Refund Policy

1. Trip booking refunds

Refund eligibility depends on how far in advance you cancel:

• 7+ days before trip start: Full refund minus ₹250 processing fee.
• 3–7 days before: 50% refund. The other 50% covers organizer's pre-booked rooms and transport.
• Within 72 hours: No refund. Organizer has paid for rooms/transport that can't be cancelled.
• Trip cancelled by organizer: 100% automatic refund within 48 hours, regardless of timing.
• Trip cancelled by Fellow Traveler: 100% refund + ₹500 wallet credit as goodwill.

2. Security deposit refunds

Security deposits are held in our escrow account and treated separately from the trip cost:

• Trip completed successfully: 100% auto-refunded to wallet within 24 hours of trip end.
• Cancelled 7+ days before trip: 100% refund.
• Cancelled 3–7 days before: 50% refund (50% paid to organizer as compensation).
• No-show or cancel within 72 hours: Forfeited and paid to organizer.
• Trip cancelled by organizer: 100% refund within 48 hours.

Disputes can be raised within 7 days of forfeit. Our moderation team reviews each case independently.

3. Premium subscription refunds

• Within 7 days of first payment: 100% refund, no questions asked.
• After 7 days but before next billing: No refund, but you keep premium until end of current cycle.
• Service-disruption credit: If we're down for >24 hours, we credit a pro-rated day to your next bill.

4. Wallet credits and referral commissions

Wallet credits earned from referrals, cashback, or rewards are subject to verification:

• We may reverse credits within 30 days if the referred member is found to be fraudulent or violates policy.
• Once a referral commission has paid for 30 days without dispute, it is finalized and non-reversible.
• Withdrawn amounts can't be reversed; please verify before withdrawing.

5. How refunds are processed

1. Open the trip / subscription page and tap Cancel & Refund.
2. Choose refund destination: original payment method, wallet, or UPI.
3. Receive instant SMS + WhatsApp confirmation with refund reference number.
4. Refund timeline:
   • Wallet: Instant (within 60 seconds).
   • UPI: Within 30 seconds.
   • Card / Net banking: 5–7 business days (bank-dependent).

6. Disputes and chargebacks

If you're unhappy with a refund decision, you can:

• Raise a dispute via support within 30 days.
• Our independent moderation team reviews disputes within 5 business days.
• If still unresolved, refer to the binding arbitration clause in our Terms of Service.

Filing a chargeback without first contacting support may result in account suspension. We always honour valid refund requests — please reach out first.

7. Special cases

• Medical emergency: Submit a doctor's certificate within 7 days. We'll process a full refund regardless of timing.
• Death in family: Same as above — full refund with documentation.
• Force majeure (natural disasters, lockdowns): 100% refund or trip rescheduled at no cost.
• Visa rejection (international trips): Full refund minus ₹500 admin fee, with rejection letter.

8. Contact

Questions about refunds? Contact us or email refunds@fellowtraveler.app. Average response time: under 2 hours, 7 days a week.