Agent contracts should be compared line by line, with service fees and refund terms placed in the same review. Any fee or refund point that is discussed only verbally should be marked as unconfirmed until it appears in writing.
Study Australia advises contacting several agents and comparing their service fees. It also says written agent agreements should specify the refund policy. These are two distinct checks: a low service fee does not establish the refund terms, and a refund policy does not establish how much the service costs.
Compare the same information for every contract
| Area | Details to extract from the written terms |
|---|---|
| Service fee | The amount or calculation method, currency, payment date, covered services, exclusions, and any additional charges |
| Refund policy | The events that trigger a refund, which payments are covered, how the refund is calculated, the payment method, and the stated deadline |
| Contract status | Whether the terms appear in the agreement or a separate policy, and which wording applies if the documents differ |
| Missing information | Every requested point that the contract does not answer |
The cited guidance does not verify fee amounts, payment dates, refund triggers, refund amounts, or deadlines for any individual contract. Those details must be taken from the agreement offered by each agent.
Separate a refund promise from a refund entitlement
A statement that a request will be considered is not the same as a commitment to repay a stated amount. Similarly, the absence of a refund clause does not by itself establish whether a refund is available under the rest of the agreement or applicable law.
A complete comparison therefore requires the operative wording, not just a summary of it. If a contract is silent, the reader should record the gap and request written clarification rather than infer a term.
Obtain clarification before deciding
For each contract, readers should confirm:
- Exactly what is payable and when.
- Which events, if any, permit a refund.
- How any refund amount is calculated.
- Whether conditions, exclusions, or deadlines apply.
- Whether the refund policy is incorporated into the written agreement.
- How conflicting wording between the agreement and another policy is handled.
Until those answers are documented, the fee and refund comparison remains incomplete. This review helps organize the contract terms; it does not determine legal rights, contract validity, or enforceability.