Refund Policy

1. Plain-English Summary

We want every booking to be a great experience. If something goes wrong, we will work with you in good faith to make it right. The short version:

• Cancel more than 24 hours before your appointment: full refund.
• Cancel within 24 hours: 50% refund.
• No-shows: no refund.
• If our team can't complete the service, we refund or rebook at no charge.
• Service quality issues: contact us within 24 hours and we will resolve.

2. Customer-Initiated Cancellations

• More than 24 hours before the appointment: full refund of the booking total via PayFast (typically returns to your card within 5 to 10 working days).
• Within 24 hours of the appointment: 50% refund. The other 50% covers the groomer's allocated time, travel, and lost slot.
• On arrival or no-show: no refund. The groomer has travelled and the slot cannot be re-sold.
• To cancel, contact us via WhatsApp on 081 275 8860 or reply to your booking confirmation message.

3. DoggyFontein-Initiated Cancellations

In rare cases we may need to cancel a booking ourselves, for example due to severe weather, a vehicle breakdown, or groomer illness. In these cases:

• We will notify you as early as possible via WhatsApp.
• You will be offered the choice of a free reschedule to the next available slot, or a full refund.
• You will not be charged a cancellation fee.

4. Incomplete Services

If our groomer arrives and is unable to safely complete the service (for example, the pet is too aggressive, too matted to be groomed without veterinary advice, or the booked location is inaccessible), we may stop the appointment for the safety of the pet and our team.

• If we have not yet started, you will be charged a 50% call-out fee covering travel and time.
• If we started but could not complete, you will be charged for the work completed at a fair pro-rated amount.
• We will discuss next steps with you on the day and confirm any charges in writing.

5. Service Quality Issues

If you're unhappy with the result of a groom, please contact us within 24 hours. We will:

• Listen to your specific concern
• Where reasonable, offer a free touch-up at our next available slot
• Where a touch-up isn't feasible, offer a partial refund proportional to the issue

We don't offer refunds for normal coat regrowth, individual styling preferences voiced after the fact, or for issues caused by undisclosed pre-existing skin or coat conditions.

6. Recurring Bookings

You can pause or cancel a recurring booking at any time. Each individual appointment within a recurring schedule is treated as its own booking for cancellation purposes (the timing rules in section 2 apply per appointment).

7. How Refunds Are Paid

Refunds are processed via PayFast back to the original payment method used at booking. PayFast typically returns funds to your bank within 5 to 10 working days. We cannot refund to a different card or account.

8. Disputes

If we can't resolve an issue between us, you have the right to escalate to the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud, the National Consumer Commission, or to seek legal counsel. We'd much rather sort it out directly first.

9. Contact

Phone / WhatsApp: 081 275 8860
Email: hello@doggyfontein.co.za
Website: doggyfontein.app