At Golden Cares, we understand that schedules can change unexpectedly, especially when caring for a senior loved one. This policy outlines our cancellation, rescheduling, and refund process for all bookings, regardless of the channel used to book (App, Website, Phone call, or WhatsApp).

1. Cancellation Policy & Fee Structure

1.1 Cancellations More Than 3 Hours Before the Scheduled Slot

• A nominal 3% payment processing fee will be deducted.
• The remaining 97% of the amount will be refunded to your original payment method.

1.2 Cancellations Within 3 Hours of the Scheduled Slot

• A 30% cancellation fee will be deducted, to compensate the assigned companion for their reserved schedule.
• The remaining 70% of the amount will be refunded.

1.3 No-Show (Customer Side)

• If the assigned companion arrives at the scheduled time and location and the customer or senior is unavailable, unreachable, or denies access for 15 minutes or more past the scheduled start time, this will be treated as a customer no-show.
• A customer no-show will be charged at the same rate as a within-3-hours cancellation (30% fee, 70% refunded).

1.4 Service Delay or No-Show by Companion

• If the assigned companion is delayed by more than 45 minutes without prior communication, or fails to show up for a confirmed booking, the customer is entitled to a 100% refund of the amount paid for that booking.
• Golden Cares will also offer a complimentary rescheduled slot at no extra cost, where requested.

2. Rescheduling Policy

2.1 Free Rescheduling (More Than 3 Hours Before Slot)

Bookings can be rescheduled to a new time slot at no charge (0%) if the request is placed at least 3 hours prior to the scheduled service time.

2.2 Late Rescheduling (Within 3 Hours of Slot)

Rescheduling requests made within 3 hours of the scheduled start time will attract a 15% rescheduling fee, to cover companion adjustment and dispatch costs.

2.3 Rescheduling Limit

A booking may be rescheduled a maximum of 2 times free of cost within the applicable window. Further changes will be treated as a fresh cancellation and booking.

3. Emergency Cancellation Exception

We recognise that genuine medical emergencies can arise without notice.

If a cancellation is made within 3 hours of the scheduled slot due to a medical emergency of the senior citizen (hospitalization, sudden illness, or similar), the customer may request a waiver of the cancellation fee.

Such requests must be raised with our support team within 24 hours of the cancellation, along with basic supporting information (e.g., hospital admission confirmation, doctor's note, or similar).

Approval of emergency waivers is at the discretion of Golden Cares and is assessed on a case-by-case basis.

4. Refund Timeline & Support

• Processing: Refunds are initiated automatically upon a valid cancellation.
• Timeline: Refunds will reflect in your account within 7 to 15 business days, credited to the original payment method (UPI, Card, Net Banking, or Wallet).
• Support: For assistance with rescheduling, refunds, or emergency waiver requests, please write to [email protected] or reach out via our official support channel on the App/Website.

5. General Terms

• This policy applies uniformly to bookings made through the Golden Cares App, Website, or via Phone/WhatsApp.
• Golden Cares LLP reserves the right to review and update this policy from time to time. The updated policy will be posted on our App/Website with the revised effective date.
• In case of any dispute regarding cancellation timing, the timestamp recorded in the Golden Cares booking system will be treated as final.
• For any queries related to this policy, contact us at [email protected].