Cancellation Policy | Instantatoz

The Instantatoz Cancellation Policy governs the rights and obligations of both Users (Customers) and Workers when a Job is cancelled at any stage of the job lifecycle. The policy aims to be fair to all parties while discouraging frivolous cancellations that negatively impact Workers' income and Users' experience.

Job Lifecycle Stages

Posted

Job created, seeking Worker

Accepted

Worker matched & en route

Started

OTP Work Start confirmed

Completed

Job done, billing finalised

A. User (Customer) Cancellations

Stage 1: Before Worker Acceptance

Full Refund

A User may cancel their Job request at any time before a Worker accepts it with no penalty. A full refund of the authorised payment amount will be initiated (less any non-refundable payment gateway charges). No negative record will be made against the User's Account for single such cancellations.

Stage 2A: After Acceptance — Before Worker Arrival

Partial Refund

If a User cancels after a Worker has accepted and is en route, a cancellation fee may apply to compensate the Worker for travel time and opportunity cost. The applicable fee depends on the time elapsed since acceptance:

Within [X] minutes of acceptance: Minimal or no cancellation fee.
After [X] minutes: A fixed cancellation fee of [₹Y] applies.
After Worker is confirmed en route: Higher cancellation fee.

Specific amounts are configured in the Platform and shown at the time of cancellation.

Stage 2B: After Worker Arrival — Before OTP Work Start

Cancellation Fee

If a User cancels after the Worker has arrived at the work site but before the OTP Work Start has been confirmed, a higher cancellation fee applies. This fee compensates the Worker for travel time, waiting time, and the loss of another job opportunity. The cancellation fee will be deducted from the held payment and the remaining balance refunded to the User.

Stage 3: After OTP Work Start — Job in Progress

Non-Refundable for Hours Worked

Once the OTP Work Start has been confirmed, the Worker has formally commenced services. The User is obligated to pay for all hours worked up to the point of cancellation. Billing is calculated based on the time elapsed since OTP Work Start. Any pre-authorised amount exceeding the hours worked will be refunded. No refund is available for hours already worked except in cases of verified Worker misconduct, as determined through the dispute process.

B. Worker Cancellations

Before Arrival — Worker-Initiated Cancellation

Workers may cancel an accepted Job before arriving at the work site under genuine circumstances (emergency, illness, inability). However:

The Worker's reliability rating will be reduced.
The Platform will attempt to find an alternative Worker for the User.
The User will receive a full refund of any cancellation impact caused by the Worker's withdrawal.
Repeated Worker-initiated cancellations will result in progressive penalties including temporary suspension of job acceptance privileges.

No-Show — Worker Failure to Arrive

If a Worker accepts a Job but fails to arrive within the expected arrival window and does not cancel through the Platform, it is recorded as a "No-Show". The User will be entitled to a full refund. The Worker will receive an automatic negative rating and no earnings for the Job. Repeated no-shows will result in account suspension.

After OTP Work Start — Worker-Initiated Abandonment

A Worker abandoning a Job after OTP Work Start without a genuine emergency is a serious breach of these Terms. The Worker will be paid only for hours actually worked. The incident will be recorded and may result in account suspension. The User may be entitled to a partial or full refund for unworked hours and any demonstrable damages, subject to dispute resolution.

C. Repeated Cancellation Consequences

Party	Threshold	Consequence
User	[X] cancellations in [Y] days	Warning issued
User	Continued pattern	Temporary account restriction
Worker	[X] cancellations in [Y] days	Rating reduction, deprioritised in matching
Worker	Continued pattern	Account suspension

D. Contact for Cancellation Issues

Email: support@instantatoz.online

Subject: "Cancellation Issue — [Job Reference ID]"