Refund & Cancellation Policy

1. Scope

This policy explains cancellations, rescheduling and refunds in connection with appointments requested through NeedsDoctor, and any amounts paid to us. It should be read with our Terms and Conditions.

2. Cancelling or rescheduling an appointment

You can cancel or request to reschedule from My Appointments in your patient dashboard, at any time before the appointment.

• Cancelling through the platform costs nothing — we charge no booking or cancellation fee.
• Please cancel as early as you can, so the slot can be offered to someone else.
• A reschedule request is subject to the provider's acceptance and availability.
• Your provider may operate their own notice period or late-cancellation charge. That is set by them, not us — please check with them directly.

3. Fees paid to providers

Consultation fees, procedure charges and any service price shown on a profile are set and collected by the provider. NeedsDoctor is not a party to that payment and does not hold, process or refund it.

Fees displayed on the platform are indicative, supplied by the provider. Always confirm the final amount with the provider before your consultation.

4. If the provider cancels

• You will be notified through the platform and by email at the address on your account.
• You are free to book a different practitioner at no cost to you.
• If you had already paid the provider for a consultation that did not take place, you should be refunded in full by that provider. Raise it with them, and tell us if it is not resolved.

5. No-shows

• If you cannot attend, please cancel in advance rather than simply not attending.
• A provider may apply their own no-show charge under their own terms.
• Repeated no-shows may lead us to restrict booking on your account.

6. If we introduce online payments

We may add online payment in future. If and when we do, the terms below will apply to amounts collected through the platform, and this policy will be updated and dated before that feature goes live.

Approved refunds would be returned to the original payment method, and typically credited within [5–10] business days, depending on your bank or card issuer. [Confirm timelines with your payment gateway before publishing.]

7. Provider subscriptions and paid listings

Where a doctor, hospital or vendor pays us for a subscription, membership or promotional placement, the applicable commercial terms — including duration, renewal and refund treatment — will be those stated at the point of purchase. Unless stated otherwise, fees for a period already served are not refundable, and cancelling stops future renewals rather than refunding the current term. [Complete this section when paid plans launch.]

8. Disputes and complaints

Please write to info@needsdoctor.com with your registered email address, the appointment date, the provider's name and a short description. We aim to acknowledge within 48 hours and respond within 30 days. Complaints can also be escalated to the grievance officer named in our Terms and Conditions.

Nothing in this policy limits your rights under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 or any other law that cannot be excluded by agreement.

9. Contact