Refund Policy

1. Escrow Protection — How It Works

• Your card is authorized at booking. Funds are captured when the job is marked complete.
• For simple services (T1), payment is processed automatically upon job completion. You have 24 hours to dispute under the Home Harbor Guarantee.
• For skilled services (T2), you have 2 hours to review and approve after completion — then it auto-approves.
• For milestone projects (T3), each phase has its own escrow hold with separate approval.
• All payments are secured by Stripe. Your card details are never stored on our servers.

2. Full Refund Eligibility

You may receive a full refund if:

• The pro no-shows and doesn’t reschedule within 24 hours.
• The pro cancels the booking.
• The service was never performed.
• A safety incident occurred during the service.
• The booking was made fraudulently (unauthorized use of your account).

3. Partial Refund Eligibility

You may receive a partial refund if:

• The work was partially completed but the pro cannot finish.
• The scope of work was significantly different from what was agreed.
• Quality issues that the pro cannot or will not correct.
• Refund amount is determined by our mediation team based on work completed vs. agreed scope.

4. Not Eligible for Refund

• You changed your mind after the work was completed satisfactorily.
• The pro completed the work as described but you expected a different outcome not specified in the booking.
• You failed to provide access or necessary information, causing delays or inability to complete.
• Cosmetic preferences (color, style) that weren’t specified in the booking details.
• Price disputes on work that was quoted, accepted, and completed as agreed.

5. How to Request a Refund

• Submit your request within 72 hours of job completion (before auto-approve).
• Navigate to the booking detail page and select “Report an Issue” or “Dispute.”
• Provide a description and attach photos if applicable.
• Our team reviews within 24–48 hours.
• You’ll be notified of the decision via email and in-app notification.

6. Dispute Resolution Process

• Step 1: We contact the pro for their side (24 hours).
• Step 2: Mediation — our team reviews evidence from both sides (48 hours).
• Step 3: Decision — full refund, partial refund, or no refund with explanation.
• Step 4: If unsatisfied, you may escalate to binding arbitration per our Terms of Service.

7. Refund Method & Timeline

• Refunds are processed to your original payment method.
• Processing time: 5–10 business days (depends on your bank).
• Alternatively, a refund may be issued as Home Harbor credit (instant) at your choice.
• Gift card purchases are non-refundable but transferable.

8. When a Pro Cancels

• When a pro cancels: You receive an automatic full refund, no questions asked.
• Refund is processed immediately to your original payment method.
• We’ll also help you find a replacement pro if needed.
• Pros who repeatedly cancel face strikes and potential suspension.

8a. When You Cancel

Your refund amount depends on when you cancel relative to your scheduled service time:

• 24+ hours before: Full refund, no cancellation fee.
• 12–24 hours before: Refund minus $15 flat cancellation fee.
• Under 12 hours before: Refund minus 25% of booking total.
• No-show (no cancellation): Refund minus 50% of booking total.

For full details, see our Cancellation Policy.

9. Harbor Helper Refunds

• The same refund policy applies to Harbor Helper bookings.
• Additional protection: if a Helper’s work doesn’t meet quality standards, we’ll send a replacement or issue a full refund at no additional cost.
• The Harbor Helper’s supervising organization is notified of quality issues.

10. Guarantee Integrity & Abuse Prevention

To ensure fair treatment of both homeowners and service professionals, Home Harbor monitors dispute patterns and reserves the right to:

• Require photo or video evidence for quality-related disputes.
• Issue partial refunds (rather than full) for quality complaints where the service checklist was completed.
• Flag accounts that file more than 2 disputes within a 30-day period for manual review.
• After 3 approved disputes within 90 days, route all future disputes to mediation instead of auto-refund.
• Deny refund requests that are filed after the dispute window has closed.
• Suspend or terminate accounts that demonstrate a pattern of fraudulent or abusive dispute behavior.
• Consider the provider’s completion evidence (checklist sign-off, photos) as counter-evidence in disputes.

These measures protect the livelihoods of our service professionals while maintaining the Home Harbor Guarantee for honest customers. If you believe a dispute decision was made in error, you may escalate to binding arbitration per our Terms of Service.