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Q: What is Tree Hut Village?
Tree Hut Village is the only place in Australia and New Zealand where people can buy / lend / hire / sell items per-to-peers. You can search a large variety of brands and it's highly likely that the one you were after is available close to you. We love that we reduce waste by enabling people to try items before buying it and to hire from another peer what they are in need for short time or long time..
Q: Is there a Tree Hut Village app?
Tree Hut Village is a fully responsive website which means it should fit your screen no matter what size it is. We recommend saving a shortcut to your desktop or mobile so you have it handy at all times.
Q: Do I have to register to borrow and/or lend?
Yes, it is important for us to verify the email address of all Tree Hut Village users at the very least.
Q: How much does it cost to list an item?
Listing items on Tree Hut Village is free!
Q: What happens if I cancel a booking?
We know that things come up but to be fair to the lender we have following rules in place:
Q: Do members get pre-checked?
Yes, members are verified by Tree Hut Village via email, phone and credit card and via social media accounts. We also randomly select users to supply additional information like Government issued photo identification (e.g. drivers license or a passport). Further, we require additional verification once an owner has made more than $1,000 via Tree Hut Village.
Q: How do I keep track of bookings?
You will see each booking/loan on your dashboard when you log into "my account". You also get automatic email reminders about the transaction process e.g. when a booking is about to start and finish.
Q: How do reviews work?
When a booking finishes, we ask that both, the borrower and the lender, leave some feedback for the transaction that they just completed. You can rate the transaction from 1 star to 5 stars, with 5 stars being the best rating you can give. You can also add a comment if you wish.
If something didn't go as expected with a transaction, you might want to provide a lower rating. However, if the other party doesn't believe the feedback was fair, they have the option of disputing it. This means the review will be hidden until the dispute is resolved.
Q: How do I list my item?
Register on Tree Hut Village and follow the prompts. Listings should include: a few photos of you using your item (perhaps exclude your little ones if you prefer and please refrain from using copyrighted brand images, we will remove those regularly and replace it with a placeholder logo of ours), the condition of the item, drop off or pick up preferences, features of the items, how you've used it and what you love about. Also include details like whether you are willing to help with installation etc. It's best to write around 250 words for the description as a minimum.
Q: How do I sell my item?
You can also list an item for sale if you prefer to sell it rather than hire it out. You can either create a sale listing directly and follow similar the steps on the from or you can switch a hire listing to sale listing by going to "my account" > "listings" > "edit listing" and choose the selling option from the menu. You then simply switch the button to "sale" and your listing will convert to a sale listing and won't be available for hire any longer. You can also switch it back if you prefer.
Q: How does selling my item work?
Once you have your sale listing up and running everyone can purchase the item from you. Users can ask a question before buying it. If somebody buys it, you will get notified via email. The buyer gets charged immediately. The payment is only released once the buyer confirms the item as received and as described (or 7 days after the purchase date).
Q: How do I know that I can trust the borrower?
Everyone in the Tree Hut Village community has undergone our verification process. Tree Hut Village also has a self-regulating rating system where users can vouch for other members. Members who violate our Terms and Conditions are removed from Tree Hut Village.
Q: Can I list multiple items?
Yes, you can list as many items as you like, although we require that each item is listed separately.
Q: Does it cost me anything to list items?
No, listing items is free.
Q: What if I can only rent out items on certain days?
In your settings make sure to tick “I want to approve every booking” – this way you have full control if you are going to accept the booking or not. You can also make a listing “private” and your listing won't show up in searches. This is recommended if your item won’t be available for a prolonged period of time.
To provide you with even greater control you can also set date ranges when the item is unavailable. To do this go to "my account" > "listing" and then edit the listing, scroll down and find the section where you can enter dates to mark your item as "red" on your availability calendar. You can put a note in there for yourself why you've marked it red for example "holiday".
Q: What if my item is stolen?
Each borrower accepts our Terms and Conditions before making a reservation and is therefore liable for any theft or damage that occurs during the rental.
Q: How do I manage my listings and bookings?
Go to My Account to edit listings and bookings, and for an overview of your account.
Q: Can I amend the automatically calculated rates?
Yes, you simply to My Account go to "listings", then select the listing you're after and click "edit". Then go to the "Pricing" section. You can edit each suggested price point for all time brackets in accordance with your expectations. Just save your changes and they will be applied immediately. Existing, approved bookings won't be affected by the changes to your rate schedule.
Q: What’s the best way to set rates?
Your rates depend on how competitive you want your listing to be. For example, if you would like to attract longer term hires you might want to set a lower rate for long term hires and a higher one for shorter periods. Always make sure to set rates that work for you. You can now also set a price for pick-up and drop-offs in addition to your rental rates. This includes both pick-up and drop-offs this means a fee of $20 for example would have to cover both trips.
We recommend setting a base price of around 5-10% of the purchase price.
Q: Can I give discounts for long-term rentals?
Set your rental price in accordance with the date ranges and what you’re happy to receive. If you get asked to discount your rate, you can change the rate in "my account" > "listings" > "edit listing" - don't forget to change it back once you've approved the booking.
Q: Can I accept cash from a renter?
No. For the security and accountability of all parties, we require that all payments be made via Tree Hut Village. You WON'T be covered by our insurance policy if your payments are made outside of Tree Hut Village.
Q: Can I list my item with multiple addresses?
Yes, many of our users create a listing at their home, work and even holiday home address. Generally, items listed in areas that are convenient for borrowers get more booking requests. For example, listings in major cities or holiday destinations are often the first choice for parents looking to hire items.
Q: What happens if the borrower doesn’t pay?
Fees are pre-approved when an item gets requested. The borrower gets charged when you approve the booking. Tree Hut Village will transfer the payment into your account minus the Tree Hut Village administration fee when the borrower has received the item and confirms that he is happy that the item is as described in the listing. No booking can be requested without having provided credit card details.
Q: What happens if the borrower's credit card can't be charged successfully?
We get in contact with the borrower straight away if a payment error occurs for any reason after you have approved the booking. You will see a label next to your booking in "my account" that the booking is still "awaiting payment". If the payment for a booking has not succeeded 24 hours prior to the start date of the booking, we will cancel the transaction.
Q: When does the administration fee get deducted?
Tree Hut Village deducts a 15% administration fee from your payment before transferring it to you after the borrower has approved the condition of the item when the hire period commences (it will start automatically after 48 hours if the borrower forgets to start the booking).
Q: How can I get more bookings?
Have a look at our tips page. Free delivery is highly recommended - also share your listing on social media! Join us in our Facebook Group for Australia Mums2Mums Hire Baby Equipment to chat to other lenders or our join our group in New Zealand Mums Rent Baby Gear New Zealand
Q: Is there anything I shouldn't list on Tree Hut Village?
We only allow items on the website that comply with ANZ standards and are less than 6 years old. In addition, we will remove any listings for Jolly Jumpers, Baby Walkers, baby hammocks and breastpumps that are not medical grade as these items are considered unsafe.
Please also don't list generic brands strollers or copies of popular brands on this site as we don't know if they comply with Australian standards
We go through listings regularly and remove anything that doesn't meet these conditions.