Cancellation & Refund Policy

Version 2026-09-18 · Effective 18 September 2026

This policy explains how to cancel a Booking, what happens to money, and how to raise a dispute. It forms part of, and must be read with, our Terms of Service — in particular §6 (Payments & fees). The cancellation window and any fee for a given Booking are also shown to you at checkout; where they differ, the terms shown at checkout for that Booking govern.

The one thing to understand first. Alongo can only refund money that Alongo actually received. Online you pay us the Platform Fee only — and during our introductory phase that fee is 0%, so at present you pay us nothing online and there is normally nothing for us to refund. The Companion Service Amount is paid by you directly to the Companion, in person, when you meet. We never hold it, so we cannot refund it — but if you cancel before you meet, you simply never pay it.

1. What can and cannot be refunded

Amount	Who holds it	Can we refund it?
Platform Fee (currently 0%)	Paid online to Alongo	Yes — under this policy, to your original payment method
Companion Service Amount	Paid in person, directly to the Companion	No — we never receive it. Cancel before you meet and it is simply never paid
Wallet top-ups	Held as your balance with Alongo	Yes — see §6

Because the Platform Fee is currently 0%, sections 2 to 4 below describe amounts that, in the introductory phase, are usually zero. They are stated in full so that the policy remains accurate and binding if and when a Platform Fee is introduced — which would apply only to future Bookings, announced in advance and shown at checkout.

2. If you (the Explorer) cancel

Cancel any time from the Booking screen in the app. You owe the Companion nothing for a Booking you cancel before you meet, because their rate is only ever paid in person.

The Platform Fee secures the Companion’s time and, as stated in Terms §6, is not refunded when you cancel a confirmed Booking. Currently that fee is 0%, so cancelling costs you nothing at all. We will still refund it where the law requires, and we will normally refund it as a matter of course if you were charged twice, charged through a technical fault, or the Booking could not go ahead for a reason covered by §5.

Payment-processing charges may be non-refundable where the provider does not return them. Repeated late cancellations may affect your standing on the Platform.

3. If the Companion cancels, or doesn’t show

Companion cancels a confirmed Booking: any Platform Fee you paid online is refunded in full, however close to the start time it happens. You owe the Companion nothing.
Companion no-show: the same — full refund of any Platform Fee. Report it in-app so we can act on it. If you had already paid the Companion in person, tell us: we cannot reverse that payment, but see §4.
Repeated or last-minute cancellations by a Companion may affect their standing, visibility, or ability to take Bookings.

4. If you didn’t show, or the session went wrong

Explorer no-show: any Platform Fee is generally not refunded, as the Companion reserved and attended the time. If a genuine emergency prevented you, contact Support.
Service problems. If a session was materially not as agreed — cut short, or a Community Guidelines violation occurred — raise a dispute in-app promptly. We will review the available information, refund any Platform Fee where appropriate, and take enforcement action against the account at fault, up to removal from the Platform.
What we can and can’t do about the in-person amount. Money you paid the Companion directly is a matter between you and them; Alongo is not a party to it and cannot reverse it. We will still investigate, act on the account, and — where you ask and it is lawful — provide you with the records of the Booking that you need to pursue the matter yourself.
Where a serious safety violation is involved, safety action takes priority over any payment outcome. See our Safety & Booking Policy.

5. Events outside anyone’s control (force majeure)

If a Booking can’t proceed because of events outside either person’s reasonable control — a venue or event cancellation, transport disruption, natural events, or a platform/payment outage — any Platform Fee is refunded or the Booking rescheduled, at your choice. Alongo is not the supplier of third-party events, venues, tickets or transport and does not guarantee them.

6. Wallet balances

If you have topped up your Alongo wallet, the unspent balance remains your money. It never expires while your account is open, and it is not forfeited if you stop using the Platform. You can ask for it back in full at any time, for any reason, through in-app Support or by writing to support@alongo.org: we return it to the original payment method, and we initiate the return within 5 business days of your request, subject only to checks we are required to complete to prevent fraud and money laundering. Any unspent balance is returned automatically when you close your account. We do not charge a fee for returning your own balance.

7. How refunds are issued

Approved refunds go back to your original payment method. We do not refund to a different account.
We initiate the refund within 5 business days of approving it. Arrival then follows your bank or payment provider’s timelines, usually a few business days more.
Because we only ever collect the Platform Fee online, eligible refunds do not depend on recovering funds from anyone else.
Some refunds under this policy are approved and issued by our Support team rather than automatically by the app. That does not change your entitlement or the timelines above — if a refund you are owed has not been initiated within 5 business days, escalate under §9.

8. Chargebacks

Please use this policy first — it is faster than a bank chargeback. Raising a chargeback for a service you received, or to avoid a valid charge, is not a substitute for the process here and may be treated as fraud under our Terms. Where a chargeback is raised, related payouts and balances may be held or reversed while it is investigated. A chargeback cannot be used to recover money you paid a Companion in person, because that payment never passed through us or through your card.

9. How to cancel, refund or escalate

Cancel from the Booking screen in the app. For a refund or dispute, use in-app Support. If you’re not satisfied, escalate to our Grievance Officer, Naitik Popli, at grievance@alongo.org — we acknowledge within 24 hours and aim to resolve within 15 days. This process is in addition to, and does not take away, any rights you have under applicable consumer-protection law, including your right to approach a Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission or the National Consumer Helpline.

10. Changes & contact

We may update this policy; the version and effective date above will change and material changes will be notified. Changes apply to Bookings made after they take effect. Naitik Popli, sole proprietor trading as Alongo, Shop No. 9, Aero Dream City, Jagatpura, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302017, India. Support: support@alongo.org · Grievance: grievance@alongo.org.