Refund Policy
Your $500 reservation hold is fully refundable until you buy the car. Here's exactly how that works.
When you place a reservation, $500 is held on your card through Stripe — not charged. No money moves unless you complete the purchase.
If you cancel, the dealer can't honor the reservation, or you inspect the car and walk away, the hold is released automatically and you pay nothing.
If you buy the car, the $500 is captured and credited toward your purchase price, so your total out-of-pocket is the same as walking into the dealer directly.
What a "hold" actually is
A hold (also called an authorization hold or pre-authorization) is a temporary reservation of funds on your credit or debit card. Your card issuer sets aside the amount so it can't be spent elsewhere, but no money has moved from your account. The hold may appear as a pending transaction on your statement.
Holds typically stay in place for up to seven (7) days. Within that window we either capture the hold (if you buy the car) or release it (if you don't). If we take no action within seven days, the hold expires automatically and your issuer restores the funds to your available balance.
When your hold is released without any charge
Your $500 hold is released — with no charge captured — in any of the following cases:
- You cancel the reservation before you sign a purchase agreement. You can do this at any point by messaging your AI client (e.g. "cancel my reservation"), emailing support@negoshify.com, or responding to the reservation confirmation.
- The dealer can't honor the reservation — the specific vehicle has already sold, the appointment time doesn't work, or the dealer otherwise declines the reservation. We release the hold immediately and notify you.
- You attend the appointment and decide not to buy. Maybe the condition isn't right, the price doesn't work, or something else. You walk away. We release the hold.
- Seven days pass without the sale being completed. Under standard card network rules, the hold automatically expires and your issuer releases the funds.
- We determine the reservation can't be fulfilled for any other reason (for example, if we identify a problem with the listing).
How long does the release take to appear?
Once we instruct Stripe to release the hold — or the 7-day window expires — the reversal is typically reflected in your available balance or credit within three to five (3–5) business days. The exact timing is controlled by your card issuer, not by Negoshify or Stripe. Some issuers reflect the release within hours; others take the full window.
If the hold is still showing on your card after 7 business days from release, contact your issuer first — they have the ability to manually clear the pending authorization. If the issue persists, email support@negoshify.com with your reservation ID and we'll investigate.
When the $500 is captured (charged)
The $500 is captured — and converts from a hold to a real charge — only when all three of the following happen:
- You attend the appointment. You show up at the Participating Dealer at the time of your reservation.
- You sign a binding purchase agreement with the dealer. You agree to buy the specific vehicle you reserved.
- You complete the purchase. You take delivery of the vehicle.
When all three conditions are met, the dealer confirms the sale, the $500 hold is captured, and the $500 is applied as a credit against your purchase price. Your total cost for the vehicle is unchanged — the dealer reduces what you owe at closing by $500 in exchange for receiving the credit from us. You do not pay Negoshify anything additional beyond that $500, and the $500 is not an extra fee — it is money you would have paid to the dealer anyway.
Can I cancel after I've committed to buying?
Once you sign a binding purchase agreement with the dealer, the terms of that purchase agreement govern — not this policy. Purchase agreements, financing contracts, and delivery terms are between you and the dealer. If you want to back out of a signed purchase agreement, that is a matter to take up with the dealer directly, and any return or unwind is subject to that dealer's own policies and applicable California motor vehicle law.
What if there's a dispute?
Negoshify is not a party to the purchase contract between you and the dealer. If a dispute arises about the vehicle, the price, a trade-in, financing, or the transaction, we ask that you raise it with the dealer first. Negoshify may, but is not obligated to, assist in resolving such disputes. You may also reach out to support@negoshify.com and we'll do what we reasonably can to help.
If you believe a hold was placed in error or was not released when it should have been, email support@negoshify.com with your reservation ID. You also retain all rights to dispute a charge through your card issuer under the applicable network rules.
Related documents
This Refund Policy is part of, and is governed by, our Terms of Service. See also our Privacy Policy. In the event of any conflict between this Refund Policy and the Terms of Service, the Terms of Service control.
Questions
For anything about a specific reservation, refund, or hold, contact support@negoshify.com with your reservation ID.