Terms & Conditions

EAST COAST DRESS HIRE RENTAL AGREEMENT

Welcome to East Coast Dress Hire. If you continue to browse and use this website, you agree to comply with and be bound by the following terms and conditions of use, which, together with our privacy policy and terms of use, govern eastcoastdresshire.com's relationship with you in relation to your use of this website.

By using this website and/or engaging in our hiring services, you signify your acceptance of these terms and conditions of use. For the purposes of these terms and conditions, "Us", "Our" and "We" refer to eastcoastdresshire.com and "You" and "Your" refer to you, the client, visitor, website user or person using our website.

AMENDMENT OF TERMS

We reserve the right to change, modify, add, or remove portions of these terms at any time. Please check these terms regularly before using our website to ensure you are aware of any changes. We will endeavour to highlight any significant or substantive changes to you where possible. If you choose to use our website, we will regard that use as conclusive evidence of your agreement and acceptance that these terms govern your and eastcoastdresshire.com's rights and obligations to each other.

TERMS OF AGREEMENT

Using our website and/or engaging in our hiring services is subject to all our terms and conditions. You agree that you are renting products, and ownership of the product(s) will remain with East Coast Dress Hire at all times. By agreeing to the terms and conditions, you certify that you are over the age of 18 and are authorised to use the chosen payment method to rent the product(s) on the order. At all times, the rental item(s) remain the property of East Coast Dress Hire. We reserve the right to retrieve the item(s) at any time. No modifications or alterations can be made to the item(s) under any circumstances.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

By accepting our terms and conditions, you agree that East Coast Dress Hire will not be liable for any loss, damage, costs, or expenses of an indirect or consequential nature incurred or suffered by you as a result of the cancellation of a booking, late or non-delivery of a rental item or an issue with the quality, fit, or appearance of a delivered rental item. This includes but is not limited to economic loss, loss of goodwill, emotional suffering, loss of opportunity or other loss of turnover, profits, or business. East Coast Dress Hire's liability will be limited to any amount paid by the customer to East Coast Dress Hire. 

1. PAYMENT TERMS

1.1 The "hire fee" for the products will be the fee listed on the website concerning your hire of products. By entering and agreeing to the Terms and Conditions, you authorise East Coast Dress Hire to charge your payment method. You certify that you are authorised to use this credit card/account and agree not to dispute the payment with your provider so long as East Coast Dress Hire fulfils its obligation to provide the rental item(s)
1.2 You authorise East Coast Dress Hire to charge the supplied payment method for any additional fees outlined in this agreement (such as damages or late return fees). If a charge against the given payment method cannot be made, we will provide you with an invoice for the fees you agree to pay within five working days. 
1.3 If, for some reason, your payment for an order is declined or reversed, you agree to pay the outstanding amount within 48 hours of demand. Failure to do this will result in immediate cancellation of the booking. You will still be liable for the total amount if the item(s) have already been dispatched. 
1.4 East Coast Dress Hire reserves the right to take all steps necessary to recoup any amounts owed as per this agreement, including using debt collection agencies and taking appropriate legal action. Any costs incurred from using these services will be added to the amount owed by the customer.

2. IDENTIFICATION

 2.1 We may ask for photo ID, credit card details or other forms of identification. We can refuse the right to hire if you cannot provide the requested identification or document(s). If we have requested this information, it is your responsibility to provide this information immediately. If we cannot fulfil your hire or delivery on time due to the information not being provided, a credit will only be applied, and no refund will be given.

3. RENTAL PERIOD 

 3.1 East Coast Dress Hire's rental period is four days and is "inclusive". The rental period runs from your selected start date to your selected end date. For example, your item(s) will arrive by Friday (day 1 of your rental period), and you are required to post the item(s) back by Monday (Day 4 of your rental period). In this example, Friday and Monday are included in the four days.
3.2 Your rental period begins from the time the courier first attempted delivery. Refunds and store credits will not be issued for late delivery or when you cannot accept delivery.
3.3 In most cases, East Coast Dress Hire requires a minimum of three business days' notice before a booking to allow for processing and postage. Should you wish to make a 'last minute booking', please get in touch with us at contact@eastcoastdresshire.com. Please note that when making a 'last minute booking', you are subject to the refund terms outlined in 4.6. 
3.4 Subject to availability, rental periods can be extended upon request. Each additional day is charged at 20% of the regular hire fee.

4. DELIVERY OF GOODS
   

4.1 When booking, you should select a 'Delivery Date' 1-2 days before the day you intend to wear the item(s). If your 'Return Date' is on a Sunday, you can post the item(s) back on the Monday, as most post offices are closed.
4.2 The item(s) will be sent to arrive at the address provided on or before your chosen start date. All items are shipped expressly by Australia Post. You will receive a tracking number to your supplied email address when the items have been dispatched. 
4.3 To mitigate postage delays, we aim to deliver your hire as soon as possible. Therefore, your delivery may arrive up to five days before your chosen delivery date. Please provide a permanent address with a safe place to leave the parcel and someone to accept the delivery. 
4.4 When placing an order, you automatically give us the authority to request that your parcel be left in a safe place without a required signature. If you wish to refrain from granting us this authority, you must clearly outline this in the delivery instructions at checkout. You understand and agree that by giving us authority to leave, we and our couriers are released of all responsibility and liability for the order(s) delivered and left unattended and that this responsibility and liability transfer to you upon delivery.
4.5 If Australia Post deem a location unsafe to leave, they may take your parcel to a nearby post office. If the rental is taken to the post office on a Friday afternoon, you must pick up the item(s) before closure. East Coast Dress Hire will not provide a credit or refund if you cannot wear your item(s) due to Australia Post closure over the weekend. Australia Post makes this decision at the time based on whether they believe it is safe to do so and is entirely out of our control.
4.6 In most cases, your item(s) will arrive on or before your Delivery Date. Due to unforeseen circumstances and factors outside our control, usually related to issues with Australia Post, it may arrive late. In the rare case that your item(s) arrive after your return date, you are still required to return them promptly (no later than 48 hours after delivery). Should you need any assistance because of late item(s), please get in touch with contact@eastcoastdresshire.com. If your item arrives after your selected return date, you are entitled to a full refund or store credit (valid for three years) once the item has been returned safely to us. To be eligible, the lender must have placed the order three or more business days before the rental start date. All orders placed less than three business days before your start date will be considered a "last-minute order," if your item(s) does not arrive in time, you will only be entitled to a store credit minus $30 for two-way express postage costs.
4.7 No refund or credit note will be provided if the delivery is slightly late, but you can still wear it to your event.  
4.8 If your delivery fails because you have provided an incorrect or incomplete address, you will not be entitled to a refund or credit. You are responsible for ensuring that the address you enter is accurate and complete according to Australia Post. This includes providing a valid apartment/unit number, company name or any other information required for postage providers to deliver to you. 
4.9 You may be liable to pay any late fees or a replacement fee if the item(s) is not returned to us or if the item(s) is returned too late for the next client due to the parcel being 'returned to sender'. If a parcel cannot be delivered in time due to Australia Post being unable to access and/or leave the parcel in a safe place and you have not provided delivery instructions, you will not be entitled to a refund/credit note of any kind. 
4.10 If you have supplied an address with a redirection service set up and your parcel is not delivered in time, you will not be entitled to a refund. Once the parcel has been despatched, you agree not to redirect it to a different address. If you redirect it in any way, you will not be entitled to a refund or credit note if it does not arrive by the chosen delivery date. Redirecting a parcel will increase the delivery time by approximately 7-21 business days.
4.11 East Coast Dress Hire offers free express postage on all orders Australia Wide. We do not typically offer pickups. However, if you live locally to the Northern Beaches and require a last-minute item, you are welcome to contact us, and we will do our best to arrange a pickup for you.

5. RETURN OF GOODS

5.1 All items rented via East Coast Dress Hire will be delivered with a pre-paid Australia Post return label. On your hire's last day, place the garment(s) back inside your reusable mailer and attach the label.
5.2 If you lose your return label, please get in touch with us at contact@eastcoastdresshire.com as soon as you realise. We will attempt to provide you with another return label. Please note that this may incur an additional cost for return postage. 
5.3 All items must be returned over the counter at an Australia Post store or depot on or before the specified return date by 3 pm at the latest. If your return date falls on a weekend or a public holiday, you can post the item(s) on the next working day by 3 pm. No late fees will apply in this instance. 
5.4 Please ensure that you retain your lodgement receipt for proof of return. East Coast Dress Hire reserves the right to request this receipt at any time. 
5.5 Under no circumstances should items be placed in an Australia Post Street Box (yellow or red) for return. If you place your parcel inside the street box, you void the insurance. If the property is lost or never scanned by Australia Post, you will be liable to pay a fee up to, but not more than, 200% of the full RRP of the item(s). Furthermore, if the item(s) arrives later than expected because it is placed in the street box, the date of the first scan on the tracking will be used as the date it was posted back when calculating late fees.
5.6 By lodging your parcel over the counter, you ensure that your return is scanned and recorded in Australia Post's tracking system. This will not happen when placing a return in a street post box, as a system record won't be created until it reaches a scanning depot; there will be no evidence of you having posted the item(s), meaning you would be liable for the loss. 
5.7 Late fees may apply if you post back the rental item(s) on a day after the last day of your rental period. We often allow a grace period of 1-2 days for this, but only if it doesn't affect a future booking for another customer. If it does affect this, late fees will almost certainly be enforced. If the next customer cannot wear the dress and requires a refund due to a late return, you will be liable for the loss of business. If you return the dress after this period, you will be charged a loss of business and a late fee daily. 
5.8 The fee for each day late will be your rental price divided by the number of days you've rented. For example, if you selected a 4-day hire and the rental fee was $100, late fees would be charged at $25 for each day late. If the item(s) is not returned after 30 days, you will be liable to pay 200% of the RRP of the item(s).

6. CANCELLATIONS

6.1 East Coast Dress Hire does not offer refunds for cancelled orders; we only offer store credit. To be eligible for any store credit, cancellations must be made seven days before the start date of your hire booking. 
6.2 Credit notes due to cancellations are valid for twelve months and will expire if not used within that period. Once the credit note is used on a new hire booking, the sale is final and not subject to any changes or cancellations for another credit note. 
6.3 East Coast Dress Hire reserves the right to cancel your booking for any reason. Your compensation will be limited to the amount you paid to East Coast Dress Hire for the booking and postage (if applicable). East Coast Dress Hire will not be responsible for any consequential damages resulting from booking cancellation.
6.4 Reasons East Coast Dress Hire may cancel your booking include but are not limited to: 

• The item was damaged by a customer who rented the item before you.
• The item is lost or stolen by a customer who rented the item before you.
• It is deemed impossible to deliver the item in time for your booking due to a previous late return by a customer or for any other reason, such as postage network delays.

In all cases above, you will be entitled to a full refund.

7. CLEANING & GARMENT CARE

7.1 All cleaning is taken care of by East Coast Dress Hire. You agree that you will not attempt to clean the rental item(s) yourself or have the item(s) cleaned by anyone else.
7.2 All repairs and alterations are taken care of by East Coast Dress Hire. You agree that you will not attempt to repair or alter the rental item(s) yourself or have the item(s) repaired or altered by anyone else. 
7.3 East Coast Dress Hire will endeavour to package the item(s) carefully, so creasing is minimal upon arrival. If the item(s) have creased in transit, you can lightly steam the item(s) with a garment steamer on a low/cool setting. You agree that you will not iron the item(s) without express permission from East Coast Dress Hire. 
7.4 Under no circumstances should shape/boob tape be worn when wearing a rental item(s), as this can cause unrepairable damage to the garment. 
7.5 The use of artificial tan is at your discretion. Any permanent stains resulting from artificial tan use that cannot be removed via dry cleaning may subject you to additional fees as outlined in the damage policy below. 
7.6 Failure to adhere to the 'Cleaning & Garment Care' instructions may result in the damage policy listed below.

8. DAMAGES AND LOSS

8.1 If you open your delivered parcel to find a flaw (e.g., damage, faults, noticeable stains) that was not disclosed, please email contact@eastcoastdresshire.comwithin 12 hours of delivery. Please include clear images of the garment. If you don't let us know within this timeframe, we reserve the right to refuse a refund, as it will not be apparent when the damage was caused or by whom. You should do this even if you believe you will still wear the item(s). We reserve the right to refuse a refund if the item(s) is worn before notifying us of any issues. 
8.2 By agreeing to these Terms & Conditions, you acknowledge that the rented items are not brand new and may have some signs of wear and tear. Most of our garments are vintage gowns that have been loved and worn before commencing your rental. Any noticeable flaws will always be disclosed to customers prior to the start of their rental period. A refund may not be granted if the issue is considered minor or insignificant. 
8.3 In most cases, you must wait for the item(s) to be returned to us for assessment before a refund is approved and issued. If approved, you will receive a full refund, including any postage costs incurred (if applicable). 
8.4 No fees will be charged for item(s) that are returned with minor stains or damages. So long as these stains can be removed via dry cleaning and the damages are easily repairable. 
8.5 If an item(s) is significantly damaged during your hire, you will be liable for the cost of restoring the item(s). 
8.6 If the item(s) are damaged beyond repair and cannot be restored to a suitable condition, you will be liable to pay up to, but not more than, 150% of the original RRP of the garment. This fee will be on top of any amount already paid for rental or postage, and the item(s) will still need to be returned to East Coast Dress Hire regardless of the damage. The garment will always remain the property of East Coast Dress Hire. 
8.7 If an item(s) is lost or not returned after 30 days, you will be liable to pay up to 200% of the full RRP of the garment. The items available for rent on our website are highly sought-after, one-of-a-kind vintage garments that are no longer available in retail stores. This, along with the loss of earnings from potential future rentals, is why a fee of up to 200% of RRP will be charged for lost or unreturned items. This fee will be on top of any amount paid for rental or postage. 
8.8 The RRP for each item will be stated on the website.

9. ISSUES WITH FIT OR APPEARANCE

9.1 We are currently an online-only platform and do not offer try-on appointments. We provide as much information as we can regarding the fit and appearance of each garment. Please refer to our size guide for detailed measurements of each garment. We take no responsibility if you choose a size or item that does not fit you, does not suit you, or does not suit the occasion for which you've selected the object.