Refund & Cancellation Policy

This Refund & Cancellation Policy ("Policy") governs all monetary transactions made on the ExtraHand marketplace platform ("Platform"), operated by Naipunya AI Labs Private Limited("we", "us", or "our"), a company incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013, with its registered office in India.

By making or accepting a booking on ExtraHand, you agree to be bound by this Policy in addition to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy. Please read this Policy carefully before placing a booking.

1. About the ExtraHand Marketplace

ExtraHand is a technology-based marketplace that connects individuals and businesses ("Posters") who need everyday tasks completed, with skilled independent service providers ("Taskers"). ExtraHand itself does not perform tasks; it facilitates the connection and manages payments in accordance with RBI-compliant payment processing norms.

All payments made at the time of booking are collected by ExtraHand and held in escrow via our payment partner (Razorpay) until the task is successfully delivered or a cancellation / dispute resolution outcome is reached.

Because ExtraHand acts as an intermediary marketplace, its ability to issue refunds is subject to the conditions described in this Policy, applicable payment-gateway terms, and Indian law.

2. Understanding What You Pay

When a Poster books a task, the total amount charged at checkout consists of:

• Task Amount — the price agreed between the Poster and the Tasker for completing the task.
• Platform Fee — a service charge (a percentage of the task amount) collected by ExtraHand for providing the platform, trust infrastructure, payment processing, and customer support.
• GST— Goods & Services Tax levied by the Government of India on the platform fee, as applicable.

The breakdown of each component is shown on the booking confirmation screen and in your booking receipt. Refunds are always calculated on the task amount only unless explicitly stated otherwise in this Policy. The platform fee and GST are non-refundable in all standard cancellation scenarios (see Section 3 for the rationale).

3. Why the Platform Fee Is Non-Refundable

The platform fee covers real costs incurred by ExtraHand at the time of and immediately after booking, regardless of whether the task is subsequently cancelled:

• Payment gateway processing charges on the full transaction amount, which are non-recoverable once charged.
• Background verification and trust-and-safety infrastructure costs.
• Platform operational costs including customer support, matching algorithms, and dispute handling.
• GST remitted to the government on the platform fee cannot be reclaimed after payment.

Additionally, refunding the platform fee would create a financial incentive for Posters and Taskers to arrange repeat work directly outside the platform after an initial meeting, depriving both parties of the consumer protection, payment security, and insurance coverage that ExtraHand provides.

This approach is consistent with industry-standard practices adopted by other gig-economy marketplaces globally.

4. Poster-Side Cancellation Policy

A Poster may cancel a confirmed booking at any time before the task is marked as "In Progress". The refund on the task amount depends on how far in advance of the scheduled task start time the cancellation is made.

4.1 Grace Period — 100% Refund

If a Poster cancels within 15 minutes of booking confirmation, a full 100% refund of the task amount is issued, regardless of the task start time. This grace period is designed to allow Posters to correct accidental bookings or change their mind immediately after payment without penalty.

4.2 Cancellation Windows & Refund Schedule

Once the 15-minute grace period has passed, the following cancellation windows apply:

* The platform fee and GST are excluded from refund calculations in all rows above. Only the task amount is refunded at the stated percentage.

4.3 Why Taskers Receive a Share on Late Cancellations

When a Poster cancels with less than 24 hours notice, the Tasker has likely already committed to the booking — having potentially declined other opportunities or made preparations (purchasing supplies, arranging transport, setting aside time). A partial compensation acknowledges this economic cost and protects the Tasker's livelihood.

This is consistent with how other gig-economy platforms handle late cancellations: most platforms (e.g., Airtasker, TaskRabbit) either retain the platform fee or forward a portion to the Tasker when cancellations are made close to the task start time.

4.4 After Task Is Started

Once a task is marked "In Progress" by the Tasker, cancellations are not eligible for an automatic refund. In such cases, the Poster must raise a dispute (see Section 9) and ExtraHand will mediate based on the work completed and evidence provided by both parties.

5. Tasker-Side Cancellation Policy

If a Tasker cancels a confirmed booking, the Poster is always entitled to a 100% refund of the total amount paid — including platform fee and taxes — because the Poster is not at fault for the cancellation. ExtraHand will also attempt to rematch the Poster with an alternative qualified Tasker where possible.

5.1 Tasker Penalty Schedule

Taskers who cancel confirmed bookings may be subject to a penalty deducted from their wallet balance or future payouts, as follows:

5.2 Repeated Cancellations by Taskers

Taskers who repeatedly cancel confirmed bookings — regardless of the reason — may face:

• Automatic demotion in search rankings and reduced task visibility.
• Temporary suspension of the ability to apply for new tasks.
• Permanent account suspension in cases of persistent or fraudulent cancellations.
• Negative impact on their public profile rating.

6. Eligible Refund Situations (Non-Cancellation)

Apart from voluntary cancellations, a Poster may also be eligible for a full or partial refund in the following situations:

• Tasker No-Show: The Tasker does not arrive or begin the task within a reasonable time after the scheduled start, and is unresponsive.
• Task Not Completed: The Tasker abandons the task midway without valid reason, resulting in incomplete or unusable work.
• Materially Different Service: The service delivered is materially different from what was described and agreed upon in the booking, and the Poster raises a dispute within 72 hours.
• Duplicate Payment: A clearly demonstrable technical error results in the Poster being charged more than once for the same booking.
• Unauthorised Transaction:A booking is made without the account holder's knowledge or consent and is reported promptly to ExtraHand and the relevant financial institution.

In all eligible situations above, ExtraHand will investigate and may request supporting evidence (photos, messages, receipts) from both parties before processing a refund.

7. Non-Refundable Situations

Refunds will not be provided in any of the following scenarios:

• Change of mind after the Tasker has already started or completed the task, unless both parties mutually agree otherwise.
• Subjective dissatisfaction where the Tasker has reasonably complied with the agreed scope and description of work.
• Late refund requests raised more than 72 hours after the scheduled task completion time.
• Disputes arising from miscommunication between Poster and Tasker that occurred outside the ExtraHand platform chat (e.g., phone calls or WhatsApp), where we cannot verify the agreed scope.
• Tasks cancelled by the Posterafter the task has been marked "In Progress" without raising a formal dispute.
• Platform fee and GST in any standard cancellation scenario (Poster or Tasker initiated).
• Force majeure eventssuch as natural disasters, government-imposed curfews, or declared emergencies, subject to ExtraHand's discretion on a case-by-case basis.
• Regulatory holds: Where law enforcement or regulatory authorities direct that funds be held, withheld, or adjusted.

8. Refund Request Window

To be eligible for a refund outside of an automated cancellation, Posters must raise a refund request within 72 hours of the scheduled task completion time or actual completion (whichever is earlier). Requests raised after this window will generally not be accepted, except in cases of fraud or demonstrable technical error.

Refund requests can be raised through:

• The "Report an Issue" option on the task details page within the ExtraHand app or website.
• Emailing support@extrahand.in with your booking ID and a description of the issue.
• Contacting our support team via the in-app chat feature.

9. Dispute Resolution

Where a Poster and Tasker cannot agree on the outcome of a task or the validity of a cancellation, either party may escalate the matter to ExtraHand for mediation. The process is as follows:

1. Raise a Dispute: The aggrieved party raises a dispute via the task page or by emailing support, within 72 hours of the task completion or cancellation.
2. Evidence Submission: Both parties will be invited to submit supporting evidence — such as photos, task descriptions, in-app chat logs, receipts, and any other relevant documentation — within 48 hours of the dispute being opened.
3. ExtraHand Review:Our Trust & Safety team will review all submitted evidence and make a determination within 5–7 business days.
4. Resolution:ExtraHand's decision may result in a full refund to the Poster, full or partial payment release to the Tasker, or a split outcome. ExtraHand's decision is final, subject to applicable law.

ExtraHand endeavours to act as a neutral mediator. We reserve the right to suspend accounts pending investigation if fraudulent behaviour is suspected from either party.

10. How Refunds Are Processed

Once a refund is approved by ExtraHand (either automatically upon cancellation or after a dispute resolution), the following process applies:

• Any escrowed funds pending release to the Tasker are reversed or withheld as applicable.
• The approved refund amount is initiated to the original payment method used at the time of booking (UPI, debit/credit card, net banking, etc.).
• Refunds typically reflect within 5–10 business days after initiation, depending on your bank and payment provider. In some cases, particularly for credit cards, it may take up to 15 business days.
• ExtraHand does not issue refunds via cash, cheque, or any payment method other than the original payment instrument.
• If the original payment method is no longer valid (e.g., expired card), please contact support for an alternate resolution.

You will receive an email notification once the refund has been initiated, along with a reference ID for tracking.

11. Partial Refunds & Adjustments

In certain situations, ExtraHand may issue a partial refund where:

• Only part of the task was completed by the Tasker.
• Both parties agree to a reduced settlement amount.
• ExtraHand's dispute team determines that partial compensation is fair given the evidence.
• A late cancellation penalty (Poster) or cancellation compensation (Tasker) applies.

Partial refunds are processed in the same manner as full refunds and are subject to the same timelines.

12. Escrow & Payment Holding

All payments made on ExtraHand are held in escrow via our payment partner (Razorpay) and are not released to the Tasker until:

• The Poster marks the task as "Completed" and confirms satisfaction, or
• The task is automatically marked complete after a defined period has elapsed post-task-end without a dispute.

This escrow mechanism protects Posters by ensuring that payment is not released until they have confirmed satisfactory completion. It also protects Taskers by ensuring that the payment exists and cannot be recalled by the Poster after work has begun.

13. Chargebacks & Bank Disputes

We encourage users to contact ExtraHand directly before initiating a chargeback or payment dispute with their bank or card issuer, as we are typically able to resolve issues faster through our internal process.

If a chargeback is raised directly with a bank or payment partner:

• We may temporarily withhold payouts to the relevant Tasker until the chargeback is resolved.
• We may deduct the disputed amount from the Tasker's future earnings if we determine the chargeback is valid.
• We will submit evidence to the payment gateway to contest fraudulent or unjustified chargebacks.
• Accounts that repeatedly initiate unjustified chargebacks may be suspended.

ExtraHand reserves the right to recover costs associated with defending unjustified chargebacks from the party who initiated them.

14. Cancellations Due to Exceptional Circumstances

ExtraHand may, at its sole discretion, issue full or partial refunds outside the standard policy in cases of genuinely exceptional circumstances:

• Medical emergencies affecting the Poster or an immediate family member, supported by documentation.
• Natural disasters or government-declared emergencies making it impossible to proceed with the task.
• Verified platform errors or technical faults on the ExtraHand platform that directly caused the booking to fail or be charged incorrectly.

Requests under this section must be made within 48 hours of the exceptional event and must be accompanied by supporting evidence. ExtraHand's decision in such cases is final.

15. Taxes & Regulatory Deductions

All refunds are processed exclusive of GST that has been remitted to the government. As per prevailing Indian tax regulations, GST paid on the platform fee and on the booking amount cannot be reversed once it has been collected and remitted. Any applicable TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) deducted from Tasker payouts is also non-refundable and will be reflected in the Tasker's annual Form 26AS.

16. Policy Changes

ExtraHand reserves the right to amend this Policy at any time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. We will notify registered users of material changes via email or in-app notification. Continued use of the platform after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy.

17. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

This Policy is governed by the laws of India. Any disputes arising out of or in connection with this Policy shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, subject to the arbitration provisions set out in our Terms & Conditions.

18. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Policy, wish to raise a refund request, or need assistance with a cancellation or dispute, please reach out to our support team: