This policy states exactly what happens when a session is cancelled, late, missed, disputed, or hit by a technical failure. It is the same policy the platform enforces automatically — the numbers below are the numbers the software applies, and a human decision through the Complaints process can override an automatic one in either direction.
Throughout, "the session" means the booked start and end time shown on the booking page, in your own timezone.
1. If the mentee cancels
| When you cancel | What you get back |
|---|---|
| More than 12 hours before the start time | 100%, to your original payment method |
| Within 12 hours of the start time | Nothing — cancellation is closed |
| Booking reserved but not yet paid | Abandon it any time; you were never charged |
Why the 12-hour line. From the moment you book, the mentor's hour is yours: it is off their calendar and cannot be sold to anyone else. Twelve hours is the point past which a replacement booking is realistically impossible, so a cancellation after it costs the mentor the hour. The line is a cliff, not a slope, because a sliding scale just moves the argument to the minute of cancellation.
Not attending = late cancellation. A mentee who doesn't show up receives no refund. The platform records check-ins for both sides.
Worked example. A 600 session booked for Thursday 8:00 PM: cancel before 8:00 AM Thursday → 600 back; cancel at 10:00 AM Thursday or never attend → 0.
2. If the mentor cancels
The mentee receives a full refund, always, regardless of when — and the slot returns to the mentor's calendar for others.
Mentors may cancel up to 3 hours before the start. The window is deliberately shorter than the mentee's: a professional who cannot attend should say so, not vanish. Inside the final 3 hours a mentor cannot cancel at all — they either attend or the lateness rules below apply, which cost them more. Repeated mentor cancellations lead to penalty ratings, suspension, or removal.
3. If the mentor is late or the session runs short
Mentors have a 10-minute lateness buffer, and what counts is the time the mentee actually receives: a mentor who starts late can run past the scheduled end to make the time up, and a session delivered at its full booked length is owed nothing. Check-ins and check-outs are recorded automatically and the platform applies:
| Session delivered | Outcome | Who pays for it |
|---|---|---|
| Full booked length — including a late start fully made up by running late | No refund | — |
| Cut short by 10–29 minutes | Mentee refunded 20% of the session fee | The mentor — the refund comes out of their share; Yassir's fee is unchanged |
| Cut short by 30+ minutes, or no session at all | Mentee refunded 100%; automatic incident and penalty rating against the mentor | Everyone — the mentor earns nothing and Yassir waives its own fee. We do not profit from a session that was not delivered |
Worked example. 600 session booked for 60 minutes. Mentor joins 15 minutes late but stays 15 minutes past the end: full hour delivered, no refund. Mentor joins 15 minutes late and leaves at the scheduled end: the session ran short by 15 minutes, so the mentee gets 120 back, Yassir keeps its commission, and the 120 comes out of the mentor's share. Mentor never arrives: mentee gets 600, mentor 0, Yassir 0.
These checks measure recorded check-in and check-out times; they cannot see inside the call. If an automatic outcome is wrong in either direction — the mentor was present but forgot to check in, or checked in and never actually appeared — either party can dispute it (§6) and a human decision replaces the automatic one.
4. Technical failures
If a session fails for technical reasons — platform outage, video-tool failure, connectivity collapse — report it within the dispute window (§6) with what evidence you have (screenshots, error messages, timestamps).
- Verified failure, session couldn't reasonably be completed or rescheduled → full refund.
- Failure on one party's side, repeatedly, after the other party waited → we may treat it as that party's late cancellation or no-show.
- Where fault is genuinely unclear, we favour one free reschedule over arguing about a refund.
5. Rescheduling
Both parties may agree to move a session, subject to availability. An agreed reschedule is not a cancellation: no money moves, and the refund clock resets to the new time. A reschedule requested inside the mentee's 12-hour window needs the mentor's agreement; mentors are encouraged, not obliged, to say yes.
6. Disputes
If you believe a session was not delivered as described, or an automatic outcome above is wrong, raise it within 7 business days of the scheduled end time via the booking page's Report link or complaints@yassir.dev. The Complaints & Dispute Resolution policy governs the process, evidence, and timelines. Refunds ordered in a dispute follow the mechanics below.
7. How refunds are paid
- Always to the original payment method — never as locked platform credit.
- Normally visible within 3–14 business days, depending on your bank.
- Partial refunds are calculated on the price actually paid. If you used a promotional discount, the refund is of what you paid, not the list price.
- If a refund fails at the payment processor, the cancellation still stands; we complete the refund manually and tell you.
8. Payment holds that expire
An unpaid booking holds the slot for 15 minutes. If payment doesn't complete, the booking expires automatically and the slot returns to the mentor's calendar. Nothing was charged, so there is nothing to refund; expiry is not a cancellation by either side.
9. Chargebacks
If you dispute a charge with your bank instead of using our process, we respond to the chargeback with the booking records: confirmation, check-ins, messages, and the applicable policy. A chargeback raised on a session that the records show was delivered may lead to suspension. Our complaints process is faster than a chargeback and doesn't risk your account — use it first.