CLIENT DELAY POLICY

Last Updated: 25 March 2026

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Client Delay Policy

This Client Delay Policy ("Delay Policy") establishes the terms, procedures, and consequences applicable when a Client's actions, omissions, or delays impede or delay the timely delivery of Services by Peacock India. This Policy is designed to protect the interests of both Parties, ensure transparency, and maintain the momentum and quality of project delivery. This Policy forms an integral part of the Terms of Service and shall apply to all Service engagements unless expressly modified by a separate Service Agreement.

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1. Purpose and Context

This section explains why this Policy exists and the business rationale behind it.

1.1. Peacock India's project delivery methodology is collaborative and iterative. Timely project completion depends on the active participation and cooperation of both the Company and the Client.

1.2. The Company allocates team members, resources, schedules, and infrastructure based on the agreed project timeline. Client delays can have cascading effects on resource allocation, team scheduling, project quality, and delivery timelines — not only for the affected project but for other Client engagements as well.

1.3. This Policy ensures that:

• (a) Expectations regarding Client responsibilities are clear from the outset;
• (b) The impact of Client delays is documented and addressed fairly;
• (c) The Company is protected from losses caused by factors outside its control;
• (d) Projects remain on track wherever possible.

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2. Client Obligations

This section defines the specific responsibilities that fall on the Client to enable timely project delivery.

2.1. The Client acknowledges and agrees that the following obligations are essential to the timely and successful delivery of Services:

• (a) Materials and Content: Providing all required materials, content, assets, data, text, images, brand guidelines, logos, and other inputs as specified in the Proposal/SOW, within the agreed timelines.
• (b) Approvals and Sign-Offs: Providing timely approvals, feedback, and sign-offs at each project milestone (discovery, wireframes, designs, development, testing, deployment) within the review periods specified in the Proposal (default: seven (7) business days per review cycle).
• (c) Access and Credentials: Providing necessary access to systems, platforms, accounts, hosting environments, domain registrars, analytics tools, and third-party services as required for project execution.
• (d) Stakeholder Availability: Ensuring that designated Client stakeholders and decision-makers are available for scheduled meetings, reviews, and approvals.
• (e) Decision-Making: Making timely decisions on design directions, feature priorities, content, and scope matters.
• (f) Communication: Responding to the Company's queries, clarification requests, and status update emails within a reasonable time (not to exceed five (5) business days unless otherwise agreed).
• (g) Scope Adherence: Refraining from introducing scope changes, additional requirements, or revision cycles beyond the agreed scope without a formal Change Request.

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3. Definition of Client Delay

This section defines what constitutes a "Client Delay" for the purposes of this Policy.

3.1. A "Client Delay" shall be deemed to have occurred when:

• (a) The Client fails to provide required materials, content, assets, or data within the agreed timeline or within seven (7) business days of the Company's request (whichever is applicable);
• (b) The Client fails to provide approvals, feedback, or sign-offs within the review period specified in the Proposal (default: seven (7) business days);
• (c) The Client fails to provide necessary access or credentials within five (5) business days of the Company's request;
• (d) The Client's designated stakeholders are repeatedly unavailable for scheduled meetings or reviews (two (2) or more missed meetings without rescheduling within five (5) business days);
• (e) The Client introduces scope changes, additional requirements, or revision cycles outside the agreed scope, causing delays to the original timeline;
• (f) The Client fails to respond to the Company's communications for a period exceeding ten (10) consecutive business days;
• (g) The Client's internal decision-making processes cause delays beyond the timelines contemplated in the Proposal.

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4. Client Delay Notification Procedure

This section describes the formal process for documenting and notifying the Client of a delay event.

4.1. When a Client Delay is identified, the Company shall follow this procedure:

Step 1 — Informal Reminder (Courtesy Notice)

• Trigger: Approaching or reaching the deadline for any Client deliverable
• Action: The Company sends an email reminder to the Client's designated point of contact, highlighting the pending item and the impact of delay on the project timeline
• Deadline: Immediate upon identification

Step 2 — Formal Delay Notice

• Trigger: Client deliverable is overdue by seven (7) or more business days beyond the agreed deadline
• Action: The Company issues a formal "Client Delay Notice" via email, specifying:
  • The pending item(s)
  • The original deadline
  • The number of days of delay
  • The impact on the project timeline and deliverables
  • A revised deadline for the Client to provide the pending item (typically five (5) additional business days)
• Format: Written email to the Client's designated point of contact, with a copy to admin@peacockindia.in for record-keeping

Step 3 — Delay Escalation

• Trigger: Client deliverable remains outstanding for fifteen (15) or more business days beyond the original deadline (or five (5) business days beyond the Formal Delay Notice deadline)
• Action: The Company escalates the matter to senior Client stakeholders and reserves the right to invoke the consequences specified in Section 5 of this Policy.

Step 4 — Project Suspension Notice

• Trigger: Client deliverable remains outstanding for thirty (30) or more business days beyond the original deadline, or the Client is non-responsive for twenty (20) consecutive business days
• Action: The Company issues a formal "Project Suspension Notice," placing the project on hold and invoking the financial and timeline consequences specified in Section 5.

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5. Consequences of Client Delay

This section specifies the timeline, financial, and contractual consequences when a Client Delay occurs.

5.1 Timeline Impact

5.1.1. Any project timeline, milestone dates, or delivery dates set out in the Proposal/SOW shall be automatically extended by a period equal to the duration of the Client Delay, plus a reasonable ramp-up period of up to five (5) business days to allow the Company to reallocate resources and resume work.

5.1.2. The Company shall not be liable for any failure to meet original delivery dates where such failure is attributable to a Client Delay.

5.1.3. Revised timelines shall be communicated in writing upon resolution of the delay.

5.2 Financial Consequences

5.2.1. During a Client Delay:

• (a) All amounts already invoiced or due remain payable in accordance with the original payment schedule. Client Delay shall not constitute grounds for withholding, delaying, or reducing any payment.
• (b) If a Client Delay exceeds fifteen (15) business days, the Company reserves the right to invoice the Client for resource reservation fees at the rate of 15% of the outstanding project value per month (pro-rated for partial months) to compensate for idle team allocation and opportunity costs. This charge may be waived or adjusted at the Company's discretion.
• (c) If the Client Delay results in the Company needing to reassign team members to other projects, the Client may be subject to a re-onboarding fee upon project resumption, to cover the cost of re-familiarisation and context restoration. The re-onboarding fee shall not exceed 10% of the total project value.
• (d) Any third-party costs that continue to accrue during the delay period (e.g., hosting, software licences, stock subscriptions, domain registrations, ad spend commitments) shall remain the Client's responsibility and shall be invoiced accordingly.

5.3 Scope and Pricing Revisions

5.3.1. If a Client Delay exceeds thirty (30) business days, the Company reserves the right to:

• (a) Re-estimate the project scope, effort, and cost, taking into account any changes in technology, platform versions, design trends, or market conditions that have occurred during the delay period;
• (b) Issue a revised Proposal reflecting the updated scope and pricing, which the Client must accept before work resumes;
• (c) Decline to resume the project if the delay has fundamentally altered the commercial viability or technical feasibility of the engagement.

5.4 Project Suspension

5.4.1. If a Client Delay exceeds thirty (30) business days, the Company may, at its sole discretion, formally suspend the project by issuing a Project Suspension Notice.

5.4.2. During suspension:

• (a) The Company shall have no obligation to allocate resources to the project;
• (b) All agreed timelines and milestones shall be deemed suspended;
• (c) Resource reservation fees (if applicable) shall continue to accrue unless the Client provides written notice of cancellation;
• (d) The Company may reassign team members to other client engagements.

5.4.3. Project resumption after suspension shall be subject to:

• (a) Team and resource availability;
• (b) Payment of all outstanding invoices and any applicable resource reservation or re-onboarding fees;
• (c) Acceptance of any revised Proposal or timeline.

5.5 Termination Due to Client Delay

5.5.1. If a Client Delay (or cumulative delays) exceeds sixty (60) business days, or if the Client remains non-responsive for forty (40) consecutive business days, the Company may terminate the engagement by providing fifteen (15) days' written notice.

5.5.2. Upon termination due to Client Delay:

• (a) The Client shall pay for all work completed up to the date of termination, including work-in-progress, based on the Company's assessment of percentage completion;
• (b) No refund shall be applicable for any advance or milestone payments already made;
• (c) The Company shall deliver to the Client all completed Deliverables for which payment has been received in full;
• (d) All IP restrictions specified in the Terms of Service shall continue to apply (i.e., IP transfers only upon full payment);
• (e) Any resource reservation fees, re-onboarding fees, or third-party costs accrued during the delay period shall remain payable.

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6. Change Requests and Scope Creep

This section establishes a formal process for managing scope changes that may arise during a project.

6.1. Any request by the Client to add features, change requirements, modify designs, or expand the scope beyond what is specified in the Proposal/SOW shall constitute a "Change Request."

6.2. Change Requests shall be submitted in writing to the Company's project manager or designated point of contact.

6.3. Upon receipt of a Change Request, the Company shall:

• (a) Assess the impact of the Change Request on the project timeline, scope, effort, and cost;
• (b) Provide a written Change Order specifying the revised scope, additional fees (if any), and revised timeline;
• (c) Proceed with the Change Request only upon the Client's written acceptance of the Change Order.

6.4. The Client acknowledges that Change Requests may result in:

• (a) Extension of project timelines;
• (b) Additional fees;
• (c) Reallocation of resources.

6.5. Oral requests for changes shall not be binding unless confirmed in writing. The Company shall not be obligated to implement any scope change not formalised through a Change Order.

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7. Revision Cycles

This section defines the Client's revision entitlement and the process for managing additional revision requests.

7.1. The number of revision cycles included in the project shall be as specified in the Proposal/SOW. Unless otherwise stated, the default revision entitlement is:

Project Phase	Included Revision Cycles
Wireframes & Information Architecture	Two (2) rounds
UI/UX Design (per screen/page)	Two (2) rounds
Development (functional changes)	One (1) round (during UAT)
Content/Copy Review	Two (2) rounds

7.2. Each revision cycle shall commence upon the Client's written submission of consolidated feedback and shall be completed within the timeframe specified in the Proposal (default: five (5) business days for the Company's revision turnaround).

7.3. Additional revision cycles beyond the included entitlement shall be charged at the Company's prevailing hourly or per-cycle rate, as communicated to the Client in advance.

7.4. Revisions must be submitted as a single consolidated set of feedback per review cycle. Piecemeal, contradictory, or iterative feedback submitted across multiple communications within a single review cycle may be treated as additional revision cycles.

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8. Mutual Good Faith

This section acknowledges that both parties share responsibility for project success and encourages collaborative problem-solving.

8.1. Both Parties acknowledge that successful project delivery requires mutual cooperation, good faith, and timely communication.

8.2. The Company shall use reasonable efforts to accommodate minor delays and shall exercise the remedies under this Policy reasonably and proportionately.

8.3. Before invoking financial consequences or termination rights, the Company shall engage in good-faith communication with the Client to understand the reasons for the delay and explore possible solutions.

8.4. The Client is encouraged to proactively communicate any anticipated delays to the Company's project manager at the earliest opportunity so that timelines can be adjusted collaboratively.

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9. Record-Keeping

This section ensures that all delay events and communications are properly documented.

9.1. The Company shall maintain records of all Client Delay events, including:

• (a) Date and nature of the pending Client deliverable
• (b) All reminder and notice communications sent to the Client
• (c) Client responses (or lack thereof)
• (d) Impact on project timeline
• (e) Any financial consequences invoked

9.2. These records shall be maintained in the Company's project management systems and shall be available for reference in the event of any dispute.

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10. Relationship with Other Policies

This section clarifies how this Policy interacts with other legal documents.

10.1. This Client Delay Policy shall be read in conjunction with:

• (a) The Terms of Service (particularly Sections on Termination, Limitation of Liability, and Force Majeure)
• (b) The Service Support Policy
• (c) The applicable Proposal, SOW, or Service Agreement

10.2. In the event of a conflict between this Policy and a signed Service Agreement, the Service Agreement shall prevail.

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11. Contact Us

For any questions, delay communications, or project-related matters:

Peacock India No. 68, Mahadevan Street, West Mambalam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India Email: admin@peacockindia.in Website: www.peacockindia.in