No refund when airlines cancel
Basically, a good company but beware - Delta canceled my flight less than 24 hours from start of pet sitter due to bad weather, and Meowtel charged the full amount- they did not refund one penny of my reservation. Seems a more fair way would be at least a partial refund. I have travel insurance, but they do not cover this type of claim. Think carefully before you reserve. For BEST results, try to find a sitter who is stable and has been there for awhile. The nature of the job is that sitters come and go with high frequency. I had another trip coming up and they would have allowed me to change dates and use the money I had already paid, but you cannot switch sitters if you need to switch dates. The sitter I had paid for was quitting before my next trip in a month. While I thank Meowtel for their response, it is disingenuous. When I went to the site to cancel bc of flight cancellation, I was given 2 choices: 1. Change dates- and when I tried I could not bc the sitter would no longer work there and I could not choose another sitter for the Aug trip- and 2. I was advised I would receive no refund. So all of this business about discussing it with the sitter is false. Again- lack of info provided to patrons. There is no mention of this when you cancel.
By Barbara M.
Response from Meowtel· Jul 24, 2026
Hi Barbara McG, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We're sorry to hear that your travel plans were unexpectedly disrupted. Meowtel's cancellation policy is designed to balance flexibility for clients with fairness for the independent sitters who reserve time on their schedules for each booking. For cancellations made close to the start of a reservation, the policy may allow the sitter to retain some or all of their planned earnings to account for the time they've reserved and the preparation they've already made. At the same time, sitters are always welcome to override the standard cancellation policy and issue a larger refund if they choose. We encourage clients to discuss unexpected circumstances directly with their sitter, as they're able to make that decision based on the situation. If you ever need assistance with those conversations, you're also welcome to reach out to us at [email protected]. If a refund is issued, it is first applied as Meowtel account credit. That credit can be used toward a future reservation with any available sitter, or you may request a refund back to your original payment method. Update: To clarify, the cancellation flow reflects the standard cancellation policy based on the timing of the cancellation. Independent sitters may choose to override that outcome and issue an additional refund at their discretion, but Meowtel isn't able to make that decision on a sitter's behalf. If assistance is ever needed, we're always happy to help facilitate those conversations.