Refunds & Payment Protection

We don't have one generic "refund policy." Cancellations, refunds, disputes, no-shows, rescheduling, payment release, and safety issues are each handled explicitly and fairly — the same way mature marketplaces like TaskRabbit, Upwork, and Fiverr handle them. Here's what happens in each situation. Full details are in the Refund Policy, Cancellation Policy, and Dispute Resolution sections below.

The outcome depends on the specific situation. Here's the quick reference:

• •Customer cancels well in advance (within the Provider's free-cancellation window) — the service price is refunded. The 12% platform fee is non-refundable
• •Customer cancels close to the appointment (outside the free window) — 75% of the service price is refunded; the provider receives 25% of the service price as cancellation compensation; the 12% platform fee is non-refundable
• •Provider cancels the booking — customer receives a full refund including the platform fee
• •Provider no-show — full refund including platform fee, plus a trust strike against the Provider (3 strikes = warning, 5 = listing paused)
• •Customer no-show — Provider is compensated for their time; booking marked complete with a trust note
• •Provider arrives but can't do the job due to incorrect info from the customer — case review; a call-out fee may be retained
• •Provider hasn't started work yet — normally refundable
• •Work partially completed — partial refund or dispute mechanism applies
• •Customer unhappy with quality — dispute filed, not an automatic refund; investigated by our team
• •Work materially different from the agreed quote — dispute eligible; the accepted quote (amount, inclusions, exclusions) is preserved as evidence
• •Provider demands unexpected additional money — customer can decline and report; no surprise charges are possible through the platform
• •Safety issue — job stopped immediately with a dedicated reporting route and admin alert
• •Property damage — dedicated incident/damage claim handled through the dispute process
• •Customer refuses to confirm completed work — held payment auto-releases after 48 hours unless a dispute is filed
• •Provider says complete but customer disagrees — funds are frozen pending dispute resolution
• •Both parties agree to a partial refund — partial refund supported; the retained amount and reason are recorded
• •Duplicate payment — automatic full refund of the duplicate charge
• •Fraudulent transaction — funds and account frozen immediately pending investigation

Not every disagreement is an all-or-nothing cancellation. Want A Service explicitly supports partial-refund resolutions — where both parties agree (or our team decides) that a portion is refunded and a portion is retained. The exact refund type (full, partial, or none), amount refunded, amount retained, and reason are recorded on every payment and visible on the refund receipt.

Payments are held securely by the platform and only released when the job is confirmed complete, auto-released after 48 hours of silence, or resolved through dispute. No funds reach the Provider until the work is done or the dispute is settled.

Want A Service is a two-sided marketplace connecting Clients (people who need services) with independent Providers (tradespeople, professionals, and freelancers). There are no subscription fees for Clients. Providers list their services for free.

Clients pay the Provider's stated price at the time of booking. Prices are set entirely by the Provider and may be structured as:

• •Hourly rates — charged per hour of work
• •Fixed price — a flat fee for a defined scope of work
• •Call-out fee — a minimum attendance fee, plus hourly or materials
• •Per-project — custom quote agreed between Client and Provider before payment
• •Other pricing models as displayed on the Provider's profile

All prices are displayed in USD (United States Dollars) at checkout before any payment is taken. No hidden fees are charged to Clients beyond what is shown at checkout.

Want A Service adds a 12% platform service fee on top of the Provider's listed price. This fee:

• •Is added on top of the Provider's stated price at checkout
• •Is paid by the Client — Providers receive 100% of their listed price
• •Is displayed transparently at checkout before any payment is taken
• •Is non-refundable on ordinary customer cancellations, including early cancellations within the free-cancellation window. It is refunded in full only on verified provider-fault cancellations
• •May be adjusted with 30 days' advance notice to registered users

Providers receive 100% of their listed price. The platform fee is charged separately to the Client on top of the Provider's price. Payouts are made after service completion via PayPal to the PayPal email address the Provider enters and verifies in their account. There are no upfront listing fees, subscription costs, or hidden charges for Providers.

Clients may post a job request for free. Providers submit quotes at no charge. Payment is only collected once the Client accepts a quote and proceeds to checkout. The quoted amount plus any agreed adjustments forms the final billable amount.

Some Providers set scenario-based surcharges that are automatically applied on top of the base price based on when the job takes place. These surcharges are always itemised at checkout before payment is taken:

• •Weekend surcharge — applied automatically when the booking date falls on a Saturday or Sunday
• •After-hours surcharge — applied automatically when the booking time falls outside the Provider's standard hours (default after 6pm and before 7am)
• •Public-holiday surcharge — applied automatically on recognised public holidays
• •Custom surcharges — optional, manually-selected add-ons the Client can toggle at checkout (e.g. emergency callout, high-rise access)

Each surcharge shows as a labelled line item in the price breakdown at checkout, on the receipt, and in any dispute context. Surcharges are set entirely by the Provider and may vary by listing.

Discount codes may be issued at Want A Service's discretion and applied at checkout. Discounts apply to the service fee only, not to the platform fee. Expired or invalid codes will not be applied.

Want A Service operates as a marketplace. All service agreements are directly between Clients and Providers. Refunds are governed by this policy and the individual Provider's stated cancellation terms.

The 12% platform fee is non-refundable on ordinary customer cancellations — whether the customer cancels within the Provider's free-cancellation window or outside it (late cancellation). It is refunded in full only on verified provider-fault cases, where the Provider cancels, no-shows, or fails to deliver the service. This fee covers marketplace infrastructure, payment processing, and support costs. Nothing in this policy limits any statutory consumer rights that cannot legally be excluded — see the Consumer Rights section below.

A Client may be eligible for a full or partial refund of the service fee (excluding platform fee) in the following cases:

• •The Provider cancels the booking before the scheduled service date
• •The Provider fails to show up without notice ('no-show')
• •The service was not delivered as described in the Provider's listing
• •The Client cancels within the Provider's stated free-cancellation window
• •A technical error resulted in a duplicate charge

To request a refund:

• •Contact us at our Contact form (/contact) within 48 hours of the scheduled service date
• •Include your booking reference, description of the issue, and any supporting evidence (photos, messages, etc.)
• •We will investigate and respond within 3–5 business days
• •If approved, refunds are processed within 5–10 business days to the original payment method

Refunds will NOT be issued for:

• •Change of mind after service has been completed
• •Dissatisfaction with results where the service was delivered as described
• •Cancellations outside the Provider's stated cancellation window
• •Chargebacks initiated without first contacting us
• •The 12% platform fee on ordinary customer cancellations (early or late) — refundable only on verified provider-fault cancellations

Initiating a chargeback or payment dispute with your bank or card issuer without first contacting Want A Service is a violation of these Terms. We reserve the right to suspend accounts where bad-faith chargebacks are initiated. If you believe a charge is unauthorized, contact our Contact form (/contact) immediately.

Once approved, refunds are processed within 5–10 business days. The actual credit date depends on your financial institution. We will send an email confirmation once a refund has been initiated.

Depending on the cancellation reason, refunds may be partial. In certain scenarios a Provider's call-out fee or the platform fee is retained while the remainder is refunded to the Client. The specific retained amount and reason are recorded on the payment record and shown on the refund receipt. Examples include:

• •Provider cancellation or no-show — full refund including platform fee
• •Client change of mind outside the free-cancellation window — 75% of the service price is refunded; the provider receives 25% of the service price as cancellation compensation; the 12% platform fee is non-refundable
• •Client did not provide materials or access needed for the job — call-out fee retained, remainder refunded
• •Force majeure (e.g. weather) — full refund, no penalty to either party

The exact refund type (full, partial, or none), amount refunded, amount retained, and reason are visible on each refunded payment record.

Payments are processed by PayPal, a PCI-DSS compliant payment processor. Want A Service does not store full payment card numbers or sensitive payment credentials.

When a Client pays for a booking, the funds are captured by PayPal and held by the platform (not immediately released to the Provider). Held funds are released to the Provider only when one of the following occurs:

• •The Client confirms the job is complete (releases immediately)
• •The Provider marks the job complete and the Client does not dispute within 48 hours (auto-release)
• •The job auto-completes on the day after the scheduled service date if no action is taken
• •An admin resolves a dispute in the Provider's favour

This hold protects both parties: the Client knows their payment is secured and can dispute incomplete work, and the Provider knows funds are committed before they begin the job.

When a Provider marks a job complete, the Client is notified and given 48 hours to either confirm completion (which releases payment immediately) or file a dispute. If the Client does not respond within 48 hours, the held payment is automatically released to the Provider. This window exists to give the Client a fair opportunity to inspect the work while preventing indefinite payment holds.

For physical and in-home service categories, Providers are required to capture 'before' (start) and 'after' (end) photos as visual proof of the work performed. These photos must be uploaded before a job can be marked complete. Before/after photos protect both parties: the Provider has documented evidence of the work done, and the Client has a record of the condition of the property before and after the service. Photos are visible to both parties on the booking detail page and to administrators during dispute resolution.

For job-based bookings (where a Client accepts a Provider's quote and pays), the Provider has 24 hours to confirm they will do the job. If the Provider does not confirm within 24 hours of payment, the held payment is automatically refunded to the Client in full and the job reopens. Both parties acknowledge this policy at checkout and quote submission.

Want A Service adds a 12% platform fee on top of the Provider's listed price. This fee is charged to the Client at checkout. It is non-refundable on ordinary customer cancellations, including early cancellations within the free-cancellation window. It is refunded in full only on verified provider-fault cancellations, where the Provider cancels, no-shows, or fails to deliver the service.

Providers receive 100% of their listed price. Payouts are issued via PayPal to the PayPal email address the Provider enters and verifies in their account. The Provider is solely responsible for ensuring this email is correct, current, and linked to a PayPal account they control.

Payout eligibility requires a verified PayPal email on file. Want A Service is not liable for funds sent to an incorrect, mistyped, closed, or outdated PayPal account provided by the Provider, and cannot guarantee recovery of such funds. Providers must update their payout email immediately if it changes. Want A Service is not responsible for delays caused by PayPal or other third-party financial institutions.

Providers are independent service providers and are responsible for determining, reporting, and paying any taxes, VAT, sales taxes, or other statutory obligations applicable to the services they provide, unless applicable law requires Want A Service to collect, withhold, or remit such amounts. See section 3b of the Terms of Service for the full provider tax responsibility clause. Want A Service may issue required tax reporting forms as mandated by law.

All transactions are in USD by default. International users are responsible for any foreign exchange fees charged by their financial institution.

Fraudulent payment activity will result in immediate account suspension and may be reported to law enforcement. Contact our Contact form (/contact) before initiating any chargeback.

The following situations have no standard automated flow and are handled through our Dispute Resolution process on a case-by-case basis. In every case, our team reviews the booking, payment, and communication records to reach a fair outcome.

If a Provider becomes unable to complete a job due to serious illness, injury, death, or other incapacitating event after work has begun but before completion:

• •The Client should file a dispute immediately, selecting 'Work damaged something' or 'Other' as the reason
• •Any held payment remains frozen — it will NOT be released to the Provider's estate or account while the dispute is open
• •Want A Service will attempt to contact the Provider or their emergency contact; if no response within 72 hours, the held payment is refunded to the Client minus any call-out fee for work already performed
• •Where work was partially completed satisfactorily, a partial refund may be issued (the completed portion released, the remainder refunded)
• •Clients are encouraged to seek an alternative Provider through the platform to complete the job

This does not apply where the Provider simply chose to stop working — that is treated as a provider cancellation (full refund + trust flag).

If the completed work is materially different from the agreed quote or listing description:

• •The accepted quote (amount, inclusions, exclusions, estimated duration) is automatically preserved as evidence when a dispute is filed
• •The Client may file a quality dispute within 7 days of completion
• •Where the Provider performed less work than agreed, a partial refund is issued for the difference
• •Where the Provider performed additional work not requested by the Client, the Client is not obligated to pay for it — no surprise charges are possible through the platform
• •Where both parties agreed to a scope change during the job (documented in platform messages), the agreed amount stands

Want A Service does not currently support partial deposits or milestone payments. All bookings require full payment upfront, which is held by the platform until the job is confirmed complete. For large or multi-day jobs:

• •Providers may quote a fixed price for the entire job — the full amount is held and released on completion
• •Multi-day jobs use the same hold-and-release model — payment is released when the entire job is complete, not per day
• •Providers who need materials upfront should include materials costs in their quote — the Client pays the full quote and funds are held until completion
• •We are evaluating milestone-based payments for a future update; until then, Clients and Providers who need staged payments should split the job into separate bookings

Once a held payment has been released to a Provider (via client confirmation, auto-release, or admin resolution), the funds have left Want A Service's control and cannot be automatically recovered. In these cases:

• •The Client may still file a dispute within 7 days of completion for quality issues, or within 48 hours for no-shows
• •Want A Service will attempt to recover funds from the Provider's future payouts or PayPal account, but recovery is not guaranteed
• •Where the Provider has a history of disputes or trust violations, we may withhold future payouts until the issue is resolved
• •If recovery is not possible, the Client's dispute is escalated to our team for a goodwill review — we may issue a platform-funded refund at our discretion in clear platform-fault cases
• •Chargebacks initiated through the Client's bank are tracked separately and may result in account suspension if filed in bad faith

This is why the 48-hour confirmation window exists — it gives Clients a fair opportunity to inspect work before funds leave the platform.

If a Provider's account is banned or suspended while they have pending payouts (from completed jobs):

• •Pending payouts are frozen immediately and held by Want A Service pending review
• •Completed jobs where the Client confirmed completion and no dispute was filed — the Provider's payout is released after a 14-day review period (to allow for late disputes)
• •Where a dispute is open or was filed within the review period, the payout remains frozen until the dispute is resolved
• •If the ban was for fraud or serious policy violations, payouts may be withheld indefinitely and used to fund Client refunds where applicable
• •Providers may appeal a ban and request payout of frozen funds through our Contact form — each case is reviewed individually

If a Client's account is banned while they have a held payment or pending refund: the held payment is refunded to the Client's original payment method minus any applicable fees, and the booking is cancelled. Want A Service does not withhold Client funds except where fraud is suspected.

After a booking is completed, Clients may optionally add a tip for their Provider via PayPal. Tips are never required and have no effect on booking status, ratings, or access to platform features.

Want A Service charges no platform fee or commission on tips — 100% of the tip amount is added to the Provider's payout balance and paid out with their next payout via their verified PayPal email. Standard PayPal payment-processing fees apply to the tip transaction.

Tips are non-refundable. A tip may only be refunded in platform-fault cases (for example, a Provider no-show) as determined through our Dispute Resolution process. Initiating a chargeback for a voluntary tip without first contacting us is a violation of these Terms.

Tips are taxable income for the Provider. They are included in the Provider's earnings and Tax Report, and Providers are responsible for declaring tips in accordance with their local tax obligations.

Tips are capped at $500 per booking, and one tip may be given per booking.

Registered customers receive a personal referral code from their dashboard. When a friend enters that code at checkout on their first booking, they receive a 10% discount on the service fee. Once the friend's paid booking is completed, the referrer receives a one-time 10%-off reward code for their own next booking, delivered by email and shown in their dashboard.

The following rules apply to all referral discounts and rewards:

• •Referral discounts are available to new customers only — a customer with any prior paid booking is not eligible
• •Each customer may use one referral discount, on their first paid booking only
• •You may not refer yourself — a code cannot be applied from an account with the same email as the referrer
• •Reward codes are single-use, apply to the service fee only, and expire 90 days after issue
• •Discounts apply to the service fee only, never to the 12% platform fee

The Referral Program is intended for genuine recommendations. The following are strictly prohibited and may result in voided codes, withheld rewards, and account suspension:

• •Referring yourself using additional accounts or email addresses
• •Creating duplicate or fraudulent accounts to earn rewards
• •Bookings made with no intention of receiving service, or cancelled/refunded bookings made to trigger rewards
• •Selling, bartering, or publicly posting codes for mass use

Want A Service reserves the right to review all referral activity and to withhold rewards where abuse or manipulation is suspected. A referred booking that is cancelled or refunded before completion does not qualify for a reward, and any reward already issued for it may be voided.

We may modify or end the Referral Program at any time. Changes do not affect reward codes already issued while they remain unexpired.