Effective Date: October 15, 2026 Version: 1.0 Applies to: All Groomers, salon locations, and booking staff who create, confirm, cancel, reschedule, or record Appointments through the Platform, and all Customers who book them.
Article 1: Introduction and Scope
1.1 This document governs the scheduling life of an Appointment: how an Appointment is booked and confirmed, how it is cancelled or rescheduled, the cancellation cutoff, and what follows when a Customer does not attend. Deposit consequences are governed by the Deposit and Prepayment policy; scheduling capacity and availability are governed by the Scheduling and Availability Policy.
1.2 This document applies to a Groomer in every participation mode: Marketplace Groomer acting as an independent contractor, Salon Groomer acting as a salon service provider under the salon program terms, and Company salon employee, as defined in the Groomer Terms of Service. The booking and cancellation rules do not vary by mode; the identity of the party who manages the book: the Marketplace Groomer for the Marketplace Groomer's own book, the location for a salon book: is recorded on the Appointment, and the duties in this document fall on that party.
1.3 If a provision of this document conflicts with the Terms of Use, this document controls for the subject it governs. If a provision of this document conflicts with the terms of a program in which the Groomer participates, the program terms control for that program. Policies and help pages explain this document; they do not amend it, and in any conflict this document prevails.
Article 2: Definitions
2.1 The definitions in the Terms of Use and in the Groomer Terms of Service are incorporated into this document by reference and apply to this document. This article defines only the additional terms used in this document, in alphabetical order.
2.2 Blackout Date: a date, including a holiday, on which a location or program does not offer Appointments, recorded in advance on the booking calendar.
2.3 Blocked Time: a period within an otherwise available day during which a Groomer or location does not accept Appointments, recorded in advance.
2.4 Cancellation Cutoff: twenty-four (24) hours before an Appointment's scheduled start time, subject to clause 4.2.
2.5 Confirmation: the written confirmation of an Appointment issued to the Customer under clause 3.4.
2.6 No-Show: an Appointment at which the Customer does not arrive and does not make contact within fifteen (15) minutes after the scheduled start time.
Article 3: Booking and Confirmation
3.1 Online booking proceeds in five steps: the Customer signs in (no Appointment is booked anonymously); the Customer records the pet (name, breed, date of birth, and weight in pounds, validated between one (1) and three hundred (300) pounds); the Customer selects Services, with exactly one package required; the Customer selects a day and a morning or afternoon slot; and the Customer reviews the booking and pays in full or pays the deposit under the Deposit and Prepayment policy. Progress is saved as the Customer proceeds.
3.2 The booking menu states, in one view, the breeds served, the packages with their per-Tier prices (standard and member prices), premium treatments (not more than one per booking, with XLARGE treatments priced as a custom quote at $0 online), flat-priced add-on Services, the location's tax rate, the location's particulars, the location's deposit rule, and the Customer's membership position. Every price is verified against the Service Catalog at checkout; the catalog price governs, as the Service Pricing and Surcharge policy provides.
3.3 An Appointment may be booked online only where the Service is bookable online, the location offers it, the date is not a Blackout Date, and the slot is not Blocked Time. Staff-assisted booking and rebooking are subject to the same conditions; the booking channel does not change the requirements.
3.4 The Confirmation is the Customer's written record of the bargain. It shall state: the service scope; the Groomer, or that the Appointment is with the first available Groomer; the date and time; the location; the total price including disclosed surcharges; the deposit requirement and amount; and the Cancellation Cutoff. A Confirmation missing any of these elements is defective, and a Customer holding a defective Confirmation may cancel without penalty until the Confirmation is corrected.
3.5 The maximum booking horizon is one hundred eighty (180) days from the current date. Standing or repeating Appointments are not advance bookings under this clause; they are governed by the Rebooking and Retention Policy.
Article 4: Cancellation and the Cutoff
4.1 A cancellation made at or before the Cancellation Cutoff carries no charge, and the deposit is refunded in full under the Deposit and Prepayment policy. A cancellation made after the Cancellation Cutoff forfeits the deposit under that policy, and a late-cancellation fee applies where the location or program has recorded one under clause 4.2.
4.2 The Cancellation Cutoff, the late-cancellation fee, and the no-show fee are recorded settings of the location or program. A fee applies only if a fee has been recorded; where no fee is recorded, no fee is charged. Where a fee is recorded without a cutoff window, the fee applies to any cancellation before the Appointment's start; a cancellation at or after the start time is a No-Show, not a late cancellation.
4.3 No forfeiture and no fee applies where (a) the pet has a medical emergency, documented by veterinary records provided within seven (7) days;
(b) the Platform cancels or reschedules the Appointment, including for Groomer unavailability, location closure, or a Blackout Date; or
(c) severe weather or a declared emergency prevents travel to the Appointment.
4.4 Every cancelled Appointment shall carry a recorded cancellation reason, without exception. The booking outcome is recorded as cancelled-timely or cancelled-late. On cancellation the Customer receives a message in the Customer's portal messages at once.
Article 5: No-Show
5.1 Fifteen (15) minutes after the scheduled start time, with no arrival and no contact, the Appointment shall be marked a No-Show and the no-show reason recorded. The fifteen minutes are a grace period; at the sixteenth minute the Appointment is a No-Show.
5.2 The consequences of a No-Show, counted in any twelve (12) month period, are: (a) first No-Show: the deposit is forfeited under the Deposit and Prepayment policy, with no additional penalty; (b) second No-Show: full prepayment is required for all future bookings by the Customer; (c) third No-Show: future bookings by the Customer require manager approval. Where the location or program has recorded a no-show fee, the fee is additional to deposit forfeiture and is collected as clause 5.3 provides.
5.3 A recorded no-show or late-cancellation fee becomes an open invoice owed by the Customer and visible in the Customer's profile. The fee is never collected as an undisclosed charge to the Customer's payment method. The invoice is linked to the Appointment and is protected against duplicate processing. A held deposit for the Appointment applies against the fee first, as the Deposit and Prepayment policy provides. The No-Show status is recorded when it occurs and stands even if the fee record later fails; the fee follows the status, not the reverse.
5.4 The Groomer's booked time for a No-Show is compensated as the Groomer Compensation and Commission Terms provide. The Customer's absence is not the Groomer's pay reduction.
5.5 A No-Show shall not be recorded where the Customer cancelled within the rules of this document and staff failed to record the cancellation. The Appointment's status history: an append-only record of who moved the status, when, and why: is the evidence. A disputed No-Show is resolved in the Customer's favor unless the status history shows timely staff action.
Article 6: Rescheduling by the Platform
6.1 Where a Groomer is unavailable, a location issue arises, or a Blackout Date intervenes, the location shall offer the Customer reassignment to a qualified Groomer whose recorded specialties match the Appointment's Services, or, at the Customer's election, a full refund including the deposit. The Customer does not bear the cost of the Platform's change.
6.2 A Platform-initiated reschedule preserves the Customer's confirmed price and deposit notwithstanding any intervening price change. A confirmed price is not reopened by the Platform's reschedule.
6.3 Platform-initiated rescheduling of more than five percent (5%) of a location's Appointments in a rolling thirty (30) days is an operational failure, reviewed with the location manager. It is not counted against a Groomer's performance measures, and it is not the Customers' fault.
Article 7: Animals Affected by Booking Changes
7.1 The duties in this document are administrative and create no custody of an animal. Where a cancellation, rescheduling, or No-Show determination concerns an animal already in the Groomer's custody: an animal accepted at intake whose Appointment is then changed: the bailee's duty of care in the Groomer Terms of Service continues without interruption until the animal is returned to the Customer, and any incident arising in that custody is reported under the Incident and Injury Reporting policy.
7.2 The cost of veterinary care is not allocated by this document. That cost follows the Incident and Injury Reporting policy: care made necessary by negligence in a Service is not borne by the Customer; care made necessary by a pre-existing condition is the Customer's. A forfeited deposit is never applied against veterinary costs except as that policy provides.
Article 8: Liability
8.1 To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither party is liable to the other for indirect, incidental, special, punitive, or consequential damages, or for lost profits, lost revenue, or loss of goodwill, arising out of or relating to this document, even if the party has been advised of the possibility of those damages.
8.2 To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company's total liability arising out of or relating to this document shall not exceed the greater of (a) the amounts the Groomer paid to the Company under this document in the twelve months before the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred dollars ($100).
8.3 This article does not limit (a) a party's indemnification obligations under this document; (b) liability for fraud or willful misconduct; (c) amounts owed for deposits, refunds, chargebacks, or fees under this document; or (d) liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
8.4 Nothing in this article limits liability for personal injury or injury to an animal caused by negligence, where applicable law does not permit the limitation.
8.5 The parties agree that this article allocates risk between them, that it is an essential part of the basis of their bargain, and that it applies even if a limited remedy fails of its essential purpose.
Article 9: Indemnification
9.1 The Groomer shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Company and its members, managers, employees, and agents from and against every claim, demand, action, loss, liability, judgment, settlement, cost, and expense (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to: (a) the Groomer's breach of this document, including recording a No-Show or a fee this document does not support; (b) the Groomer's Services, listings, or User Content; (c) the Groomer's violation of any law or of the rights of any person; and (d) taxes for which the Groomer is responsible under this document.
9.2 The Company shall give prompt written notice of a claim under this article. The Groomer shall control the defense with counsel reasonably acceptable to the Company. The Company may participate in the defense at its own expense. The Groomer shall not settle a claim in a manner that imposes any obligation or restriction on the Company, or that does not release the Company fully, without the Company's prior written consent.
9.3 This article survives the termination of this document.
Article 10: Enforcement and Appeals
10.1 The Company may investigate any suspected violation of this document. The Groomer shall cooperate with an investigation and shall produce the records this document requires the Groomer to keep.
10.2 If the Company determines that the Groomer has violated this document, the Company shall give written notice stating the provision violated and the facts relied on, except where notice would compromise an investigation of fraud, a safety risk, or a legal obligation.
10.3 Where a violation is capable of cure, the Groomer has ten (10) business days from notice to cure it and to confirm the cure in writing. No cure period applies to fraud, a risk to the safety of a person or an animal, unlawful conduct, or a violation that by its nature cannot be cured.
10.4 If a violation is established and is not cured within the period allowed, the Company may, proportionate to the violation: (a) issue a written warning; (b) suspend the Groomer's assignments; (c) cancel an Appointment or a booking; (d) suspend the Account or a program participation, in whole or in part; (e) terminate this document and the Account; and (f) exercise any other right or remedy available under this document or at law.
10.5 The Company may hold disbursements to the Groomer while an investigation under this article is pending, and shall release amounts not required to satisfy the Groomer's obligations when the investigation closes.
10.6 The Groomer may appeal a measure under this article by written notice to legal@aapawz.com within thirty (30) days of the measure, stating the grounds and attaching the records relied on. The appeal is decided by a person who did not make the original decision. The Company's decision on appeal is final. A measure remains in effect during an appeal unless the Company directs otherwise in writing.
10.7 The Company's delay in acting on a violation is not a waiver of the violation or of any later violation of the same kind.
Article 11: Term and Termination
11.1 This document takes effect when the Groomer is activated under the Groomer Onboarding and Qualification policy and continues until terminated under this article.
11.2 The Company may terminate this document and the Account on thirty (30) days' written notice for any reason, and immediately on written notice if the Groomer materially breaches this document, engages in fraud, or becomes ineligible to participate.
11.3 The Groomer may terminate this document on thirty (30) days' written notice to support@aapawz.com, provided the Groomer has no Appointment, booking, or investigation outstanding.
11.4 On termination: (a) the rights granted under this document end; (b) obligations that arose before termination: including payment, refund, record-keeping, and indemnification obligations: survive until satisfied; and (c) the Company shall disburse amounts owed, less amounts the Company may set off under this document, within thirty (30) days, except amounts held in connection with an open investigation or dispute.
11.5 The Definitions, Liability, Indemnification, Enforcement and Appeals (for measures taken before termination), Dispute Resolution, and General Provisions articles survive termination.
Article 12: Dispute Resolution
12.1 Any dispute arising out of or relating to this document, or to the relationship it governs, is governed by the Dispute Resolution Policy, which is incorporated into this document by reference.
Article 13: General Provisions
13.1 The Company may amend this document by posting the amended document in the Document Center and giving notice to the Groomer at the email address in the Account. An amendment that materially increases the Groomer's fees or obligations takes effect thirty (30) days after notice; other amendments take effect on posting. Continued use of the Platform after the effective date of an amendment is acceptance of it. If the Groomer does not accept an amendment, the Groomer's remedy is to terminate under the Term and Termination article before the amendment takes effect.
13.2 Legal notices under this document shall be sent to legal@aapawz.com. Operational notices and all other communications shall be sent to support@aapawz.com. A notice to the Company is effective when the Company acknowledges receipt or, for email, one business day after sending, whichever is earlier. Notices to the Groomer are effective when sent to the email address in the Account or posted to the Account's notice facility in the portal, whichever occurs first. The Groomer shall keep the email address in the Account current. Notices under the DMCA and Copyright Policy are given as provided in that policy, to the designated agent at legal@aapawz.com.
13.3 This document is governed by the laws of the State of Tennessee, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Subject to the Dispute Resolution Policy, any proceeding arising out of this document shall be brought in the state or federal courts located in Shelby County, Tennessee, and the parties consent to personal jurisdiction there.
13.4 If any provision of this document is held unenforceable, the provision shall be enforced to the fullest extent permitted, and the remaining provisions continue in full effect.
13.5 This document, together with the documents it incorporates by reference, is the entire agreement between the Company and the Groomer for the subject it governs and supersedes every prior or contemporaneous statement, communication, or agreement on that subject, whether written or oral.
13.6 The Groomer shall not assign this document or any right or obligation under it without the Company's prior written consent, and an assignment without consent is void. The Company may assign this document to an affiliate or in connection with a sale of all or part of its business, on notice to the Groomer.
13.7 A waiver of any provision of this document is effective only in writing and only for the instance stated. No waiver is a waiver of any other provision or instance.
13.8 Headings are for convenience only. "Including" means "including without limitation." This document shall not be construed against a party as its drafter. The English-language text controls over any translation.
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