Paid Services & Refund Policy

This Paid Services & Refund Policy applies to all paid offerings made available by ESBICM through the ESBICM website (esbicm.org), the Member Panel, and any other digital service, channel, platform or communication operated under the ESBICM name (together, the "Service").

This Policy forms part of, and should be read together with, the ESBICM Terms of Use, the ESBICM Disclaimer and the ESBICM Privacy Policy.

1. About this Policy

This Policy explains what services ESBICM provides free of charge, what services carry a fee, how fees are charged, and how refunds are handled in case of cancellation or other circumstances. It applies to all members and non-members who register for or purchase any paid offering from ESBICM.

2. ESBICM's Financial Philosophy

ESBICM is a non-commercial educational society. Our mission is to provide freely accessible and affordable bedside critical care education for every healthcare professional involved in the care of critically ill patients. ESBICM does not generate profit. Where fees are charged for specific offerings, those fees are set to cover the genuine costs of designing, delivering and maintaining the offering — not for commercial gain. Any financial surplus is reinvested into ESBICM's educational mission. The full financial framework is set out in the ESBICM Organisational Structure & Standard Operating Procedures.

3. What is Free

ESBICM Membership — both Life Membership and Associate Life Membership — is provided at no cost and remains free for life.

Core educational resources are also free, including The ICU Channel on YouTube, ESBICM Live Classes, The ICU App and its Community, the Mentorship Forum, the ICU Visual e-Library, the ESBICM Discussion Board archive, the ESBICM Newsletter, blog content, and most articles and resources published on esbicm.org. Some ESBICM courses are also offered free of charge. Where a course carries a fee, it is shown on the course page and in the Member Panel. The vast majority of what ESBICM offers is and will remain free of charge.

4. Paid Offerings

A limited number of ESBICM offerings carry a fee. These currently include:

ESBICM Plus. An optional paid addition to membership, valid for one year from the date of purchase, giving access to additional learning material and member benefits described on the ESBICM Plus page. Plus does not renew automatically; renewal is made manually from the Member Panel. If Plus is not renewed, the benefits associated with it end on expiry, but anything already availed of during an active Plus period is unaffected.

Specialty courses and certificate courses — for example, the MechVent Course on Mechanical Ventilation in Intensive Care, and similar structured courses offered from time to time. Some courses are free; where a fee applies it is determined by the type, duration, format and delivery requirements of the course.

Events and workshops — conferences, workshops and other scheduled events organised or co-organised by ESBICM, where a registration fee applies.

On-demand online lectures and workshops — where an institution, organisation or group requests a specific online lecture, workshop or training session. Fees depend on the type of session, its duration, and the preparation and delivery effort required.

On-demand offline lectures and workshops — where an institution or organisation requests an in-person lecture, workshop or training session. Fees depend on the type of session, its duration, the venue and location (within India or abroad), and the logistics involved (travel, accommodation, materials).

Books and publications — selected ESBICM publications and educational books may be made available for purchase, where applicable.

Other paid offerings — ESBICM may, from time to time, introduce additional paid offerings that align with its educational mission. Any such offering will be governed by this Policy unless a specific separate policy is published.

For current fees and registration details, please visit the relevant page on esbicm.org or the Member Panel. To request a custom on-demand lecture or workshop, please use the contact form on esbicm.org.

5. Currency, Payment and Receipts

Prices for paid offerings are displayed in the Member Panel on esbicm.org, where all payments are made. Prices may change from time to time, and the price shown in the Member Panel at the time of purchase is the price that applies. No payment is taken inside The ICU App, and prices for paid services are not displayed there.

Fees are charged in Indian Rupees (INR) for residents of India. For international users, fees may be charged in US Dollars (USD) or another currency, depending on operational feasibility at the time of the offering. The applicable currency and total fee will be confirmed during the registration or booking process.

Applicable taxes, where chargeable, will be specified at the time of booking and added to the quoted fee.

Payments are processed through a third-party payment gateway. Your card, bank or UPI details are entered on the gateway's own secure page — ESBICM does not see or store them. Receipts are issued by the ESBICM Office and are sent to the registered email address provided at the time of booking.

6. Refund Policy

Where an event, course or scheduled offering is cancelled or postponed, or when a registered participant requests a refund, the following provisions apply.

Refunds for participant-initiated cancellations.

More than 30 days before the event date. The fee will be refunded after deducting an administrative processing fee of 25% of the fee paid. This processing fee covers the operational and administrative costs ESBICM has already incurred in your registration.

Within 30 days of the event date. No refund is processed, regardless of when the booking was confirmed. By this stage, ESBICM has committed costs to the event (faculty, materials, venue and logistics) that cannot be recovered. This applies equally to non-attendance without prior notice.

Registrations are non-transferable. Substitution of one participant for another is not permitted.

Cancellation, postponement or rescheduling by ESBICM.

Cancellation. If ESBICM cancels an event for any reason, registered participants will be offered a full refund of the fee paid.

Postponement or rescheduling. If ESBICM postpones or reschedules an event, registered participants will be offered a choice between (a) transferring their registration to the new date, format or alternative offering at no additional cost; or (b) receiving a full refund of the fee paid, where the participant is unable to attend the rescheduled offering, or where the rescheduled offering involves a material change in date, format, content or faculty that materially differs from what was originally booked.

Indefinite postponement. If an event is postponed without a confirmed new date, participants are entitled to a full refund on request.

Exceptional circumstances. In cases of documented serious illness, bereavement or other genuine emergency, the ESBICM Office may, at its discretion, offer a partial or full refund or a transfer to a future offering, even where the standard refund tiers would not otherwise apply.

Non-refundable items.

Membership is free and not subject to refund.

ESBICM Plus is non-refundable once activated. Its benefits — additional videos, e-Library resources, recordings and other material — are digital and available immediately on payment, so access cannot be returned. Where a payment has failed, been duplicated or been taken in error, write to the ESBICM Office and it will be put right.

Books and publications, once delivered (digital or physical), are non-refundable except in cases of defective delivery, where ESBICM will arrange replacement or refund at its discretion.

7. Refund Process & Timeline

To request a refund, please contact the ESBICM Office at office@esbicm.org or through the contact form on esbicm.org, specifying the offering, the booking reference and the reason for the request. ESBICM will acknowledge the request and confirm whether the refund is payable under Section 6.

Once a refund is approved and initiated, it will typically be credited to the original payment instrument within 2 to 14 days, depending on the mode of payment (credit card, debit card, bank account or other) and the processing time of the relevant bank or payment provider. International refunds may take longer due to cross-border processing.

If the refund is not received within this period, please first contact your bank or payment provider. If further assistance is needed, the ESBICM Office can provide proof of refund initiation for submission to your bank.

8. Disputes & Final Decision

In case of any discrepancy, dispute or conflict regarding fees, refunds or any matter governed by this Policy, the matter shall be raised in writing to the ESBICM Office. The ESBICM Office, in consultation with the Executive Committee where appropriate, will review and respond.

Disputes that cannot be resolved through this process are governed by the dispute resolution and governing-law provisions set out in the ESBICM Terms of Use. The decision of ESBICM in matters of fees and refunds is final, subject to applicable consumer-protection law.

Acceptance & Contact

Use of any paid service offered by ESBICM constitutes your acceptance of this Paid Services & Refund Policy. If you do not agree with this Policy, please do not register for or purchase the relevant offering.

For questions about this Policy, fees, refunds, or to request a refund, please contact the ESBICM Office at office@esbicm.org or through the contact form on esbicm.org.