What is the Cancellation policy for Taskers?

Airtasker Accountability Framework

At Airtasker, we want to maintain a consistent and reliable marketplace for all Customers and Taskers. Cancelling tasks undermines the confidence of our entire community. However, we do appreciate that plans can change, so we have set out in this framework the responsibilities of both Customers and Taskers, to uphold the trust and confidence of all using our platform.

A clear and fair cancellation policy helps protect both Customers and Taskers and allows us to set clear expectations as to what happens when a task is cancelled.

Responsibilities

When using the Airtasker platform, we expect each of our valued Customers and Taskers to uphold certain responsibilities. Cancelled tasks may trigger certain fees which are payable depending on who is responsible for the cancellation.

Tasker Responsibilities

When using the Airtasker platform, we expect Taskers to use their expertise and skills to carefully guide Customers through the journey of having a task scoped, agreed and completed. This journey includes helping Customers understand the involved skill, scope, timing and price of the task they need to complete, alongside completing the task in a professional manner.

As a Tasker, you are responsible for:

• Understand the task → It is your responsibility to gather the information that you need in order to complete the task. Carefully read the task description and ask clarifying questions when needed so that both your expectations and the customer's are aligned. In order to make a genuine offer, you should have a clear understanding of what is required by the Customer.

• Task date & time: When making an offer on a task, and where relevant, be sure to confirm and agree with the Customer on a date and time to complete the task.

• Availability → It is important that you manage your availability such that:

  • You can start the task at the agreed date and time (where applicable).

  • For in-person tasks, you are able to get to and attend the agreed location at the agreed-upon time.

• Communication → Customer trust is enhanced when Taskers respond promptly to their questions and queries. You should endeavour to respond to Customers who have assigned you a task within 24 hours of receiving a message (but sooner is even better - especially where tasks are imminent!).

  After you have been assigned a task, it is best practice to continue to communicate with Customers and finalise all necessary arrangements through Airtasker Messages (our platform's messaging service). Keeping these communications on the platform, ensures we have a secure record of your conversation and if any disputes need to be escalated, our Airsupport team can help resolve any issues that may arise.

• Skills and qualifications → Before you make an offer, it is your responsibility to ask the Customer clarifying questions to determine whether you have the necessary skills and qualifications to undertake the task. Be prepared to provide any relevant qualifications or certification prior to completion of the task.

• Equipment → It is your responsibility to ask the Customer clarifying questions to understand what equipment is needed to complete the task. Once determined, you should ensure you have or are able to arrange access to the required equipment to complete the task at the agreed-upon time. If the task requires parts or materials from third parties then it is your responsibility to communicate that with the Customer.

• Act according to Airtasker's community guidelines → Ensure you understand and follow Airtasker's Community Guidelines.

Services & Fees

Tasker Service Fee

As a Tasker, it is free to access the Airtasker platform and make offers on Tasks or receive task requests from Customers. If you place an offer on a task that is then accepted, you pay a Service Fee upon completion of that task. The fee covers your usage of our platform which may include your use of our secure payment systems, fraud protection, insurance and support services. You don't pay any Service Fees on tasks that you don't win.

The Service Fee will be calculated for each task you complete and will be calculated according to your current Tasker "tier". This amount can range from 10 to 20% of the task price (before tax). The higher your tier, the lower your cost. When you complete a task for a repeat Customer this fee is 1.9%. To learn more about the specifics of tiers, please see Tasker tier.

The Service Fee also helps us to continue improving our technology and investing in marketing campaigns to bring you more task opportunities.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellation fee

As a Tasker, if you choose to cancel a task, a cancellation fee may be charged equal to the value of the connection fee (13% of the particular task value with a minimum fee of $2.90 and a cap of $34.90)  paid by the Customer for that relevant task. This cancellation fee may be automatically deducted from your next payment payout.

Automated cancellations

When a Customer or Tasker submits a request to cancel a task, the request is sent to the other party to approve or reject the cancellation. In the case where an acceptance or rejection is not received by that party within 48 hours from the submitted request, the task will be cancelled automatically and a party will be held responsible for the cancellation fee based on the information provided through the cancellation request.

Repeated Cancellations

If you repeatedly cancel tasks, your account may be suspended at our sole discretion. Account suspensions can range from temporary suspensions (i.e. 1-week suspension) to permanent suspensions.

Ratings and reviews also provide valuable feedback that can help Customers and Taskers inform their decisions about which person to work with. Customers are able to provide a review on a cancelled task as well as provide feedback to Airtasker which we may act on at our sole discretion. Cancellations impact your star rating and reliability scores on the marketplace which can reduce your ability to win tasks.

Extenuating Circumstances

This Extenuating Circumstances Policy explains how unforeseen circumstances that make it unsafe or illegal to complete are handled with regard to cancellations for both Customers and Taskers (after a task has been assigned).

To avoid incurring cancellation fees, ensure prior to cancelling you understand the exceptions below that we will consider.

If you believe a cancellation fee has been incorrectly charged to your account, please contact the Airsupport team and provide the relevant documentation or other supporting information to help us review the decision.

What Extenuating Circumstances are covered

When we refer to Extenuating Circumstances that can be used to avoid cancellation fees on a cancelled task, these refer to events that are unforeseen at the time of offer or assigning, and prevent or legally prohibit completion of the task. These are:

• Declared emergencies and epidemics. Government-declared local or national emergencies, epidemics, pandemics and public health emergencies.

• Natural disasters. Natural disasters, acts of God, large-scale outages of essential utilities, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and other severe and abnormal weather events. This does not include weather or natural conditions that are common enough to be foreseeable in the area---for example, thunderstorms or rain.

What is not considered an Extenuating Circumstance

This Policy only allows for task cancellations for the Extenuating Circumstances covered above. Everything else is excluded.

Some examples of situations that this Policy does not allow cancellations include:

• Unexpected disease, illness or injury

• Government obligations such as jury duty, court appearances or military duties

• Not understanding the task: It is your responsibility to gather the information that you need in order to request/complete the task by carefully providing/reading the task description and asking clarifying questions when needed.

• Lack of availability: As a Tasker, it is your responsibility to ensure you are available to complete the task on the date and time agreed upon (where relevant) and as a Customer you are available to grant access to your property (where required)

• Travel issues or disruptions: Transportation disruptions like road closures, as well as flight, train, bus and ferry cancellations that prevent your travel. In addition, travel documents or other personal circumstances relating to your authorisation to travel, such as an expired or lost driver's licence are also excluded as a valid reason for cancellation.

• Lack of skills and qualifications: It is your responsibility (as a Tasker) to have and/or select a Tasker with the required skills and qualifications to complete the task.

• Equipment: Ensure you have or are able to arrange access to the required equipment to complete the task. If the task requires parts or materials from third parties then it is your responsibility to communicate that and agree upon what is required.

Click here to view the full version of the Cancellation Policy