If the Cancel button is greyed out, or you get a "Cancellation closed" message, it's because of the 2-hour cancellation window. Here's what that means and what your options are.
What you'll see
- The Cancel button disabled, with the note "Cancellation closed 2 hours before your consult."
- Or, if you tap it just as the window closes, the alert: "Cancellation closed — The 2-hour cancellation window has closed. Please contact support if you need help."
Why it happens
A Confirmed consultation can't be cancelled within 2 hours of its scheduled start. The vet has that time set aside for you, so the slot is locked in once you're inside that window.
The other reason Cancel might be missing
Cancel is only offered while a consultation is still pending, awaiting a vet, or confirmed. If your booking is already Completed, Cancelled or Expired, there's nothing left to cancel and the button isn't shown at all.
If your booked end time has passed and the button now reads End instead, that's expected — see "How to end a consultation and mark it completed".
What you can do
- Keep the appointment and join it. Even if the reason you booked has changed, a short conversation with the vet is usually more useful than a missed call.
- Contact Ask A Vet support if you genuinely can't attend — for example, an emergency, or the wrong booking. [CONFIRM: support contact channel, and whether an exception or refund can be granted inside the 2-hour window.]
Tip: to avoid this next time, cancel as soon as you know you can't make it. Outside the 2-hour window, cancelling a paid consultation refunds you in full, automatically.
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