Refund Policy

Purpose of This Policy

This Refund Policy explains how refunds are handled on Safaripedia for travelers, tour operators, tour guides, hotels, lodges, destination listings, and other service providers.

Safaripedia is primarily a platform that connects travelers with verified local safari experts and tourism service providers. Unless clearly stated otherwise, refunds for safari bookings, accommodation, guiding services, permits, transport, and destination experiences are handled by the relevant service provider.

Safaripedia's Role in Refunds

Safaripedia may assist travelers and providers by facilitating communication, reviewing complaints, or providing platform records where available.

However, Safaripedia is not automatically responsible for issuing refunds unless:

• The payment was made directly to Safaripedia.
• Safaripedia expressly acted as the booking/payment handler.
• A separate written agreement states that Safaripedia is responsible for refund processing.

Refunds for Traveler Bookings

Refund eligibility depends on the terms agreed between the traveler and the service provider.

Before making payment, travelers should confirm:

• Cancellation deadline.
• Refund percentage.
• Non-refundable deposits.
• Permit fees.
• Accommodation deposits.
• Domestic flight tickets.
• Bank or transaction charges.
• Special booking conditions.
• No-show conditions.

Non-Refundable Costs

Some costs may be non-refundable depending on the provider's terms and supplier rules. These may include:

• Park fees.
• Conservation fees.
• Gorilla or chimpanzee permits.
• Domestic flights.
• Accommodation deposits.
• Private guide reservation fees.
• Special vehicle bookings.
• Third-party transaction charges.
• Last-minute bookings.
• Customized itinerary preparation fees.

Refunds for Safaripedia Paid Listings

If a tour operator, guide, hotel, lodge, or destination listing pays Safaripedia for a listing, advertisement, featured placement, verification, or promotional service, refunds will depend on the specific service purchased.

Safaripedia listing and promotional fees are generally non-refundable once the service has started, the listing has been published, or promotional visibility has been delivered.

Refunds may be considered where:

• Safaripedia fails to publish a paid listing after receiving payment.
• A duplicate payment was made by mistake.
• A paid service was cancelled by Safaripedia before delivery.
• A technical error prevented delivery of the purchased service and could not be resolved.

No Refund for Poor Conversion

Safaripedia does not guarantee bookings, enquiries, sales, ranking position, website traffic, or traveler conversion from paid listings or advertising.

A provider is not entitled to a refund simply because a listing did not generate bookings, enquiries, or expected business results.

Refund Request Process

To request a refund related to a Safaripedia-managed payment, users must contact Safaripedia with:

• Full name or business name.
• Email address used during payment.
• Payment receipt or transaction reference.
• Service purchased.
• Reason for refund request.
• Supporting documents where applicable.

Processing Time

Approved refunds may take several business days to process depending on the payment method, bank, mobile money provider, card processor, or payment gateway.

Transaction charges, currency conversion fees, and bank fees may be deducted where applicable.

Chargebacks and Payment Disputes

Users are encouraged to contact Safaripedia or the relevant service provider before initiating chargebacks.

Where a chargeback is raised unfairly or dishonestly, Safaripedia may suspend the user account, restrict platform access, or take further action to recover costs.