Reservation and Refund Policy

This policy is part of our Terms and Conditions and applies to every reservation placed on studio-showdown.com.

1. What a reservation holds

• A reservation is a refundable deposit of one US dollar ($1.00 USD), charged once when you reserve.
• It holds one of 500 launch spots. When they are gone, the reservation form closes.
• One reservation holds one copy at the discounted tier.
• The deposit counts toward your pledge. [TEAM: confirm the mechanism. If the $1 is refunded after you pledge instead of deducted, say that here and in the FAQ]
• It is not a purchase of the game and does not set a final price.

2. How the 25% is applied

The discount is 25% off the Shark Whisper tier, the lowest-priced tier that includes the full game. No tier on the public campaign page will be cheaper. On launch day we email every reservation holder a backer-only link. [TEAM: confirm how the discount is applied: a hidden reward tier only reachable from the link, a limited early-bird tier, or a code redeemed in the pledge manager] The link is tied to the address you reserved with and is valid for the length of the campaign. If you do not pledge before the campaign closes, the spot is released and the $1 is refunded.

3. Refunds

• Before production starts: email hello@studio-showdown.com from the address you reserved with and we refund the full $1 within 10 business days. No reason needed. [TEAM: confirm the month production locks, or state an exact cut-off date, and the refund turnaround]
• After production starts: deposits are no longer refundable, because the count has gone to the manufacturer. Your Kickstarter pledge is still governed by Kickstarter's own cancellation rules until the campaign closes.
• Method: refunds go back to the card you paid with. Card providers can take 5 to 10 business days to show it.
• If the game changes: if what the Shark Whisper tier includes or where we can ship changes materially before launch, we email every reservation holder, and anyone who no longer wants their spot can take a full refund.

4. If the campaign does not fund

If the Kickstarter does not reach its goal, or we cancel the campaign, every open deposit is refunded automatically within [TEAM: number, for example 14] days of the campaign closing. You do not need to ask, and we email you when it is done.

5. Limits and transfers

Up to [TEAM: number, for example 2] copies per email address; retailers and groups who want more should email us. Reservations are tied to the email address used to place them. To give your spot to someone else, email us with their address. We may cancel and refund reservations that look fraudulent, duplicated, or placed by bots.

6. Contact

hello@studio-showdown.com. [TEAM: confirm the contact email] Include the email address you reserved with.