Refund policy

This Refund Policy applies to all bookings made through the HoPetSit marketplace. It complements the Terms of Service and reflects how cancellations and refunds are actually executed by our payment processor (Airwallex).

1. How payments are held

When an owner pays for a confirmed booking, the funds are captured by our regulated payment processor (Airwallex) and held in escrow. They are released to the provider's registered bank account 24 hours after the service ends — this dispute window protects the owner if anything goes wrong during the service.

2. Cancellation by the owner — 72-hour free window

• More than 72 hours before the service starts: You can self-cancel from the app. The booking is cancelled immediately and you receive a 100% automatic refund (no questions asked). Funds typically reach your bank within 5–10 business days.
• 72 hours or less before the service starts: Self-cancellation is no longer available. You must request a mutual cancellation from your provider in the chat, or open a formal dispute via contact@hopetsit.com. Refunds within this window are reviewed case-by-case based on the reason and any evidence.

3. Cancellation by the provider

If your sitter or walker cancels a confirmed booking — at any time before the service starts — you receive a 100% automatic refund. The provider may incur a cancellation fee, visibility downgrade or platform suspension if cancellations become repeated, to protect the trust of owners on the platform.

4. Service not delivered (no-show, sitter unreachable)

If the service was paid for but never delivered, you can open a dispute within 24 hours of the scheduled service end via the chat or by emailing contact@hopetsit.com. After verification (chat history, photos, GPS check-ins, ratings), we issue a full refund within 5 business days.

5. Service materially different from what was agreed

Partial refunds may be granted at our discretion when the service was materially different from what was agreed (significantly shorter duration, conditions clearly violated, etc.). Both parties have the opportunity to share evidence in the dispute.

6. Force majeure

Documented force majeure events affecting either party (severe illness with medical proof, natural disaster, government-imposed travel ban, death of the pet, etc.) are reviewed case-by-case regardless of the standard timeline. Refunds may be granted on presentation of appropriate evidence.

7. How refunds are issued

Refunds are issued back to the original payment method (the card used at checkout, via Airwallex). Funds typically arrive within 5 to 10 business days depending on your bank.

8. Chargebacks

We strongly encourage owners to use HoPetSit's internal dispute mechanism before initiating a chargeback with their card issuer. Owners initiating chargebacks without first contacting us, or while a dispute is already active, may forfeit our internal resolution process and may be permanently removed from the platform. We cooperate fully with Airwallex on legitimate chargeback investigations.

9. Contact

Refund requests, disputes and questions: contact@hopetsit.com · we aim to reply within 48 hours.