Single canonical policy page. Lists the cancellation timeline, deposit rule, refund window per payment method, weather override, and force majeure terms applied across every booking on atvdubaidesert.com.
Version — quick summary
You cancel more than 24 hours out: full refund or no charge, your call. You cancel inside 24 hours: deposit retained where one was taken; we offer a free rebook within 30 days. We cancel for weather or mechanical reasons: full refund or free rebook. No-show: deposit retained; the rest is not charged.
No struck-through "before" prices, no hidden fees, no perpetual discount banners that reset every visit. Same booking, same cancellation rule, every time.
Customer cancellation — timeline
When you cancel matters. The window is measured from the agreed pickup time on the confirmation message.
| When you cancel | Refund | Rebook within 30 days |
|---|---|---|
| More than 24 hours before pickup | Full refund (or no charge) | Free, same price tier |
| Less than 24 hours before pickup | Deposit retained where applicable; balance not charged | Free, same price tier (subject to availability) |
| Less than 2 hours before pickup | Deposit retained; balance not charged | Subject to slot availability |
| No-show (no message, missed pickup) | Deposit retained | Not automatic — message us first |
Operator cancellation
We cancel rides on three grounds: weather, mechanical, force majeure. Wind, visibility, surface temperature and equipment readiness are checked before every convoy departs. The senior desert guide on duty makes the call — not a remote dispatcher.
Hot air balloon flights are weather-bound by definition. The balloon partner makes the go/no-go call ~3 hours before the scheduled launch. Cancellations on that side are fully refundable or rebookable on the next available date.
When an operator-side cancellation lands, you have two options at no charge: full refund to the original payment method, or rebook within 30 days at the same price tier. We message you before you leave the hotel — never after you arrive at the meeting point.
Deposit rule
Most rides are pay-at-pickup. No deposit, no card on file, no risk to the customer.
Five tiers carry a 25% advance deposit because the slot is held against scarce capacity: overnight desert safari, VIP private safari, hot air balloon, dirt bike rides, and corporate / school combo bookings of 10+ pax. The deposit is taken in advance via card or bank transfer and credited to the final balance at pickup.
Deposit treatment on cancellation follows the timeline above: refunded in full outside 24h, retained inside 24h. Operator-side cancellation always refunds the deposit in full.
Refund processing time by payment method
Settlement time depends on your issuing bank or wallet. We trigger the refund within 24 hours of the cancellation confirmation; the timer below starts after we trigger.
| Method | Typical settlement | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Card (Visa / Mastercard / Amex) | 5–10 business days | Issuing-bank dependent. Returns to the original card. |
| Bank transfer (UAE) | 3–5 business days | Same-day inside UAE banking system; SWIFT can take longer. |
| Cash | Same day | Pickup at Business Bay office during published hours. |
| BNPL (Tabby / Tamara, where active) | Per provider terms | Refund processed via BNPL provider; their settlement window applies. |
No-show
A no-show is missing the agreed pickup window by more than 30 minutes with no message to us. The deposit (where one was taken) is retained; the remaining balance is not charged.
If you are running late, message the same WhatsApp thread immediately. We hold the pickup vehicle for as long as the route allows; some weeks that is an hour, some days it is fifteen minutes. A live message changes the outcome.
Weather and force majeure
High wind, low visibility, sandstorms, and unsafe surface temperatures all trigger an operator-side cancellation. The thresholds differ by service: dune-bashing tolerates more wind than a hot air balloon; ATV tolerates less heat than a Land Cruiser safari. The on-the-day call sits with the senior desert guide.
Force majeure events — public-safety closures, regulator-imposed restrictions, civil incidents on the route — are treated as operator-side cancellations and fully refunded or rebooked at no charge.
Sandstorms in March / April are normal in Dubai. We monitor visibility and wind for the 6 hours before pickup; the call is made early so you do not waste a hotel transfer.
How to cancel
One reply on the same channel you booked with. We do not require a form.
- Open the WhatsApp thread on +971 52 440 9525 (or the email / phone you used to book).
- Reply with the booking name, date, and a short reason.
- You receive a cancellation confirmation. Refund (where applicable) is triggered within 24 hours.
- Settlement timer starts: see refund-method table above.
What this policy does not cover
Third-party costs you incur because of a cancelled ride — hotel transfers booked separately, photographer fees, food at hotels — are not refundable through us. Travel insurance is the right vehicle for those costs.
BNPL provider refund terms (Tabby, Tamara) take precedence on their settlement window. We trigger the refund on our end inside 24 hours; the provider then applies their own schedule.
Voucher / gift-card bookings follow the voucher terms — see /voucher-terms/ once that page is published.
Need to change a booking? Message us
WhatsApp keeps the conversation in one place. Reply usually under five minutes during operating hours.
Frequently asked questions
How do I cancel a booking?
Reply on the same WhatsApp thread we used for confirmation, or message +971 52 440 9525 with the booking name and date. Phone +971 50 496 8087 works too. Email [email protected] is fine for invoiced bookings.
What is the free-cancellation window?
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the scheduled pickup time. Cancellations inside the 24-hour window are subject to the deposit rule below; rebooking within 30 days is free in most cases.
What if you cancel my ride for weather or mechanical reasons?
Operator-side cancellations are fully refundable or rebookable free of charge. We message you before you leave the hotel, never after. Rebook within 30 days at the same price tier.
How long does a refund take?
Card refunds typically settle in 5–10 business days depending on your issuing bank. Bank transfers usually settle within 3–5 business days inside the UAE. Cash refunds are issued at our Business Bay office during published hours.
What counts as a no-show?
Failing to be at the agreed pickup point within 30 minutes of the confirmed pickup time, with no message to us, is treated as a no-show. The deposit (where applicable) is retained; the remaining balance is not charged.
Does this policy apply to overnight, VIP and balloon bookings too?
Yes, with one adjustment: those tiers carry a 25% advance deposit. The same 24-hour window and rebooking-within-30-days rule apply; the deposit is only retained on a no-show or in-window cancellation that we cannot rebook.