Client Terms & Conditions

Project Request & Minimum Budget

Minimum Budget Threshold

The minimum budget for any custom service request submitted through Melon Bridge is $100 USD. Submissions below this threshold will not be processed and will be automatically declined. Melon Grooves reserves the right to adjust this minimum at any time with notice posted on the platform.

Escrow Protection

Upon order confirmation and provider matching, Clients are required to deposit the full agreed project amount into Melon Grooves' secure platform escrow. Funds are safely held by the platform and are released to the Service Provider only after the final deliverable is completed and approved by the Client or deemed complete by Melon Grooves under the deemed completion policy.

Payment Obligation

Once a Client receives a payment link following provider matching, payment must be completed within 48 hours. Failure to pay within this window may result in the project being cancelled and the matched provider being released. Melon Grooves is not liable for any loss of provider availability resulting from delayed payment.

Currency & Taxes

All transactions are processed in USD. Clients are solely responsible for any applicable local taxes, import duties, or currency conversion fees charged by their bank or payment provider. Melon Grooves does not collect or remit taxes on behalf of Clients. Where GBP or other currency equivalents are displayed, they are indicative only — the USD amount is the binding contract price.

Right to Cancel — Waiver

Under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, you have a statutory right to cancel a service contract within 14 days. However, by submitting a project brief and requesting the service to commence immediately upon provider matching, you explicitly acknowledge and agree that you waive your 14-day right to cancel, as the service will begin before the cancellation period expires. This waiver does not affect your rights under the refund policy in Part 2 or any other statutory rights you hold.

Refund & Cancellation Policy

Pre-Payment Cancellation

A Client may cancel their project request at any time before payment is made with no charge. Once the payment link is issued and the provider is matched, cancellation before payment does not entitle the Client to any compensation.

Post-Payment Refund Eligibility

After payment is deposited into escrow, refunds are only available in the following circumstances:

• The Service Provider fails to deliver within the agreed 2-working-day window.
• The delivered work materially fails to meet the original brief requirements, as determined solely by Melon Grooves.
• The project is cancelled by Melon Grooves due to provider breach or platform error.

Non-Refundable Circumstances

Refunds will not be issued in the following circumstances:

• The Client changes their mind after payment is made.
• The Client requests changes outside the original brief scope.
• The Client fails to respond to a delivered project within 48 hours (deemed completion applies).
• The Client is dissatisfied with the style or creative direction, provided the deliverable meets the brief.
• Delays caused by the Client's failure to provide required materials, feedback, or approvals on time.

Refund Processing

Approved refunds will be returned to the original payment method within 5 to 10 business days. Melon Grooves is not responsible for delays caused by the Client's bank or payment provider.

Revisions & Scope Changes

Included Revisions

Each project includes a maximum of two (2) rounds of revisions within the scope of the original brief submitted at the time of the request. Revisions must be requested within 48 hours of delivery.

Out-of-Scope Requests

Requests for modifications that materially change, expand, or deviate from the original brief are considered out-of-scope and may incur additional service charges, subject to a new agreement between the Client and Melon Grooves. Out-of-scope requests do not entitle the Client to a refund of the original payment.

Brief Accuracy Responsibility

The Client is solely responsible for the accuracy, completeness, and clarity of the project brief submitted at the time of the request. Melon Grooves and the Service Provider will deliver based on the brief as submitted. Vague, incomplete, or misleading briefs do not constitute grounds for a refund or additional revisions beyond the included rounds.

Deemed Completion

If a Client fails to respond to a delivered project — including raising a dispute or requesting revisions — within 48 hours of delivery notification, Melon Grooves reserves the right to mark the project as Completed and release escrow to the Service Provider automatically. No refund will be issued after deemed completion.

Off-Platform Communications Prohibition

Platform-Only Communication

All communications, file exchanges, feedback, and agreements related to a Melon Bridge project must be conducted exclusively through the Melon Grooves official platform system. Clients must not attempt to contact, solicit, or communicate with Service Providers through any external channel, including but not limited to WhatsApp, personal email, phone, or social media.

No Liability for Off-Platform Activity

Melon Grooves assumes no responsibility for project quality, financial losses, disputes, data breaches, or any other harm arising from off-platform agreements, communications, or payments made outside the official Melon Bridge system.

Breach Consequences

Any Client found to have solicited off-platform communication or payment with a Service Provider will have their project cancelled without refund and may be permanently banned from the Melon Bridge platform.

Dispute Resolution

Raising a Dispute

If a Client believes a delivered project does not meet the requirements of the original brief, they must raise a formal dispute through the Melon Bridge platform within 48 hours of delivery notification. Disputes raised after this window will not be considered.

Melon Grooves as Final Arbiter

All disputes between Clients and Service Providers are subject to review and final determination by Melon Grooves. Melon Grooves has sole and final discretion to determine whether the deliverable meets the brief, whether a refund or revision is warranted, and whether escrow should be released or returned. The decision of Melon Grooves is final and binding on both parties.

Good Faith Requirement

Clients must engage in the dispute process in good faith. Raising frivolous, vexatious, or bad-faith disputes — including disputes designed to obtain free work or avoid payment for compliant deliverables — constitutes a breach of these Terms and may result in account suspension and forfeiture of any refund claim.

Acceptable Use & Prohibited Requests

Permitted Use

Melon Bridge is a platform for legitimate creative and professional service requests within the music, entertainment, and creative industries. Clients may only submit briefs for lawful, ethical, and commercially legitimate projects.

Prohibited Requests

Clients must not submit briefs requesting:

• Content that infringes third-party intellectual property, copyright, or trademark rights.
• Defamatory, obscene, harassing, or illegal content of any kind.
• Content designed to deceive, defraud, or harm any individual or organisation.
• Services that violate any applicable local, national, or international law or regulation.
• Any work that Melon Grooves, in its sole discretion, deems harmful to its reputation or community standards.

Consequences of Prohibited Requests

Submission of a prohibited request will result in immediate project cancellation without refund, and may result in permanent platform ban and referral to relevant authorities where applicable.

Chargebacks & Payment Disputes

Chargeback Policy

By making a payment through Melon Bridge, the Client agrees to resolve any payment disputes exclusively through the Melon Bridge dispute resolution process outlined in Part 5 of these Terms, before initiating any chargeback or payment reversal with their bank or card provider.

Unauthorised Chargebacks

Initiating a chargeback or payment reversal without first exhausting the Melon Bridge dispute process constitutes a material breach of these Terms. Melon Grooves reserves the right to contest any chargeback, provide evidence of service delivery to the payment processor, and pursue recovery of any reversed funds plus associated fees.

Account Suspension on Chargeback

Any Client who initiates an unauthorised chargeback will have their Melon Bridge access suspended immediately pending investigation. Confirmed fraudulent chargebacks may result in permanent ban and legal action.

Intellectual Property & Deliverable Ownership

Ownership Transfer on Completion

Upon full payment and project completion, all intellectual property rights, copyrights, and rights of usage in the final deliverable are transferred to the Client. This transfer is conditional on full payment being received and the project being officially marked as Completed.

No Transfer Before Completion

The Client does not acquire any rights to the deliverable — including the right to use, publish, distribute, or modify it — until the project is officially marked as Completed and full payment has been processed. Any use of a deliverable prior to this point is unauthorised.

Client-Provided Materials

The Client warrants that any materials, assets, references, or content provided to the Service Provider as part of the brief are owned by the Client or that the Client has the legal right to use them for the purposes of the project. The Client indemnifies Melon Grooves against any third-party IP claims arising from Client-provided materials.

Limitation of Liability

Mandatory Exceptions

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for: (a) death or personal injury caused by negligence; (b) fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or (c) any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited under English law. All exclusions and limitations below apply only to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

Platform Liability Cap

Subject to the mandatory exceptions above, Melon Grooves' total aggregate liability to any Client — whether in contract, tort, negligence, or otherwise — shall not exceed the total amount paid by the Client for the specific project in dispute.

No Consequential Damages

Subject to the mandatory exceptions above, Melon Grooves shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of revenue, loss of business opportunity, reputational harm, or loss of data, even if Melon Grooves has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Third-Party Provider Disclaimer

Melon Grooves acts as a platform intermediary and is not the Service Provider. While Melon Grooves reviews provider applications and manages the escrow process, it does not guarantee the creative output, style, or commercial success of any deliverable. The Client accepts that creative services involve subjective judgment and that Melon Grooves is not liable for outcomes that meet the brief but do not satisfy the Client's subjective expectations.

Platform Availability

Melon Grooves does not warrant uninterrupted or error-free operation of the platform. Temporary unavailability due to maintenance, technical issues, or circumstances beyond our control does not constitute a breach of these Terms.

Governing Law & Jurisdiction

Applicable Law

These Terms and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them — including non-contractual disputes or claims — shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Exclusive Jurisdiction

The parties irrevocably agree that the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with these Terms or their subject matter or formation.

Consumer Rights

Nothing in these Terms affects any statutory rights you may have under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, or any other applicable UK consumer protection legislation. Where such statutory rights apply, they take precedence over any conflicting provision in these Terms.

Language

These Terms are drafted in English. In the event of any translation, the English version shall prevail.

General Provisions

Data Protection

By using Melon Bridge, you agree to the collection and processing of your personal data (including name, email address, and payment information) in accordance with our Privacy Policy and in compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Your data is processed solely for the purposes of operating the Melon Bridge platform, processing payments, and communicating with you about your projects.

Entire Agreement

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between Melon Grooves and the Client with respect to the use of Melon Bridge and supersede all prior agreements, representations, and understandings.

Amendments

Melon Grooves reserves the right to amend these Terms at any time. We will provide at least 14 days' notice of any material changes by posting updated Terms at this URL with a revised effective date. Continued use of the Melon Bridge platform after the effective date of any amendment constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

Waiver

Failure by Melon Grooves to enforce any provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of its right to enforce that provision in the future.

Assignment

The Client may not assign or transfer any rights or obligations under these Terms without the prior written consent of Melon Grooves. Melon Grooves may assign its rights and obligations without restriction.

Standard Clause

Provider Financial & Service Acknowledgment