Refund Policy

1. Scope

This policy covers refunds for trip bookings made through hikelanka.com and for vendor membership fees. It supplements - and does not replace - the Terms of Service and the Vendor Agreement.

2. Cancellation windows

Hike Lanka trips are secured with a deposit, with the balance due closer to departure. Our standard cancellation tier is:

• Deposit and balance: a 25% deposit secures your booking; the balance is due 60 days before departure.
• More than 60 days before departure: your deposit is refundable, less a small administration fee and any non-refundable bookings we have already paid on your behalf. We tell you before paying for any such booking.
• Inside 60 days: the deposit is retained; any balance paid beyond it is refunded.
• Inside 30 days: we retain 50% of the full trip cost.

Where a trip is delivered by an independent Vendor, that Vendor may publish its own cancellation tier on the booking page. The exact terms shown in your booking confirmation control. Force-majeure events are covered in section 4 below.

3. Platform commission

Hike Lanka’s Platform commission is non-refundable except where the trip is cancelled due to Vendor non-performance verified by Hike Lanka, or under a force-majeure event covered below. When the Vendor refunds the trip in full under their own cancellation tier, the Platform commission is also refunded to the Hiker - you should never receive less back than you paid in those cases.

4. Force majeure

The following events trigger automatic refund processing regardless of the Vendor’s cancellation tier:

• Monsoon-driven trail closure (e.g. Pekoe Trail stages closed by the Forest Department).
• Government-issued travel advisories from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority or Disaster Management Centre making the trip unsafe.
• Natural events - landslides, cyclones, flash floods, earthquakes - affecting the trip route or the region.
• Public-health emergencies (e.g. dengue spike, leptospirosis outbreak) declared by Sri Lankan authorities for the trip area.
• Material weather events that the lead guide judges in good faith to make the trip unsafe.

In force-majeure cancellations, the Hiker receives a refund of the full trip cost minus the Vendor’s documented unrecoverable costs already paid out - for example, paid park permits, paid driver fees, paid accommodation deposits. The Vendor must provide evidence of those costs before deducting them. Hike Lanka mediates if the Hiker disputes the deduction.

Alternative: Hikers may elect to reschedule to a later date with the same Vendor at no extra cost, subject to vendor availability.

5. Buyer protection window

Hike Lanka offers a 14-day buyer-protection window from the date of trip completion (or from the booked trip date, if the trip did not occur) for the following situations:

• Vendor no-show - the Vendor failed to deliver the trip without prior notice. Full refund including Platform commission.
• Substantive misrepresentation - the trip delivered materially differed from the listing description (e.g. listed as 4-day, delivered as 2-day). Partial or full refund based on Hike Lanka’s review.
• Verified fraud - the booking was the result of identity theft or unauthorised use of payment method. Full refund and account review.

Claims must be supported with documentation: photos, communication records, emergency contact logs, and a written account.

6. How to request a refund

1. Contact the Vendor first using the details on your booking confirmation, within 48 hours of the cancellation or incident.
2. If the Vendor does not respond within 5 business days, or rejects a claim covered by this policy, escalate to Hike Lanka by emailing info@hikelanka.com with the booking ID, dates, and supporting documentation.
3. Hike Lanka reviews within 10 business days. We may request additional information. Decisions are communicated in writing.
4. Approved refunds are issued through Stripe to the original payment method, typically within 5-10 business days of approval depending on your card issuer.

7. Stripe chargebacks

If you raise a chargeback with your card issuer before completing the steps above, Hike Lanka will provide the card network with the booking record, communications, and any evidence relevant to the dispute. We strongly recommend contacting us before initiating a chargeback - most disputes resolve faster through the in-platform process.

8. Currency & fees

Refunds are issued in the same currency as the original payment. Foreign-exchange differences between booking and refund dates are absorbed by Stripe at network rates; Hike Lanka does not compensate for FX fluctuations. Stripe processing fees on refunded transactions may not be returned to Hike Lanka by Stripe; this does not reduce your refund.

9. Vendor membership refunds

Paid vendor membership tiers are pro-rated refundable within the first 14 days of an annual subscription term. After day 14, membership fees are non-refundable but you retain service until the end of the current billing cycle. Monthly memberships are non-refundable; you may cancel and continue using the tier through the end of the current month.