Privacy policy:

Hummingbird Institute of Professional Advancement respects the privacy of its students, customers, website visitors, instructors, and community partners. This Privacy Policy explains the types of information we may collect, how that information may be used, how it may be shared, and the steps we take to protect it. By visiting our website, submitting a registration form, creating an account, making a purchase, attending a class, or otherwise providing information to the Institute, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

The Institute may collect personal and contact information such as your full name, mailing address, email address, telephone number, date of birth, employer, organization, emergency contact information, and any other information necessary to complete a registration or purchase. We may also collect information related to your educational participation, including the courses you select, registration dates, attendance records, assessment results, skills-validation results, course completion records, certificates issued, continuing-education information, professional credentials, accommodation requests, and communications with our instructors or administrative staff.

When you make a payment, the transaction may be processed through a third-party payment processor. The Institute may receive limited transaction information, such as your name, billing address, transaction date, amount paid, payment status, refund status, and the last four digits of the payment card used. The Institute generally does not directly store complete credit card numbers or card security codes.

When you access our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically. This information may include your Internet Protocol address, browser type, device type, operating system, pages viewed, referring website, website interactions, and the date and time of access. The Institute or its service providers may use cookies, analytics tools, pixels, and similar technologies to operate the website, remember preferences, measure website traffic, improve user experience, support marketing activities, and detect fraud or security threats. You may be able to block or delete cookies through your browser settings, although doing so may affect certain website functions.

The Institute may use personal information to process registrations, reserve class seats, communicate schedules and class changes, issue certificates, maintain attendance and completion records, administer assessments, process store orders, provide customer support, respond to inquiries, verify prerequisites, process payments and refunds, improve our educational programs, prevent fraud, protect the security of our systems, comply with legal and regulatory requirements, and enforce our agreements and policies.

By providing your email address or telephone number, you authorize the Institute to send administrative messages concerning your registration, payment, course schedule, class reminders, schedule changes, certificate availability, account activity, or store order. Marketing messages will only be sent as permitted by law. Consent to receive marketing messages is not a condition of purchasing a course or product. You may unsubscribe from marketing emails by using the unsubscribe link included in the message. You may opt out of marketing text messages by replying STOP. Message and data rates may apply. You may continue to receive necessary nonmarketing communications related to an active registration, purchase, or legal obligation.

The Institute may share information with service providers that assist us with payment processing, website hosting, course registration, scheduling, online learning, email communications, text messaging, testing, certification, recordkeeping, shipping, or administrative support. We may also share information with instructors, contractors, evaluators, certifying organizations, continuing-education providers, legal advisers, accountants, insurers, governmental agencies, or regulatory authorities when reasonably necessary. Information may also be disclosed when required by law, subpoena, court order, regulatory request, safety concern, fraud investigation, or other legal process.

When an employer, agency, or other organization pays for or sponsors a participant’s training, the Institute may provide the sponsoring organization with information reasonably related to that training. This may include enrollment status, attendance, completion status, assessment results, skills-validation results, certificate information, conduct concerns, and amounts paid or owed. Participants should discuss privacy expectations with the sponsoring organization before enrolling.

The Institute does not sell personal information in exchange for money. In the event of a merger, acquisition, restructuring, sale, or transfer of business assets, personal information may be transferred as part of the business transaction, subject to applicable law.

Our website and services are not directed to children under the age of 13. The Institute does not knowingly collect personal information online from children under 13 without legally sufficient parental or guardian authorization. Participants under the age of 18 may be required to obtain written permission from a parent or legal guardian before attending certain classes, signing waivers, participating in hands-on activities, or being photographed or recorded.

Classes, training programs, and Institute events may occasionally be photographed or recorded. When the Institute intends to use an identifiable participant’s image, voice, or likeness for promotional or marketing purposes, appropriate authorization will be requested. General photographs of public events or large groups may be used when permitted by law.

The Institute uses reasonable administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect personal information. However, no website, electronic system, email transmission, or data-storage method can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Users are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any account credentials and should promptly notify the Institute of suspected unauthorized activity.

The Institute retains information for as long as reasonably necessary to provide services, maintain educational and certification records, comply with tax, insurance, contractual, legal, regulatory, or credentialing requirements, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements. Different categories of information may be retained for different periods.

You may request access to or correction of certain personal information by contacting the Institute at info@hummingbirdipa.org. We may need to verify your identity before responding. Certain records may not be deleted when retention is required by law, a certification organization, a contractual obligation, an educational standard, or legitimate business needs.

Our website may include links to third-party websites. The Institute does not control and is not responsible for the privacy, accessibility, security, content, or business practices of those websites. Accessing a third-party website is subject to that organization’s own terms and privacy policies.

The Institute may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Revised policies will be posted with an updated effective date. Continued use of our website or services after an update constitutes acknowledgment of the revised policy.

Questions concerning this Privacy Policy may be directed to Hummingbird Institute of Professional Advancement at 947 17th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960, info@hummingbirdipa.org, or 772.202.2030.

Refund, Cancellation, and Transfer Policy

Course seats may be limited, and the Institute may be required to reserve instructors, classroom space, equipment, certification materials, training supplies, or third-party services before the scheduled course date. A registration is not considered complete until all required payment has been received. Unless a course description, invoice, contract, or written agreement states otherwise, this Refund, Cancellation, and Transfer Policy applies to all registrations.

A student who submits a written cancellation request more than seven calendar days before the scheduled class date may request a refund of the amount paid, less a processing fee of $10.00. Instead of a refund, the student may request a one-time transfer to another eligible class scheduled within six months of the original class date. Any third-party certification, registration, testing, book, supply, or processing fees already paid or committed on the student’s behalf may be deducted from the approved refund.

A student who cancels between 48 hours and seven calendar days before the scheduled class may receive a one-time course credit. The credit must be used within six months of the original class date, is subject to course availability, may not be redeemed for cash, and may not be transferred to another person without written approval from the Institute. Cash and credit-card refunds will generally not be issued for cancellations made during this period.

Registrations canceled less than 48 hours before the scheduled class are nonrefundable and generally ineligible for transfer or credit. The Institute may consider a limited exception for a documented emergency, but approval is not guaranteed and remains within the Institute’s reasonable discretion. Any approved exception may be subject to administrative, certification, supply, testing, or third-party fees.

A participant who does not attend a scheduled class is considered a no-show. No-shows are not eligible for a refund, course credit, or transfer. Students are responsible for arriving by the time stated in the registration confirmation or course instructions. A late-arriving student may be denied entry when required instructional time has been missed, when the late arrival would interfere with testing or certification requirements, or when admission would disrupt the learning environment. A student denied admission because of lateness will generally be treated as a no-show.

Students are responsible for reviewing and completing all course prerequisites before the scheduled class. Prerequisites may include age requirements, professional credentials, identification documents, prior certifications, online course modules, dress requirements, physical participation requirements, or other documentation. A student who is unable to participate because a prerequisite was not completed or properly documented is not entitled to a refund. At the Institute’s discretion, the student may be permitted to transfer to a future class after satisfying the requirement and paying any applicable fees.

For blended-learning programs, online modules may be required before the in-person skills session. Online access codes, digital books, downloadable materials, electronic course content, and certification accounts are nonrefundable once issued, accessed, downloaded, redeemed, or activated. Failure to complete a required online component by the stated deadline does not entitle the student to a refund.

Fees paid to a third-party certification organization, testing provider, licensing organization, continuing-education provider, or credentialing body may be nonrefundable once ordered, submitted, activated, or paid. The Institute may deduct these amounts from any otherwise-approved refund.

The Institute may cancel, postpone, relocate, or reschedule a course because of insufficient enrollment, instructor illness, instructor unavailability, severe weather, utility interruption, facility failure, equipment problems, public emergency, safety concerns, or other circumstances beyond the Institute’s reasonable control. When the Institute cancels a class and does not offer a reasonable replacement date, the student may receive a refund of the course fee paid directly to the Institute. When a class is rescheduled, the student may transfer the payment to the new date or request a refund within the deadline provided in the rescheduling notice.

The Institute is not responsible for transportation expenses, lodging, meals, childcare, lost wages, missed work, travel costs, or other incidental or consequential expenses associated with a canceled, postponed, relocated, or rescheduled class.

A student who is removed or dismissed because of unsafe behavior, academic dishonesty, disruption, harassment, intoxication, threats, refusal to follow instructions, policy violations, or other misconduct is not entitled to a refund, transfer, or course credit.

Payment and attendance do not guarantee successful completion, a passing assessment, certification, professional licensure, continuing-education credit, employment, advancement, registry placement, or acceptance by an employer, school, governmental agency, or credentialing organization. A participant who attends but does not successfully meet the requirements of the course is not entitled to a refund. Retesting, remediation, repeating a course, or attending an additional skills session may require an additional fee.

Unless otherwise stated at the point of sale, unused and unopened merchandise may be returned within seven calendar days with proof of purchase. Merchandise must be in its original packaging and in resalable condition. Customized, personalized, clearance, hygienic, medical-training, opened, used, digital, downloadable, or consumable items are final sale. Apparel and uniforms that have been worn, washed, altered, embroidered, or damaged are not eligible for return. Shipping, delivery, rush-processing, and customization fees are nonrefundable. Defective or incorrectly fulfilled merchandise must be reported within three business days of receipt.

All cancellation, refund, or transfer requests must be submitted in writing to info@hummingbirdipa.org. The request should include the name of the student or purchaser, the course or product name, the class date or order number, the reason for the request, and the requested resolution. The effective cancellation date is the date the Institute receives the written request.

Approved refunds will generally be initiated within 10 business days. Financial institutions and payment processors may require additional time to post the refund to the original payment method.

Students and customers agree to contact the Institute and provide a reasonable opportunity to resolve a billing dispute before initiating a chargeback. Fraudulent, abusive, or improper chargebacks may result in collection activity, restriction from future registration, and recovery of fees or costs where permitted by law.