What happens when a renter cancels a booking or does not show up?
We understand that unexpected situations may arise, and renters may need to cancel their bookings, or show up late because of some reason (e.g. delayed flights).
We aim to provide a transparent process to ensure fairness for both hosts and renters. Here's what happens when a renter cancels a booking:
- 🚫 Cancellation less than 24 hours before pickup: If a renter cancels less than 24 hours before the pickup time, the booking will be canceled, and you, as the host, will receive the full amount for the booking. We understand this may not be ideal for the renter, but it helps maintain trust within the Otto community.
- 🚫 Cancellation more than 24 hours before pickup: If the renter cancels more than 24 hours before the pickup time, the booking will be canceled, and they will receive a full refund. We understand this may not be ideal for you, but it's a measure we have in place to maintain trust in the Otto community.
What if the renter cancels during pickup?
When a renter cancels during pickup, reach out to Otto customer support. Otto will then follow up to determine the reason for cancellation.
✖️ If the reason is not valid
You will receive the full amount for the booking and the booking will be cancelled. Invalid reasons may include:
- Change of plans
- Being late for pickup
- Change of mind
✔️ If the reason for cancellation is valid
The renter will be issued a refund for the booking and the booking will be cancelled. Valid reasons may include:
- Different car from that which was booked
- Vehicle is unsafe to drive i.e unroadworthy
- Vehicle is missing safety essentials
- Vehicle is not properly insured
- Vehicle is not clean e.t.c
Otto will make fair judgments to determine the validity of the reasons at our discretion. If a dispute arises that Otto is unable to resolve, we encourage both the renter and the host to refer to applicable consumer protection regulations for further assistance.
Otto reserves the right to apply renter/host protection measures at our discretion. All decisions will be communicated to both parties along with an explanation.
↘️ Please note to minimize cancellation at pickup ensure:
- Your vehicle is roadworthy and safe to drive
- Your vehicle has all the safety essentials
- Your vehicle is clean for the next renter
- You vehicle is properly insured
- The vehicle provided is the same vehicle that was booked
What if the renter did not cancel but does not show up for pickup?
In the event that a renter does not show up for the pickup:
- Contact the renter to make sure they are not running late
- If you are unable to reach out to the renter, Contact Otto Customer Support
see contact method at the bottom of the screen - Otto will try to establish contact with the renter.
- If Otto cannot reach the renter, we will consider the booking abandoned. You will receive the full amount of the booking.
Note: You are expected to leave the Vehicle available till the end of the day, in case a renter had some kind of travel delay and simply were not able to communicate. This helps avoid dissatisfied renters!