The Sling Spot and Sheffield Sling Surgery team would like to thank you for hiring from us. We hope you and your child will enjoy using your hire. These are our terms and conditions of hire.
Summary:-
By agreeing to these Terms and Conditions you agree:-
– 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 automatically for overdue hire fees.
– 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.
Before you hire
You must have a hire account created with us and a payment method setup. We prefer card payments. We may also ask for proof of ID. You must also agree to these Terms and Conditions and to our Privacy Policy. The agreement is recorded electronically.
Personal Details
We hold securely on file details about you and your family in our MyTurn catalogue system. This includes your full name, home address, email address and telephone number. We also keep a record of spouses or partners who may pay for future hire fees via card, bank transfer or PayPal to make it easy to keep your account up to date. For this reason, we also take notes of former names, such as maiden names where relevant.
Your personal details will be kept in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998, and will only be used to contact you in relation to your loan. You are welcome to sign up separately for our newsletter.
Equipment available for hire
The items that we hire to customers are Baby Carriers including Stretchy Wraps, Close Caboos, Buckle Carriers, Woven Wraps, Ring Slings and hybrid carriers including, but not limited to, Meh Dais, Onbuhimos and Half Buckles.
We also hire out accessories including, but not limited to, babywearing coats, covers, teething pads, booties and ear defenders.
Reusable Nappies are also hired out as a complete kit containing a variety of nappies, and these same terms and conditions cover their hire with exceptions, such as the minimum hire period and cleaning, which are detailed separately where relevant.
All equipment hired to you remains owned by us for the duration of the hire period.
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 can check your hire email for a list of items hired and if in any doubt, please contact us for confirmation.
You may also request an extension to your hire period which will be charged to your payment card on file at the hire rates current on the day of extending the 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.
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. A confirmation email should be sent to you when your hire account is set up, if you haven’t received this, please contact hello@sling-spot.co.uk or info@sheffieldslingsurgery.co.uk and we will re-send the confirmation email. 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, Jackets and Accessories
All hired items are lent subject to availability, condition and suitability, and up to 2 carriers or one carrier and one jacket may be borrowed at one time. Accessories are limited only by necessity for the current hire period.
The standard loan period is one week. Hire fees are paid in advance of the hire period. Discounts are available for four week hire periods. Longer and shorter hire periods are possible, and slings are to be returned to the Sling Spot shop (73 Leadmill Road, Sheffield, S1 4SE) during opening hours (10-2 Tuesday to Saturday except Bank Holidays and the period between Christmas and New Year where we are closed).
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.
Hiring Nappies
Our nappy kits are hired separately and in addition to the carriers, jackets and accessories. Each kit contains a variety of nappies which will remain with the kit during the entire hire period. The hire period is initially for four weeks and can be extended for one extra four week period at the hire rate current on the day of the hire extension and to be paid in advance. Nappy kits returned after the due date will be subject to a daily hire fee for each day outstanding.
Hire Fees
Payment is to be made on collection of the hired items or in advance in certain situations such as for Postal Hires or when a payment card is unavailable to be kept on file.
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. For postal hires, you will be liable for the cost of postage for both the returned item and for us to send out your alternative hire.
We have separate price ranges for certain hire types:
Stretchy Wraps and Close Caboos are at the low rate.
Buckle Carriers and Woven Wraps etc. are at the standard rate.
Babywearing Jackets are at the premium rate.
Swaps between these ranges will have the hire period adjusted according to the amount of time left of the hire period.
Please book a support appointment at www.sheffieldslingsurgery.as.me or contact us at hello@sling-spot.co.uk to arrange this.
If you wish to hire a different type of sling at the end of your agreed loan period, the usual hire charges apply.
Nappy Kits are charged at their own rate and are not interchangeable with the carriers, accessories and jacket ranges.
Deposits of the full cost of all hired items may be required for certain Postal loans. It is up to the discretion of our management team to waive the deposit requirement. Items will only be sent on receipt of any deposit required as well as any hire fees and postage costs.
Hire fees and postal costs are non-refundable.
Where can items be hired from?
All items can be hired from a Sling Surgery library session/consult/workshop. You will receive advice from a trained Consultant or Peer Supporter to ensure safe usage. All slings are loaned with an email that contains videos and 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.
Items can also be hired from the Sling Spot Shop. 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. If you require more help than a quick “fit-check”, please book a one to one appointment.
Postal Hire Exemptions
Items hired by post are subject to all the standard commitments from us and obligations from you apart from those which are unable to be fulfilled due to the nature of Postal Hires. These include, but are not limited to:-
We are unable to do in person fit checks with Postal Hires, although you are welcome to contact us to ask for any advice we can give at a distance including video appointments with our expert team.
It is up to you to ensure that the carrier ordered is suitable for the intended person. If you require help with fitting etc., check the Sling Pages for a Sling Consultancy Service that is close to you.
If the carrier arrives and there is an issue with it, please get in touch immediately to resolve the problem. If you do not notify us within the first 24 hours after receiving the hired item, we will assume that you received the item(s) in good condition.
Postal Hirers may also pay a deposit of the full cost of the carrier upfront. If the carrier is not returned in time, the daily hire rate is taken from the deposit when it is returned to you.
We may supply postal hires without deposits for customers who have used our services in the past, but we will require a payment for the hire and postage. This is subject to the discretion of the management team.
Free Stretchy Hire Scheme
Eligibility
All babies under 6 weeks (or premature babies under 6 weeks corrected).
The free hire is only available for the first stretchy carrier hired for a child. Any buckle carriers or accessories hired at the same time are charged at the standard rate.
Multiple children are eligible for one free stretchy hire period each.
The Free Stretchy Hire scheme is not usually available for Postal Hires as we want to ensure that small babies are suitably supported by the wearer in this most vulnerable of stages. We may make exceptions if a known and recognised sling consultant refers you to us or after prior discussion with one of our experts.
Length of Free Hire Period
The hire period is for four weeks. This is only for a stretchy wrap or Close Caboo, depending on availability, and is not available for other types of carrier.
You may swap from a Stretchy Wrap to a Close Caboo as part of the Four Week hire period. If you exchange your carrier for one that is not on the stretchy scheme during the “free” hire period, a standard hire period will commence and your deposit may be used to pay for that period.
Using your Deposit after the “Free Hire Period”
After the initial four week hire, you will become a standard library user and may use your deposit to extend the hire for a further four week period. You may also return your hired carrier for a refund or donate the fee to help other families in need of the support of the Building Bonds Project.
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.
Hire Fees are not refundable
If you are not enjoying the carrier, you are welcome to exchange for an alternative during your hire period as many times as you like. If you know which carrier you’d like to exchange it for, you can reserve it online or email us. If you need to try a couple of alternatives, please come along to a drop-in session or book a one to one appointment.
Returning
Please return your carrier on the agreed date, with all accessories (lost accessories will need to be replaced by the borrower). The Sling Spot shop is open daily Tuesday to Saturday 10-2pm for ease of return. 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.
You may also return hired items via a courier at your expense. Please ensure you use an insured service as you are liable for hired items until we have received them.
Late Hire Fees and Returns
Upon starting a hire period, you will be asked for your credit or debit card details. These are encrypted and stored using a third party database to pay for hire fees. If you cannot provide a card, we will make alternative arrangements which may include requiring a deposit for the full amount of the hired items. 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, we will charge your card with the late fees accrued up until that point. The item(s) will still be overdue and the daily rate per item per day will continue to increase.
Late Payment Collection after 56 days
56 days after the due date of the item(s), with still no communication from you, we will charge either the late fees due or the balance for the retail price of the carrier whichever is the larger. Upon us successfully receiving the funds from your payment card, your hire account will be closed and you will own the item(s). If this is unsuccessful, the item(s) continue to be our property and we will use
Free Stretchy Hire Scheme Deposit
If you are on the Free Stretchy Hire Scheme, your deposit will be offset against the outstanding fees when we take the Late Payment Collection above.
Hire fees are not refundable. If you return the carrier after the final payment has been taken, we will not refund the fees.
Care and Cleaning
General Care
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.
With hired Nappies, please check that any creams you are using on baby will not have a detrimental effect on the longevity of the nappy or its immediate absorbency. Please contact us if you are unsure.
Cleaning Carriers and accessories (Please see further instructions below for washing nappies)
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.
Drying
Should your carrier get wet, line drying is the safest option. Tumble-drying carriers can shorten their lives.
Cleaning Nappies (Outer and Inner)
When cleaning and drying your hired nappies, please refer to the instruction links supplied with your hire. The outer parts of the nappy can be washed as per the instructions for carriers above. Nappy inners however require an intensive wash cycle of at least 40 degrees and need thorough rinsing, you must use a washing powder that is non-biological as the enzymes can damage the natural fibres in the nappy. As with the carriers, YOU MUST NOT USE FABRIC CONDITIONER as this inhibits the absorption of excretions and can reduce the life of the nappy. More detailed information can be found on the website.
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.
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 charge your card for the outstanding hire fees, 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.
Ownership of the hired equipment.
All hired equipment remains the property of Sling Spot Ltd until we relinquish ownership either by an agreed sale to you or when we have received the final payment for an unreturned hired item after 56 days from the due date of the item(s).
Privacy Policy
We collect, use and process your data according to good practice as laid out by the GDPR Act. Our privacy policy can be seen here www.sheffieldslingsurgery.co.uk/privacy-cookies.
Updated 1st September 2023