Version: 2.0
Effective date: 27 June 2026
Last reviewed: 27 June 2026

This policy explains how cancellations, changes, reservation payments, credits and refunds are handled for dog walking, pet visits, cat care, small-animal care and house-sitting bookings.

It should be read alongside my Terms and Conditions, Policies and Standards, Prices and Extreme Weather Policy.

Nothing in this policy affects your statutory consumer rights.

When a booking is confirmed

An enquiry, initial discussion, or meet-and-greet does not, by itself, create a confirmed booking.

A dog walk, pet visit or other booking is confirmed when I accept it in writing by email, WhatsApp or text message.

A house-sitting booking is confirmed when:

I have accepted the booking in writing;
The agreed £50 reservation payment has been received;
any information needed to assess the booking has been provided.

Your booking confirmation will normally state:

the service being provided;
the booking dates;
the approximate times or arrival arrangements;
the total price;
the payment deadline;
any Christmas Day or New Year’s Day charge;
any agreed care arrangements.

How to cancel

You can cancel by email, WhatsApp or text message.

You may also cancel by telephone, although I recommend following this with a written message so that both of us have a clear record.

For ordinary cancellations under this policy, notice is calculated from the scheduled start time of the service and begins when I receive your cancellation notice.

Please include:

your name;
The service is being cancelled;
the relevant date or dates;
whether you are cancelling the whole booking or only part of it.

My contact details are provided at the end of this policy.

Meaning of clear calendar days

Where this policy requires seven clear calendar days’ notice, the day on which notice is received and the day on which the booking begins are not included when calculating the notice period.

Weekends and bank holidays are included.

Statutory cancellation rights

Where a booking qualifies as a distance or off-premises contract, you may have a statutory right to cancel without giving a reason.

For a qualifying service contract, the cancellation period normally ends 14 days after the contract is entered into.

This statutory right is separate from the ordinary cancellation terms set out later in this policy.

You can exercise a statutory right to cancel by:

sending a clear statement by email, WhatsApp, text or post;
using the model cancellation form at the end of this policy.

You do not have to use the model form.

Services beginning within the statutory cancellation period

Where you ask me to begin providing a service before the statutory cancellation period has ended, you expressly request early performance of the contract.

If you then exercise an applicable statutory right to cancel, you may be required to pay a proportionate amount for services supplied before you cancelled.

Where a service has been fully performed during the statutory cancellation period, the statutory right to cancel may end once:

You expressly requested that the service begin during the cancellation period, and
you acknowledged that the right to cancel would be lost once the service had been fully performed.

Any request for early performance and acknowledgement should be recorded in your booking confirmation or booking form.

Further general information is available from GOV.UK’s online and distance-selling guidance.

Dog walks and individual pet visits

At least 48 hours’ notice is required when cancelling:

a dog walk;
a puppy visit;
a single cat visit;
a single small-animal visit;
another individually booked home visit.

At least 48 hours’ notice

Where at least 48 hours’ notice is provided:

no ordinary cancellation charge will apply;
Any payment made for the cancelled service will be refunded;
an account credit may be provided instead where you agree.

Less than 48 hours’ notice

Where less than 48 hours’ notice is provided, a cancellation charge of up to the full booked fee may apply.

The amount charged will not exceed the direct loss caused by the cancellation.

I will consider:

whether the appointment could be rebooked;
costs already incurred;
costs saved because the service was cancelled;
The income was reasonably lost because the time was reserved;
reasonable steps I could take to reduce the loss.

The full fee will not be automatically retained if my actual direct loss is lower.

Multi-day home-visit bookings

A multi-day home-visit booking includes a block of visits reserved for consecutive or specified dates, such as holiday cat care, puppy care or small-animal visits.

At least seven clear calendar days’ notice is required when cancelling the whole booking.

At least seven clear calendar days’ notice

Where at least seven clear calendar days’ notice is provided:

No ordinary cancellation charge will apply;
payments made for unprovided services will be refunded;
An account credit may be provided instead, where you agree.

Less than seven clear calendar days’ notice

Where less than seven clear calendar days’ notice is provided, a cancellation charge of up to 50% of the affected booking price may apply.

The charge will be calculated based on the direct loss caused by the cancellation and will not automatically be set to 50%.

House-sitting bookings

A fixed £50 reservation payment is required to secure a house-sitting booking.

The £50 payment:

forms part of the total booking price;
is deducted from the final balance;
is not an additional fee;
is not automatically non-refundable in every circumstance.

The remaining balance is due seven calendar days before the house sit begins unless a different deadline has been agreed in writing.

Cancellation with at least seven clear calendar days’ notice

Where you cancel a house-sitting booking with at least seven clear calendar days’ notice:

no ordinary cancellation charge will apply;
the £50 reservation payment will be refunded;
any other payment made for the booking will be refunded;
an account credit may be provided instead where you agree.

Cancellation with less than seven clear calendar days’ notice

If you cancel with less than seven clear calendar days’ notice, a cancellation charge of up to 50% of the total booking price may apply.

The amount will be based on my direct loss and will not automatically be set at 50%.

The £50 reservation payment will be credited towards the cancellation charge. It will not be added on top of it.

For example:

if the fair cancellation charge is £30, £20 of the reservation payment will be refunded;
if the fair cancellation charge is £50, no further payment will be due;
if the fair cancellation charge is £80, the £50 payment will be credited against it and the remaining £30 will be payable.

The total cancellation charge will never exceed the amount permitted under this policy or the total booking price.

How cancellation charges are calculated

A cancellation charge is intended to compensate for a direct loss caused by a cancellation. It is not intended to punish the client or create a profit from a service that has not been provided.

When calculating a charge, I will consider:

the amount of notice provided;
time that was reserved exclusively for the booking;
services already supplied;
reasonable costs already incurred;
costs avoided or saved;
whether some or all of the dates were rebooked;
whether an alternative booking could reasonably have been accepted;
any other relevant circumstances.

If a cancelled appointment or date is rebooked, the income received from the replacement booking will be taken into account.

A reservation payment, advance payment and cancellation charge will not be charged separately for the same loss.

You may ask me to explain how a cancellation charge has been calculated.

Changing or rescheduling a booking

A request to move a booking to another date is subject to availability.

A changed date is not confirmed until I accept it in writing.

Where I can move the booking without suffering a loss, I will normally do so without a cancellation charge.

Where the original appointment or dates cannot reasonably be rebooked, the request may be treated as a cancellation of the original booking, and the relevant notice period will apply.

The replacement booking will be treated as a new confirmed booking.

Cancelling part of a booking

You may cancel only part of a multi-day or house-sitting booking.

Services already supplied remain payable.

Any cancellation charge for the remaining dates will be based on:

the amount of notice provided;
the value of the cancelled part;
whether the cancelled dates can be rebooked;
costs saved;
my resulting direct loss.

A charge will not automatically be calculated based on the full original booking price when only part of the booking has been cancelled.

Early returns

Please tell me as soon as possible if you will return earlier than planned.

Services already supplied remain payable.

An early return does not automatically result in either:

a full refund for the unused part of the booking; or
an automatic refusal of any refund.

The unused part will be assessed fairly by considering:

the notice provided;
whether the remaining dates could be rebooked;
costs saved;
the direct loss caused by ending the booking early.

If I am able to rebook the unused dates, this will be taken into account.

Delayed returns

Please tell me as soon as possible if your return will be delayed.

I will take reasonable steps to continue essential care where I am available to do so.

Additional visits, time or overnight care will be charged at the applicable rate.

An extension is not confirmed until I have accepted it.

If I cannot extend the booking, you authorise me to contact the emergency carer you have nominated.

Your emergency carer should:

have agreed to help;
have current contact details;
be able to access your property;
understand your pet’s essential care needs.

Regular and recurring bookings

You may end an ongoing dog-walking or pet-care arrangement by notifying me in writing.

Appointments already confirmed within the relevant 48-hour or seven-day notice period remain subject to this policy.

Future appointments outside the applicable notice period may be cancelled without an additional termination fee.

I may also end an ongoing arrangement in accordance with my Terms and Conditions.

No access, or the pet is unavailable

If I attend at the agreed time but cannot provide the service because of something within your control, a cancellation charge of up to the full booked fee may apply.

This may include:

no working key or access method being available;
locks or access codes having been changed without telling me;
incorrect alarm information;
someone at the property is refusing access;
the pet not being present;
required equipment or permission not being available;
An undisclosed situation is making it unsafe to enter or provide care.

The amount charged will reflect the direct loss caused, including reserved time and reasonable travel already undertaken.

No charge will apply where the failure to provide the service was caused by my own error or failure to take reasonable care.

Illness and personal emergencies

I understand that illness, bereavement and unexpected emergencies can affect travel and care arrangements.

These circumstances do not automatically eliminate losses already incurred due to a late cancellation, but I will consider them fairly.

Any charge will remain limited to my reasonable direct loss after taking account of costs saved and whether the booking could be filled.

Where appropriate, I may offer an alternative date or account credit, but this will depend on availability and the circumstances.

Extreme weather and safety concerns

Walks and outdoor activities may be shortened, moved or replaced with suitable alternative care where weather or local conditions make the planned activity unsafe.

Where I provide meaningful alternative care for the booked period, the normal service fee will apply.

This may include:

a shorter toilet walk;
indoor enrichment;
calm company and supervision;
suitable care tasks agreed for the pet.

If I decide that I cannot safely provide the service and no meaningful alternative is supplied:

no charge will apply for the unprovided service;
any payment made for that service will be refunded;
a credit may be provided instead where you agree.

If you cancel because of the weather while I remain able to provide the booked service or a safe alternative, the ordinary client-cancellation terms will apply.

Further information is provided in my Extreme Weather Policy.

Christmas Day and New Year’s Day

An additional charge of £10 applies to a service provided on:

Christmas Day, 25 December;
New Year’s Day, 1 January.

For house-sitting, the charge applies once per applicable calendar day included in the booking.

If a Christmas Day or New Year’s Day service is cancelled, the additional charge is included in the affected booking price when any cancellation charge or refund is calculated.

If I cancel the service and do not provide an agreed alternative, the applicable £10 additional charge will be refunded with the rest of the unprovided service.

Cancellation by Finchley Dog Walker

I may need to cancel or change a service because of:

illness or injury;
a personal emergency;
unsafe travel or access;
dangerous weather;
an animal-welfare concern;
a serious safety or security risk;
an event genuinely outside my reasonable control.

I will contact you as soon as reasonably practicable.

Where I cannot provide the confirmed service and no suitable alternative is agreed:

you will not be charged for the unprovided service;
payments made for that service will be refunded;
a credit will only replace a refund where you agree.

Where possible, I may suggest another pet-care provider or contact your nominated emergency carer.

I cannot guarantee that another provider will be available.

Events outside reasonable control

An event outside reasonable control may include:

serious illness or hospitalisation;
fire or flood;
dangerous weather;
impassable roads or unsafe access;
a major utility failure;
government restrictions;
a serious transport disruption;
another unexpected emergency that prevents safe performance.

If such an event prevents me from supplying a service, you will not be charged for the unprovided service.

Services already supplied remain payable.

If an event affects your ability to use a service that I remain ready and able to provide, the ordinary cancellation terms will apply. However, any charge will still be limited to my direct loss and the circumstances will be considered fairly.

There is no blanket rule that all payments are retained whenever an event outside either party’s control occurs.

Services not provided with reasonable care and skill

This policy does not restrict any right you may have where a service:

has not been provided;
has not been provided as agreed;
has not been carried out with reasonable care and skill;
otherwise fails to meet your statutory consumer rights.

Any appropriate remedy will be considered separately from an ordinary client cancellation.

Refunds

Where a refund is due, it will normally be processed within 14 calendar days after the cancellation and refundable amount have been confirmed.

Where a statutory cancellation right applies, the refund will be made within the period required by law.

Refunds will normally be made using the original payment method unless we agree otherwise.

No separate refund-administration fee will be deducted.

Account credits

A credit may be offered instead of a refund, but you do not have to accept a credit where you are legally entitled to a cash refund.

A credit will only replace a refund with your agreement.

Any expiry date or restrictions will be explained in writing before you accept the credit.

Unless agreed otherwise, a voluntary account credit will remain valid for 12 months from the date it is issued.

Credits:

cannot normally be exchanged for cash after they have been accepted;
remain subject to availability when a new booking is requested;
may be transferred to another service only with my written agreement.

Questions or disputes about a cancellation charge

Please contact me if you believe a cancellation charge or refund has been calculated incorrectly.

I will explain:

the notice period applied;
the affected service price;
the payment already received;
the costs or income lost;
any costs saved;
whether the booking was rebooked;
the resulting charge or refund.

Concerns can also be raised through my Complaints Procedure.

General consumer information is available from:

External guidance is provided for general information and does not form part of your contract with Finchley Dog Walker.

Model statutory cancellation form

Complete and return this form only if you wish to use it to exercise an applicable statutory right to cancel.

To:

Derek Chambers
Trading as Finchley Dog Walker
29a Granville Road
London
N12 0HP

Email: info@finchleydogwalker.co.uk

I give notice that I wish to cancel my contract for the following service:

Service booked:

Booking date or dates:

Date the booking was confirmed:

Client’s name:

Client’s address:

Date:

Signature, only where this form is submitted on paper:

Contact Finchley Dog Walker

Please send cancellations and booking enquiries to:

Derek “Del” Chambers
Trading as Finchley Dog Walker
29a Granville Road
London
N12 0HP

Email: info@finchleydogwalker.co.uk
Telephone: 07707 763344

Contact Finchley Dog Walker