Refund & Cancellation Policy

1. This Policy governs (i) Subscription fees charged by ELANE to Providers or, where offered, to Customers; and (ii) payments taken by ELANE on behalf of a Provider in respect of a Booking.
2. All payments and refunds are processed by authorised third-party Payment Processors. Refunds are returned to the original payment method and settlement times depend on the processor, the card scheme and the issuing bank.

1. ELANE offers a fourteen (14) day satisfaction guarantee on a User’s first-ever paid Subscription. If you are not satisfied, you may request a full refund of that first Subscription payment within fourteen (14) days of the initial charge.
2. Subsequent Subscription renewals are non-refundable, except where required by mandatory consumer law or where ELANE has, in its sole discretion, agreed otherwise in writing.
3. Refunds will not be issued where the account has been suspended or terminated for breach of the Terms of Service or the Acceptable Use Policy.
4. Where a refund is granted, access to paid features will cease upon refund settlement.

1. You may cancel or downgrade a Subscription at any time from your account settings.
2. Cancellations and downgrades take effect at the end of the current billing period. You will retain access to the paid tier until then, and no pro-rata refund is issued for the unused portion of that period.
3. Upgrades take effect immediately. The difference in price is charged on a pro-rata basis for the remainder of the billing period.
4. Failure to cancel before the renewal date will result in a further billing cycle being charged in accordance with the Terms of Service.

1. Each Provider is required to publish a clear cancellation policy on the Platform. That policy is presented to the Customer before Booking confirmation and forms part of the Booking contract between the Customer and the Provider.
2. Unless the Provider’s policy is more generous, the following default rules apply:
   1. More than 48 hours before the appointment: the Customer is entitled to a full refund of any amount paid.
   2. Between 24 and 48 hours before the appointment: the Provider may retain up to 50% of the Booking value as a cancellation fee.
   3. Less than 24 hours before the appointment, or no-show: the Provider may retain the full Booking value.
3. Where a Provider cancels a confirmed Booking, the Customer is entitled to a full refund of any amount paid, and ELANE may apply appropriate consequences to the Provider’s account.
4. Rescheduling is permitted where mutually agreed between the Customer and the Provider through the Platform. Repeated rescheduling in bad faith may be treated as a cancellation.

Refunds will be considered in the following circumstances:

• Duplicate or erroneous charges;
• Unauthorised transactions confirmed through investigation;
• Cancellation of a Booking by the Provider;
• Non-performance of the Booking by the Provider due to Provider fault;
• A material failure by ELANE to deliver the paid Subscription service;
• Where required by applicable consumer protection law.

Refunds will generally not be available for:

• Change of mind after the initial 14-day Subscription guarantee window;
• Failure to cancel a Subscription before renewal;
• Bookings cancelled or missed by the Customer outside the timeframes above;
• Dissatisfaction with a service that was nonetheless delivered substantially as described;
• Losses caused by the Customer’s or Provider’s breach of the Terms.

1. Refunds should first be requested through the in-Platform Bookings or Billing tools where available.
2. If in-Platform tools do not resolve your request, contact legal@elane.co.za from the email address associated with your account and include: the transaction reference, the date of charge, the reason for the request and any supporting evidence.
3. Approved refunds are typically settled within five (5) to ten (10) business days, depending on the Payment Processor and your bank.

1. Where a dispute arises regarding the quality or delivery of a Booking, the Customer and Provider are expected to attempt a good-faith resolution through the Platform’s messaging tools.
2. If the parties cannot resolve the dispute within seven (7) days, either party may escalate the matter to ELANE at legal@elane.co.za. ELANE may, in its discretion, review the communications, evidence and account histories of both parties.
3. ELANE may issue partial or full refunds, reverse commissions, apply account restrictions or take such other action as it considers reasonable to resolve the dispute. ELANE’s determination is administrative and does not preclude either party from seeking recourse in a court of competent jurisdiction.
4. Chargebacks and card-scheme disputes should first be raised with ELANE. Initiating a chargeback without first contacting ELANE may lead to suspension of the account pending investigation.

Nothing in this Policy limits any right or remedy that you may have under mandatory consumer protection legislation applicable to you, including the South African Consumer Protection Act, 2008 or equivalent laws in other jurisdictions.