Students can request a refund within 30 days of buying a course, but refunds may be denied if you have completed too much of the course or Udemy determines you have requested refunds too frequently.
This analysis describes what Udemy's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
This clause establishes the refund eligibility window and completion thresholds that govern when refund requests will be processed, while permitting Udemy to implement account-level restrictions based on historical refund behavior patterns.
Interpretive note: The specific course completion percentage that triggers refund ineligibility is not stated in the general terms and may be defined in supplementary policy documents, creating ambiguity about where the threshold falls.
Students who complete a significant portion of a course or who have previously requested refunds may find their refund request denied even within the 30-day period, leaving them without recourse for courses that did not meet their expectations.
How other platforms handle this
Virtual Items Policy: This policy governs the access and use of Virtual Items (such as virtual coins and diamonds) on the Platform.
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"We want you to be satisfied with your purchase on Udemy. If you are unhappy with a course, for whatever reason, you can request a refund within 30 days of your purchase of the course, as long as you have not completed more than a certain percentage of the course or the course has not been downloaded. Udemy reserves the right to restrict refund privileges for students who have a history of excessive refund requests.— Excerpt from Udemy's Udemy Terms of Use
(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: Refund policy terms engage FTC Act consumer protection standards regarding clear and conspicuous disclosure of material limitations. EU consumer rights under the Consumer Rights Directive may provide withdrawal rights that differ from this 30-day policy for digital purchases; in particular, the Directive may give consumers 14 days to withdraw from digital service contracts under certain conditions. California consumer protection law may also apply to refund restriction practices. (2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Low to Medium. The refund policy itself is relatively standard for online course platforms. The discretionary restriction on repeat refund requesters introduces a non-transparent eligibility criterion that may create consumer complaints or FTC interest if applied inconsistently. (3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU consumers may have additional statutory withdrawal rights under national implementations of the Consumer Rights Directive that could provide recourse beyond what this policy states. Australian Consumer Law similarly provides mandatory remedies that contractual refund terms cannot override. (4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Enterprise and institutional buyers should negotiate explicit refund or credit terms in their agreements rather than relying on this consumer-facing refund policy, as the individual-purchase-focused terms may not adequately address bulk or subscription-based access scenarios. (5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: The lack of specificity around what percentage of completion triggers refund ineligibility, and the discretionary restriction on repeat requesters, may warrant review to ensure these practices align with consumer protection disclosure obligations in key markets.
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This clause establishes the refund eligibility window and completion thresholds that govern when refund requests will be processed, while permitting Udemy to implement account-level restrictions based on historical refund behavior patterns.
Students who complete a significant portion of a course or who have previously requested refunds may find their refund request denied even within the 30-day period, leaving them without recourse for courses that did not meet their expectations.
ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 1 platforms. See the full comparison.
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