Refund & Cancellation Policy

1. Overview

This Refund and Cancellation Policy governs all financial transactions made through the FlickyTales Platform. It applies to all Users (those who book photography services) and Photographers (those who provide photography services).

All times referenced in this policy are based on the confirmed session start time. “Cancellation” means the withdrawal of a confirmed Booking by either party before the session begins. Refunds are calculated based on the session fee paid, excluding any non-refundable Platform Fee as described in Section 7.

This policy applies to Bookings made and paid for through the FlickyTales Platform. It does not apply to any arrangements made outside our Platform, for which we offer no protection or recourse.

2. User Cancellation Policy

2.1 More than 72 Hours Before the Session

If you cancel a confirmed Booking more than 72 hours before the scheduled session start time, you will receive a full refund of the session fee. The refund will be processed to your original payment method within the timeframe described in Section 8.

2.2 Between 24 and 72 Hours Before the Session

If you cancel between 24 and 72 hours before the session, you will receive a refund of 50% of the session fee. The remaining 50% is retained by the Photographer as compensation for time blocked and preparation costs.

2.3 Less than 24 Hours Before the Session

Cancellations made within 24 hours of the session start time are non-refundable. The full session fee is released to the Photographer as compensation for their time and any preparations made.

We understand that emergencies happen. If you face a genuine emergency (e.g., hospitalization), please contact us at support@flickytales.com with documentation. We will review on a case-by-case basis and may provide a partial credit at our discretion.

2.4 Rescheduling

Instead of cancelling, you may request to reschedule a Booking with mutual agreement from the Photographer. Rescheduling is allowed up to once per Booking, provided the request is made at least 48 hours before the original session time. Rescheduling is subject to Photographer availability and does not attract cancellation fees.

3. Photographer Cancellations

Photographers are expected to honour all confirmed Bookings. A Photographer cancellation causes significant disruption to a User’s plans and is treated seriously.

When a Photographer cancels a confirmed Booking at any time:

• The User receives a 100% refund of all amounts paid, including both the session fee and Platform Fee.
• The User receives a Platform credit of INR 200 towards their next Booking.
• The Photographer’s profile is flagged internally. Repeated cancellations may result in account suspension.
• The Photographer does not receive any payment for the cancelled session.

Photographers who cancel more than 3 Bookings in a 90-day period may have their profiles temporarily suspended pending review.

4. No-Show Policy

4.1 User No-Show

If a User fails to appear at the agreed session location within 30 minutes of the scheduled start time without prior notification, it is treated as a last-minute cancellation. No refund will be issued, and the session fee is released to the Photographer.

4.2 Photographer No-Show

If a Photographer fails to appear within 30 minutes of the session start time without prior notification or reasonable explanation, the User will receive a full refund of all amounts paid, plus a Platform credit of INR 500 as a goodwill gesture. The Photographer will be subject to disciplinary action.

4.3 Force Majeure

In cases of natural disasters, government-imposed curfews, or other extraordinary events beyond a party’s reasonable control, we encourage mutual rescheduling. If rescheduling is not possible, full refunds will be issued at FlickyTales’s discretion upon review of the circumstances.

5. Quality Disputes

If you are dissatisfied with the Deliverables provided by a Photographer, you may raise a quality dispute within 7 calendar days of receiving the final Deliverables. To file a dispute:

• Navigate to your Booking in the app and select “Raise a Dispute.”
• Provide a detailed description of your concerns and upload examples where relevant.
• Our team will review within 5 to 7 business days.

Quality disputes may result in a revision request to the Photographer, a partial refund, or a full refund depending on the severity of the issue and evidence provided. We may request input from both parties during the review.

Subjective dissatisfaction with style (where the Photographer’s style was clearly visible in their portfolio at the time of booking) does not automatically entitle a User to a refund. Refunds for quality disputes are granted where there is objective evidence of non-delivery or significant departure from agreed specifications.

6. Payment Failures & Errors

If your payment fails during the Booking process, no charge is made and no Booking is confirmed. Please retry with a different payment method or contact support.

If you believe you have been incorrectly charged — including duplicate charges, wrong amounts, or charges for Bookings you did not make — please contact billing@flickytales.com within 30 days of the charge. We will investigate and, if confirmed, issue a full refund within 7 business days.

For any disputed charges on your bank statement, you may also contact your bank to initiate a chargeback. We encourage you to contact us first as we can typically resolve billing errors faster than the chargeback process.

7. Platform Fee

The Platform Fee charged by FlickyTales (typically 10%–20% of the session fee) is non-refundable in the following circumstances:

• User-initiated cancellations at any time.
• No-show by the User.
• Quality disputes where a partial refund is issued.

The Platform Fee is refundable only in the following circumstances:

• Photographer-initiated cancellations.
• Photographer no-show.
• Confirmed payment or billing errors on our part.
• Full refund granted following a quality dispute.
• Technical failure of the Platform that prevents booking completion.

8. Refund Processing Time

Once approved, refunds are processed within the following timeframes:

• UPI, Net Banking: 3 to 5 business days from approval.
• Credit / Debit card (Visa, Mastercard, RuPay): 5 to 10 business days, depending on your issuing bank’s processing time.
• Platform credit: Instant — visible in your account immediately upon approval.

Refund timelines are estimated and may vary based on your financial institution’s processing schedules, public holidays, or banking system delays. We have no control over delays caused by your bank once the refund has been initiated from our end.

You will receive an email confirmation when your refund has been initiated. If your refund has not appeared within 15 business days of the approval email, please contact billing@flickytales.com.

9. Refund Methods

Refunds are issued to the original payment method used for the Booking. We do not issue refunds to a different account, card, or payment method than the one used for purchase. If your original payment method is no longer active (e.g., an expired card), please contact billing@flickytales.com before requesting a refund so we can arrange an alternative.

In exceptional cases where the original payment method cannot be refunded, we may issue Platform credits or arrange a bank transfer, subject to identity verification.

10. Exceptional Circumstances

We recognize that life is unpredictable. In the following circumstances, we will review refund requests on a case-by-case basis and may offer exceptions to our standard policy:

• Medical emergency affecting the User or an immediate family member (documentation required).
• Death of an immediate family member.
• Natural disasters, floods, or government-declared emergencies affecting the session location.
• Severe weather conditions officially declared as dangerous by authorities.
• Major transportation disruptions (e.g., flight cancellations, train strikes) preventing attendance.

To request an exception, email support@flickytales.com within 48 hours of the session with relevant documentation. We will respond within 3 business days.

11. Raising a Dispute

To raise a dispute regarding a Booking, refund, or charge:

• In-app: Go to your Booking, tap the three-dot menu, and select “Report an Issue.”
• Email: disputes@flickytales.com with your Booking ID, account email, and a description of the issue.
• Support chat: Available in-app, Monday through Saturday, 9 AM to 8 PM IST.

All disputes must be raised within 7 calendar days of the incident or delivery of Deliverables. Disputes raised after this window will be considered on merit but are not guaranteed resolution.

Our dispute resolution team aims to resolve all disputes within 7 business days. Both parties will be notified of the outcome, which is binding unless appealed within 5 days of the decision.

12. Contact

For all refund and billing inquiries:

• Email: billing@flickytales.com
• Disputes: disputes@flickytales.com
• In-app chat: Available Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 8 PM IST
• Response time: We aim to acknowledge all inquiries within 4 business hours

FlickyTales Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Level 5, WeWork BKC, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400051, India