchant shall not be penalized for campaign interruption caused directly by the advertiser/user where the merchant has complied with its obligations.
Examples may include:
* User fails to provide approved creative
* User submits prohibited or non-compliant creative
* User delays required campaign materials
* User fails to make required payment
* User requests campaign postponement
* User requests cancellation after the applicable cancellation window
In such circumstances, OOTER will assess the situation before applying any merchant penalty.
---
# 14. User Creative Compliance
The merchant is not responsible for the legality or ownership of the user's advertising creative where the merchant has reasonably relied on OOTER's approval and instructions.
However, if a merchant receives a valid legal, governmental or regulatory objection concerning campaign content, the merchant must immediately notify OOTER.
The merchant should not independently alter approved creative without authorization except where required by law or immediate safety considerations.
---
# 15. Merchant-Side Infringement
If a campaign cannot legally operate because the merchant:
* Does not hold valid rights to the inventory
* Provides expired ownership documents
* Misrepresents ownership
* Uses unauthorized inventory
* Lists inventory without valid authorization
* Fails to maintain required permissions
* Provides false or misleading documentation
OOTER may take immediate protective action.
Such action may include:
* Suspension of the affected inventory
* Payment hold
* Campaign cancellation
* User refund
* User compensation
* Recovery of applicable costs
* Merchant account suspension
* Permanent debarment
---
# 16. Ownership and Permission Disputes
If a third party, government authority, property owner or other authorized entity raises a legitimate claim concerning the merchant's right to operate the inventory, OOTER may temporarily suspend the inventory or campaign until the matter is resolved.
The merchant must provide relevant documents and cooperate with OOTER's verification process.
---
# 17. Government or Regulatory Action
If an inventory is removed, restricted, sealed, demolished or otherwise made unavailable by a government or regulatory authority, the merchant must immediately notify OOTER.
The merchant should provide, where available:
* Government notice
* Removal order
* Restriction order
* Authority communication
* Photographs/videos
* Other supporting evidence
OOTER will assess whether the event qualifies as force majeure or another valid campaign interruption.
---
# 18. Force Majeure
A merchant shall not ordinarily be treated as being in breach where campaign interruption is caused by circumstances beyond reasonable control.
Examples may include:
* Natural disasters
* Severe weather
* Fire
* Flood
* Earthquake
* Government action
* Civil unrest
* War
* Major public emergencies
* Other extraordinary events beyond reasonable control
The affected merchant must notify OOTER as soon as reasonably possible and provide available evidence.
---
# 19. Force Majeure Mitigation
Even in a force majeure situation, the merchant should take reasonable steps to:
* Protect the advertising inventory
* Inform OOTER
* Minimize campaign downtime
* Restore the inventory where possible
* Provide alternative inventory where feasible
The final treatment of campaign extension, refund or adjustment shall depend on the circumstances and verified impact.
---
# 20. No Refund for Partial Usage — General Principle
A campaign shall not automatically qualify for a refund merely because the advertiser did not use the inventory for part of the campaign period.
Refund or compensation may be considered where the partial usage resulted from:
* Verified merchant-side violation
* Confirmed OOTER operational failure
* Material campaign interruption
* Legal/regulatory restriction attributable to the merchant
* Other circumstances specifically approved by OOTER
---
# 21. Campaign Cancellation After Confirmation
Once a campaign has been confirmed, the merchant should not request cancellation merely because the inventory can be sold at a better commercial value elsewhere.
Any such cancellation may be treated as a merchant violation.
OOTER may attempt to resolve the situation through:
* Campaign continuation
* Alternative inventory
* Campaign extension
* Replacement
* Commercial adjustment
* Other mutually acceptable solution
---
# 22. Payment Holds
OOTER may temporarily hold pending merchant payments where there is a reasonable concern regarding:
* Campaign non-delivery
* Inventory ownership
* Double booking
* Fraud
* Misrepresentation
* User complaints
* Government action
* Legal claims
* Campaign interruption
* Merchant-side infringement
* Other material contractual violations
Payment holds may remain in place until the relevant issue is investigated or resolved.
---
# 23. Recovery of User Compensation
Where a verified merchant-side violation causes OOTER to provide a refund, compensation or replacement benefit to an advertiser, OOTER may recover the applicable amount from the merchant, subject to the circumstances and contractual terms.
Recovery may be made through:
* Pending merchant settlements
* Future merchant settlements
* Other amounts payable by OOTER to the merchant
* Other lawful recovery mechanisms
---
# 24. Campaign Protection During Disputes
During a dispute, the merchant must not:
* Remove the campaign without authorization
* Destroy or alter campaign evidence
* Replace the campaign with another advertiser
* Block OOTER access to campaign verification
* Misrepresent campaign status
The merchant must cooperate with OOTER's investigation.
---
# 25. Proof of Campaign Delivery
The merchant may be required to provide campaign proof, including:
* Installation photographs
* Time-stamped photographs
* Videos
* Geo-tagged evidence where applicable
* Campaign completion proof
* Site inspection information
* Other reasonable documentation
Failure to provide required proof may delay settlement or trigger verification.
---
# 26. Merchant Responsibilities During Campaign
The merchant is responsible for ensuring that the booked inventory remains:
* Available
* Accessible
* Operational
* Reasonably visible
* Structurally usable
* Free from unauthorized replacement
* Consistent with the inventory listed on OOTER
Material changes must be reported to OOTER.
---
# 27. Unauthorized Modification
The merchant must not materially change:
* Site location
* Advertising structure
* Display size
* Display format
* Visibility conditions
* Lighting/display functionality
* Campaign placement
without informing OOTER where the change may affect campaign delivery.
---
# 28. Inventory Unavailability
If inventory becomes unavailable before the campaign begins, the merchant must notify OOTER immediately.
OOTER may:
1. Seek alternative inventory from the merchant
2. Offer replacement inventory
3. Cancel the affected campaign
4. Process applicable user refund
5. Apply merchant-side consequences where the unavailability was avoidable
---
# 29. Merchant Request for Campaign Change
Any request to change a confirmed campaign should be submitted to OOTER before implementation.
Examples include:
* Change of location
* Change of campaign dates
* Change of inventory
* Temporary removal
* Site modification
* Campaign interruption
No material change should be treated as approved merely because the merchant has informed the user directly.
---
# 30. Direct Communication With Advertiser
Merchants may communicate with advertisers where necessary for campaign execution.
However, merchants must not use campaign-related communication to:
* Circumvent OOTER
* Redirect the advertiser to an offline transaction
* Cancel an OOTER booking to secure a direct booking
* Offer undisclosed direct pricing to bypass OOTER
* Collect payment outside the OOTER platform for an OOTER-confirmed booking
Such conduct may result in suspension or termination.
---
# 31. Merchant-Initiated Refunds
Where a merchant voluntarily agrees to refund or compensate an advertiser due to a campaign issue, the merchant must coordinate the process through OOTER where the original booking was made through OOTER.
Merchants should not independently create refund arrangements that conflict with the platform booking records.
---
# 32. OOTER-Initiated Refunds
Where OOTER determines that an advertiser is entitled to a refund due to a verified merchant-side failure, OOTER may process the refund through the applicable payment mechanism.
The merchant may be responsible for the corresponding amount where the refund resulted from the merchant's breach or failure.
---
# 33. Refund Processing Timeline
Where a refund is approved, OOTER will generally initiate the refund through its designated payment gateway or payment mechanism.
Refund processing may take approximately **7–10 business days**, subject to payment gateway, banking and settlement timelines.
---
# 34. Chargebacks and Payment Disputes
If an advertiser initiates a chargeback or payment dispute related to a merchant-side issue, OOTER may investigate the matter and temporarily hold the related merchant settlement.
The merchant must provide requested documentation and cooperate with the investigation.
---
# 35. Fraudulent or Misleading Claims
A merchant must not:
* Submit false campaign proof
* Misrepresent campaign duration
* Misrepresent inventory availability
* Submit manipulated photographs or videos
* Claim campaign execution where it did not occur
* Provide false ownership documents
* Misrepresent site condition
* Conceal material campaign interruptions
Such conduct may be treated as serious misconduct and may result in permanent debarment.
---
# 36. Repeated Violations
OOTER may apply progressive enforcement depending on the nature and frequency of violations.
Possible actions include:
**First occurrence:** Warning and corrective action
**Repeated occurrence:** Penalty, inventory restriction or temporary suspension
**Serious/repeated misconduct:** Account suspension or removal of inventory
**Fraudulent or material misconduct:** Permanent debarment and recovery of applicable losses
OOTER may skip progressive stages where the violation is sufficiently serious.
---
# 37. Evidence and Investigation
OOTER may consider:
* Campaign photographs
* Videos
* GPS/geo-location information
* Timestamp information
* Booking records
* Merchant communications
* User complaints
* Government notices
* Ownership documents
* Inventory records
* Payment records
* Other relevant evidence
OOTER may request additional documentation where required.
---
# 38. Merchant Cooperation
The merchant agrees to cooperate reasonably with OOTER during campaign disputes, refund matters, complaints, verification processes and investigations.
Failure to cooperate may itself constitute a violation.
---
# 39. No Automatic Liability for OOTER
OOTER acts as a platform/intermediary connecting advertisers with merchants.
Except where expressly agreed otherwise, OOTER shall not be responsible for merchant-owned or merchant-operated infrastructure, government restrictions, site damage, third-party interference or other events outside OOTER's reasonable control.
---
# 40. Relationship With Merchant Payment Policy
This Policy should be read together with the **OOTER Merchant Payment & Settlement Policy**.
Where a merchant is otherwise eligible for settlement, the applicable merchant settlement structure is:
* **25%** after campaign go-live
* **25%** at campaign midpoint
* **50%** after campaign completion
Settlement remains subject to campaign verification, applicable deductions, payment holds, disputes, refunds, penalties and other contractual obligations.
---
# 41. No Waiver
Failure by OOTER to immediately enforce any provision of this Policy shall not constitute a waiver of OOTER's right to enforce the provision subsequently.
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# 42. Policy Modification
OOTER may modify, update or replace this Policy from time to time to reflect:
* Operational requirements
* Legal or regulatory changes
* Payment processes
* Platform improvements
* Fraud prevention requirements
* Changes in outdoor advertising practices
The updated Policy shall become effective from the date communicated by OOTER.
---
# 43. Governing Terms
This Policy forms part of the OOTER Merchant Terms of Usage.
In case of any conflict between this Policy and another OOTER merchant policy, OOTER may interpret the provisions to maintain the intended commercial and operational protection of confirmed campaigns, subject to applicable law and the specific contractual arrangement with the merchant.
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# 44. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
This Policy shall be governed by the applicable laws of India.
Subject to any applicable dispute-resolution arrangement, courts having jurisdiction in **Delhi, India** shall have jurisdiction over disputes arising from this Policy.
---
# 45. Merchant Acceptance
By listing inventory on OOTER, accepting an OOTER booking, or continuing to provide inventory through the platform, the merchant acknowledges that it has read, understood and agreed to this Merchant Refund, Cancellation & Campaign Protection Policy.
The merchant agrees to protect confirmed OOTER campaigns and comply with the cancellation, refund, downtime, campaign protection and enforcement requirements stated herein.
**For OOTER**
**Adbook Communication Private Limited**
**Effective Date:** 05 September 2026