How do replacement and repair fees work?

We'll ask for a contribution to replacement and repair costs for accidental damage that feels fair and affordable. We reserve the right to charge for damage that has been unreported or is due to misuse, so it's always best to get in touch ASAP!

Get in touch with us to report accidental damage

We understand that sometimes things go wrong with Things that are being shared between lots of borrowers.

We try to offset this as much as possible by providing the best possible quality Things we can get our hands on and having a Thing Technician who cleans, maintains and fixes Things between every few borrows.

If something happens during your borrow to damage the Thing, it's best to get in touch immediately so our Support team can help. Our objective is fear-free borrowing: we know damages happen, and that 99% of the time these aren’t intentional. We simply ask that borrowers are honest about what’s happened.

Return the Thing so our Thing Technician can assess the damage

Our Support Team will try to swap over the Thing you've borrowed so you can finish off the job you're doing, but in the meantime it's essential to return the broken Thing to us ASAP so that our Thing Technicians can assess the damage.

Once we know what's needed to carry out the repair, we'll get in touch with the cost. If the damage was done by accident, we'll ask you for a contribution to the replacement cost that feels fair and affordable.

We do reserve the right to charge the full cost as per our Terms of Borrowing, and we may charge this amount if the damage was unreported or the result of negligence, but we'd rather work with our borrowers to decide a reasonable charge first.

Why we need to charge for damages

Our Thing Technicians take time out of their regular maintenance shifts to repair broken Things, which also means that other Things miss out on special attention while the repairs are underway.

All of our charges are designed with the next borrower in mind. If a Thing is returned broken or damaged, this means it's unable to be borrowed by someone else in the community. We might also have to cancel borrowers' reservations while the Thing is out of service.

Be sure to check over your Thing(s) at the kiosk for any missing parts or pre-existing damage. If something isn't right or the Thing has been returned unacceptably dirty by the previous borrower, please get in touch with our Support team before you take it home!