Cancellationpolicy.

What this policy covers

This policy applies to every booking made with NATS Pets Courier (Pty) Ltd, whether on our website, by email or by phone. It forms part of our Terms of service. Nothing in it limits any right you have under the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 or any other law.

Times in this policy are South African time.

When a booking is confirmed

We do not take payment online. After you book, one of our agents checks the details and confirms them with you. A booking is confirmed only once we have received full payment and sent you written confirmation. Until then, either of us can cancel at no cost, and we do not hold space for your pet.

If you cancel

You may cancel a confirmed booking at any time. Tell us in writing, by email to service@natspetscourier.co.za, with your booking reference. The time we receive your message is the time of cancellation.

• 48 hours or more before collection: full refund, less any third-party costs already paid.
• Less than 48 hours before collection: we keep 50% of the trip price and refund the rest, less any third-party costs already paid.
• After your pet has been collected: the trip has started and is not refundable, unless we fail to complete it through our own fault.

The late cancellation charge covers the vehicle, driver and space we held for your pet and could not offer to anyone else. If we fill that space, we reduce the charge by what we recover.

Third-party costs are amounts we pay to others for your trip, such as airline cargo fees, permits, state vet endorsements and crates. We show you these before you pay. Where they are refunded to us, we pass the refund on to you.

When we won’t charge you

As section 17(5) of the Consumer Protection Act requires, there is no cancellation charge if the booking cannot go ahead because of the death or hospitalisation of the person the booking was made for. We may ask for reasonable proof, such as a death certificate or a letter from the hospital.

No cooling-off period

Because a trip is booked for a specific date, the cooling-off period in the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act does not apply (section 42(2)(f)). Your cancellation rights are the ones on this page.

Changing your booking

You can change the date, route or service at no charge if you tell us 48 hours or more before collection, subject to space. If the new trip costs more, you pay the difference before it runs. If it costs less, we refund the difference.

A change requested less than 48 hours before collection is treated as a late cancellation and a new booking.

Information you give us

Your price is based on the details you give us: the number, species and size of your pets, the addresses, and the documents they travel with. If any of these are wrong and the trip costs us more as a result, you pay the difference before we continue. If the trip cannot go ahead because of it, this is treated as a cancellation by you at the time we find out.

If your pet can’t travel

For your pet’s safety and to meet the law, our driver may refuse to collect a pet that:

• does not have the vaccination records, permits or health certificates the trip needs
• is clearly ill, injured, heavily pregnant or in distress
• is a different animal, size or number from the booking
• is too aggressive to be handled safely
• is refused by an airline because of a breed, crate, temperature or health rule we told you about before you paid

This is treated as a cancellation by you at the time of collection. If we can safely take your pet on a later trip, we will offer that first.

Timing and delays

Collection and arrival times are estimates. Traffic, weather, roadworks, airline schedules and welfare stops can change them, and your pet’s welfare always comes before the schedule. We will keep you updated, but a delay is not a cancellation and does not entitle you to a refund. If we cannot complete the trip at all, “If we cancel” below applies.

If your pet falls ill during the trip

If your pet becomes ill or injured on the way, we will take them to the nearest available vet and contact you straight away. Vet costs are yours. If your pet cannot continue, we will agree with you how to complete the trip or return your pet, and any extra distance is charged at our standard rates.

Missed collections and deliveries

If nobody is at the agreed place at the agreed time and we cannot reach you after reasonable attempts by phone and email:

• At collection: the trip is treated as a cancellation by you at the time of collection.
• At delivery: we keep your pet safe, which may mean a boarding kennel or cattery. Boarding and redelivery costs are yours. If nobody collects or arranges delivery within 3 days, we may place your pet with a registered animal welfare organisation, and you remain liable for the costs.

If we cancel

If we cannot run your trip, for example because of a breakdown, severe weather, road closures or an airline cancellation, we will tell you as soon as we know and offer you either:

• a new date at no extra cost, or
• a full refund of everything you paid, including any third-party costs we can recover.

If we cancel for any other reason, you get a full refund. We may cancel a booking that breaks our Terms of service, with a full refund less third-party costs already paid.

How refunds are paid

Refunds are paid by bank transfer to the account the payment came from, within 10 business days of cancellation. We do not pay refunds to a different person or account, and we will never ask you to pay a fee to receive one.

Questions and complaints

Contact us first, with your booking reference, and we will try to put it right. If we cannot, you may refer the matter to the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud or the National Consumer Commission.