Understanding cancellation fees
How much of a cancelled booking is refunded depends on how soon after sending your booking request you cancel, and how close to pickup you are. This page covers the full schedule for renter-initiated cancellations, plus what stays the same either way.
What's always refunded in full
The security deposit is always refunded in full, no matter when or why a booking is cancelled. It's held separately from the rental price and community fee, specifically to cover damage during a rental, so if the rental doesn't happen, there's nothing for it to cover.
The cancellation schedule
| When you cancel | Rental price | Community fee |
|---|---|---|
| Within 2 hours of sending your booking request | 100% refunded | 100% refunded |
| More than 48 hours before pickup | 100% refunded | Not refunded |
| 24 to 48 hours before pickup | 50% refunded (the other 50% goes to the owner, less their service fee) | Not refunded |
| Less than 24 hours before pickup | Not refunded (paid to the owner, less their service fee) | Not refunded |
The 2-hour grace period
If you cancel within 2 hours of sending your booking request, you get a full refund of the rental price and the community fee, no matter how soon your pickup is. This applies even to same-day bookings, and it overrides every tier below. The 2 hours is measured from when you send the request, not from when the owner accepts it.
More than 48 hours before pickup
Outside the grace period, cancelling with more than 48 hours' notice before pickup refunds the full rental price. The community fee isn't refunded at this point, since it covers verification and support costs GearLend has already incurred.
24 to 48 hours before pickup
This close to pickup, half the rental price is refunded to you, and the other half is paid to the gear owner as compensation for the booking, minus their usual service fee. The community fee isn't refunded.
Less than 24 hours before pickup
This close to pickup, none of the rental price is refunded. The full amount is paid to the gear owner instead, minus their usual service fee, since they've held the booking and likely turned away other renters for this time. The community fee isn't refunded.
A note on timing
All of these windows are measured in the timezone of the equipment's location, not your own, which matters if you're booking gear interstate. Refunds within the grace period, or under the "more than 48 hours" tier, are processed immediately. Refunds within 48 hours of pickup usually take a little longer, typically within the hour, since they also involve paying out the gear owner.
If the owner declines your request
None of the above applies before a booking is even accepted. If the gear owner declines your booking request rather than accepting it, the booking never goes ahead, so you get a full refund of the rental price, the community fee, and the security deposit automatically. This is separate from the cancellation tiers above and isn't affected by how close to pickup the request was for.
If the owner cancels instead
None of the above applies if the gear owner cancels an already-confirmed booking either. You get a full refund of the rental price, community fee, and security deposit, no matter how close to pickup it is. See Cancelling a booking as a gear owner for what that means on the owner's side.
If you disagree with a refund amount
If a refund looks incorrect, contact support@gearlend.com.au with your booking reference and the team will look into it.