Refundable Registrations Enabled to Improve Purchaser Confidence
Interpodia is proud to launch the option of Refundable Registration, an innovative service that will be included in the registration process of our clients using any division of Interpodia (CCN, 2M, SnowReg, CheerReg, IceReg, PlayerWeb and H20Reg) and is expected to go live January 2021.
As sports begin their return to play, we have been on the lookout for new ways to adapt our technology and introduce new third party services that respond to the rapid changes we’ve seen in 2020. As can be expected, consumers have been hesitant about making any plans or registering for events; low registrant participation is the #1 concern for organizations in their #returntoplay from COVID-19. Additionally, many organizations and events are not able to offer a refund policy, which in this uncertain climate may be further affecting registration numbers and revenue.
For this reason, we are in the process of integrating our technology with a third-party to offer your participants the option to purchase upgraded refund terms in case of unforeseen emergency. This new feature works similarly to how one can purchase refund protection for a flight or concert. If your participant chooses to purchase upgraded refund terms during registration, this will allow them to apply for a 100% refund should they not be able to attend due to an unforeseen and/or emergency circumstance. It is also important to note that your organization still retains the full registration or membership dues, but the purchaser also gets a full 100% refund through our partner.
Phil Mowatt, co-founder and CEO of Interpodia said, “We are often looking at what is happening in other sectors and using those influences to improve sport registration and administration. The challenge of providing consumers with confidence to commit to future based services which are not refundable is similar with travel bookings. We believe the introduction of this optional service with remove some of the hesitation of someone registering for an activity, license or membership. It will also help protect the organizers from being pressured to make exceptions to their no-refund policies.“
Benefits for Membership Organizations, Sport Clubs and Events
Purchaser Confidence: Participants and Members will feel more confident about their purchase and experience reduced anxiety when registering for your event, club, activity or annual membership/license.
Reduce Refund Exposure: Offering this service can shelter administrators from customer pressure that can occur when you have a no-refund policy in place.
Reduced Administration Time: Sport administrators will save substantial time as the number of refunds go down. They will also have to deal with less chargebacks, as the purchaser declined a refund protection option in advance.
No Cost to Organization: This new feature comes at no extra cost to the organization. The participants pays for the optional refund protection, which is handled by a third-party.
Here are some FAQ’s that will address the common remaining questions you may have.
Common FAQ
What is Considered an Emergency or Unforeseen Circumstance?
The Refundable Terms include many circumstances that may prevent you from attending your booking, including (but not limited to):
Illness / Injury
Pre-existing Medical Condition
Pregnancy Complication
Death of Immediate Family Member
Public Transport Failure
Scheduled Airline Failure
Mechanical Breakdown
Jury Service/Court Summons
Home Emergency
Armed Forces & Emergency Services Recall
Adverse Weather
Relocated for Work
Theft of Tickets
Changes to Examination Dates
Emergency Circumstances
Please note, the term “emergency circumstances” is designed to include an endless range of situations that you may experience. We have used general terms to ensure these are as broad as possible.
Does the upgraded refunded terms include COVID-19 related circumstances?
Enhances refundable terms include some of the common scenarios relating to Covid-19 including:
- illness (individual contracts covid-19 or someone within their immediate household)
- hospitalization or death of an immediate family member due to covid-19
- a change in pre-existing medical condition that results in a doctor recommending the individual to not attend due to risk of exposure of covid-19
- With the above in mind, the Covid-19 related government travel ban peril has been removed from the Extended Terms. Non-Covid-19 related government travel ban applications will of course remain to be considered in the standard way.
How would I apply for a Refund?
The Refund Application process is very simple; just go to the online form which can be found in your registration confirmation email. This will be auto populated for you with your registration details. It requires you to provide basic information and evidence of your refund reason. All of the info you need can be found in the Terms and Conditions section.
Once validated by our dedicated Refund Team, you will receive the 100% refund directly to your bank account within 4-7 days of form submission.
What happens if my circumstance isn’t included in any of the Refundable Terms?
If you feel your circumstance is “unforeseen” and/or an “emergency” but you can’t find it in the refundable terms, then we recommend you still apply through the online Refund Application Form. The circumstance will be considered by our consumer-centric refund team. If it is found that your situation is not classed as an emergency of unforseen, your refund application will likely be denied.
What is excluded from the Refundable Terms?
Any circumstance that is not detailed in the T&Cs and not can be considered an unforeseen and/or emergency circumstance will not be eligible for a refund. We can’t give you a full list of exclusions due to the fact that “emergency circumstances” are considered on a discretionary basis. However, generally “I don’t want to attend/don’t feel like attending” is not a valid reason for refund.
Interested in working with Interpodia? Book a free consultation to get started, we would love to show you what we can do.
