Platform Rules and Guidelines

Our mission is to enable everyone to access enjoyable boating experiences anywhere.

Building a successful online community relies on a positive two-way relationship between captains, guides, charter operators, tour operators (known as Owners*) and their customers (known as Renters**). This requires a foundation of trust based on shared values and behaviors.

Because of this, we have certain expectations when it comes to both Owner and Customer behaviors and values. We’ve created these Platform Rules and Guidelines to outline the principles that represent an integral part of BoatBooker's Terms of Use for both our Owners and Renters alike.

* Owners are defined as the person, agency or company responsible for delivering and managing the boating trip service rendered through BoatBooker.com
** Renters are defined as the person, agency or company paying for services delivered by the owner through BoatBooker.com.

Core Principles

Respect and professionalism

Whether you’re a BoatBooker Owner or Customer, you're expected to treat other Users and BoatBooker representatives with respect.

Likewise, all BoatBooker representatives will treat Owners and Renters with respect.

You should act professionally and in good faith when on the BoatBooker platform, and manage your business honestly and fairly. Rude or unprofessional behavior is not allowed and may lead to removal from the platform.

Compliance with the law

You’re expected to follow all local laws and regulations (including but not limited to boating) . Don’t engage in or promote any behavior that could bring harm to fellow Users.

We don’t tolerate any type of criminal activity, vandalism, or extortion. Any kind of illegal or dangerous activity may lead to the deactivation of your account.

Safety

The safety of our Renters, Owners, and representatives is of the utmost importance to us. Any type of illegal or dangerous activity may lead to the deactivation of your account.

Our Rules

No Discrimination Policy

BoatBooker supports equality, acceptance, and respect alongside our mutual passion for boating and watersports. We expect you to follow the same principles that we stand for and to act with respect towards other Users.

Engaging in any type of discrimination based on race, color, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, disability, health, gender identity, political views, or marital status when on a boating trip will not be tolerated and can lead to your removal from the platform.

We don’t tolerate the following behaviors:

• Any abuse, physical, sexual, or verbal, directed at any User or BoatBooker employee;
• Any type of extortion from one User to another;
• False reporting will not be tolerated. When reporting an incident that happened prior, during, or after the trip, the User must provide BoatBooker with true and accurate information;
• Any misinformation, including identity misrepresentation. All information submitted to BoatBooker while creating a profile and/or verifying User identity must be true and accurate. Falsified or forged documents may result in your account being deactivated and removed from our platform;

The above behaviors may result in the removal of the Owner or Customer from BoatBooker, or the deactivation of your account.

We don’t allow the following content:

In order to make sure all Owners and Renters are treated with respect and have a positive experience on our platform, you should not share or produce:

• Content that is discriminatory to other Users;
• Content containing spam, or content that is shared repeatedly in a disruptive manner;
• Content that promotes illegal or harmful activity, or that is sexually explicit, violent, graphic, threatening, or harassing;
• Content or communication with the aim to impersonate another person or entity, including a BoatBooker employee;
• Content that is illegal or that violates another person or entity’s rights, including intellectual property rights and privacy rights;
• Content that includes another person’s private or confidential information;
• Content created for advertising purposes not related to the listing, any trolling (deliberately trying to offend, cause trouble, or directly attack people by posting derogatory comments), and other off-topic communication not in line with the Platform Rules and Guidelines;
• Any other content that is illegal or fraudulent.

Platform Guidelines

For our Owners

Our relationship with our Owners is very important to us. You’re considered an Owner if you list a boat trip and related services with BoatBooker. We want to make sure that all the information presented about you on our platform is accurate, and that your overall experience is as positive and smooth as possible.

In return, we ask that you follow our Platform Rules and Guidelines. We recognize the hard work our Owners do to make sure that Renters have an excellent experience out on the water, earning lifelong memories. We’ve outlined some General Expectations for Owners to ensure that Renters can keep making these memories for years to come.

General Expectations:

You should:

• Present yourself and your business/service truthfully;
• Try your best to provide Renters with a service that accurately reflects or exceeds your listing descriptions;
• Respect your Renters and commit to trips booked through BoatBooker, even if you decide to leave the platform but have BoatBooker trips booked for future dates;
• Make sure your profile and listing(s) are up-to-date. This includes keeping your calendars updated, communicating with Renters in a timely manner, and effectively accepting, declining, canceling, or changing your bookings.

You shouldn’t:

• Use any form of communication to encourage Renters to book outside of BoatBooker, whether the Customer has already booked a trip or was intending to book a trip.
• Transfer trips that you cannot run to other Owners without our consent or knowledge. We know that sometimes last-minute issues occur (e.g. mechanical problems) and it’s tempting to pass your Customer to another Owner in order for them to avoid disappointment. However, it’s better to either reschedule your trip or confirm that the transfer is okay with both the Owner, Customer, and BoatBooker before proceeding;
• Mislead potential Renters using false advertising, thereby providing Renters with a service that doesn’t match your listing’s description. For example, if you have multiple boats and a customer has booked a trip on a specific vessel, the trip should not take place on a vessel that’s different from the one described/pictured in the listing;
• Ask for surprise payment requests that weren’t previously advertised or communicated about on the BoatBooker platform. For example, you shouldn’t request additional booking deposits to the ones paid through BoatBooker or security deposits other than the ones stated on your BoatBooker page or charge for drinks if the listing says that drinks are included in the trip price;
• Share content without consent. Private or confidential details, photos, or videos of Renters should not be publicly posted unless the person in question has agreed to it;
• Shouldn’t use direct or indirect threats to coerce Customer behavior, e.g. to get a more favorable review.

Content Expectations:

Your Account

You should only have one account for yourself and your business on BoatBooker. No duplicate accounts are allowed and you should use the same account even if you have multiple listings.

Your Listing

Your BoatBooker listing is the first impression that Renters will have of your business. It should contain all of the necessary information about your charter and business. In order to adequately set and meet Customer expectations, you should make sure your listing is accurate and personalized to advertise your service in the best possible way. The listing process covers the following categories:

Your Personal Profile

Your personal profile should accurately reflect the type of business you run. If you work alongside a first mate or additional crew members, make sure you select the relevant business type and include information about any additional crew members in your profile as well as your listing description. That way, Renters will have a good idea of who will be taking them boating.

Your Vessel(s)

You should only have one listing per location unless you have multiple vessels departing from the same location. Creating two listings with the same location and vessel counts as a duplication, which is not allowed.

Details of your vessel(s) should be truthful and accurate in regards to vessel length, size, capacity, condition, and construction/renovation year, and should match the details you have on your boat registration.

Your Amenities

All the amenities you offer should be included in your listing description. You should make sure you update your listing if and when there are any changes to the amenities you have.

It’s your responsibility to make sure that the amenities mentioned on your listing are available and operational at the time of the trip, such as toilet facilities, AC, coolers,  life jackets for children, fighting chairs, etc.

Your Trips

Make sure you list all amenities and policies available so that Renter can be aware of what your trips include and make informed decisions ahead of booking.

Make sure that the advertised trip pricing on your personal or business website matches the prices on your BoatBooker and vice versa.

Your Photos

All photos need to abide by BoatBooker’s Content Terms. Consider including fresh photos of your recent catch to set Customer expectations and update your photos regularly. You can also provide authorization for our Content team to add photos for you. Your photos shouldn’t include details such as your personal/business website or external phone numbers. If you upload photos that include this information on your listing, we reserve the right to edit the photos in order to remove visible contact information.

Your Videos

The photos and videos on your listing are the first impressions of you that your Renters will have. To make sure they get a great first impression, we recommend:

• Making sure the sun is behind your back when recording. Harsh, direct light casts dark shadows on your subject, hides details, and dilutes colors. On the contrary, when the sun is behind you, you get to see all the incredible details on your catch and your clients’ smiling faces.
• Making sure your lens is clean. A dirty lens leads to a blurry photo. Renters are twice as likely to book with you if you’ve got great video footage on your listing.
• Choosing your timing well. Make sure you’re filming when the action takes place and don’t cut out early. Renters will want to get a good look at the fish you reeled in.

Each video that is uploaded on BoatBooker needs to meet certain specifications. Your video should:

• Be at least 30 seconds long
• Be no larger than 1 gigabyte in size
• Have a resolution of at least 720 x 720 pixels

Your Reviews

If you’re new to our platform, we recommend requesting reviews from previous Renters who used your service outside the BoatBooker platform, in order to initially build your online reputation. These reviews are not labeled as verified, which only refers to those submitted by BoatBooker Renters.

You should not send unverified review invites to friends or family members who have either fished privately with you, i.e. not through booking or paying for a trip, or have never fished with you.

You are not allowed to accept fake reservations in exchange for positive reviews, e.g. you should not accept a booking from a friend with the intention of not running the trip just so that they can leave a verified review.

If you receive a review that you’re not happy with, you should use the opportunity to respond to the review and explain the situation from your perspective. That way, future Renters will be able to see your point of view.

Your Reports

Reports help you gain exposure, improve your online reputation, and let readers know what is biting, which contributes towards setting realistic customer expectations. All information included in your report, such as what fish are biting and when the best time to come boating is, should accurately reflect your experiences.

Guidelines for Communicating with Renters

You should communicate with your Renters through the BoatBooker platform. This ensures privacy and safety for both yourself and your potential Renters, as well as providing us with a record of all communication in the case of cancellations or disputed incidents after a trip has taken place.

General Expectations

Owners are expected to communicate with Renters with respect, respond quickly to their requests, and provide informative responses concerning the Customer’s inquiry.

Please do not communicate with Renters outside of BoatBooker once a booking has been confirmed in order to exchange contact details for personal gain, e.g. to rearrange the trip privately to avoid paying the commission. The commission we receive from each booking allows us to provide support to Owners and Renters, as well as helping you reach a wider audience of Renters via free marketing.

Additionally, do not communicate private information like your payment details outside of BoatBooker's Instant Messaging platform. We can't guarantee safety when you share this information externally.

Before Booking Confirmation

If you want to contact a Customer before confirming their booking, you should communicate with them through Instant Messaging. All external details will be anonymized. Any messages containing an email address, phone number (written or numerical), location, or physical address will be declined by our system before you accept the booking.

After Booking Confirmation

Once you confirm a booking, you can contact the Customer through Instant Messaging or directly by phone or by email.

In order to protect your privacy, our system may assign you an anonymized number once you confirm a booking with a Customer. This number will remain active until the booking has taken place and allows you to directly contact the Customer.

Suggested Behaviors and Professional Conduct

At BoatBooker, our intention is to work with owners who possess specific values and characteristics that help create positive experiences for Renters. In order to uphold these high standards, we ask that you follow these expected behaviors when working alongside us.

You should:

• Be punctual, reliable, well prepared, and organized. Communicate trip departure times reliably, as well as the pick-up location or meeting point;
• Abide by the relevant legal requirements when it comes to running your business, such as possessing the necessary licenses/accreditations and maintaining and accurately advertising your licenses and credentials without overrepresentation;
• Advertise trips in a way that sets proper expectations for your Renters.

You should not:

• be involved in serious and/or unresolved criminal charges, professional complaints/claims, civil actions, or financial claims including proposals to creditors or family support arrears;
• partake in any type of abusive behavior;
• partake in illegal substances.

Behaviors that are not in line with BoatBooker’s Policies and Terms of Use may result in the following:

• Deactivation of your account
• Pausing your listing from getting bookings
• Your ranking being temporarily reduced
• Removal of any content containing offensive or discriminatory language, misleading or false information, or any other information not in accordance with BoatBooker’s Content Terms.

For our Renters

At BoatBooker, one of our main goals is to make sure that you have a fantastic experience on the trip of your choice, creating lifelong positive memories.

In return, we ask that you treat captains with respect by following our Platform Rules and Guidelines. We’ve outlined some expectations that we ask all of our Renters to take a look at and adhere to. That way, you can keep booking trips and making memories out on the water for years to come!

Customer Expectations

General

You are expected to present information about yourself and your party truthfully. If you don’t, Owners are allowed to refuse service.

Before the trip

You should:

• Review your chosen charter operator’s Listing Policies. You can find these on your chosen charter’s listing or in your trip confirmation email;
• Familiarize yourself with the description of your preferred listing, primarily details such as the amenities available, the specifics of the trip, target species, and the charter operator;
• Read previous reviews about the charter operator prior in order to familiarize yourself with their service;
• Discuss all important details of the trip and open questions with the charter operator via our Instant Messaging service.
• Wear adequate clothes, bring sun protection, an extra bottle of water, headgear, and adequate shoes .

During the trip

When you’re out on the water, it’s important to remember that your charter operator is in charge. Make sure you listen to their advice and follow the rules they set out before and during the trip.
Additionally, you should:

• Bear in mind that the overall experience of the trip largely depends on the weather and boating conditions, and that some discrepancies with the listing’s description are possible because of this;
• Behave in such a way that no other passenger’s safety is put in any kind of danger;
• Always inform the charter operator if you have a certain condition that may impact the trip, such as previous or existing physical injuries;
• Be truthful about your previous experience and your level of boating skills. This will help the charter operator cater the experience to your needs;
• Be aware that boating includes risks that cannot be separated from the experience itself (e.g. slipping on a deck, etc.) .
• Not partake in illegal substances or be inebriated during or prior to the trip.

After the trip

You should:

• Pay for the trip right before departing the dock or at the end of the trip, depending on the charter operator’s choice, if payment was not completed prior to the trip. Tipping the charter operator and/or mate(s) is expected ​​as tips are not included in the price of the trip paid through BoatBooker;
• Leave an honest and informative review about your experience during the trip. Even if the trip didn’t fully meet your expectations, it’s valuable to point that out in your review so that charter operators know how to improve their service;
• Inform our support team in case the trip did not match the description of the trip you booked.

We don’t tolerate the following:

• Non-fraud chargebacks: Renters must not attempt to misuse or make false chargeback claims to obtain a refund;
• Any type of extortion. You should not use direct or indirect threats, such as threatening to post a negative review, in order to force an intended outcome, e.g. a reimbursement from your charter operator or BoatBooker;
• Communicating outside of BoatBooker in order to cancel trips and negotiate a better price directly with the charter operator;
• Disrespect towards other Users and BoatBooker employees.

The above behaviors may result in your removal from BoatBooker and the deactivation of your account.

How Reviews Work

Our Policy

Giving you the opportunity, to be honest about your experiences with BoatBooker and your chosen charter operator is a big part of running a reliable and successful platform for boating trips. We expect reviews on BoatBooker to be helpful, informative, trustworthy, and truthful, and to not include any false or harmful information. We ask that you only submit honest and informative reviews about your experience during your trip.

You can only leave one review per trip, and the charter operator can respond to your review only once. Any reviews you submit need to meet the following guidelines:

1. They must not contain any false information, and must not be used for extortion purposes to manipulate a desired outcome, e.g. to receive compensation.
2. They should include detailed information about your experience during your trip, so future Renters can learn about the charter operator and their business.
3. They should be relevant and describe the charter experience, rather than other topics not connected to the trip.
4. They must be in line with BoatBooker’s Policies and Terms of Use.

To make sure your reviews are useful to other Renters, you should avoid the following:

• Content that refers to circumstances entirely outside of your charter operator’s control;
• Comments about a charter operator’s social, political, or religious views;
• Any information containing profanity, name-calling, and assumptions about a person’s character, habits, or personality;
• Marketing Materials, and content about services not related to BoatBooker.

If a review violates our Policy, we may edit or remove the review from our platform. Repeated violations may lead to suspension or removing you from our platform.

Reviews requiring supporting evidence

If you make a certain claim in your review about a charter operator’s behavior, especially regarding alleged unlawful behavior, you must present BoatBooker with proof. Otherwise, the review may be removed.

Reviews that violate our Terms and Policy

If a charter operator is dissatisfied with your review, they may inform us about it. In this case, we may investigate if the review is against our Policies and Terms of Use.