Refund & Cancellation Policy

1. Appointment Deposit Overview

Lionheart Clinic requires a $1,300 AUD deposit to secure appointment bookings. This policy ensures:

Your appointment slot is reserved exclusively for you
Clinician availability is fairly allocated
Our administrative costs are covered for booking coordination
No-shows are minimized, protecting both clinician and patient time

Important: When Your Deposit is Secured

When you submit your booking request, we securely tokenize your card details but do not charge it immediately. The deposit is only secured after you verbally confirm your appointment time with our admin team.

Key Information

Deposit Amount: $1,300 AUD
Payment Method: Credit or debit card (processed via Stripe)
Card Expiry Requirement: Card must not expire within 30 days of booking submission
Purpose: Applied to your first appointment fee; remainder refunded if fee is less than $1,300

2. When the Deposit is Charged

Timeline

Step 1: Booking Submission
You submit your booking request with card details. NO CHARGE YET.
Step 2: Clinical Director Review
Our Clinical Director approves your booking and assigns a clinician. NO CHARGE YET.
Step 3: Admin Offers Appointment Time
Our admin team calls you with available appointment times. You verbally confirm a specific date and time.
Step 4: Deposit Secured
Once you confirm your appointment, the $1,300 deposit is secured to your card. BOOKING NOW CONFIRMED.

Confirming Your Appointment

When you verbally confirm an appointment time with our admin team, your booking becomes confirmed and the deposit is secured. This ensures your appointment slot is reserved exclusively for you.

3. Full Refund Eligibility (7+ Days Notice)

When You Are Eligible for a Full Refund

You will receive a full refund of your $1,300 deposit if you cancel:

7 or more days before your scheduled appointment
At any time if Lionheart cancels your appointment (clinician illness, emergency, or operational reasons)
At any time if your assigned clinician becomes unavailable

How to Request a Refund

Contact our admin team:
- Phone: (02) 8552 7393
- Email: bookings@lionheartclinic.com.au
Admin Staff submits refund request: Your cancellation is recorded and forwarded to our Super Admin for approval
Super Admin reviews and approves: Refunds are typically approved within 1-2 business days
Refund processed via Stripe: Money is returned to your original payment card
Confirmation email sent: You receive confirmation with expected refund timeline

Refund Processing Time

Stripe processing: 5-10 business days (standard bank transfer time)
Your bank: May take an additional 1-3 business days to credit your account
Total timeline: Expect refund within 7-14 business days from approval

Example: Full Refund Scenario

Appointment scheduled for January 20, 2026. You cancel on January 10, 2026 (10 days before). Result: Full $1,300 refund processed.

4. Non-Refundable Cancellations (Less Than 7 Days)

When the Deposit is Non-Refundable

Your $1,300 deposit will be forfeited if you:

Cancel with less than 7 days notice (e.g., 6 days, 3 days, or 1 day before appointment)
Do not attend your scheduled appointment (no-show)
Cancel on the day of your appointment

Why This Policy Exists

Late cancellations and no-shows prevent our clinicians from filling appointment slots with other patients who need care. With less than 7 days notice, we cannot typically rebook the slot, resulting in:

Lost income for independent contractor clinicians
Delayed care for patients on our waitlist
Administrative costs already incurred (intake, review, scheduling)

Exceptional Circumstances (Discretionary Refunds)

In rare cases, our Super Admin may approve refunds for late cancellations due to:

Medical emergencies: Sudden illness or hospitalization (documentation required)
Bereavement: Death of an immediate family member
Natural disasters: Floods, fires, or severe weather affecting your ability to attend
Extreme circumstances: Assessed on a case-by-case basis

To request an exceptional refund, email bookings@lionheartclinic.com.au with:

Your booking reference number
Explanation of circumstances
Supporting documentation (medical certificates, death certificates, news reports, etc.)

Example: Non-Refundable Scenario

Appointment scheduled for January 20, 2026. You cancel on January 18, 2026 (2 days before). Result: $1,300 deposit forfeited (no refund).

5. How the Deposit is Applied to Your Appointment

The $1,300 deposit is not an extra fee—it is applied as credit toward your first appointment fee.

Understanding Appointment Fees

Psychiatrist Consultations:

Billing rate: $850 per clinical hour
What's included: For every clinical hour, psychiatrists complete 1-1.5 hours of administrative work including medical notes, letter writing, and coordination with other clinicians
Total investment: A 1-hour appointment involves 2-2.5 hours of professional time dedicated to your care

Scenario 1: Appointment Fee is Less Than $1,300

Example: Your first appointment fee is $850.

Deposit held: $1,300
Appointment cost: $850
Automatic refund: $450 (returned to your card within 5-10 business days after appointment)

Scenario 2: Appointment Fee Equals $1,300

Example: Your first appointment fee is exactly $1,300.

Deposit held: $1,300
Appointment cost: $1,300
Balance due: $0 (no refund, no additional charge)

Scenario 3: Appointment Fee Exceeds $1,300

Example: Your first appointment fee is $1,700 (2-hour consultation).

Deposit held: $1,300 (applied as credit)
Appointment cost: $1,700
Balance due: $400 (invoiced through Xestro, our practice management system)

Billing Systems

Lionheart Intake System: Handles the $1,300 deposit only
Xestro (Practice Management): Handles actual appointment fees, invoicing, and Medicare rebates

Your clinician will provide detailed fee information during or after your first appointment.

6. Refund Processing Timeline

Step-by-Step Refund Process

Request Submitted (Day 0)
You contact admin team to cancel and request refund
Admin Review (Day 0-1)
Admin Staff records cancellation and submits refund request to Super Admin
Super Admin Approval (Day 1-2)
Super Admin reviews eligibility and approves refund
Stripe Processing (Day 2-12)
Refund initiated through Stripe payment gateway (5-10 business days standard)
Bank Credit (Day 7-15)
Your bank credits your account (timing varies by bank)

What If My Card Account is Closed?

If the card used for the original deposit is now closed or expired:

Contact our admin team immediately: bookings@lionheartclinic.com.au
Provide alternative bank account details for direct deposit
Super Admin will process manual refund (may take additional 3-5 business days)
You will receive confirmation once the manual refund is complete

7. Rescheduling vs. Cancellation

Prefer to Reschedule?

If you need to change your appointment date or time (rather than cancel entirely), rescheduling is always preferable:

No additional deposit required: Your $1,300 deposit remains held and is simply applied to the new appointment date
No refund/re-charge: No need to process refunds or collect payment again
Faster process: Admin team simply updates your appointment in the system
No 7-day notice required: Rescheduling is allowed at any time (subject to clinician availability)

How to Reschedule

Contact our admin team as soon as possible:
- Phone: (02) 8552 7393
- Email: bookings@lionheartclinic.com.au
Provide your booking reference number
Request new appointment times (admin will check clinician availability)
Accept new appointment time (no new grace period or charge)
Receive confirmation email with updated appointment details

Rescheduling is Encouraged

We understand that life is unpredictable. Rescheduling preserves your booking and ensures you receive the care you need without financial penalty.

8. Failed Payment Handling

Why Payments Fail

Insufficient funds: Card does not have $1,300 available balance
Card expired: Despite our 30-day validation, card expired between booking and charge
Bank declined: Bank fraud detection blocked the charge
Technical error: Stripe API or payment gateway issue

What Happens If Payment Fails

Immediate Notification
- Admin team is alerted immediately
- Your booking is marked "URGENT - Payment Failed"
Admin Contacts You (Within 2 Hours)
- Phone call or email explaining the issue
- Request for updated payment details or retry authorization
24-Hour Grace Period to Resolve
- You can provide alternate card details
- You can authorize bank to approve the charge (if fraud block)
- You can arrange manual bank transfer payment (last resort)
Booking Cancelled If Unresolved
- After 24 hours, appointment slot is released
- You can reapply for booking once payment issue is resolved

Preventing Payment Failures

Ensure your card has at least $1,300 available credit/balance
Notify your bank of the upcoming $1,300 charge to prevent fraud blocks
Provide a card that expires more than 30 days from booking submission
Keep your contact details updated so we can reach you if issues arise

9. Contact Information

For all questions, cancellation requests, or refund inquiries, please contact:

Lionheart Clinic Administration

Phone: (02) 8552 7393

Email: bookings@lionheartclinic.com.au

Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM AEDT/AEST

Address: 112 May Street, St Peters, NSW 2044, Australia

For urgent cancellations outside business hours, please email bookings@lionheartclinic.com.au with your booking reference number. We will respond within 2 business hours during office hours.

Related Policies

Terms of Service - Full booking terms and conditions
Privacy Policy - How we handle your personal information
Complaints Policy - How to escalate concerns

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