SideGuy writes the help code: the rule, the one-tap refund, and the proof it happened. Send your issue: more likely than not we can help in some way or another.
Short answer: a refund policy customers can count on, plus a ledger that shows whether it brings them back. PJ, a local in Cardiff, sets one up for your business in a single $150 setup: one promise you can measure, the fine print the FTC says to show, a text-to-claim with a one-tap refund in the payment app you already use, the guarantee page on your site, and a monthly ledger of claims and customers kept. Phones, payment apps and texting make this a 30-second refund instead of a returns desk.
Who's reading?
- You want a refund policy that doesn't scare you
One promise you can measure, so you know what it costs. - You run a service business
Contractors, cleaners, salons, tech help, food and drink. - You want customers back next month
The ledger counts customers kept, not just dollars refunded.
Pick the line that sounds like you. Not sure? Text PJ and say who you are.
What the setup includes
- The promise: one thing you can measure, like on time or the fee back, fixed in one visit or no charge, or love it or your money back within 30 days.
- The fine print: who qualifies, by when, and what they return, written plainly and shown with the promise.
- The claim: the customer texts "refund" and what happened. You get one message with the claim and a refund link in the payment app you already take money with. One tap, done.
- The page: the guarantee on your site and Google profile, with structured data so search and AI answers can read it.
- The ledger: each month, claims, refunds paid, and how many of those customers came back.
The rule it is written to
The FTC's guides for advertising guarantees say a business should use "Satisfaction Guarantee," "Money Back Guarantee," "Free Trial Offer," or similar words only if it "refunds the full purchase price of the advertised product at the purchaser's request," and that an ad mentioning one "should disclose, with such clarity and prominence as will be noticed and understood by prospective purchasers, any material limitations or conditions" (16 CFR 239.3). The FTC's own example: "If not completely satisfied with Acme Spot Remover, return the unused portion within 30 days for a full refund." Your promise gets written the same way. This is setup help, not legal advice.
In California: a retailer that won't give a full refund, credit or equal exchange within seven days "must clearly display their policy at each cash register and sales counter, or at each public entrance, or on tags attached to each item sold under the policy, or on the retail seller's order forms," and if it doesn't, the customer "can return the purchased item with proof of purchase for a full refund within 30 days" (California Attorney General on Civil Code 1723). The setup puts your policy in those places.
What a promise can look like
- A handyman or cleaner: not fixed or not clean on the first visit, we come back free or refund the visit.
- A salon or studio: not happy with the first session, the next one is free or your money back within 7 days.
- A cafe or restaurant: order wrong or over the quoted wait, that item is refunded on the spot.
- Tech help: it doesn't save you time or money, you don't pay. That is the promise on PJ's own Hour.
Want a human to just do it?
- Customer Retention Program setup: the promise, the fine print, the text-to-claim and refund link, the page on your site and Google profile, and the first month's ledger. $150 one time, Solana Beach to Encinitas or remote.
"It's about being nice and showing up." PJ, a real person in Cardiff and Solana Beach. Setup help, not legal advice. Prices are set in one place and shown before anything starts.
Sources: FTC Guides for the Advertising of Warranties and Guarantees, 16 CFR 239.3, California Attorney General, refunds and returns, checked November 5, 2026. More for small businesses: small business IT help · the four San Diego filings.
Need a human?
This page is built every morning from public data by SideGuy, run by PJ, a local in Solana Beach. If something looks off, or you want a hand with your plans, text PJ at 858-461-8054. A real person answers.
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Questions people ask
What should a small business refund policy say?
One promise the customer can understand, who qualifies, the deadline, and what they need to return or show. The FTC's guarantee guides say to disclose any material limitations or conditions clearly enough to be noticed and understood.
What is a satisfaction guarantee policy?
A promise to refund the purchase price if the customer isn't satisfied. The FTC's guides say to use words like Satisfaction Guarantee or Money Back Guarantee only if the business refunds the full purchase price at the purchaser's request.
How do I offer a money back guarantee without losing money?
Promise one thing you can measure and control, set a short deadline, and track every claim. A monthly ledger shows the refunds paid next to the customers who came back, so you can see what the promise earns.
What are customer retention strategies for a small business?
Make it easy to trust you the first time and easy to come back: a clear guarantee, a fast fix or refund when something goes wrong, and a follow-up. The refund is often what turns an unhappy customer into a regular.
Who can set up a refund policy and money back guarantee for my business in North County?
PJ of SideGuy, a local in Cardiff, sets up the promise, the fine print, the text-to-claim and refund link, the page and a monthly ledger: $150 one time. Text (858) 461-8054.
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