Refund Policy
Refund Policy
LakeBooking is a marketplace. When you book a session, you pay a booking fee online (a flat 10% of the total booking value) to secure your booking. The remaining balance (90%) is paid directly to the host at the lake on arrival. The booking fee counts toward the total booking value — it isn't an additional charge.
Refunds work differently for each portion. This page covers both.
This policy works alongside our Terms & Conditions. In case of conflict, the Terms govern.
The two portions of a booking
| Portion | Paid to | Paid when | Refund handled by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booking fee (10%) | LakeBooking | At booking, online via Stripe | LakeBooking |
| Remaining balance (90%) | The host directly | At the lake, on arrival | The host, per their house rules |
When this policy talks about a "refund", we mean the booking fee — that's the money we hold and can return. The remaining balance is between you and the host; we don't hold it and can't refund it.
When the angler cancels
The booking-fee schedule is platform-wide and simple. Any policy the host publishes on the lake page applies to the remaining balance and the on-site relationship, not to the booking fee.
| Time before check-in | Booking fee refunded | Remaining balance owed |
|---|---|---|
| More than 48 hours | 100% | None |
| 48 hours or less | 0% | None, unless the host's policy includes a no-show fee |
| No-show | 0% | Per the host's house rules; commonly the value of the first day or night |
Your booking shows the exact free-cancellation deadline, and the cancel dialog states whether the fee will be refunded before you confirm. A booking you never paid for can be cancelled at any time at no cost.
Refunds go back to the original payment card in full, typically within 5–10 working days depending on your bank.
To cancel: dashboard → bookings → the booking → "Cancel". You'll see the refund outcome on screen before confirming.
When the host cancels
If the host cancels your booking for any reason other than a documented incident (see "Lake closures" below):
- 100% of the booking fee is refunded automatically within 24 hours.
Repeated host cancellations affect the host's standing on the platform.
Weather
Bad weather is part of fishing. Rain, wind, and unseasonal cold aren't refundable by default.
Some hosts publish a weather guarantee on their listing — for instance, "if conditions exceed X, the session can be rescheduled at no charge". Where this exists, it's shown at checkout and we honour it through Stripe.
Lake closures
If the lake is unfit to fish for documented reasons outside the host's control — algal bloom, authority-mandated closure, infrastructure failure, force majeure — the angler is fully refunded (100% of the booking fee).
Disputed sessions
Sometimes you arrive and the lake isn't what was advertised: the swim is unusable, the stock isn't there, the amenities are missing. The path is:
- Flag from the gate. Open the booking in the app, tap "Report an issue", send photos. This timestamps the issue.
- Try with the host first. Most hosts will move you to a different swim, refund the remaining balance, or rebook at no charge. The platform records the resolution.
- Escalate to LakeBooking if it isn't resolved within 6 working hours. Email contact@lakebooking.com with your booking ID.
- We mediate, with access to the message thread, the host's photos, the lake gallery, and your evidence.
Mediation outcomes:
- Listing materially misrepresented (substantiated): full booking-fee refund.
- Reasonable but unfortunate (e.g. fish weren't feeding): no refund, but reviews stand on the public record.
- Inconclusive: we explain why and what we'd need to revisit.
We aim to resolve mediation within 5 working days of escalation.
Receipts and invoices
For your records, you'll receive a confirmation email at the time of booking that shows the booking fee you paid and the remaining balance still owed at the lake. The host issues their own receipt or invoice for the remaining balance when you arrive, as they always have.
Stripe chargebacks
You retain your right to file a chargeback with your card issuer. We prefer the dispute path above — it's faster and considers context the bank can't see — but the chargeback option is always available.
When refunds aren't available
- Disappointment with catch quantity or quality that doesn't violate the host's published declaration.
- Personal scheduling conflicts inside the 48-hour non-refundable window.
- Coming unprepared — wrong hook type for a barbless lake, missing a permit, etc.
- Bait or method restrictions clearly listed on the host's page.
Edge cases
My card is closed — where does the refund go? Stripe attempts the original card. If it bounces, Stripe holds the amount and your issuing bank typically credits your replacement card automatically. If not, contact your bank with the Stripe reference (we'll provide it).
I paid the remaining balance in cash and the host won't refund me. That's a contract between you and the host, governed by their published house rules. We can mediate but can't compel a refund of money we never held.
The host says they'll refund "next time". Get it in writing on the platform message thread if you accept it — verbal arrangements are hard for us to enforce.
Contact
For any refund question, email contact@lakebooking.com. We aim for a first response within 6 working hours during business days (Mon–Fri, 09:00–18:00 EET).