Terms of Use

These terms cover two different things: using this website, and engaging me for the services described on it. Read the section that applies to you. Most visitors only need the first part.

Who this is

This site and the services on it are operated by Karthik Ramachandiran, trading as Rkarthik AI Labs (ai-labs@rkarthik.in), based in Tamil Nadu, India. These terms are governed by Indian law, and any dispute is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Tamil Nadu.

Using this website

Everything on rkarthik.in (the methodology, the case studies, the writing) reflects my own experience and current understanding. I cite sources where I'm citing someone else's data (you'll see attributions like "Muck Rack, 25M+ links analyzed" throughout), but I don't warrant the accuracy of third-party statistics beyond attributing them correctly. Nothing on this site is professional advice specific to your situation until we're actually working together.

The site's content, methodology framework, and design are mine. You're welcome to link to it or quote it with attribution; you're not welcome to reproduce it wholesale or scrape it for automated re-use.

The services described on this site

The AI Shortlist Scan, the Baseline Diagnostic, and the Program Retainer are described, scoped, and priced on their own pages (Scan, Diagnostic, Retainer) and on the AEO/GEO/SEO methodology page. Those pages are the current source of truth for scope and pricing, not this one, so nothing here duplicates figures that could go stale. Each engagement also has its own Scope of Work, shared with you directly, which governs the specific deliverables for that engagement alongside these terms.

Acceptable use

These services are for legitimate organic growth work, not for unlawful purposes, deceptive or manipulative tactics (link schemes, fake reviews, AI-generated spam at scale), or businesses built around fraud or multi-level marketing structures. I reserve the right to decline or end an engagement if I find it's being used for any of the above.

No guarantee of results

Everything I do reflects current best practice, built on real-world experience. Not a guarantee. AI models and search algorithms change fast, and the specific tactics that work today can stop working with no warning. My job is to keep the methodology current as that happens, not to promise a fixed outcome that the underlying platforms could invalidate the week after I deliver it. Rankings, citations, and traffic are influenced by many factors outside my control. I won't promise a number, and you should be skeptical of anyone who does.

Payment

Payment structure depends on the type of engagement:

• One-time engagements (AI Shortlist Scan, Baseline Diagnostic): the full fee is due before work begins. The Scan is paid via PayPal; booking a kickoff call afterward is optional. The Diagnostic is invoiced in full and work starts once that invoice is paid. Neither is split into a deposit and a completion payment.
• Ongoing engagements (Program Retainer): each month is invoiced and due in full before that month's work begins: billed in advance, the same model most SaaS platforms use, not billed after the fact.

Invoices (Diagnostic and Retainer) are due within 15 days of the invoice date unless we've agreed otherwise in writing. Work on a given engagement or billing cycle begins once the corresponding payment is received. The Scan's payment is collected immediately; a kickoff call afterward is optional, not required.

Scan payments are collected via a PayPal payment link; the booking page is for scheduling an optional kickoff call only, not for payment. Diagnostic and Retainer invoices are in USD; clients outside India pay via PayPal, clients in India can pay via UPI or bank transfer. Any charges your own bank applies on top of the invoiced amount are your responsibility. Payments not received by the due date attract a late fee of 1.5% per month (or part thereof) on the outstanding balance, calculated from the due date until paid, and I may pause work on the engagement until an overdue invoice is settled.

Refunds & cancellations

AI Shortlist Scan: paid at checkout, non-refundable once the Scan has run. The deliverable is the finding itself, and a clean result is still real information, not a failed engagement. If you haven't received your results within 3 business days of payment, contact me and I'll either deliver or refund in full. If you have a problem with the charge, email me before opening a dispute with PayPal: I can resolve it faster directly, and a PayPal dispute goes through PayPal's own resolution process rather than this policy.

Baseline Diagnostic: the full fee is non-refundable once work begins. If the engagement does not produce the promised memo (a baseline, a mechanism, a target, and a kill criterion), I keep working at no additional charge until it does, rather than issuing a refund; this reflects the guarantee stated on the Diagnostic's own page and Scope of Work. If work hasn't started within 15 days of payment for any reason, that payment is refundable in full.

Program Retainer: billed monthly in advance; cancelling doesn't refund a month already billed. The engagement carries a minimum six-month term, which can only be exited early under the delivery-tied exit clause in its Scope of Work (if the Stage 1-2 fixes identified in your Diagnostic aren't shipped by day 90), not for convenience. After the minimum term, either side can end future billing cycles with notice as described in the Retainer's own Scope of Work.

Any other refund request: there's no automatic refund entitlement beyond what's stated above, but there's also no blanket refusal to look at a legitimate problem. If something goes wrong on my end (I can't deliver the agreed scope, or the engagement doesn't proceed as described), get in touch and I'll review the request within 15 working days.

Intellectual property

Once payment is made in full, you own the specific deliverables produced for your engagement: the Scan's findings, the Diagnostic's memo, or the Retainer's fixes and content. The underlying methodology, frameworks, and process remain mine; I use the same sequence with other clients.

Limitation of liability

My liability for any engagement is limited to the fees actually paid for that engagement. I'm not liable for indirect or consequential losses, or for changes made by third-party platforms (search engines, AI models, review sites) that affect your results after the fact.

Termination

The AI Shortlist Scan and the Baseline Diagnostic are one-time engagements that conclude on delivery. The refund terms above cover what happens if they don't. The Program Retainer's minimum term and its one early-exit right are covered in its own Scope of Work and summarized above; outside of that exit right, either side can end future billing cycles with notice once the minimum term is complete.

Changes to these terms

If these terms change, I'll update the date at the top of this page. Changes apply to engagements starting after the update, not retroactively to work already underway.

Contact

Questions about any of the above, or a dispute you'd like to resolve directly before it becomes anything formal: hello@rkarthik.in.