Escape HQ
Refund Policy

Effective Date: 29 June 2025

At Escape HQ, we strive to provide an exceptional experience for all our guests. Please review our refund policy carefully before making your booking, as payment constitutes acceptance of these terms.

General Policy

All bookings are considered final upon payment. Refunds are only available in specific circumstances outlined below. This policy complies with the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 and Fair Trading Act 1986.

Approved refunds will be processed within 5-10 business days to the original payment method. Credit card refunds may take additional processing time depending on your financial institution.

Timing and Punctuality

Late Arrivals: Your 60-minute escape room experience is a maximum time allocation for bookings that commence on schedule. If you arrive late, we will endeavour to provide you with the full experience; however, your session may be shortened depending on factors including but not limited to:

  • How late you arrived
  • Whether another team has a subsequent booking
  • Operational requirements

No refunds will be provided if you arrive late and cannot receive the full 60-minute experience.

Recommended Arrival: Please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled booking time to allow for briefing and preparation.

Cancellations and Rescheduling

Rescheduling Policy:

  • Rescheduling is permitted subject to availability.
  • Rescheduling requests made less than 24 hours before your booking time will incur a $50 rescheduling fee per session per room.
  • The first rescheduling requests made 24+ hours in advance for your booking is free of charge. Subsequent rescheduling requests may be subject to a $50 rescheduling fee per session per room.

Change of Mind Cancellations: No refunds are available for cancellations based on changing your mind about participating.

No-Shows: No refunds are available for no-shows (failure to attend your scheduled booking without prior notice).

Group Size Changes

Groups are encouraged to pay a minimum non-refundable deposit for the booking and complete payment at the time of arrival.

Fewer Participants: No refunds are available if fewer people than originally booked participate in the escape room experience. You are welcome to proceed with your reduced group size.

Additional Participants: If you wish to add participants on the day, this is subject to room capacity and availability. Additional fees will apply at our standard rates.

Refund Scenarios

Full Refunds Available

  • Technical/Equipment Failure: If your booked escape room becomes unplayable due to technical problems, equipment failure, or facility issues beyond your control, a full refund will be provided. However, if individual puzzles have temporary issues but workarounds are available that do not significantly affect the overall room experience, no refunds will be available but you may have the option to reschedule or to play a different room if available.
  • Staff Unavailability: If we must cancel your booking due to staff illness or unavailability (with less than 24 hours' notice), a full refund or complimentary rescheduling will be offered.
  • Safety Concerns: If we determine that conditions are unsafe for operation (e.g., power outage, emergency situation), a full refund will be provided.

Partial Refunds Available

  • Significant Experience Disruption: If your experience is substantially disrupted due to our operational issues, a partial refund of 25-50% may be provided at management’s sole discretion.
  • Incomplete Experience: If we cannot complete your full experience due to circumstances within our control, a partial refund proportional to the incomplete portion may be offered at management’s sole discretion.

No Refunds Available

  • Change of mind or personal preference
  • Late arrival resulting in shortened experience time
  • No-shows without 24+ hours advance notice
  • Reduced group size on the day of booking
  • Dissatisfaction with difficulty level or room theme
  • Personal emergencies or transport issues preventing attendance
  • Weather conditions (unless causing facility closure)
  • Booking the wrong date/time due to customer error
  • Pregnancy, mobility issues, or health conditions that prevent participation (unless undisclosed facility accessibility issues)

Consumer Rights

Under New Zealand law, you are entitled to a refund if our services are not of acceptable quality or do not match their description. Nothing in this policy limits your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993.

If you believe our service has failed to meet consumer guarantee standards, please contact us immediately to discuss resolution options.

Process for Refund Requests:

  1. Contact us within 7 days of your booking date
  2. Provide your booking reference and details
  3. Explain the circumstances warranting a refund request
  4. Provide supporting documentation where applicable

Contact Information

To reach out to us about a refund or for any questions about our refund policy, reach out to us at:
Email: manager@escapehq.co.nz
Phone: 09 489 4999

Amendments to Policy

This policy may be updated from time to time. Current policy applies to all bookings made after the effective date shown above.