# Frequently asked questions > Booking, paying, cancelling, and what qualifications an instructor needs. If your question is not here, write to info@alpinepal.com. Page: https://alpinepal.com/en/faq ## Booking a lesson ### How do I book a ski lesson on Alpine Pal? Search by country or resort, compare the instructors teaching there, and open the profile of the one you like. You can message them first to check they suit you. When you are ready, pick the date, the time and how long you want, and pay. The instructor has 48 hours by default to accept, and once they do, a chat opens to agree where to meet. ### Can I talk to the instructor before booking? Yes, and you should. Every profile has a direct chat that works before any booking exists. Tell them your level, who is coming and what you want out of the lesson. It costs nothing and it is the single best way to avoid a bad match. ### How far in advance should I book? For Christmas, New Year, the February school holidays and Easter, four to six weeks is sensible — those weeks sell out, and instructors are the first thing to go. Outside the holidays a week or two is usually enough, and midweek in January you can often find someone at short notice. ### Can I book a lesson for more than one person? Yes. You choose how many students when you book. Bear in mind that the more people in a lesson, the less individual attention each one gets, and that a group works best when everyone is at a similar level. ### Are there lessons for children? Yes, and it is one of the most common bookings. Profiles state whether the instructor teaches children and from what age. For young children a private lesson usually beats a group one, simply because the instructor can stop when the child is cold or tired instead of when the class ends. ### What happens if the instructor does not accept my booking? Nothing, at no cost to you. If they decline or let the 48-hour response window pass, the booking lapses and you are refunded in full, automatically. Your money is held that whole time and never reaches them. ## Paying and cancelling ### How much does a private ski lesson cost? It depends heavily on the country. Switzerland and the United States are the most expensive in the world; Andorra, Argentina and Chile are among the best value; France, Italy and Spain sit in between. Each instructor publishes their own hourly rate, and each country page gives the realistic range for that country. ### Are there any booking fees? No. The instructor sets the price, we keep a 10% commission on it, and nothing is added at checkout. The figure you see on the profile is the figure you pay. ### When am I charged? When you request the booking. The money is held from that moment and only reaches the instructor once the lesson has taken place. Payment runs through Stripe and your card details never pass through our servers. ### Can I cancel and get my money back? A booking that is not accepted, or that the instructor cancels, is refunded in full and automatically. You can also cancel yourself with a full refund at any time before the instructor confirms, and, once confirmed, up to 48 hours before the lesson starts. Inside those last 48 hours there is no self-service cancellation — talk to your instructor in the chat. A resort closure, lack of snow or weather that makes the lesson unsafe is treated as beyond anyone's control and refunded. If you simply do not turn up, the lesson counts as delivered. ### How long does a refund take? It goes back to the card you paid with as soon as it is issued. How long it then takes to appear on your statement is down to your bank, and is usually a few working days. ## Instructors and qualifications ### What does the verified badge mean? Two paths lead to the verified badge. An independent instructor sends us their documents and a person checks them before the profile goes live; identity and qualification are marked separately, and only what we have actually checked. An instructor invited by an authorised ski school is vouched for by that school: we review the school, not each of its instructors, and the profile names the school that stands behind the badge. We do not check insurance: holding valid cover is the instructor's responsibility. It is a documentary check at a point in time — not a certification, not an accreditation, and not a guarantee of how good the lesson will be. ### Do ski instructors need an official qualification? It depends on the country, and the difference is not small. In France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland teaching for payment without the official qualification can carry criminal liability. In the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Japan there is no state licence and what counts is the national industry certification. Each country page names the credential required there and links the public register where one exists. ### What is a riding companion? Someone without a teaching qualification who shares the mountain with you without giving lessons. We only offer it in countries whose law allows it — the platform blocks it at sign-up everywhere else. A companion may not teach technique for payment, present themselves as an instructor, or take charge of minors without their guardians. ### Can I find an instructor who speaks my language? Yes. Profiles list the languages an instructor can genuinely run a lesson in, not just the ones they speak socially, and you can filter the search by language. ## Teaching on Alpine Pal ### How do I join as an instructor? Apply from the become an instructor page. You tell us who you are, where you teach, what you charge and what qualification you hold, and you send the documents. An administrator reviews them before your profile goes live. If a ski school invites you instead, there is no review on our side: the school vouches for you. ### What does it cost to list? Nothing. No listing fee, no subscription, no charge for messaging someone who never books. We take a 10% commission on lessons you actually give, and that is all. ### Do I set my own prices and availability? Yes, both. You set your hourly rate and your calendar, and you can change either whenever you like — a change never affects a booking already made. You also choose which resorts you teach at. ### Do I have to accept every booking? No. Each request gives you 48 hours by default to accept or decline, and you can also propose a different time, which the customer can accept or turn down for a full refund. Declining costs you nothing, though answering quickly does tend to get you booked more.