Refund & Cancellation Policy

1. How payments work

When a Customer and a Tradesperson agree on a price for a job, the total is split into a deposit and a balance. Both amounts are paid through TradeLink Hub using Stripe and are held securely. Funds are not released to the Tradesperson until the agreed release conditions are met.

2. Deposits

• The deposit is taken when the Customer pays the deposit invoice via the Platform checkout.
• The deposit is held securely and is only released to the Tradesperson once the job is completed (or partially completed, as agreed) and no dispute is open.
• Paying a deposit forms part of the contract between the Customer and the Tradesperson and confirms the Customer’s commitment to the job.

3. Cancellation by the Customer

3.1 Before the tradesperson has started work or purchased materials

• If the Customer cancels before the job start date and before any work or materials have been committed, the deposit is generally refundable, less any non-refundable platform processing fees that Stripe applies.
• The Customer must notify the Tradesperson and TradeLink Hub through the Platform as soon as possible.

3.2 After work has commenced or materials purchased

• If work has started or materials have been purchased specifically for the job, the deposit may be non-refundable or only partially refundable, to cover the Tradesperson’s reasonable costs and work already completed.
• The Customer may raise a dispute through the Platform if they believe the amount withheld is unreasonable.

4. Cancellation by the Tradesperson

If a Tradesperson cancels a confirmed job without completing the work, the Customer is entitled to a full refund of any deposit held securely. TradeLink Hub will process this refund upon confirmation that the Tradesperson has not commenced work.

5. Balance payments

• The balance is due once the job is complete and the Customer is satisfied, in accordance with the contract.
• If the Customer disputes the quality or completeness of the work, they should raise a dispute through the Platform before paying the balance. Paying the balance generally indicates acceptance of the work as complete.
• Once the balance is paid and released, refunds are only available in exceptional circumstances (see Dispute Resolution below).

6. Dispute-triggered refunds

If a dispute is raised, all payouts are paused pending investigation. After reviewing evidence from both parties, TradeLink Hub may resolve the dispute by:

• Full refund to the Customer — where the work has not been completed or where there is a material defect and the Tradesperson cannot reasonably remedy it.
• Partial refund — where some work has been completed to a satisfactory standard but other elements are defective or incomplete.
• Release of funds to the Tradesperson — where the work has been completed to a reasonable standard and the Customer’s complaint is not substantiated.

Dispute decisions are based on the evidence available and are final within the Platform. This does not affect your statutory consumer rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

7. Refund processing times

• Refunds are processed back to the original payment method via Stripe.
• Refunds typically appear on the Customer’s card within 5–10 working days, depending on the card issuer.
• TradeLink Hub cannot accelerate bank or card issuer processing times.

8. Non-refundable items

• Platform commission and Stripe processing fees may be non-refundable once a transaction has been processed, except where a refund is authorised through dispute resolution.
• Affiliate bounties are paid only on completed, non-refunded transactions.

9. Your statutory rights

Nothing in this policy limits any statutory rights you may have as a consumer under UK law, including the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. If you have a complaint that we cannot resolve, you may refer it to the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme or Citizens Advice.

10. How to request a refund

To request a refund, raise a dispute through the Platform or contact us via the Contact page with your contract reference and the reason for the request. We will respond within a reasonable time and work with both parties to resolve the matter.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last updated” date.