Pandit Booking Terms and Cancellation Policy
Last Updated: 2026-03-25 Related Research: R062 Referenced By: Terms of Service Section 5, Payment Integration doc
1. Booking Process
1.1 How Bookings Work
- User selects puja type, date/time, mode (online/offline), and pandit preferences
- Narad assigns a suitable pandit (auto-assign) or user selects from available pandits
- User reviews booking summary including:
- Puja name and description
- Pandit name, rating, and type (Standard / Highly Rated / Celebrity)
- Date, time, and mode
- Price breakdown: base price + platform fee + GST - discount
- User makes payment through Razorpay
- Booking confirmed — user and pandit receive confirmation with details
1.2 Booking Confirmation Rules
- Booking is confirmed ONLY after successful payment
- Auto-assigned pandit has 2 hours to accept (or booking is reassigned)
- If no pandit accepts within 6 hours, booking is cancelled with full refund
- User receives real-time status updates via push notification
1.3 Booking Statuses
| Status | Description | User Can Cancel? |
|---|---|---|
| PAYMENT_PENDING | Payment initiated | Yes (free) |
| CONFIRMED | Payment received, pandit assigned | Yes (per cancellation policy) |
| PANDIT_ACCEPTED | Pandit has confirmed | Yes (per cancellation policy) |
| IN_PROGRESS | Puja is happening | No |
| COMPLETED | Puja finished | No |
| CANCELLED_BY_USER | User cancelled | N/A |
| CANCELLED_BY_PANDIT | Pandit cancelled | N/A (full refund) |
| CANCELLED_BY_SYSTEM | System timeout/failure | N/A (full refund) |
2. Cancellation Policy
2.1 User Cancellation Tiers
| Window | Refund to User | Pandit Compensation | Platform Keeps |
|---|---|---|---|
| More than 48 hours before puja | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| 24-48 hours before puja | 85% | 10% of base price | 5% |
| 6-24 hours before puja | 50% | 40% of base price | 10% |
| Less than 6 hours before puja | 0% | 80% of base price | 20% |
Notes:
- "Before puja" means before the scheduled start time
- Refund percentage applies to total amount paid (base + platform fee + GST)
- Pandit compensation is calculated on base price only (excluding platform fee and GST)
- Platform retains the remainder to cover payment processing costs
2.2 Pandit Cancellation
| Scenario | User Gets | Pandit Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Pandit cancels >24h before | 100% refund + auto-reassignment attempt | Warning logged |
| Pandit cancels <24h before | 100% refund + auto-reassignment attempt | Strike recorded, rating impact |
| Pandit no-show | 100% refund | Severe penalty (suspension review) |
| 3 cancellations in 30 days | N/A | Temporary deactivation (7 days) |
| 3 no-shows in 90 days | N/A | Permanent deactivation review |
2.3 User No-Show
Online Puja (Video Call):
- Pandit joins the call at scheduled time
- If user does not join within 15 minutes, pandit marks "user no-show"
- No refund to user
- Pandit receives full base price payout
Offline Puja (In-Person):
- Pandit arrives at the specified location at scheduled time
- If user is not present/reachable within 30 minutes, pandit marks "user no-show"
- No refund to user
- Pandit receives full base price payout + travel compensation (if applicable)
- Pandit must take a photo with timestamp/location as proof of arrival
2.4 System/Technical Cancellation
| Scenario | User Gets | Pandit Gets |
|---|---|---|
| Narad platform failure (online puja) | 100% refund OR free reschedule (user's choice) | 50% of base price |
| No pandit accepts within 6 hours | 100% refund | N/A |
| Payment verified but booking failed | 100% refund within 48 hours | N/A |
3. Modification and Rescheduling
Rescheduling is NOT supported. Narad does not allow rescheduling a confirmed booking — once a booking is cancelled (under §2's policy), the user creates a fresh booking with new date/time/mode/pandit selection. This decision is final (Abhishek 2026-05-29) and not planned for future revisit.
Why: Reschedule introduces a state-machine variant that compounds with cancel + payment + pandit-consent + refund-vs-credit semantics. We prefer the simpler model: every booking has exactly one (date, time, pandit) and changing any of those is a cancel + new-book.
Pricing: Section §2's cancellation tiers apply on the cancel half; the new booking is priced fresh at current rates.
Modifications (date, time, mode, puja, pandit) are NOT supported for the same reason — cancel + rebook.
4. Refund Processing
4.1 Refund Timeline
| Payment Method | Normal Refund | Optimum Refund (if available) |
|---|---|---|
| UPI | 5-7 business days | Instant (INR 2 fee from Narad's side) |
| Credit Card | 5-7 business days | N/A |
| Debit Card | 5-7 business days | N/A |
| Net Banking | 5-7 business days | N/A |
| Wallet | Instant | Instant |
4.2 Refund Process
- User initiates cancellation in-app or contacts support
- System calculates refund amount based on cancellation tier
- Refund initiated via Razorpay
- User receives notification with refund amount and estimated timeline
- Refund status trackable in booking details screen
4.3 Partial Refund Display
- Booking detail screen shows: Original amount, Refund amount, Deduction reason, Refund status
- If user disputes the deduction, they can raise a ticket within 48 hours
5. Dispute Resolution
5.1 Dispute Window
- Users can raise a dispute within 48 hours of the scheduled puja time
- Pandits can raise a dispute within 48 hours of the scheduled puja time
5.2 Dispute Process
- User/Pandit raises dispute through app (booking details > "Report Issue")
- Narad support team reviews within 72 hours
- Both parties may be asked to provide evidence (screenshots, photos, call logs)
- Narad makes a decision and communicates to both parties
- If user disagrees with decision, they can escalate to:
- Email: support@asknarad.com
- Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (as per Consumer Protection Act, 2019)
5.3 Common Dispute Scenarios
| Scenario | Default Resolution |
|---|---|
| Pandit performed wrong puja | Full refund to user, pandit investigation |
| Pandit was late (>30 min for offline) | 25% refund to user, pandit warning |
| User claims poor quality | Review evidence, case-by-case |
| User claims pandit was rude/unprofessional | Investigate, pandit warning/suspension, partial/full refund |
| Pandit claims user was abusive | Investigate, user warning, pandit compensated |
| Video call quality issues (user's internet) | No refund (user's responsibility) |
| Video call quality issues (pandit's internet) | Free reschedule or 50% refund |
6. Special Cases
6.1 Festival/Auspicious Day Bookings
- During high-demand periods (Navratri, Diwali, Maha Shivaratri), cancellation windows may be tighter
- Pandit availability for rescheduling may be limited
- Users will be warned at booking time if special cancellation terms apply
6.2 Multi-Day Pujas
- Cancellation applies to the entire booking, not individual days
- If cancelled mid-puja: refund only for remaining days per the tier schedule
- Pandit compensated for completed days at full rate
6.3 Emergency Cancellation
- If user provides proof of genuine emergency (hospitalization, death in family), Narad will issue a full refund regardless of timing
- Emergency claims reviewed on a case-by-case basis
- Pandit compensated by Narad (platform absorbs cost)
7. Display Requirements
7.1 Pre-Booking
- Cancellation policy summary shown on cart/checkout screen
- Link to full cancellation policy
- Checkbox: "I have read and agree to the booking terms and cancellation policy"
7.2 Post-Booking
- Cancellation button visible on booking detail screen (when applicable)
- Dynamic label showing current cancellation tier: "Cancel now for 85% refund"
- Countdown to next tier: "Free cancellation ends in 12h 30m"
7.3 Pandit App
- Clear display of booking acceptance deadline
- Cancellation consequences explained
- No-show penalty warnings