EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES POLICY
How it works
We may be able to give you a refund or waive the cancellation penalties if you have to cancel because of an unexpected circumstance that’s out of your control. Below is a list of circumstances covered by our Extenuating Circumstances Policy. Before you cancel, check that your circumstance is included in the list below and that you can provide the required documentation.
It’s important to keep in mind that penalty-free cancellations are only available for extenuating circumstances that occur before the official exchange date for your reservation.
Circumstances that require documentation
Death of a member, immediate family member or caregiver. You’ll be asked to provide one of these documents:
- Death certificate
- Obituary
- News article naming the deceased
- Police report
Unexpected serious illness or injury affecting an Asset Owner or user. You’ll be asked to provide a statement from a physician confirming that the person can't attend to the exchange due to an unexpected, serious illness or injury. The statement must be also dated after the reservation was booked and provided within 14 days of cancellation. At this time, pre-existing conditions known to the user at the time of booking are not covered by our Extenuating Circumstances Policy.
Government-mandated obligations including jury duty, travel restrictions, court appearances and military deployment. You'll be asked to provide a copy of the official notice dated after the reservation was booked, including the name of the person fulfilling the obligation.
Unforeseen damage and repair of the listing that makes it unsafe to operate. You might be asked to provide the following documents if you wish to re-listing asset:
- Proof that the issue is being fixed
- An estimate of when it will be fixed
- An invoice for the repairs being done
- Photos of the damage
Transportation disruptions that make it impossible to travel to the location of exchange, including road closures and power outage where there are no alternative methods of access. This includes closures and cancellations caused by natural disasters, such as earthquakes or severe storms. You’ll be asked to provide a notice of the road closure, or documentation confirming that it's not possible to travel to the location of exchange.
Train, bus or ferry cancellations where no alternate trips were available on the same day. You’ll be asked to provide documentation that clearly shows the carrier was not operating on that day, such as a screenshot of the company’s website or a link to an official statement from the carrier.
Circumstances that require special review
There’s no required documentation for these circumstances, but our specialised team will review each case to confirm that you’re directly affected.
Epidemic disease or illness that suddenly affects a region or an entire group of people. This doesn’t include existing diseases that are associated with an area—for example, malaria in Thailand or dengue fever in Hawaii. Any updates to our policy regarding the outbreak of a disease and the scope of policy application, will be determined based on announcements by the World Health Organization, Australian Government Department of Health and local authorities.
Travel restrictions imposed by a government, law enforcement agency or military that restrict travel to or from the listing or experience location.
Safety and security threat advisories issued for the listing or experience location or the guest party’s departure location.
What to do next
If you’ve confirmed your circumstance meets the requirements above, first cancel your reservation. If your reservation falls under a recognised extenuating circumstance, you’ll be notified that your reservation qualifies for a penalty-free cancellation, and you’ll get a full refund if you’re an user.
If your reservation doesn't qualify automatically, continue cancelling your reservation and then contact us to file a claim. We’ll walk you through the next steps, which will include submitting any required documentation and waiting for our team to review your case. Claims must be submitted within 14 days of cancellation.
If you have questions, please contact us.