Airbnb only collects payments when a reservation is kept, or when a traveler cancels inside the host’s protected cancellation window. Likewise, Airbnb does not charge their hosts when a traveler decides to opt out of a reservation.

Uber and Lyft do not charge their drivers for bookings or cancelations: both companies face driver shortages and have had legal troubles over the classification of their drivers. Some companies do and some don’t, it’s a mixed bag, depending on the specific industry. The truth is, Zocdoc is not the only reservation platform that charges a service provider when a patron chooses to cancel. If they adopt more reasonable cancellation rules they may be able to win back the good graces of health care workers, help promote better patient care and secure the financial aspirations of the company. They have created an amazing technology that makes our lives more convenient. How can Zocdoc assess a fee, if no service is actually provided? Seems counter-intuitive, right?īefore diving into the nuances of why Zocdoc’s cancellation policy is among the most punitive in the online reservation industry, permit me to pause and say that it is not too late for them to chart a more scrupulous course. The little-known secret-even amongst physicians who work for practices that use the platform-is that the company’s booking fees are non-refundable after 24 hours, even if a patient decides to cancel their appointment.

And that’s because, if it gets out it might affect their bottom line. You won’t find it in any of the eye-catching yellow highlights splashed all over their website, or in any of the fine print for that matter. Zocdoc has a secret it wants to keep hidden in the dark. The untold story of how their cancellation policy is among the most punitive in the online reservation industry.

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