Cancellation & Refund Policy

Last updated: March 5, 2026

This policy explains exactly when you will receive a refund, when you will not, and what happens to your payment in every cancellation scenario. We believe in full transparency — you should always know what will happen to your money before making a decision. This policy covers only the amounts paid online through Cria.al. Any amounts paid directly to the lessor (such as the main rental payment at pickup or a deposit collected by the lessor) are outside the scope of this policy and must be resolved directly with the lessor.

1. Free Cancellation Window

Every reservation has a free cancellation deadline, which is set by the lessor. The default is 7 days before the pickup date, but lessors may choose a different period. The exact deadline for your booking is always displayed during the checkout process and on your reservation details page.

• If you cancel before the free cancellation deadline: you will receive a full refund of the amount paid online (reservation fee and no-show guarantee fee), minus the transaction fee. The refund will be credited to your original payment method within 7 business days.
• If you cancel after the free cancellation deadline has passed: no refund will be issued. The lessor retains the full payment, including the reservation fee and the no-show guarantee fee.

It is your responsibility to review the free cancellation deadline displayed for your reservation before completing your booking.

2. Cancelling Before Lessor Approval

When you submit a reservation, your payment is authorized (placed on hold) but not charged until the lessor accepts. If you cancel while the reservation is still awaiting approval:

• The payment hold is released in full — no money is deducted from your account.
• The hold release is processed within 7 business days, depending on your bank or card issuer.

This applies to reservations in both the "Initiated" (payment processing) and "Pending" (awaiting lessor response) stages.

3. Lessor Cancellation or No Vehicle Provided

If the lessor cancels your reservation after having accepted it, or does not provide any vehicle at all for the reservation (a lessor no-show at the agreed pickup date, time, and location):

• You will always receive a full refund of the amount paid online (reservation fee and no-show guarantee fee), minus the transaction fee.
• The refund is processed automatically and credited to your original payment method within 7 business days.
• You will receive a notification confirming the cancellation and refund.

Important: Cria.al is a marketplace and is not a party to the rental agreement between you and the lessor. Delivering a vehicle is solely the lessor's responsibility. This refund applies only where the lessor cancels an accepted reservation or provides no vehicle at all. If the lessor provides a vehicle — including a vehicle different from the one originally booked, such as a comparable, upgraded, or alternative car — the lessor is considered to have provided the service, and no refund is owed by Cria.al; any concern about a substitute vehicle is a matter strictly between you and the lessor under the rental agreement. Where a refund is due, the refund of the amounts you paid online through the platform is the only payment Cria.al is responsible for. Cria.al does not pay compensation, damages, or the cost of alternative transport or accommodation; any further claims must be addressed directly to the lessor.

4. System Cancellation

In certain cases, the system may automatically cancel your reservation:

• If the payment is not completed within the required timeframe after initiating a booking.
• If the lessor does not respond to a pending reservation within the allowed period.

In both cases, the payment hold is released in full and no money is deducted from your account. The release is processed within 7 business days.

5. Lessor Refusal and Reservation Recovery

If a lessor refuses your pending reservation (paid via Stripe), the system may automatically search for a comparable replacement vehicle from another lessor. During this process:

• Your original payment hold remains in place while the system searches for alternatives.
• If a replacement is found and you accept it: a new payment is authorized for the replacement vehicle, and your original hold is released. You are only charged for the replacement booking.
• If no replacement is found, or you decline the offer: your original payment hold is released in full. No money is deducted from your account.
• If the recovery process times out (lessor does not respond, client does not respond, or payment authorization expires): your original hold is released in full.

6. No-Show Guarantee Fee (Security Deposit)

Some reservations include a no-show guarantee fee (security deposit) set by the lessor. This is a refundable amount charged as part of your online payment to protect the lessor in case of a no-show. Here is exactly when you get this money back and when you do not:

• Refunded: if you complete the rental successfully. The no-show guarantee fee is automatically refunded after the return date and time have passed and the rental is marked as completed. The refund is credited to your original payment method within 7 business days.
• Refunded: if you cancel before the free cancellation deadline. The no-show guarantee fee is included in the full refund.
• Refunded: if the lessor cancels your reservation. The no-show guarantee fee is included in the full refund.
• Not refunded: if you cancel after the free cancellation deadline. The no-show guarantee fee is retained by the lessor along with the rest of the payment.
• Not refunded: if you fail to show up for the rental without cancelling beforehand. The lessor retains the full no-show guarantee fee.
• Not refunded: if the lessor rightfully refuses to hand over the vehicle at pickup because you do not meet the requirements displayed at booking (for example, an invalid or missing driver's license, being under the required minimum driver age, or missing identification). This is treated as a client no-show.

The no-show guarantee fee amount is always clearly displayed during the checkout process before you confirm your reservation.

7. Transaction Fee

Every online payment includes a transaction fee that covers the cost of payment processing by our third-party providers (Stripe). This fee is paid directly to the payment processor, not to Cria.al or the lessor. It is non-refundable in all circumstances, including free cancellations and lessor cancellations. The transaction fee amount is displayed during the checkout process.

8. Refund Method and Timeline

All refunds are processed as follows:

• Refunds are always credited to the original payment method used for the reservation.
• Refunds are expected to arrive within 7 business days. The actual timing depends on your bank or card issuer and may occasionally take longer.
• For reservations where payment was only authorized (on hold) and not captured, the hold is released rather than a refund being issued. The timeline for hold releases depends on your bank.

This policy is the agreed process for refunds of payments made through the platform. If you believe a charge or refund is incorrect, contact us first so we can review it. Unjustified chargebacks — payment disputes filed with your bank for charges made in accordance with this policy — are a breach of our Terms and Conditions, will be contested with the full reservation records, and may lead to account suspension.

9. How to Cancel a Reservation

To cancel a reservation, log in to your Cria.al account, go to your reservation details page, and click the "Cancel Reservation" button. You will be shown a clear summary of whether you are eligible for a refund before you confirm the cancellation. A reason for cancellation is required.

10. Summary Table

The following table summarizes what happens to your payment in each scenario:

Questions?

If you have any questions about our cancellation and refund policy, or if you believe a refund was not processed correctly, please contact us at info@cria.al .