Harrogate & Knaresborough Sling Library Terms and Conditions

Harrogate and Knaresborough Toy Library (Sling Loans) is run by The Harrogate and Knaresborough Toy Library trained Baby-Wearing Peer Supporter and several other volunteers (hereafter referred to as “we”). We do not take payment for our time and expertise; money from hire fees is invested in the running of our charity. Our aim is to promote safe babywearing and to enable families to carry their children ergonomically and comfortably by offering slings for short-term hire. The terms “sling” and “carrier” are used interchangeably in the following document and refer to any baby wearing device (including wraps) hired out by us. The term “wrap” refers specifically to a rectangular piece of fabric, woven specifically for the carrying of children. Please take the time to read these terms and conditions.  We assume that you agree to them if you decide to book a session or take out a carrier for hire.

By agreeing to these Terms & Conditions, you agree to:

• To pay for the hire period of hired items and are responsible for paying for items lost or damaged whilst in your possession. You also agree to us charging you for overdue hire fees and to relinquish your deposit in the case of lost, damaged or unreturned slings.

• That it is your responsibility to ensure that we have your correct contact details on file and are receiving our emails regarding your hire.

• To look after the hired items in your possession and bring them back by the return date or arrange to extend the hire prior to the due date.

• To contact us if you have any problems with the hired carrier and related equipment.

  Personal Details

• We hold securely on file details about you and your family in our catalogue system. This includes your full name, home address, email address and telephone number. 

• Your personal details will be kept in accordance with the GDPR, and will only be used to contact you in relation to your loan.

  Our Commitment to You

  We will supply equipment for you and your little one that is:-

• Suitable for you and your child.

• Clean and in good condition.

• Exclusively yours to use during the hire period.

  Your obligations to us

• The hire agreement is personal to you and your immediate family. You must not allow nor authorise any other person or entity to use, re-hire, or have possession of the hired items at any time unless previously agreed with us in writing beforehand.

• Upon receipt of the hire items at the start of the hire period you agree that you are satisfied that the items are in good condition and suitable for the purpose of the hire. You will use the hired items for only the purposes for which they were intended by the manufacturer.

• You must use the items safely and strictly in accordance with all laws, only for their intended uses and in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. We want you to be able to use the hired items in a manner that is safe and appropriate for your situation and child. If you are unsure at any time, please contact us and/or book an appointment to discuss your needs and concerns.

• It is your responsibility to ensure that other members of your family using equipment such as our carriers are competent and aware of the safety implications of carrying children in a carrier. We supply a safety leaflet for this purpose.

• You will return the items and related accessories in good condition on the due date advised when you hire the item(s).

• You may also request an extension to your hire period. We may decline the extension if the item is popular and reserved by another family or in circumstances where extending the hire may not be suitable for reasons out of the scope of these terms and conditions, but pertinent in the immediate circumstances.

• If your hired item is damaged whilst in your care, you will let us know immediately and stop using it. You are liable for replacing damaged items.

• Upon returning the carrier please notify us of any other problems with the carrier.

• You will pay any outstanding charges and fees for lost or damaged items.

  Issues with Hired Carriers during the hire period.

  If you are having trouble with the comfort or fit of your hired carrier, you are welcome to exchange it for an alternative during the hire period free of charge.  We can be contacted via email handktoylibrary@gmail.com or by posting a direct message on our Facebook page.

  How we communicate with you.

  Email and Junk Folders

  We will contact you mainly via email with regard to your hire and any outstanding hire periods. Please ensure that your email address is input correctly. Please note, that some email providers, such as Hotmail, have an aggressive junk mail filter and may send our messages to the junk folder – please add us to your address book or Approved Senders list.

  Contact via telephone or post

  We may need to contact you about your hired carrier via telephone or post. Please ensure that your contact details are correct and inform us when you update them.

  Hiring Carriers

• All hired items are lent subject to availability, condition and suitability, and up to 2 carriers (charged at £12 each) may be borrowed at one time. 

• The standard loan period is two weeks. Hire fees are paid in advance of the hire period. Slings are to be returned to The Old School, Harrogate and Knaresborough Toy Library, HG5 9AR during opening hours (10-11.30am Wednesday and Fridays and the 1st Saturday of the month. We are open term time only, except some additional Saturdays throughout holidays as advertised).

• A sling can be hired for up to three months continually (to remain compliant with the Consumer Credit Act 1974), after this a new hire period must begin.

  Hire Fees

• Payment is to be made on collection of the hired items.

• You are welcome to exchange your hired carrier for an alternative (of a similar hire type) within your original hire period for no extra charge. 

• Swaps between these ranges will have the hire period adjusted according to the amount of time left of the hire period.

• If you wish to hire a different type of sling at the end of your agreed loan period, the usual hire charges apply.

• Deposits of up to the full cost of the replacement may be chargeable on the discretion of the Toy Library management, however the usual fee will be a £20 deposit on your account.

• Hire fees are non-refundable.

  Where can items be hired from?

  All items can be hired from the Harrogate and Knaresborough Toy Library library session/consult/workshop. You will receive advice from a trained Consultant or Peer Supporter to ensure safe usage. All slings are loaned with instructions attached. We provide online support via email or the Facebook group for queries and parents/carers can attend any of the drop ins for tweaks and checks and help.

  If you know exactly the items you want and are confident you know how to use them, send us an email and once we’ve responded we will have it ready for you to collect.  

  Extending & Returning Hired items

  Extending

• If you wish to extend your loan beyond the original agreement, please contact us to arrange this as hire extension fees are to be paid on or before the due date. Items that are not renewed or returned by the due date will be charged at the daily rate. See below for details.

• There may be occasions where the items hired to you may be required by another family – in this instance we may have to reject requests for a hire extension. This is usually during peak periods such as Summer Holidays when the lightweight summer carriers become very popular and are pre-booked months in advance.

  Returning

• Please return your carrier on the agreed date, with all accessories (lost accessories will need to be replaced by the borrower). You do not need to wash the items prior to returning them.

• We will ask you to pay any outstanding fees on return. If this isn’t possible, please get in touch to discuss alternative return dates.

  Late Hire Fees and Returns

• Upon starting a hire period, you will pay a £20 security deposit which is fully refundable once your sling is returned in full and in usable condition. Late hire fees are as follows: the daily rate for hiring items is up to £2 per item per day when paid in arrears.

  Late Payment Collection after 28 days

• 28 days after the due date of your item(s), if we have not heard from you to make alternative arrangements, your deposit will no longer be refundable, the item(s) will still be overdue and the daily rate per item per day will continue to increase.

  Care and Cleaning

• Please look after your hired items carefully.

• Your buckle carrier may come with suck pads to prevent damage from teething children chewing on the straps. Please return these with your hired carrier.

• Please do not smoke whilst using the carriers, coats, nappies and accessories; and avoid using or storing them in smoky environments.

• Please keep any pets away from hire items, as the next family to hire may have a significant allergy.

• If the carrier has a chest strap, please be aware that these can detach. Check when removing the carrier that the strap is still attached. If you lose the straps, you will need to pay to replace them.

  Cleaning Carriers and accessories 

• If you need to clean your carrier, please contact us first. Many slings have particular advice to ensure they do not lose their shape and structure.

• Spot cleaning is the safest if you have any accidents. The suck pads can be washed with your usual load. This ensures that you are happy that little one is chewing a safely cleaned suck pad and the carrier is protected from teeth, dribble and too frequent washing.

• If you DO clean your carrier (after taking advice or referring to the instructions if you have them), please:

  Use non-biological liquid (such as Ecover, to avoid exacerbating allergies in the next user),

  NO optical brighteners (they can damage fabric)

  NO FABRIC CONDITIONER (they make the fabric fibres and buckles slippy).

  Many manufacturers recommend closing all buckles and washing carriers inside old pillowcases.

  Should your carrier get wet, line drying is the safest option. Tumble-drying carriers can shorten their lives.

  Lost Or Damaged Hired Items

• All items are loaned out undamaged.

• If any damage happens to the hired items whilst in your possession, please contact us and do not continue to use them any further, for your own safety.

• It is your responsibility to check over the carrier before every use. Check all buckles, hems, and seams ensuring that there are no tears, breaks, cracks, or holes. If any damage is discovered, please stop using the carrier immediately and contact us 

• The full replacement of any lost or damaged carriers, accessories or instructions will be borne in full by the borrower, to replace the item like for like. In case of postal hire, any deposits paid will not be refunded.  The value of lost or destroyed carriers that you will pay will be the new Retail Price of the carrier irrespective of how old the carrier is.

• If we have been unable to recover missing items and you do not return or pay for hired items despite several reminders (we will always do our best to contact you), we will refer the matter to the police and the small claims court to recoup the full costs of the items on hire.

  Condition of the Carrier and Responsibility and Supervision of Child while using the Carrier

• Each carrier is supplied with personal instructions from a trained Baby-wearing consultant unless you decline a demonstration/consultation. 

• When used correctly, all carriers provided by us offers a safe and comfortable way to carry your child. During our sessions we do our best to enable you to use any carrier confidently and correctly. However, as time is limited during sessions, we highly recommend searching for the manufacturer’s instructions online if you are at all unsure how to use the carrier. Please refer to these manufacturer instructions before using the sling for the first time away from the library and whenever you feel unsure thereafter. You may also contact us on Facebook or use the Harrogate and Knaresborough Toy Library facebook group for advice. We cannot take responsibility for any accident or injury that might occur to you, your child, or a third party whilst using the carrier away from our instruction. 

  Ownership of the hired equipment.

  All hired equipment remains the property of Harrogate and Knaresborough toy Library sling inventory until we relinquish ownership.

  By submitting your personal details for our spreadsheet you agree to these terms and conditions

  Harrogate and Knaresborough Toy Library, September 2024