Refund and Cancellation Policy

1. Purpose

At Beautify, we aim to provide a transparent, fair, and seamless booking experience for both our Customers and independent Professionals. This Refund and Cancellation Policy governs the cancellation and refund process for all services and appointments booked through the Beautify marketplace platform. By booking services or registering as a beautician on our Platform, you agree to comply with this policy. For broader terms, read our Terms & Conditions, and for data privacy practices, see our Privacy Policy.

2. Customer Cancellation Policy

Customers may cancel confirmed or requested bookings subject to the rules below:

• Cancellation Before Confirmation: If a Customer cancels a booking request before it has been formally accepted/confirmed by the Professional, the Customer is eligible for a full refund of any pre-authorized or charged amounts.
• Cancellation After Confirmation (Cancellation Window): If a confirmed booking is cancelled by the Customer more than 24 hours prior to the scheduled appointment start time, a full refund of the service fee will be issued.
• Late Cancellation Rules: If a confirmed booking is cancelled by the Customer within 24 hours but more than 4 hours before the scheduled time, a cancellation charge of 50% of the booking amount will apply, and the remaining 50% will be refunded. If cancelled less than 4 hours before the scheduled start time, the booking is non-refundable, and 100% of the booking fee will be retained.
• No-Show Policy: If the Customer is not present at the designated service location within 15 minutes of the scheduled appointment time, it will be treated as a "No-Show." No-shows are completely non-refundable.

3. Beautician / Professional Cancellation Policy

Independent Professionals are expected to respect confirmed booking schedules. In rare situations where a Professional must cancel:

• Cancellation Rules: Professionals must notify the Customer and the Platform immediately if they are unable to fulfill an appointment.
• Rescheduling Obligations: The Professional must offer the Customer alternative slots. If the Customer agrees, the booking will be updated. If the Customer declines the alternative slots, the booking will be cancelled, and the Customer will receive a 100% refund.
• Customer Notification Process: Our platform notifies Customers immediately of any cancellations via SMS/email and app alerts, and assists in finding a replacement Professional if requested.
• Repeat Cancellation Consequences: Professionals who repeatedly default on confirmed appointments (e.g., more than 3 cancellations within a 30-day window) will face platform penalties, including lower search visibility, temporary suspension, or permanent account termination.

4. Refund Eligibility

Refunds are assessed and processed based on the following criteria:

• Eligible Refund Scenarios: Cancellation within standard timeframes, professional cancellation defaults, failed bookings (e.g., technical errors), and duplicate transaction charges.
• Non-Refundable Scenarios: Customer late cancellations (less than 4 hours before start), customer no-shows, service dissatisfaction claims (which must be addressed directly with the independent Professional under standard terms, unless a regulatory violation occurs), or attempts to bypass booking logs.
• Partial Refund Scenarios: Late cancellations within the 4-to-24 hour window (50% refund).
• Duplicate Payment Situations: If a technical issue results in multiple charges for the same booking, a full refund of the duplicate amount will be processed upon proof of payment.
• Failed Booking Situations: If payment is deducted but the appointment request fails to register in our database, the transaction is marked as a failed booking, and a automatic refund will be triggered immediately.

5. Refund Processing

Our refund processing workflow is structured as follows:

• Refund Request Process: Users can initiate a refund request by using the "Cancel Appointment" or "Request Refund" buttons in the app dashboard, or by emailing support at beautify144@gmail.com.
• Review Process: Our support desk validates requests against booking audit trails, chat history, and professional logs within 24 to 48 hours.
• Expected Processing Timelines: Once approved, the refund is initiated. Depending on the payment provider (Razorpay, Stripe, bank, or UPI gateways), it may take 5 to 7 business days for the funds to reflect in your source account.
• Payment Method Used: All refunds are issued exclusively to the original payment source used for the booking. We cannot refund cash or transfer amounts to different bank cards/UPI IDs for security and anti-fraud reasons.

6. Platform Fees

Beautify charges a small convenience fee to maintain platform operations, hosting, and booking services.

• Non-Refundability of Platform Fees: In cases of Customer late cancellations or no-shows, the platform fee is non-refundable and will be retained.
• Exceptions: If an appointment is cancelled by the Professional or fails due to a system glitch, the entire amount including platform convenience fees will be fully refunded to the Customer.

7. Disputes

If you disagree with a cancellation charge or refund calculation:

• How to Dispute: Email our team at beautify144@gmail.com within 48 hours of the transaction/cancellation.
• Escalation Process: Disputes are investigated by our Operations Management. If unresolved within 10 days, they may be escalated under the dispute mechanisms in our Terms & Conditions.
• Required Supporting Information: Provide your booking ID, date/time of appointment, name of the Professional, screenshot of cancellation alerts, and description of the situation.

8. Force Majeure Events

We understand emergencies happen. In the event of:

• Natural disasters (floods, earthquakes, storms).
• Government-imposed curfews, lockdowns, or restrictions.
• Medical emergencies (subject to reasonable validation).

Neither party will be penalized for cancellations caused by Force Majeure events, and a full refund or waiver of cancellation fees will be granted.

9. Contact Information

For refund queries, cancellation issues, or dispute support:

• Email: beautify144@gmail.com
• Phone Number: "+91 98765 43210"
• Business Address: "123 Beauty Lane, Bandra, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India"

10. Changes To This Policy

Beautify reserves the right to update this Refund and Cancellation Policy periodically to match changing financial laws, gateway parameters, and operational requirements. All revisions will be posted directly to this URL, and continued platform usage will constitute acceptance of the updated terms.