Debra Macleod's
Marriage SOS™

Online Programs • Phone Consults

FAQ & Policies

FAQ & Policies

Due to the non-returnable nature of online courses and the prevalence of buyer abuse / fraud in this digital age, I have a general no-refund policy. My courses provide truly exceptional value for the cost, course pages and free audio intros contain an accurate description of contents, the platform is reliable, and the multi-step payment process (designed to curtail impulsive or unauthorized purchases) is secure with anti-fraud measures in place. All of this means that buyers are able to make an informed and responsible purchase. Marriage SOS is not a free service and takes appropriate action against those who exploit its products (as evidenced by the course’s activity feed and the payment process): this may include submitting documentation to the customer’s bank / credit card company and/or pursuing legal action for copyright infringement of course material. I have a zero-tolerance policy with respect to buyer abuse / fraud, and assertively counter all cases of such. 

However, if you feel your situation is unique or exceptional, or that you should be exempted from this general no-refund policy by law or for any reason, please contact CustomerSupport@DebraMacleod.com for fast, friendly help. Marriage SOS has been in business for over twenty years, and I want you to be satisfied with your purchase. My customer support is always happy to provide personalized assistance, and purchasers will always find fair and flexible support.

As for a guarantee, no matter what anyone tells you, there is no guarantee that any approach or service can save a troubled marriage, and I cannot offer you one. After all, if you’re here, you’re dealing with some tough issues. What I can say, however, is that I have done my best to provide content that I feel is widely relevant, adaptable and usable, and that has proven successful for past clients. During the years I tested the programs with clients before offering them to the general public, an average of 9/10 people consistently reported that the content helped them successfully resolve their situation. So while there are no guarantees and every situation is different, I do believe there is a significant amount of content in each program that can help the vast majority of course-takers resolve their situation to their satisfaction. Yet perhaps the biggest indicator of success is the amount of unsolicited feedback that I regularly receive from happy course-takers, many of whom have recommended my services to others.

All course purchases are one-time payments. On occasion, certain bank statements may show recurring payment BUT this is inaccurate and stems from the way some banks automatically classify safe purchases from businesses that you’ve created an account with: it’s their way of indicating that any future purchases made from that account—purchases that can ONLY be initiated by you, the cardholder—will be approved. To reiterate, you can only be charged once. Marriage SOS uses third-party secure payment processors (Stripe, PayPal) and thus does not retain your financial information nor allow for recurring payments. Only individual payments that are initiated and completed by you are possible. If you have any questions in this regard, please email CustomerSupport@DebraMacleod.com.

Please visit the Tech Support page where you can troubleshoot the problem and contact customer support for fast, personalized help. The platform is monitored on a daily basis and incoming email is regularly checked, so someone will respond to you ASAP! We know you are frustrated and we really do want to help.

There may be a couple reasons. A common reason is having incorrectly entered an email address or password at the time of account creation. This will allow you to access your account initially, but you won’t be able to sign back in. If you believe this may have happened, please contact CustomerSupport@DebraMacleod.com and we’ll help you straighten it out quickly. Another reason may be that your course enrollment has expired (as a security measure, enrollments of streaming programs are for a one-year period: if there hasn’t been any recent activity in your program, it may therefore have expired); however, we offer no-hassle free re-enrollments for as long as you need. Contact CustomerSupport@DebraMacleod.com for fast, friendly help, and we’ll get you back into your course ASAP.

Don’t panic! Just email CustomerSupport@DebraMacleod.com and we will work with you to make it right.

When you’re reaching out for relationship help, it’s important to be proactive and informed, and to find the right approach, service and practitioner for your circumstances – you do have choices. My background is in marital mediation and relationship coaching. You can learn more about me on the About Debra page. For more information on my method and “Fair, but Aware” approach, please click here .

My service (including telephone consults, online programs, books and articles) is not psychological counselling or therapy, and is therefore unsuitable in cases that involve any kind of abuse in the marriage or home. It is similarly unsuitable in cases of mental illness / disorder, trauma, addiction, serious emotional distress or where crisis intervention is indicated. Those in such situations must consult the appropriate resource (e.g. the police and/or a lawyer, or a mental health professional) as soon as possible. Online programs, books and articles are informational and reflective in nature: they do not and cannot provide advice or help on an individual basis.

Yes to all. Payments are securely processed by Stripe or PayPal, both of which use fraud filters to authenticate purchases. This protects our customers and our company. Your email order confirmation and your credit card statement will show your purchase from Marriage SOS / Debra Macleod. If you pay via a PayPal account or your credit card is set up for purchase alerts, any linked email addresses will receive notification of the purchase. If you wish to make a discreet purchase, you may wish to try a prepaid card / gift card.
Our payment processor(s) are set up to accept prepaid cards / gift cards from major companies including Visa, Mastercard, Amex and Discover, so this should work and has worked for other purchasers. That being said, we cannot guarantee this (or any other payment method) will work in all jurisdictions or situations.

In an ideal situation, spouses will work together, honestly and eagerly, to move past their marriage problems; however, that doesn’t always happen, at least not right away. That’s where these programs come in. Each crash course/audio program is designed to be taken by an individual spouse, not by both partners. The insights and strategies in each course are tailored for one spouse’s particular circumstances and will not be relevant, or helpful, to both spouses.

For example, the Overcoming Infidelity // For Betrayed Spouses course should only be taken by the betrayed spouse – that is who the content is specifically written for, and it can be counterproductive for the other partner to receive this content (remember, your course is your “secret weapon” in the fight for your marriage). If the spouse who committed the infidelity wishes to participate, he/she can take the Overcoming Infidelity // For Spouses Who Stray course; however, he/she must take the initiative to do this without pressure (or pleading) from you. You should never pressure a reluctant spouse to participate. That will backfire every single time. You are better off to focus on your own program, as that can be the pivot point in all of this.

The only exception to this “one spouse” rule is the New You, Renewed Marriage // Improving Interactions & Intimacy course: this course can be used by one spouse working alone or by both spouses, if they feel the material is relevant to both of them.  If you do both choose to take this course, however, I still recommend you take turns listening to it instead of listening together. A solo approach tends to foster a more open-minded, less defensive mood.

Although I welcome and respect clients of different faiths, this is not a religious service and religion will not be discussed during consultations. None of my crash courses contain any religious content.
Yes, of course. A heads up, through – my books and programs do use gender-specific wife / husband language and examples, in addition to the gender-neutral spouse / partner. If you are in a same-sex marriage or relationship and wish to enroll in a course, I’d encourage you to look past that and focus instead on the behaviors, insights and strategies described. Ultimately, marriage problems (and solutions) are about behavior and choices, not gender or sexual orientation. For the record, I do plan to offer more gender-neutral products in the future to better and more respectfully serve my same-sex clients and course-takers.
That’s up to you. Do you want to accept it or do you want to try something else?  I do not offer “scammy” guarantees that my courses will save your marriage.  What I can tell you is that the insights and strategies you will hear in my course can be used, and used effectively, at any stage of the separation process. I can also tell you that they are significantly less costly than a divorce. I wish you luck, but I’m afraid that’s all I can say.  I provide an excellent product that has turned countless marriages around; however, I do not offer grandiose promises to people who are already struggling in their lives.

Telephone consultations are booked online via the Phone Consults page and are on a one-on-one basis (I don’t do conference calls). You don’t need to do anything special to prepare for a session; however, you will want to find a private place to talk, whether that’s in your car, at your desk or on your couch. You may also want to jot down in advance any specific questions you want to ask me. Although we will cover as much as possible during your session, sometimes a question can slip a person’s mind.

I make two attempts, at the scheduled time, to call the phone number you entered upon booking. I do not leave messages. Although most consults go smoothly, every now and then someone has their ringer turned off or forgets about an appointment… and confusion ensues!

If you think you missed my call, please email CustomerSupport@DebraMacleod.com. If there is sufficient time left to have the appointment, or if I happen to have some extra time that day, we may be able to make it work; however, 24 hours cancellation notice is required for a refund. We can also reschedule, so don’t panic!

If I have not called when expected, please confirm the date / time of the consult, as well as the telephone number and time zone you entered at the time of booking. On occasion, people do get these wrong… and confusion ensues!

If you did enter everything correctly but I haven’t called, it may be that I’ve been abducted by aliens… or more likely, that some unforeseen happenstance has come up (e.g. power outage, personal emergency, etc.). If that is the case, please know that I will be in touch as soon as I possibly can via email to offer my sincerest apologies and your options to either reschedule at your convenience or receive a refund.

In other instances, I may have cancelled our appointment for reasons beyond my control; in such cases, I would have emailed in advance and may also have automatically initiated a payment refund. Be assured, however, that I only cancel appointments if absolutely necessary. I know you have arranged your schedule around this appointment, and I respect your time and efforts.

Please note that 24 hours cancellation notice is required to receive a refund. If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, email CustomerSupport@DebraMacleod.com

I respect the lifestyle choices of all individuals and couples, and happily consult with those who are married, living together or dating. Similarly, my courses apply to both marriage and cohabiting situations. And yes, I am married and have been for many years. My husband and I have one (adult) child.

Because video conferencing services can still be unreliable, and because poor or unpredictable service (like a frozen screen!) can disrupt the flow and focus of a consult, I do not currently offer this service.

There are many different insurance companies and plans out there—you will have to check with your plan administrator. (My credentials can be found on the About Debra page.)

Current prices are listed in USD on product / crash course pages, and on the phone consults page. Applicable taxes and/or long-distance charges are included in the cost.

You can find full Terms of Use, including all associated policies, by clicking here. If you have enrolled in a crash course or booked a telephone session, you would have been asked to review and agree to these terms in advance.