Terms & Conditions

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using HobbyMate, you agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the platform.

2. Eligibility

• You must be at least 18 years old to use HobbyMate. We check this when you create an account, and we do not knowingly create accounts for anyone who does not confirm they meet this requirement.
• You must provide accurate, current, and complete information when registering.
• You are responsible for keeping your account credentials secure.
• You may not use the platform if previously banned or restricted by us.

3. Your Account

• You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorised use of your account.
• One person may not maintain multiple accounts to circumvent restrictions.

4. Skill Exchanges and Conduct

HobbyMate's own role is to provide the matching, messaging, scheduling, and (where used) payment-facilitation tools that help members find each other and arrange to teach, learn, and practise skills and hobbies together. We do not supply, organise, supervise, or guarantee the hobby exchange, lesson, or activity itself — that is arranged and carried out independently between the members involved.

• You agree to represent your skills honestly and to act respectfully toward other members.
• You must follow our Community Guidelines at all times.
• Arrangements made between members — including what you do together, where you meet, and how you conduct yourselves — are the independent responsibility of the members involved. HobbyMate is not a party to those arrangements and does not supervise or control them.
• You are solely responsible for assessing another member's suitability, experience, and trustworthiness before meeting them, and for your own safety and judgement when meeting other members in person. See our Safety Tips for practical guidance.
• You can block another member at any time from their profile. Blocking stops messages and mate requests between you and that member going forward. You can report a member at any time if they violate these Terms or our Community Guidelines.
• A "Verified" badge means a HobbyMate team member has manually reviewed a photo ID and a selfie submitted by that member. It is not a government or third-party identity check, and it does not guarantee a member's trustworthiness, intentions, skill, or safety.

5. Assumption of Risk for In-Person Activities

Hobby exchanges arranged through HobbyMate often involve meeting someone you don't yet know well and taking part in a physical or outdoor activity together. These activities carry inherent risks, which can include (depending on the activity):

• Physical exertion or sporting injury — for example muscle strain, sprains, or collisions during activities like tennis, running, or contact sports.
• Water-based hazards — for example drowning, strong currents, marine life, or collisions while surfing, swimming, or boating.
• Height, equipment, or terrain hazards — for example falls or equipment failure during climbing, cycling, or activities using specialised gear.
• Outdoor and remote-location hazards — for example exposure, difficult terrain, or limited phone reception while hiking or in remote areas.
• Risks arising from the skill, experience, equipment, or conduct of another member, which HobbyMate has not independently assessed beyond what is described in Section 4 above.

By choosing to take part in an activity arranged through HobbyMate, you acknowledge these risks and confirm that you have assessed your own fitness, ability, and comfort with the specific activity. You agree to use appropriate safety equipment, follow venue rules and any instructions from qualified instructors, and not take part in an activity beyond your ability or comfort. This acknowledgement relates to the inherent risks of the activity and the independent conduct of other members — it does not waive any right you have against HobbyMate for HobbyMate's own conduct, which is addressed in Section 10 below.

6. Credits and Payments

Some exchanges are arranged using in-platform credits, and some may involve a real payment processed through our third-party payment processor, Stripe. Where a payment applies, the amount and currency will be shown before you confirm it. Cancelling a confirmed exchange may entitle you to a credit refund in line with the cancellation terms shown in-app at the time. We do not control, and are not responsible for, any payment or exchange of value arranged directly between members outside the platform.

7. Content and Intellectual Property

You retain ownership of the content you post, but grant HobbyMate a licence to display and use it for operating the platform. You may not copy, scrape, or reuse other members' content or our intellectual property without permission.

8. Prohibited Use

• Do not use HobbyMate for any unlawful, fraudulent, or harmful purpose.
• Do not harass, threaten, or impersonate others.
• Do not attempt to disrupt, hack, or reverse-engineer the platform.
• Do not solicit money or move members off-platform for fraudulent purposes.
• Do not attempt to circumvent a block, or contact a member who has blocked you, through another account or channel.

9. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your account if you violate these terms or our guidelines, or to protect the safety of our community. You may close your account at any time from your settings.

10. Platform Role, Disclaimers, and Limitation of Liability

Independent third-party conduct and in-person activities. To the fullest extent permitted by law, HobbyMate is not liable for the acts, omissions, competence, conduct, or representations of any member, or for loss, injury, or damage arising from an in-person exchange, activity, or arrangement between members, including the risks described in Section 5 above. HobbyMate does not vet members' skills, qualifications, or character beyond what is described in Section 4, and does not supervise or control what members do once they choose to meet.

HobbyMate's own conduct. This section does not exclude or limit HobbyMate's liability for our own negligence, for a failure of a feature we represent as available (for example, blocking or reporting), for fraud, or for anything that cannot lawfully be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law or other applicable law — including any consumer guarantee that applies to the matching and platform services we ourselves supply.

Platform availability. HobbyMate is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. We do not guarantee the platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or available at all times.

Nothing in this section is intended to exclude, restrict, or modify any right or remedy that cannot lawfully be excluded, restricted, or modified under the Australian Consumer Law or other applicable law. If any part of this section is found unenforceable, the rest of it continues to apply, and our liability is limited to the smallest extent the law allows rather than this section being void altogether.

11. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms & Conditions from time to time. Continued use of the platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

12. Contact Us

Questions about these terms? Get in touch.