Plans change. Here is exactly what RentalHalo allows, for the customer and for you.
What the customer can do
Every customer receives a private link to their booking in their confirmation email. From that link they can see their booking, and, if the booking still qualifies, change it or cancel it themselves.
A change can be different dates, a different vehicle, a different number of vehicles, or corrected contact details. RentalHalo checks that what they want is actually free, and prices it again before anything is confirmed.
- If the new rental costs more, the customer pays the small difference in the Booking Guarantee before the change is confirmed.
- If the new rental costs less, the change is confirmed and the Booking Guarantee already paid stays as it is. A change does not automatically return money.
- If they abandon the payment, their original booking is untouched.
When self-service stops
A customer cannot change or cancel a booking themselves when it has already started, has already been cancelled or completed, or is inside the cut-off you set before pickup. RentalHalo's standard cut-off is 2 hours before the rental starts, and you can change it in your booking settings.
After that point, they have to contact you. That is on purpose: at that stage you may already be on your way to meet them.
What you can do
You can change an eligible booking from your dashboard, under Bookings. RentalHalo checks availability and works out the new rental price. Every change is recorded on the booking, with the before and after, so you and the customer can always see what happened.
What happens to the money
This is the part people ask about most, so it is worth being precise.
- The rental itself is between you and the customer. You decide your own cancellation terms and whether you return a rental payment or deposit you took.
- The Booking Guarantee paid to RentalHalo is separate. Cancelling a booking does not automatically refund it.
- A refund of the Booking Guarantee has to be reviewed by RentalHalo first. It is not automatic, and cancelling by choice does not by itself qualify.
If you cannot provide the vehicle a customer booked, tell them and contact support@rentalhalo.com with the booking reference. That is exactly the situation the review exists for.
After a cancellation
The vehicle becomes available again straight away, so somebody else can book those dates. The booking stays in your dashboard, marked cancelled, with its full history. You and the customer are both notified.
For how the Booking Guarantee works in general, see The Booking Guarantee.