Terms & Conditions

Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Tool-O, you agree to these Terms & Conditions. If you do not agree, you must not use the platform.

By using Tool-O, owners and borrowers also agree to follow the Tool-O booking, payment, refundable deposit, AI-assisted review and internal dispute resolution processes described in these Terms and any linked Tool-O policies.

Marketplace Service

Tool-O is an online marketplace connecting tool owners and borrowers. Tool-O does not own, inspect, test, maintain or guarantee tools listed by users unless expressly stated.

Tool-O may provide booking tools, payment processing, messaging, notifications, evidence collection, AI-assisted review, internal dispute handling and other marketplace services to support the rental process.

Tool Owners

• Owners must legally own or control listed tools.
• Owners must describe tools accurately.
• Owners must ensure tools are safe and suitable for use.
• Owners must honour accepted bookings where possible.
• Owners must not make false, exaggerated or misleading damage, loss, missing parts or non-return claims.
• Owners must include all required guards, attachments, accessories, batteries, chargers, blades, bits, manuals or instructions where applicable.
• Owners must submit any refundable deposit claim within the Tool-O 24-hour claim window after rental completion or return.
• Owners must provide clear evidence and a fair claim amount when submitting a refundable deposit claim.

Borrowers

• Borrowers must use tools safely and responsibly.
• Borrowers must return tools on time.
• Borrowers must return tools in acceptable condition.
• Borrowers are responsible for damage, loss, misuse or negligent use during the rental period.
• Borrowers should keep evidence of handover, tool condition and return where possible, including photos or messages inside Tool-O.
• If a refundable deposit claim is submitted, borrowers may upload any evidence they already have, including return-time photos, messages, receipts, explanations or other supporting material.
• Borrowers are not expected to provide new photos of a tool after it has already been returned and is no longer in their possession, but any existing evidence may be considered.

Bookings, Pickup and Delivery

Bookings may involve pickup by the borrower or delivery by the owner, depending on the listing. Users are responsible for providing accurate pickup, delivery and contact information.

Tool-O may ask users to confirm handover times, return times, delivery details, pickup details and condition-related information as part of the booking process.

Tool-O charges by calendar day unless otherwise stated. Handover times are used to coordinate pickup, delivery and return.

Payments, Fees and Refundable Deposits

Payments are processed through Stripe. Tool-O may charge service fees or commission on bookings. Tool-O currently applies a marketplace markup to the borrower-facing rental price, while the owner earning is based on the daily owner price set for the tool.

Tool-O's marketplace fee is currently 10% of the rental component or the marketplace markup applied to the rental price. Once a rental is successfully completed, Tool-O earns and retains its platform fee. This platform fee is not affected by any later refundable deposit claim, AI assessment, borrower response, owner response, settlement, dispute or manual review.

A Refundable Deposit may be authorised and held when a booking is made. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the Refundable Deposit is not paid to the owner upfront.

If the tool is returned on time and in acceptable condition, and no owner claim is submitted within the 24-hour claim window, the Refundable Deposit is intended to be released to the borrower after the rental is finalised.

If the owner reports damage, missing parts, loss, non-return or another legitimate issue within the 24-hour claim window, the Refundable Deposit may remain on hold while Tool-O requests and reviews information from both parties.

Depending on the information available and the nature of the issue, Tool-O may release the deposit, use part of the deposit where supported by the platform process, or use the full deposit where justified. Deposit handling is subject to Stripe processing rules, card network rules, these Terms and applicable law.

24-Hour Refundable Deposit Claim Window

Owners have 24 hours after rental completion or tool return, according to the Tool-O booking flow, to submit a refundable deposit claim.

If no claim is submitted within this 24-hour window, Tool-O may release the Refundable Deposit to the borrower and close the deposit portion of the booking.

A late claim may be rejected unless Tool-O determines, in its discretion and subject to applicable law, that exceptional circumstances justify further review.

Refundable Deposit Claims and Evidence

A refundable deposit claim may relate to damage, missing parts, missing battery, missing charger, cleaning, late return, non-return, loss or another legitimate rental issue.

Owners must provide a claim type, description, claimed amount and supporting evidence. Owners must not claim the full Refundable Deposit for a minor issue unless the evidence reasonably supports that outcome.

Borrowers will be notified of a claim and may upload supporting evidence they already have. Evidence may include photos, messages, receipts, invoices, explanations, return-time records or other relevant information.

Tool-O may consider uploaded evidence, booking records, handover details, return details, user messages, timing, user conduct, claim history and any other relevant information available through the platform.

AI-Assisted Deposit Review

Tool-O may use artificial intelligence tools to assist with refundable deposit claim review. AI may assess booking details, tool information, claim descriptions, handover evidence, return evidence, uploaded photos, messages, timing and other relevant information available to Tool-O.

AI assessment may provide a recommended owner amount, borrower refund amount, confidence score, evidence quality rating and explanation. The AI assessment is intended to help Tool-O and the parties understand the available evidence and a fair proposed outcome.

AI does not act as the owner or borrower. AI assessment does not itself move money unless the platform rules allow an automated outcome under these Terms.

AI recommendations may improve over time through Tool-O's review of stored case outcomes, updated prompts, improved platform rules and future evidence-handling features. Tool-O may record AI outputs, case outcomes and model or rule versions for audit, safety, consistency and improvement purposes.

Agree / Don't Agree Process

After an AI recommendation is issued, each party may be asked to select Agree or Don't Agree.

If both parties agree with the AI recommendation, Tool-O may automatically apply the recommended settlement. This may include paying the supported amount to the owner and returning the remaining Refundable Deposit to the borrower.

If both parties mutually agree on a different settlement amount through the Tool-O platform process, Tool-O may automatically apply that agreed amount instead.

If either party selects Don't Agree, or if the parties do not agree on a different amount, Tool-O may proceed under the 72-hour response period and AI/manual review rules below.

72-Hour Response Period

After the AI recommendation is issued, each party has up to 72 hours to respond through the Tool-O platform.

If both parties respond before the 72-hour period ends, Tool-O may apply the agreed outcome immediately.

If one or both parties do not respond within 72 hours, Tool-O may apply the AI recommendation as the default outcome under these Terms, unless the matter is flagged for manual review.

This process is intended to reduce unnecessary delay and avoid routine manual intervention while still giving both parties an opportunity to respond.

Manual Review Safeguard

If AI confidence is below Tool-O's required threshold, or if the evidence is insufficient, unclear, contradictory or otherwise unsuitable for automated decision-making, Tool-O may escalate the claim for manual review.

Manual review may consider the AI assessment, booking details, user evidence, messages, timing, claim history, user behaviour, platform rules and any other relevant information available to Tool-O.

Tool-O Final Internal Platform Decision

Where a matter is escalated for manual review, Tool-O's manual review determination is the final decision within Tool-O's internal platform dispute resolution process.

By using Tool-O, owners and borrowers agree to follow Tool-O's claim, AI-assisted review, response, settlement and manual review process.

Nothing in these Terms excludes, restricts or modifies any rights or remedies that cannot be excluded under applicable Australian law, including the Australian Consumer Law where it applies.

Cancellations and Disputes

Tool-O may assist with booking issues, cancellations, damage claims and disputes, but users remain responsible for their own conduct, listings and rental arrangements.

Users must cooperate with reasonable information requests from Tool-O during a dispute. This may include providing photos, messages, handover details, return details, repair quotes or other relevant information.

If a borrower does not respond to a deposit issue within the stated response period, Tool-O may proceed based on the available information, the AI recommendation, these Terms and the applicable platform process.

If an owner does not respond within the stated response period, Tool-O may proceed based on the available information, the AI recommendation, these Terms and the applicable platform process.

Reviews and Ratings

Reviews must reflect genuine rental experiences. Tool-O may remove reviews that are fraudulent, abusive, defamatory, misleading or inappropriate.

Prohibited Activities

• Listing stolen, unsafe or illegal items.
• Providing false or misleading information.
• Making false or misleading damage or deposit claims.
• Making exaggerated claims that are not supported by evidence.
• Fraudulent payments or chargebacks.
• Harassment, abuse or threatening conduct.
• Attempting to compromise platform security.
• Attempting to manipulate AI review or dispute outcomes.

Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Tool-O is not liable for loss, damage, injury, delay, tool failure, property damage, business interruption or personal injury arising from user conduct, tool rentals or platform use.

Tool-O's AI-assisted review tools are provided to support the platform's internal review process. They do not guarantee that all evidence will be interpreted perfectly or that every dispute can be resolved automatically.

Suspension and Termination

Tool-O may suspend or terminate accounts that breach these Terms, misuse the platform, create safety concerns or expose users or the platform to risk.

Repeated false claims, repeated unsupported disputes, unsafe conduct, misuse of the refundable deposit process or attempts to manipulate the platform may result in account restriction, suspension or termination.

Changes to Terms

Tool-O may update these Terms from time to time. Continued use of the platform means you accept the updated Terms.

Contact

Questions about these Terms should be submitted through the Tool-O Contact page.