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Delete a Group

When you need to close your group, Homeschool Hive makes the process safe and transparent. This guide covers scheduling deletion, the 14-day grace period, data export, and what happens to your members and their payments.

Important

Group deletion is permanent after the 14-day grace period. Make sure to export all data you need before the deletion is complete.

Understanding Group Deletion​

The 14-Day Grace Period​

When you schedule your group for deletion:

  • Your group remains visible and functional for 14 days
  • A countdown banner shows members how much time remains
  • You can cancel the deletion at any time during this period
  • All automatic processes happen at the end of the 14 days

This grace period gives you time to:

  • Change your mind if circumstances change
  • Export your group's data
  • Communicate with members
  • Handle any final administrative tasks

What Happens Automatically​

Homeschool Hive handles several tasks automatically when deletion is complete:

Subscriptions & Refunds

  • All active membership subscriptions are cancelled
  • Members receive pro-rated refunds for unused time
  • Payment processing stops immediately

Events

  • All upcoming events are cancelled
  • Event attendees receive full refunds for paid tickets
  • Members are notified of cancellations

Member Notifications

  • All members receive notification of the upcoming closure
  • Countdown reminders are sent as deletion approaches
  • Final confirmation when group is deleted

Data

  • All group data is permanently removed after 14 days
  • Export your data before deletion completes

Schedule Group Deletion​

Access the Danger Zone​

  1. Go to your group page
  2. Click Settings in the group menu
  3. Scroll to the Danger Zone section at the bottom
  4. Click Delete Group

Confirm Deletion​

For security, you'll need to confirm your decision:

  1. Enter your password
  2. Type your group name exactly as shown
  3. Review what will happen:
    • 14-day grace period begins
    • Members will be notified
    • Automatic refunds will process
    • Data can be exported
  4. Click Schedule Deletion
Take Your Time

You don't need to rush this decision. Use the 14-day grace period to ensure you've handled everything you need to before the group is permanently deleted.

Confirmation​

After scheduling deletion:

  • You'll see a countdown banner at the top of your group
  • Members see the same countdown banner
  • You'll receive a confirmation email
  • The deletion date is displayed clearly

The Countdown Banner​

What Members See​

A banner appears at the top of your group page showing:

  • "This group will be deleted in X days"
  • The exact deletion date and time
  • A message encouraging members to save any important information

For Group Leaders​

Your countdown banner also includes:

  • A Cancel Deletion button
  • A Export Data link
  • Time remaining until permanent deletion

Export Your Group Data​

Before your group is deleted, export all important information.

What You Can Export​

Members List

  • Member names and contact information
  • Join dates and membership status
  • Roles and permissions
  • Family information (children, allergies, special needs)

Events History

  • All past and upcoming events
  • Event details and descriptions
  • RSVP lists and attendance

Financial Records

  • Membership subscription history
  • Event ticket sales
  • Payment transactions
  • Refund history
  • Revenue reports

Posts and Content

  • Group announcements
  • Discussion posts
  • Comments and reactions
  • Shared files (if applicable)

How to Export​

  1. Click Export Data from the countdown banner
    • Or go to Settings > Export Data
  2. Select what to export:
    • Check Members for member list
    • Check Events for event history
    • Check Financials for payment records
    • Check Posts for content history
    • Or select All Data for everything
  3. Choose your format:
    • CSV - For spreadsheets
    • Excel - For Microsoft Excel
    • JSON - For technical use
  4. Click Generate Export
  5. Wait for processing (may take a few minutes for large groups)
  6. Download when ready
Export Timing

Exports are generated at the time you request them. Data continues to update during the grace period, so you may want to export again near the deletion date to capture everything.

Using Your Export​

Exported data includes:

Member CSV includes:

  • Name, email, phone
  • Join date, status
  • Role in group
  • Children and ages
  • Allergies and special needs

Event CSV includes:

  • Event name, date, time, location
  • Description and category
  • Capacity and RSVP count
  • Attendee names (separate file)

Financial CSV includes:

  • Transaction date and amount
  • Payment method
  • Purpose (membership, event ticket)
  • Status (paid, refunded)

Cancel Scheduled Deletion​

Changed your mind? You can cancel the deletion at any time during the 14-day grace period.

How to Cancel​

  1. Go to your group page
  2. Click Cancel Deletion in the countdown banner
    • Or go to Settings > Cancel Deletion
  3. Confirm you want to keep the group
  4. Click Cancel Deletion

After Cancelling​

Once cancelled:

  • The countdown banner disappears
  • Members receive a notification that the group is staying active
  • All subscriptions and events continue normally
  • No data is deleted
  • You can schedule deletion again if needed later
tip

There's no penalty for cancelling. Use the grace period to fully consider your decision.

What Happens to Member Data​

During the Grace Period​

For the 14 days after scheduling deletion:

  • Members can still access the group
  • They can download their own data
  • They can save event information
  • They receive their refunds

After Deletion Completes​

When the 14 days end:

  • The group is permanently deleted
  • All group-specific data is removed
  • Members' personal accounts remain active
  • Members can join other groups normally

Member Data Privacy​

What's Deleted:

  • Group membership records
  • Event RSVPs
  • Payment history with this group
  • Posts and interactions within this group

What Remains:

  • Member's personal Homeschool Hive account
  • Their profile information
  • Memberships in other groups
  • Personal payment methods

Subscriptions and Refunds​

Membership Subscriptions​

When your group is deleted:

Active Subscriptions

  • Automatically cancelled at deletion
  • Pro-rated refunds issued for unused time
  • Members are not charged again

Cancelled Subscriptions

  • No action needed
  • Previously cancelled subscriptions remain cancelled

Refund Calculation​

Refunds are calculated based on unused time:

Example:

  • Member pays $50/month on the 1st
  • Group deleted on the 15th
  • Member receives ~$25 refund (half month unused)

Processing Time:

  • Refunds process within 24 hours of deletion
  • Money returns to original payment method
  • Members receive email confirmation

Event Ticket Refunds​

All paid event tickets are refunded:

  • Full refund for all upcoming events
  • Processed automatically
  • Returns to original payment method
  • Members receive confirmation email
Stripe Processing Time

While Homeschool Hive processes refunds immediately, it may take 5-10 business days for the money to appear in members' accounts, depending on their bank.

Financial Considerations​

Outstanding Payments​

Before deleting your group:

Failed Payments

  • Address any failed subscription payments
  • Contact members with payment issues
  • Consider writing off small amounts

Pending Refunds

  • Complete any manual refunds
  • Verify all refunds have processed
  • Check for disputed charges

Your Stripe Account​

What Happens:

  • Your Stripe Connect account remains active
  • All refunds process through your account
  • Transaction history remains in Stripe
  • You maintain access to Stripe dashboard

Recommended Actions:

  1. Download financial reports from Stripe
  2. Review all transactions
  3. Keep records for tax purposes
  4. Decide if you want to disconnect Stripe later

Communicating with Members​

Announcement Before Deletion​

Consider sending an announcement before scheduling deletion:

  1. Go to Announcements > New Announcement
  2. Explain why you're closing the group
  3. Provide the deletion date
  4. Tell members how to export their data
  5. Thank members for their participation
  6. Offer alternative groups or resources if available

Sample Announcement​

Subject: Important Update: [Group Name] Closing

Dear [Group Name] Members,

After much consideration, I've made the difficult decision to close
our group effective [DATE].

What This Means:
- Our group will remain active until [DATE]
- All subscriptions will be cancelled with pro-rated refunds
- Upcoming events will be cancelled with full refunds
- You can export your event history and data

I'm grateful for our time together and the wonderful community we've
built. Thank you for being part of [Group Name].

If you have questions, please reach out before [DATE].

Warm regards,
[Your Name]

14 Days Before Scheduling:

  • Announce your intention to close
  • Explain the decision
  • Answer member questions

When Scheduling:

  • Confirm the decision
  • Provide exact deletion date
  • Remind about data export

Midway Through Grace Period:

  • Send reminder about upcoming deletion
  • Encourage data export
  • Share alternative resources

Final Days:

  • Final reminder
  • Last chance for questions
  • Thank members one more time

Troubleshooting​

Can't Schedule Deletion​

If you're unable to schedule deletion:

Permission Issues

  • Only group Owners can delete groups
  • Co-Leaders cannot delete groups
  • Verify you're logged in as the Owner

Group Name Not Matching

  • Group names are case-sensitive
  • Copy and paste to ensure exact match
  • Check for extra spaces

Password Issues

  • Ensure you're using your current password
  • Try resetting your password if needed
  • Check for typos

Export Failed​

If your data export doesn't work:

  1. Try exporting smaller sections separately
  2. Check your internet connection
  3. Wait a few minutes and try again
  4. Try a different file format
  5. Contact support if problem persists

Refunds Not Processing​

If refunds aren't working correctly:

  1. Verify the deletion date has passed
  2. Check Stripe dashboard for refund status
  3. Ensure payment methods are still valid
  4. Contact support for assistance
  5. Manual refunds may be needed in some cases

Members Not Notified​

If members aren't receiving notifications:

  1. Check their notification preferences
  2. Ask them to check spam folders
  3. Verify email addresses are correct
  4. Send manual announcement as backup
  5. Post update in group feed

Changed Mind After Deletion​

During Grace Period:

  • Click Cancel Deletion - everything continues normally

After Grace Period:

  • Deletion is permanent and cannot be reversed
  • All data is deleted and cannot be recovered
  • You'll need to create a new group
  • Members will need to rejoin
Cannot Undo Deletion

Once the 14-day grace period ends, deletion is permanent. There is no way to recover the group or its data. Make absolutely sure you've exported everything you need.

Alternatives to Deletion​

Before deleting your group, consider these alternatives:

Transfer Ownership​

If you can't continue but someone else can:

  1. Go to Settings > Transfer Ownership
  2. Select a Co-Leader or trusted member
  3. They accept the transfer
  4. You step down while group continues

Promote Co-Leaders​

Share the responsibility:

  1. Promote active members to Co-Leader
  2. Delegate specific responsibilities
  3. Create an Event Manager role for helpers
  4. Step back but keep group active

Put Group on Pause​

Temporarily pause group activity:

  1. Cancel upcoming events
  2. Pause membership subscriptions
  3. Post announcement about break
  4. Keep group visible but inactive
  5. Reactivate when ready

Make Group Free​

If paid memberships are the issue:

  1. Cancel membership fees
  2. Make all events free
  3. Reduce commitment level
  4. Keep community together

After Your Group is Deleted​

What Happens to You​

Your Account:

  • Your personal Homeschool Hive account remains active
  • You can join other groups as a member
  • You can create a new group in the future
  • Your profile and settings are preserved

Your Stripe Account:

  • Remains connected to Homeschool Hive
  • Can be used for new groups
  • Can be disconnected if desired
  • Transaction history preserved

Starting Over​

If you want to create a new group later:

  1. Go to Create Group from your dashboard
  2. Set up the new group
  3. Use lessons learned from previous group
  4. Previous members can be invited to join
  5. Start fresh with new focus or direction

Best Practices​

Before Scheduling Deletion​

  • Export all important data
  • Announce closure to members well in advance
  • Complete any pending financial transactions
  • Review and address any disputes
  • Cancel upcoming events manually if preferred
  • Save contact information for key members
  • Download financial reports from Stripe
  • Back up any important discussions or posts

During Grace Period​

  • Monitor member questions and respond
  • Send reminder announcements
  • Verify refunds are processing correctly
  • Export data again near deletion date
  • Thank members for their participation
  • Share alternative resources if available

After Deletion​

  • Confirm all refunds completed
  • Verify members received notifications
  • Keep financial records for tax purposes
  • Consider disconnecting Stripe if not needed
  • Reflect on lessons learned
  • Stay connected with members who want to keep in touch

Getting Help​

If you need assistance with group deletion:

Before Deleting:

  • Contact support if you're unsure about the decision
  • Ask questions about the process
  • Get help with data export
  • Discuss alternatives

During Grace Period:

  • Report technical issues immediately
  • Ask about refund status
  • Get help with member communication

Support Channels:

What's Next?​

Depending on your situation:

  1. Transfer ownership - Let someone else lead
  2. Create a new group - Start fresh
  3. Join other groups - Participate as a member
  4. Export your data - Save your records first