RELIEF CARE INC.
Cancellation Policy
This Cancellation Policy is incorporated by reference into the Relief Care Terms of Use. By using the Services, you agree to this Policy. To the extent of any conflict between this Policy and the Terms of Use, the Terms of Use control.
1. Definitions
In this Policy, the following terms have the meanings set out below. All other capitalized terms have the meanings given to them in the Terms of Use.
- Booking — a confirmed engagement for care services arranged through the Services, for which payment has been processed or held by Relief Care.
- Care Giver — an individual offering care services through the Services, including personal support workers, nurses, and other healthcare workers.
- Care Seeker — an individual or institutional user (including a Facility Customer) booking care services through the Services.
- Last-Minute Cancellation — a cancellation occurring within 24 hours of the scheduled shift start time.
- No-Show — a Booking that does not commence within the grace period defined in Section 4 because one party fails to attend or to be reachable.
- Shift Start Time — the start time of care services as recorded in the Booking at the time of confirmation.
2. Scope and Application
This Policy applies to all Bookings made through the Services. It governs:
- the conditions under which a Care Seeker or Care Giver may cancel a Booking;
- the cancellation fees, no-show fees, and refunds applicable to each cancellation type;
- how Relief Care handles released payments, held funds, and refunds in connection with cancellations; and
- the consequences for repeated cancellation or no-show conduct.
This Policy does not address pricing, taxes, or general payment terms. Those are governed by the Terms of Use and the receipt issued at the time of Booking.
3. Care Seeker Cancellations
3.1 Cancellation Windows
A Care Seeker may cancel a Booking through the Services at any time before the Shift Start Time. The amount refunded and the cancellation fee charged depend on when the cancellation occurs:
| Time of Cancellation | Cancellation Fee | Refund to Care Seeker |
|---|---|---|
| More than 24 hours before Shift Start Time | None | Full refund of care cost; platform fee handled per Section 5 |
| Between 24 and 12 hours before Shift Start Time | 1 hour at the booked hourly rate, paid to the Care Giver | Remaining care cost refunded; platform fee handled per Section 5 |
| Between 12 and 2 hours before Shift Start Time | 2 hours at the booked hourly rate, paid to the Care Giver | Remaining care cost refunded; platform fee handled per Section 5 |
| Less than 2 hours before Shift Start Time, or after Shift Start Time | Treated as a Care Seeker No-Show under Section 4.1 | See Section 4.1 |
3.2 In-App Cancellations Only
All cancellations must be initiated through the Services so that Relief Care can record the cancellation time, calculate the applicable fee or refund, and update payment status accordingly. Off-platform notifications (text message, email outside the Services, verbal communication) do not constitute cancellation under this Policy, and the cancellation timing rules above will be applied based on the time the cancellation is recorded in the Services.
3.3 Refund Method
Where this Policy provides for a refund and the Booking was paid by card, Relief Care will process the refund to the original payment method through its payment processor within a reasonable period.
4. No-Shows
4.1 Care Seeker No-Show
A Care Seeker No-Show occurs when:
- the Care Giver has confirmed attendance at the location of care (or has been ready to commence remote care, where applicable);
- the Care Giver has waited 15 minutes past the Shift Start Time; and
- the Care Seeker has not commenced the engagement and has not responded to communications through the Services.
Outcome: Relief Care reviews the report together with the in-app record (including check-in timestamps, messages through the Services, and any supporting information provided) to confirm whether a Care Seeker No-Show occurred. Where Relief Care confirms a Care Seeker No-Show, the standard outcome is a no-show fee equal to 2 hours at the booked hourly rate, payable to the Care Giver, with the remaining care cost (if any) refunded to the Care Seeker per Section 3.3 and the platform fee handled per Section 5. Relief Care may waive, reduce, or otherwise adjust this outcome based on the circumstances of the Booking and the exceptions in Section 7. Any outcome applied remains subject to the dispute process in Section 8.
4.2 Care Giver No-Show
A Care Giver No-Show occurs when:
- the Care Giver has not arrived at the location of care (or has not commenced remote care, where applicable);
- 15 minutes have elapsed past the Shift Start Time; and
- the Care Giver has not responded to communications through the Services.
Outcome: Relief Care reviews the report together with the in-app record (including check-in timestamps, messages through the Services, and any supporting information provided) to confirm whether a Care Giver No-Show occurred. Where Relief Care confirms a Care Giver No-Show, the standard outcome is that the Care Giver receives no payment for the Booking and the Care Seeker is refunded in full per Section 3.3. Relief Care may waive, reduce, or otherwise adjust this outcome based on the circumstances of the Booking and the exceptions in Section 7. The Care Giver No-Show is recorded on the Care Giver’s account in accordance with Section 6, and any outcome applied remains subject to the dispute process in Section 8.
4.3 Replacement Care Givers
In the event of a Care Giver No-Show or a Care Giver cancellation within 24 hours of Shift Start Time, Relief Care will use reasonable efforts to notify other available Care Givers of the open shift through the standard notification process. Relief Care does not guarantee that a replacement Care Giver will accept the shift, and the availability of any replacement is at the sole discretion of the Care Givers receiving the notification.
5. Platform Fees on Cancellation
The platform fee charged to the Care Seeker at the time of Booking is the consideration for Relief Care’s marketplace and payment infrastructure services. Whether the platform fee is refundable on cancellation depends on the type of cancellation:
- Care Seeker cancellation more than 24 hours before Shift Start Time: the platform fee is refunded with the care cost.
- Care Seeker cancellation within 24 hours of Shift Start Time, or Care Seeker No-Show: where a partial refund is issued, Relief Care retains its platform fee only in proportion to the cancellation fee charged; the platform fee attributable to the refunded portion is refunded.
- Care Giver cancellation or Care Giver No-Show: the platform fee is refunded with the care cost. Relief Care does not retain the platform fee where the Care Giver fails to perform.
Applicable HST is refunded on the same basis as the underlying portion (care cost or platform fee) to which it relates.
6. Care Giver Reliability Concerns
Relief Care does not operate an automated reliability scoring system, an automated suspension system, or any algorithm that adjusts a Care Giver’s matching priority or visibility based on cancellations or no-shows. Relief Care maintains internal, manually created records of reliability concerns (“strikes”). Each record is created by a Relief Care administrator after individual review, identifies the affected Booking and the reason, may be voided where an exception under Section 7 applies or the record was made in error, and is considered active for 90 days. Strike records carry no automated consequence. They are considered, together with all other information and any context the Care Giver provides, as part of any future decision regarding continued platform access — and any such decision is subject to the deactivation procedure in Section 5.3 of the Terms of Use, including written notice with reasons and the opportunity to request internal review.
7. Exceptions and Fee Waivers
Cancellation fees, no-show fees, and reliability concerns may be waived or reduced at Relief Care’s discretion in the following circumstances, on a case-by-case basis:
- Safety risk: the place of care is unsafe, has been materially misrepresented, or presents a risk that a reasonable Care Giver would decline to accept. The Care Giver is not required to commence or continue the shift, and a Care Giver cancellation arising from a safety risk is not treated as a cancellation under this Policy.
- Major disruptions: severe weather, public health emergency, natural disaster, or other event making the provision of care impossible or imprudent.
- Verified emergencies: death, serious illness, or other emergency affecting the Care Giver, the Care Seeker, or an individual receiving care, evaluated on supporting information provided to Relief Care support.
Requests for a fee waiver or reduction must be submitted to Relief Care support within 24 hours of Shift Start Time and accompanied by supporting information. Relief Care’s determination is final.
8. Disputes
A Care Seeker or Care Giver may dispute the application of a cancellation fee, a no-show fee, or the recording of a reliability concern. Disputes must be submitted through Relief Care support within 7 days of the relevant event and must include:
- the Booking identifier;
- a description of the basis for the dispute; and
- any supporting information (in-app communications, timestamps, location records, facility sign-in logs, or other documentation).
Relief Care will review the in-app record (including messages, check-in timestamps, and any documented carve-outs under Section 7) and will respond within a reasonable period. Relief Care’s determination is final, subject to the dispute resolution provisions in Section 14 of the Terms of Use.
9. No Off-Platform Resolution
Care Seekers and Care Givers must not attempt to resolve cancellations, no-shows, or reliability concerns by off-platform payment, off-platform refund, or off-platform engagement of the same Care Giver for the same shift. Off-platform resolution defeats the integrity of the Services, breaches Section 4.2 of the Terms of Use (anti-circumvention), and is not protected by Relief Care’s payment infrastructure.
10. Relationship to the Terms of Use
This Policy is incorporated by reference into the Terms of Use under Section 10.2. To the extent of any conflict between this Policy and the Terms of Use, the Terms of Use control. Capitalized terms not defined in this Policy have the meanings given to them in the Terms of Use.
11. Changes to this Policy
Relief Care may update this Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated through the Services and by email at least 30 days before they take effect. Continued use of the Services after the effective date of an update constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.
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