Cancellation, Booking, & Liability Policy

​1. Refundable Bookings & Advance Cancellations

• ​Advance Notice Requirement: Customers are entitled to a full refund of any advance payments or deposits provided that a formal cancellation request is received a minimum of 24 hours prior to the scheduled appointment time.
• ​Processing Framework: Eligible refunds will be initiated promptly by our customer support team. Once processed on our end, funds are typically returned to the original payment method within 5–7 business days, depending on your financial institution.

​2. Non-Refundable Call-Out Charges

​By submitting a booking request, providing vehicle details, and authorising the dispatch of a technician, you enter into a binding service agreement. A non-refundable call-out charge becomes instantly applicable the moment our recovery unit is dispatched:

• ​Standard Daytime Hours: For bookings scheduled on weekdays (Monday to Friday, excluding UK bank holidays) between 09:01 and 19:00, a £80 non-refundable call-out charge applies.
• ​Out-of-Hours, Weekends & Bank Holidays: For bookings scheduled on weekdays between 19:01 and 09:00, or any time on Saturdays, Sundays, and UK Bank Holidays, an £90 non-refundable call-out charge applies.
• ​Dispatched Status: This charge covers operational costs and technician time, and cannot be waived once dispatch has occurred, regardless of whether the vehicle is moved, towed, or cancelled before arrival.

​3. Scope of Service & Quoted Price Payment Terms

• ​Defined Scope: Our service is strictly limited to the professional extraction, drainage, and flushing of contaminated fuel from the vehicle’s fuel tank, lines, and filter assembly, followed by the introduction of clean fuel to prime the system.
• ​Immediate Settlement: You agree that immediately upon the technician completing the physical fuel drainage and flushing process, the full quoted price agreed during your telephone or electronic booking becomes due and must be settled on-site before the technician departs.

​4. Vehicle Non-Start Terms & Mandatory Payment

• ​Pre-Existing Faults: Fuel Mistake is an emergency fuel-drain service, not a general mechanical repair or diagnostic garage.
• ​Payment Obligation for Non-Starts: If our technician successfully drains the contaminated fuel and flushes the system to professional standards, but the vehicle subsequently fails to start, the full quoted price remains strictly mandatory and payable in full.
• ​Exclusions from Service Scope: No discounts or reductions to the quoted price will be issued if the vehicle remains a non-start due to factors beyond the fuel drain itself, including but not limited to:
• ​Internal mechanical or structural engine failure caused by driving with contaminated fuel.
• ​Electrical faults, immobiliser issues, or electronic control unit (ECU) lockouts.
• ​Pre-existing component failures (e.g., failed high-pressure fuel pumps, blocked injectors, or damaged glow plugs/spark plugs).
• ​Depleted, flat, or defective vehicle batteries resulting from prolonged cranking attempts prior to our arrival.

​5. Third-Party Intervention & Prior Attempts to Fix or Start

• ​Prior Attempts: You must inform us at the time of booking if any third party, unqualified individual, or alternative roadside service has already attempted to drain the fuel, prime the system, dismantle components, or repeatedly attempt to start the vehicle.
• ​Component Damage caused by Third Parties: DIY attempts or untrained interventions frequently lead to severe mechanical and electrical damage. Fuel Mistake accepts no responsibility if the vehicle fails to start due to faults introduced during these prior attempts. Examples include, but are not limited to:
• ​Electrical failures, such as a burnt-out starter motor, blown high-amperage fuses, melted wiring harnesses, or fried relays caused by continuous cranking or incorrect jump-starting.
• ​Fuel system issues, such as stripped threads, broken fuel line clips, damaged sensors, or airlocks introduced by incorrect priming methods.
• ​Component scoring inside the fuel pump due to running the system dry without proper lubrication.
• ​Full Fee Applicable: Where third-party intervention has caused any form of component failure, electrical breakdown, or mechanical fault that prevents the vehicle from starting, our technician will still complete the fuel extraction process, and the full quoted price remains entirely payable.

​6. Comprehensive Limitation of Liability for Fuel Contamination

• ​Acknowledged Risk of Mis-Fueling: By operating or cranking a vehicle with the incorrect fuel type, severe damage can occur instantly to modern high-pressure fuel systems. You accept that this damage is a direct consequence of the mis-fueling incident itself, not the recovery process.
• ​No Liability for Consequential Damage: Fuel Mistake takes all reasonable, professional care to ensure the fuel system is drained to a high standard. However, because contaminated fuel can cause underlying structural degradation that may not be immediately visible, Fuel Mistake cannot accept responsibility or liability for:
• ​Any pre-existing, current, or latent damage to the vehicle's engine, fuel pump, injectors, or emissions systems.
• ​Component failures that manifest at a later date following the completion of the fuel drain.
• ​Any consequential financial losses, including car hire costs, secondary towing charges, or loss of earnings arising from a vehicle failing to start.
• ​Post-Drain Recommendation: Following a successful fuel drain, we strongly recommend that you fill your vehicle’s fuel tank with the correct, fresh fuel as soon as physically possible to dilute any trace elements and safely lubricate the system.

​7. Cancellation Process & Reviews

• ​Initiating a Claim: To formally cancel a booking or to review any charges applicable to your current status, you must contact our customer support team directly via telephone or email.
• ​Timestamps: Cancellations are only logged and acknowledged from the exact time a member of our team confirms receipt of your request via phone or outbound email confirmation.
• ​Exceptional Circumstances: In strictly limited and exceptional circumstances, our customer support team may, at their sole discretion, review the applicability of non-refundable fees on a case-by-case basis. All exception requests must be submitted in writing via email.

​8. Customer Support & Communications

• ​Our customer support team is fully committed to assisting you promptly with any technical, administrative, or billing questions.
• ​For an immediate response regarding a live roadside dispatch, please contact us via telephone. For non-urgent inquiries, please reach out via email.

​Final Agreement:

By finalising and submitting this booking today, you formally declare that you are the authorised owner or agent of the vehicle, you grant our technicians full permission to perform the fuel drainage process, and you explicitly agree to be legally bound by all the terms, conditions, payment obligations, and liability exclusions detailed above.