Refund and Exchange Policy
This Refund and Exchange Policy (“Policy”) applies to all payments made to Lionize (Private) Limited, operating under the brand name “Sauce” (“Sauce”, “we”, “us”), through the Sauce website and mobile applications (the “Platform”).
This Policy forms part of, and should be read together with, our Terms and Conditions. Capitalised terms used but not defined in this Policy have the meaning given to them in the Terms and Conditions.
1. Scope of this Policy
1.1 Sauce is a restaurant discovery and table reservation platform. Sauce does not sell goods. No physical product is supplied by Sauce and accordingly no return, exchange or replacement of goods arises under this Policy.
1.2 The amounts collected by Sauce through the Platform are limited to the following:
| Amount | Description |
|---|---|
| Reservation Deposit | An amount paid by the diner at the time of booking to secure a table. It is applied toward the diner’s restaurant bill on attendance. It is not a fee payable to Sauce. |
| Card Authorisation | A pre-authorisation hold placed on the diner’s payment card in place of a Reservation Deposit for certain bookings. No amount is charged unless the diner fails to attend. |
| Booking Fee | A fee charged to the diner in respect of certain Reservations, disclosed before confirmation. |
| Membership Fee | A recurring monthly subscription fee for the Sauce membership programme. |
1.3 Restaurant bills are not paid to or collected by Sauce. Your restaurant bill is settled directly with the Restaurant Partner at its premises. Sauce cannot refund any amount paid by you directly to a Restaurant Partner. Any dispute concerning a restaurant bill must be raised with the Restaurant Partner.
2. Reservation Deposits
2.1 Where you attend your Reservation
2.1.1 Where you attend your Reservation and check in, the Reservation Deposit is applied toward your restaurant bill at the Restaurant Partner, or is refunded to you, as disclosed at the time of booking. In either case no amount is retained by Sauce out of the Reservation Deposit other than any commission separately agreed with the Restaurant Partner.
2.2 Where you cancel your Reservation
| When you cancel | Refund entitlement |
|---|---|
| Two (2) hours or more before the Reservation time | Full refund of the Reservation Deposit. Any Card Authorisation is released in full. |
| Less than two (2) hours before the Reservation time | No refund. The Reservation Deposit is forfeited and treated in accordance with clause 2.3. |
2.2.1 Cancellation must be made through the Platform. A cancellation communicated only to the Restaurant Partner and not recorded on the Platform may not be effective for the purposes of this Policy.
2.3 Where you fail to attend
2.3.1 Where you fail to attend a Reservation, do not cancel it in accordance with clause 2.2, and do not arrive within the thirty (30) minute Hold Period, the Reservation Deposit is forfeited and no refund is payable. Where a Card Authorisation was placed instead of a Reservation Deposit, the Authorisation may be captured to the equivalent amount.
2.3.2 The forfeited amount is distributed in accordance with the terms of the applicable Restaurant Partner agreement.
2.3.3 Where you arrive after the Hold Period has expired and the Restaurant Partner elects, at its discretion, to seat you, the Reservation shall be treated as attended and the Reservation Deposit shall be applied in accordance with clause 2.1.
2.4 Where the Restaurant Partner cancels
2.4.1 Where a Restaurant Partner cancels your Reservation for any reason, or is unable to seat you on arrival, you are entitled to a full refund of the Reservation Deposit. Any Booking Fee paid in respect of that Reservation may or may not be refunded at Sauce’s sole discretion. Any Card Authorisation is released in full.
2.4.2 Such refund is the full extent of Sauce’s liability in respect of a Reservation cancelled by a Restaurant Partner. Sauce shall not be liable for any consequential cost, loss or inconvenience.
2.5 Where Sauce cancels
2.5.1 Where Sauce cancels a Reservation, including by reason of technical failure, suspected fraud, or removal of a Restaurant Partner from the Platform, you are entitled to a full refund of the Reservation Deposit. Any Booking Fee paid in respect of that Reservation may or may not be refunded at Sauce’s sole discretion.
3. Booking Fees
3.1 A Booking Fee, where charged, is consideration for the reservation service provided by Sauce at the time of booking. It is disclosed to you before you confirm your Reservation.
3.2 A Booking Fee is refundable where:
3.2.1 you cancel your Reservation two (2) hours or more before the Reservation time;
3.2.2 the Restaurant Partner cancels your Reservation or is unable to seat you; or
3.2.3 Sauce cancels your Reservation.
3.3 A Booking Fee is not refundable where you cancel less than two (2) hours before the Reservation time, or where you fail to attend.
4. Membership Fees
4.1 Membership is a recurring monthly subscription which renews automatically until cancelled by you.
4.2 You may cancel Membership at any time through the Platform. On cancellation, Membership continues until the end of the subscription month already paid for, after which it will not renew.
4.3 Membership fees are not refunded on a pro rata basis for any unused portion of a subscription month.
4.4 A Membership fee will be refunded in full where:
4.4.1 the fee was charged in error or charged more than once for the same period;
4.4.2 the fee was charged after you had validly cancelled your Membership; or
4.4.3 Sauce withdraws the Membership programme during a period for which you have already paid, in which case a pro rata refund shall be made.
4.5 Points, rewards and benefits accrued under Membership have no cash value and are not refundable or exchangeable for cash under any circumstances.
5. Exchanges and Changes to a Reservation
5.1 As no goods are sold through the Platform, no exchange of goods arises. The equivalent facility available to you is the amendment of an existing Reservation.
5.2 You may amend the date, time or party size of a Reservation through the Platform, subject to availability at the relevant Restaurant Partner, at any time up to two (2) hours before the Reservation time. Where a Reservation is amended:
5.2.1 the existing Reservation Deposit is carried over to the amended Reservation;
5.2.2 where the party size increases, an additional Reservation Deposit may be payable; and
5.2.3 where the party size decreases, the difference in the Reservation Deposit shall be refunded to you in accordance with clause 6.
5.3 A Reservation may not be transferred to another person without the prior consent of Sauce and the Restaurant Partner.
6. How Refunds Are Processed
6.1 Where you are entitled to a refund under this Policy, the refund shall be credited to the same payment method used to make the original payment. Refunds are not issued in cash and are not issued to any third party account.
6.2 Refunds are initiated by Sauce through our third party payment service provider. Refund timelines are as follows:
| Stage | Indicative timeline |
|---|---|
| Refund initiated by Sauce | Within ten (10) business days of the refund becoming payable |
| Refund processed by payment gateway and issuing bank | Five (5) to seven (7) business days from initiation |
| Refund to an internationally issued card | Up to thirty (30) days from initiation |
| Release of a Card Authorisation | Released immediately by Sauce; may take up to seven (7) business days to reflect on your statement depending on your issuing bank |
6.3 The period taken for a refund to reflect in your account is determined by your issuing bank or payment provider and is outside Sauce’s control. Sauce’s obligation is discharged upon initiation of the refund.
6.4 Sauce may require you to provide additional information or supporting documentation before processing a refund. Sauce may, in its sole discretion, decline to process a refund where you fail to provide such information.
6.5 If you have not received a refund within the timelines set out above, please first check with your bank or card issuer. If the refund still cannot be traced, contact Sauce at team@lionize-ai.com with your booking reference and the date of the transaction.
7. How to Request a Refund
7.1 Refunds arising from a cancellation made through the Platform in accordance with clause 2.2 are processed automatically. No request is necessary.
7.2 In all other cases, you may request a refund at team@lionize-ai.com. Your request should include:
- your registered name and mobile number;
- the booking reference;
- the date and time of the Reservation;
- the amount paid and the payment method used; and
- the reason for the refund request.
7.3 Refund requests must be submitted within seven (7) days of the Reservation date or the date of the disputed charge, whichever is later. Requests submitted after this period may not be considered.
7.4 Sauce will acknowledge a refund request within ten (10) business days and will notify you of the outcome within seven (7) business days of receiving all necessary information.
8. Amounts That Are Not Refundable
For clarity, the following are not refundable by Sauce under any circumstances:
- any amount paid by you directly to a Restaurant Partner, including the restaurant bill, service charge, gratuity or tax;
- a Reservation Deposit forfeited as a result of a failure to attend, in accordance with clause 2.3;
- a Booking Fee where you cancel less than two hours before the Reservation time or fail to attend;
- Membership fees for any elapsed or partly elapsed subscription month, save as provided at clause 4.4;
- points, rewards, tier benefits or promotional credits, which have no cash value; and
- any amount where Sauce reasonably determines that the Reservation, account or transaction is fraudulent or in breach of the Terms and Conditions.
9. Disputed Transactions and Chargebacks
9.1 If you do not recognise a charge from Sauce on your card or bank statement, please contact us through the Platform before raising a dispute with your bank. Most such queries are resolved promptly.
9.2 Where a chargeback is raised, Sauce will cooperate fully with the acquiring bank and the card scheme and will provide transaction records, booking records and evidence of disclosure of the applicable terms.
9.3 Sauce reserves the right to suspend an account where chargebacks are raised in respect of transactions that Sauce reasonably determines to be validly incurred.
10. Restaurant Experience Complaints
10.1 Where you are dissatisfied with the food, beverages or service at a Restaurant Partner, the matter should be raised with the Restaurant Partner in the first instance, as the Restaurant Partner is solely responsible for those matters under clause 13.2 of the Terms and Conditions.
10.2 You may also report the matter to Sauce through the Platform. Sauce records complaints against Restaurant Partners and raises them with the relevant Restaurant Partner. A Restaurant Partner that repeatedly falls short of expected standards may be removed from the Platform.
10.3 Sauce may, entirely at its discretion and without admission of liability, issue points or a goodwill credit in respect of a poor experience. The issuing of any such goodwill gesture does not constitute an admission of liability, does not amount to a refund, and creates no expectation or entitlement in respect of any future matter.
11. Amendments to this Policy
Sauce may amend this Policy at any time. The current version is published on the Platform and applies to all transactions made after the date of publication. It is your responsibility to review this Policy regularly.
12. Governing Law
This Policy is governed by and shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and the courts at Islamabad shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising under it.
13. Contact Us
For any query concerning refunds, cancellations or amendments to a Reservation, please reach out to us at team@lionize-ai.com.