We offer a 100% money-back guarantee within 60 days of payment on all contests except:
- Contests with a guaranteed prize
- Contests that have entered the Final round, since once you enter the Final round, your contest automatically becomes guaranteed.
- Contests where a winner has been awarded.
Please note: Our 100% money-back guarantee policy is only for design contests that meet this criteria, and does not apply to 1-to-1 Projects.
What if I’m not happy with my designs?
No worries! We can understand it can be frustrating to reach the end of the qualifying round and not receive the designs you expected.
If the entries don’t align with your brand vision, this can be due to one, or some of the following -
- The contest title - If your title is too short, designers can have a difficult time understanding what you’re looking for in your design. Try and add some adjectives to explain your stylistic preferences. E.g. Family Owned Country Bakery Looking For A Vintage-Inspired And Rustic Logo Design.
- The brief - If the brief is containing too much, or too little information, our designers can often focus on other contests as they struggle to understand your vision. For best results, try and include 3-6 visual examples, background information on your business, and even include a Do’s and Don'ts list to let designers know what you like, and what you’re not interested in aesthetically. Check out this article for more advice on writing an effective design brief.
- The level of feedback - Unsuccessful contests are commonly caused by a lack of feedback in the qualifying round. Ensure you are giving feedback once to twice daily, as well as leaving a star-rating and a comment to each designer. The more feedback you give, the closer you will get to a quality design!
- The time the contest was launched - Contests launched over a weekend can experience a lower volume of designs as less designers are online during this time. Moreover, try launching your contest at the start of the working week (Monday/Tuesday).
Before considering the money-back guarantee, try the following:
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Update your design brief |
You can edit your design brief at any time and it automatically saves. It’s important to alert your designers in the Messages section once any changes are made, to ensure they have the most updated information from you. |
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Extend the qualifying round |
If you would like to see more options, and allocate more time for your designers to work on their concepts, feel free to contact our Support Team to add extra days to the qualifying round for you. |
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Give more feedback |
Allocating time once or twice a day to give regular feedback to the designers can be really helpful for them to refine their designs. Leaving one star, declining designs, and letting the designer know in a comment you’re not interested in their work can also help you focus on the designs that are closer to your brand. |
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Switch your contest to blind |
If you feel the concepts you’re getting are repetitive or you would like to see more unique designs, you should consider switching your contest to blind. This feature doesn’t allow designers to see each other’s work, and can be a great tool to diversify the entries. If it is your first contest, you’ll need to contact our Support Team to add this on for you (don’t worry, it’s free!). |
What happens to the designs?
Remember, if you ask for a refund on your contest, you aren’t legally entitled to use any of the designs submitted to your contest. If your contest is public, designers have the right to showcase their entries on their 99designs profile.
Guaranteed contests
If you’ve decided to offer a guaranteed prize, you’re guaranteeing to the design community that you will choose a winner, so your contest will not be eligible for a refund.
If you would like further assistance to re-write your brief, amend your contest, give feedback, or even get advice on your entries, don’t hesitate to give us a call — we’re here to help!
