Streaming no-show playbook—auth holds, bid deadlines, day-of absence handling

1. Deposit feel & authorization holds

Free links underperform; tiny deposits barely help. Deposits give people a reason to keep the slot on the calendar. But a nominal few-hundred-yen level doesn't raise the bar much for day-of cancels.

On SlotVail, an authorization hold at bid time (card hold) stands in for a deposit. Losing bids release the hold. After a win, funds stay in escrow until the experience; if they can't attend, managed resale is the rule—not an automatic no-show refund. The held amount is that bid amount. The starting minimum is host-set at listing time. Categories and demand differ, so we don't write a flat "○ yen" here. Practical guidance:

• Set the starting minimum as an amount they'd rather not day-of cancel—not a few hundred yen for reminders
• Too low → hold is tiny → feels like free RSVP
• Too high → bidding never starts → How to set a starting bid
• Lose → hold release. Win → sale confirmed (escrow). Can't come on the day → resale (not auto-refund)

2. When bidding closes

Streaming makes "no-show after start" common—decide the relationship between bid close and stream/experience start at listing time. SlotVail has no fixed "bids allowed until N minutes before experience start" rule.

• Auction end datetime is host-set
• The experience itself is on or after that end date (same day OK)
• Start the stream first—bidding may continue during the stream

For an earlier close, end the auction before the experience. The closer the deadline sits to the experience start, the more it borders failed joins / day-of no-shows after go-live.

3. Day-of absence—don't mix resale and emergency cancel

When someone doesn't connect or show on the day, the host's first move is not emergency cancel.

• Participant-side (can't come, schedule change) → managed resale by default. Don't assume a free reopen of the slot
• Host-side (can't run the event) → emergency cancel. Hold release or refund attempt after sale confirmation. Reason required. 2 times per rolling 30 days

Pre-win bid holds release on a losing bid. After a win, sale is confirmed (escrow) and held until experience-day check-in (QR). Entry QR appears on-device from 2 hours before the experience. Processing participant absence as emergency cancel burns host quota and records it as host-side—don't mix. Details → Host cancel policy.

4. System-first path (before the manual playbook)

Manual re-auction should not be the happy path. Live today, empty-seat ops prefer the product path first:

• Waitlist — offer the next guest in FIFO at original price or your resale floor
• Public re-list — if the waitlist is empty, reopen the same seat until the cancel-template cutoff
• Then host playbook — confirm, keep the listing honest, use emergency cancel only when you cannot run

Guides → Waitlist fills the empty chair · Four cancel templates · Deposits still leave cancel ops.

5. Reminders as prevention (not a new philosophy)

Live today: 24h and 2h reminders before the experience. Optional “I’ll be there” confirmation. Email first for all locales; regional channels (e.g. LINE) are optional add-ons—not Japan-only policy.

Reminders reduce day-of silence. They do not replace holds, waitlist, or the guest→resale / host→emergency split. Waiver + health notes at purchase/win → Reminders and waivers before the door.

6. Keep deposits, capacity, and reminders

Auctions with holds don't replace deposits, smaller capacity, or reminders. They add calendar stickiness—another layer to keep the slot on the schedule. When small deposits plus reminders aren't enough, bidding with holds raises commitment. When someone still drops out, waitlist/re-list take the chair before you invent a new auction.

FAQ

Q. What replaces a deposit for streaming no-show ops?

A. Authorization hold at bid time (card hold). Losing bids release the hold. After a win, escrow until the experience; can't attend → managed resale, not auto no-show refund. Amount = bid; starting minimum is host-set. No fixed yen figure here.

Q. Until how many minutes before the experience can bidding run?

A. No fixed "N minutes before." Host sets auction end. Experience on or after that date. Start stream first; bidding during stream OK. Closer deadline borders failed joins after start.

Q. Is day-of absence an emergency cancel?

A. No. Participant-side is managed resale—not auto no-show refund. Emergency cancel when the host must stop and release/refund. Don't mix the two.

Q. Do I have to manually re-auction every dropout?

A. No. Live today: waitlist first, then public re-list until cutoff; host is notified. Manual re-auction is not the default happy path. → Waitlist guide.

Q. Winner doesn't connect on the day—what happens to the payment?

A. It does not auto-refund. Participant-side is resale. Emergency cancel only when the host stops the event itself.

Next step

Once the why is clear, set starting minimum, auction end, cancel template, and experience date together on the listing screen—then trust waitlist before inventing a new auction.

Reminders & waivers → · Deposits & cancels → · Emergency cancel →