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Terms of Service

Last updated: 04/10/2026

1. Introduction and Acceptance

Welcome to BoatBay. These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you and BoatBay ("we", "us", "our") governing your use of our boat marketplace platform. By accessing or using BoatBay, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use our services.

2. About Our Service

BoatBay is a classified advertisement platform connecting buyers and sellers of boats and related equipment. We provide the platform only; we are not party to any transactions between users. We do not own, sell, or supply any boats listed on our platform.

3. User Accounts and Registration

To access certain features, you must:

  • Be at least 18 years of age
  • Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration
  • Maintain and promptly update your account information
  • Keep your password secure and confidential
  • Accept responsibility for all activities under your account
  • Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account

4. Listings and Content

4.1 Seller Responsibilities

When creating a listing, you agree to:

  • Provide accurate, truthful, and complete information about the boat
  • Only list boats you have the legal right to sell
  • Include clear, genuine photographs of the actual boat
  • Comply with all applicable laws and regulations regarding the sale
  • Respond promptly to buyer enquiries
  • Honour the price and terms stated in your listing

4.2 Prohibited Content

You must not post listings or content that:

  • Are fraudulent, misleading, or deceptive
  • Infringe intellectual property rights
  • Contain offensive, defamatory, or inappropriate material
  • Violate any applicable laws or regulations
  • Relate to stolen goods or illegal items
  • Include spam, malware, or malicious code

5. Buyer Responsibilities

As a buyer, you agree to:

  • Conduct your own due diligence before purchasing
  • Inspect boats in person where reasonably possible
  • Verify ownership documentation and history
  • Ensure proper transfer of ownership and registration
  • Communicate respectfully with sellers
  • Complete transactions in good faith

6. Reservation System

Our reservation system allows buyers to place a refundable deposit to reserve a boat pending seller approval. The reservation fee is £25 for boats under £5,000 and £50 for boats £5,000 and over.

  • Reservations require seller approval within a reasonable timeframe
  • If declined by the seller, the full reservation fee will be refunded
  • If approved, buyers have 7 days to arrange collection
  • Failure to collect within 7 days may result in forfeiture of the reservation fee
  • The reservation fee is separate from and does not reduce the purchase price

7. Payments and Transactions

BoatBay facilitates reservation payments only. All other payments for boats are between buyers and sellers directly. We strongly recommend:

  • Using secure payment methods that offer buyer protection
  • Never paying by bank transfer to unknown parties
  • Meeting in safe, public locations
  • Obtaining proper receipts and documentation
  • Verifying identity and ownership before payment

8. Fees and Charges

Creating and managing listings on BoatBay is currently free. We reserve the right to introduce fees with reasonable notice. Reservation fees are as stated in Section 6.

9. Intellectual Property

All content on BoatBay, including design, logos, text, graphics, and software, is owned by or licensed to us and protected by UK and international copyright laws. You retain ownership of content you upload but grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use, display, and distribute such content in connection with operating the platform.

10. Privacy and Data Protection

We are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Please review our Privacy Policy for detailed information about how we collect, use, and protect your personal data.

11. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

11.1 Platform "As Is"

BoatBay is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

11.2 No Liability for User Transactions

We are not responsible for:

  • The quality, safety, legality, or accuracy of listings
  • The ability of sellers to complete sales
  • The ability of buyers to complete purchases
  • Disputes between users
  • Damage, loss, or injury arising from transactions

11.3 Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, we shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits or revenues, whether incurred directly or indirectly, or any loss of data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses resulting from your use of the platform.

Our total liability to you for any claim arising from these Terms or your use of BoatBay shall not exceed the amount you have paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim, or £100, whichever is greater.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless BoatBay and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses, including legal fees, arising from your use of the platform, your breach of these Terms, or your violation of any law or rights of a third party.

13. User Conduct

You agree not to:

  • Use the platform for any unlawful purpose
  • Harass, abuse, or harm other users
  • Impersonate any person or entity
  • Interfere with or disrupt the platform or servers
  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the platform
  • Use automated systems to scrape or extract data
  • Post false, misleading, or fraudulent listings

14. Account Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account and access to the platform at our sole discretion, without notice, for conduct that we believe violates these Terms, is harmful to other users, or is otherwise objectionable. You may delete your account at any time by contacting us.

15. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of BoatBay shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

16. Dispute Resolution

In the event of any dispute between you and BoatBay, we encourage you to first contact us at info@boat-bay.co.uk to seek an informal resolution. If a dispute cannot be resolved informally, you may pursue claims through the courts as set out in Section 15.

17. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will provide notice of material changes by posting the updated Terms on the platform and updating the "Last updated" date. Your continued use of BoatBay after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

18. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that these Terms shall otherwise remain in full force and effect.

19. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and BoatBay regarding your use of the platform and supersede all prior agreements and understandings.

20. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms or to report violations, please contact us at:

Email: info@boat-bay.co.uk

21. Consumer Rights

Nothing in these Terms affects your statutory rights as a consumer under UK law. If you are a consumer, you have certain legal rights which cannot be limited or excluded by these Terms.