Terms & Conditions for Lonely Pets Club (LPC)

Please note that the Terms and Conditions below are current and supersede the corresponding Terms and Conditions appearing on our Registration Forms.

Booking Conditions and Payment Terms

• All bookings, cancellations, date changes and refund queries are to be made through head office on 1300 283 353 (1300 CUDDLE) during business hours.
• No bookings, booking changes or monies will be accepted by Lonely Pets Club Carers.
• Full payment for all bookings is required at the time of making the booking. Only once full payment has been received by Lonely Pets Club and a confirmation email has been received by the client, is the booking confirmed.
• Unless otherwise requested by the Member, credit card details will be kept securely on file.
• For our regular dog walking service, the first 7 visits are payable in advance. After this, we will invoice you monthly in arrears. The credit card supplied at the time of your booking will be debited no earlier than 7 days after invoice date, for your previous month's dog walking.
• Before your first booking starts, a Lonely Pets Club carer will visit your home to introduce him/herself, meet your pets, obtain all relevant job details and collect any keys required. This "Initial Visit" is included in your Membership Fee. If any subsequent visits are required (to collect/drop off keys or to meet a new LPC Carer), then an Extra Visit must be purchased.
• As part of the booking process, Lonely Pets Club will email you a confirmation of your booking details. It is your responsibility to check that the booking details are correct and to let us know if they are not. If you are unable to provide Lonely Pets Club with an email address, or if you do not let us know if the details are incorrect, Lonely Pets Club will not be responsible for any errors which may occur.
• Lonely Pets Club recommends at least one pet care visit each day while you are away. If you have not booked at least one visit per day (eg you have selected alternate day visits), you acknowledge that there is an increased likelihood of:
  • Your pets' water supplies running out or becoming dirty.
  • Food supplies running out in between visits.
  • Kitty litter trays becoming more soiled than usual.
  • Your pets showing signs of stress.
  • External factors affecting your property/premises/pets which are out of Lonely Pets Club's control.
• Our minimum callout is 30 minutes (excluding Drop Ins, which are 'up to 30 minutes'). This time begins when we arrive at your property/house. For Walkies visits, it is a 30 minute service, not a 30 minute walk. Any time spent gaining access to your property/house or putting a lead/harness on your dog/s, is included in this 30 minute timeframe.
• Surcharges will apply if Lonely Pets Club is required to purchase pet supplies on your behalf. In such instances, a Shopping Surcharge will be added to your booking (refer Pricelist). This covers up to 30 minutes of your Carer's time and petrol in shopping on your behalf. In addition, you will be charged 33% on top of the value of the pet supplies purchase price. This additional 33% is in place to ensure Carers aren't negatively affected tax wise, nor income wise as a result of paying for your pet supplies. To avoid having to pay this additional 33%, please leave cash out for your Carer, should you think your pet supplies may run out during your booking.
• Lonely Pets Club reserves the right to turn down any booking (with full refund) when we feel our service is unsuitable. Possible reasons are to protect the safety of our carers if an animal appears to be aggressive, or if we are concerned for the animal's welfare due to its living conditions.

  For guidelines on suitable living conditions for your pet, please visit the RSPCA's website www.rspca.org.au and see their Animals Charter.

Membership

• All Membership payments are non refundable.
• Membership payment does not guarantee that Lonely Pets Club will always be able to accept your booking requests. Lonely Pets Club reserves the right to turn down any booking.

Payment Options

• Master Card, Visa: Phone 1300 CUDDLE / 1300 283 353.
• Cheque or money order mailed to Lonely Pets Club, 28 Victoria Street, Berry NSW 2535.
• Direct Credit- Commonweath Bank: BSB# 063 111 ACC# 1049 1654. Please include your booking number in the transaction and keep a copy of your receipt.

Booking Cancellations

• Outside peak periods, all bookings have a cancellation fee of $25 or 10%, whichever is the greater. (See below for Peak Periods.)
• Regular dog walking bookings incur a booking cancellation fee of $25, if cancelled before 7 walks have occurred. There is no cancellation fee for regular dog walking after the first 7 walks have occurred.
• Upon your notification to cease your dog walking, we will debit your supplied credit card to finalise any unpaid dog walks.

Booking Date Changes

• Can be made as needed, subject to Carer availability.

Pet Walking Policy

• The Alternative Restraint/Off Lead Agreement option appearing on our Registration Forms now reads: "I understand that LPC prefers all pet walking to be on lead using a Lonely Pets Club approved and supplied restraint." Lonely Pets Club does not promote the use of correction chains.

Peak Period Bookings

Christmas - 20th December to 31st January

• There is a minimum booking charge of $100 (excluding Membership Fee if applicable) for all bookings with two or more dates falling within the Christmas period.
• Full payment is required at the time of booking.
• Cancellations and date changes - All monies will be forfeited on any cancellations or date changes made during the peak period to visits falling within the Christmas peak period. A $50 cancellation fee, or 10% of total booking price for bookings over $500, applies to all Christmas peak season bookings cancelled on or before 14 December.
• Peak period surcharge applies to every visit falling within the Christmas peak periods, except for regular clients holding an ongoing booking.
• No discounted rates apply, except for regular clients holding an ongoing booking.
• All peak period bookings must be for at least one visit per day - for example, no alternate day bookings will be accepted. Regular clients holding an ongoing booking are an exception to this rule.
• Christmas Day itself is a short feeding and watering service only with no dog walking.

Easter - dates differ each year, please refer to LPC office

• Full payment is required at time of booking.
• Cancellations and date changes - A $50 cancellation fee (or full booking value if booking value is less than $50) applies to any cancelled Easter booking.
• All money will be forfeited on any date changes made to visits falling within the Easter peak period.
• No discounted rates apply, except for regular clients holding an ongoing booking.
• Peak period surcharge applies to every visit falling within the Easter peak period, except for regular clients holding an ongoing booking.
• On Public Holidays, only public holiday surcharges apply and peak period surcharges are not applied.

Other Peak Periods (surrounding public holidays - see 'Our Services' page for details)

• Standard cancellation fee and terms apply.

Travel Surcharges

• May apply to bookings accepted outside a carer’s area, when agreed to by the client.

Unforeseen Circumstances

While every effort is made to ensure that the same LPC Carer is responsible for your entire booking, occasions may arise whereby another LPC Carer is called upon to care for your pets. This may be due to, but not limited to, sickness, injury, transportation or logistical reasons. A change in Carer is made at Lonely Pets Club's discretion and may occur without notice.

Pet Tag System

Lonely Pets Club provides a free, unique pet tag ID system, with each and every client booking confirmation email. This can enable LPC to quickly and easily identify any pet found to be at large and assists us in being able to return your pet/s safely to you. This will not only give you greater peace of mind, but could also save you money from having to retrieve your pet/s from the pound. Please understand that if our office is unattended (eg weekends, public holidays and after normal working hours), there will be a delay in us being able to identify any lost pets.

'Free Visit' Vouchers or Promotions

Any 'Free Visit' voucher or promotion is for a 30 minute, non public holiday, non peak period visit. When different priced visits are booked for a single booking, the free visit will be for the lowest price visit.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, AUTHORIZATIONS AND REPRESENTATIONS

1. You are the owner of the pet/s appearing on your booking confirmation and you are the owner or legal occupant of the property at which the pet/s is/are housed. 2. You have fully disclosed to LPC all relevant details as to emergency contacts, veterinary contacts, the pet/s’ vices, likes and dislikes, behavioural issues, health and medical information sufficient to enable LPC to provide a high standard of care being that of a caring and prudent pet owner. (Verbal discussions with Carer at any stage, do not form part of the contract unless content appears on your Booking Confirmation). You authorize LPC to deal with any unforeseen or emergency circumstances using its own discretion at your expense (and without reference to you where you have failed to provide LPC with effective emergency and/or veterinary contact details), including temporary relocation of your pet/s if considered prudent. 3. The pet/s does/do not have any disease or health condition which may be transmittable. 4. You acknowledge that certain pets, in some situations, can become stressed, due to your absence. LPC will not be responsible for any property damage that may occur whatsoever, due to the way your pet/s may react to this stress. You also accept that pet excrement may go undetected if it is located in an area of your house/ property, which is not immediately obvious. 5. You acknowledge that unforeseen circumstances may arise which may, in the interest of your pet/s’ well being, cause additional time to be spent and expenses incurred by LPC attending to such issues. 6. You hereby authorize LPC to obtain veterinary advice or treatment from your nominated vet or if not readily available, an alternative vet for your pet/s, at your expense, if considered necessary or prudent by LPC. 7. You hereby authorize LPC to gain access to your property for the purposes specified in this contract and if considered necessary by LPC for the well being of your pet/s to employ a locksmith at your expense, to gain access. 8. You acknowledge that LPC is not responsible for the security of the premises or for any loss or damage resulting from inadequate, breached or failed security. 9. You acknowledge that LPC reserves the right to decline your booking, or withdraw its service (at any stage), if in the opinion of LPC, inadequate provisions are made by you for the health, safety and maintenance of your pet/s, or circumstances exist which may cause any safety risk to LPC Carers. In the case of service being withdrawn after commencement, you acknowledge that following notification to either you or your nominated emergency contact and the refund of any unexpended monies paid, responsibility for the care of your pet/s reverts to you or your nominated (non veterinary) emergency contact. 10. You acknowledge that these conditions are subject to change and that you have read and accepted the current and updated terms and conditions which appear on our website www.lonelypetsclub.com.au. 11. You acknowledge that every time you use the services of LPC in the future, the terms and conditions appearing on the website at that time must be read and acknowledged together with the terms contained in the registration form and booking confirmation as forming the contract between you and LPC, provided that in the event of any inconsistency in the contents of such documents, these terms and conditions shall prevail. 12. You acknowledge that due to LPC operational reasons or for any unforeseen circumstances, occasions may arise whereby LPC cannot strictly adhere to ‘time specific’ requests. It is Lonely Pets Club usual policy to not offer time specific visits that are more defined than simply AM or PM. Should Lonely Pets Club agree to and accept a time specific visit request, additional charges will apply and these additional charges will be included in any supplied quote. Acceptance of a time specific request and subsequent payment do not guarantee a time specific visit. However Lonely Pets Club will fully refund all time specific surcharges paid, should that visit not occur within a 30 minute window of the agreed time specific request. 13. You acknowledge that a change in LPC Carer may occur without notice and is done so at the discretion of LPC management. 14. You hereby authorize LPC to pay an amount up to $500.00 (in addition to the agreed pet care rates) from your credit card facility towards any necessary Veterinary, Locksmith, Pound retrieval or animal supplies expenses, as they are incurred, in accordance with this contract. 15. You acknowledge that you are liable for all locksmith expenses incurred at your property unless caused by LPC having lost your keys. RESPONSIBILITIES AND INDEMNITIES You accept responsibility for and fully indemnify LPC, its employees, carers, agents and contractors against any claim whatsoever arising from or in relation to: 16. Providing a secure, safe and healthy environment for your pet/s to live in with adequate provision of shelter from the elements, food appropriately stored, water supply, stable and ample feeding dishes and medication for the time you are away. 17. Providing a safe working environment for LPC Carers. 18. Providing LPC with appropriate keys, access information, vet contact details and emergency contact details for every LPC booking. 19. The accuracy and sufficiency of information provided by you on the registration form and/or booking confirmation. 20. LPC’s management and control of your pet/s. 21. Any injury to any animal (including your pet/s) or person or damage to property during the time or arising out of the time that LPC has the care of your pet/s, whether or not LPC is gaining access to or departing from the premises, during the actual visiting times or otherwise on the days specified in the contract. 22. Any liability incurred by LPC or its Carers under the provisions of the Domestic (feral and nuisance) Animals Act or any other State, Federal, or Local Government legislation in relation to the ownership or control of your pet/s. 23. Additional expenses incurred on your behalf and payable on request to Veterinary Surgeons, Locksmiths and Animal Pounds in accordance with this contract including but not limited to the amount of $500.00 authorized for credit card payment on the registration form. 24. Payment of charges specified by LPC at the time of confirmation of your booking, together with additional charges, payable on request, for time spent by LPC and expenses incurred attending to unforeseen or emergency circumstances or otherwise in accordance with this contract. 25. Force Majeure. If Lonely Pets Club (LPC) is unable at any time to perform any of its obligations whether wholly or partly by reason of any cause beyond its control (including without limitation, acts of God, inclement weather, strikes, lockouts, fires, riots, civil commotion or unrest, interference by civil or military authorities or act of war) LPC may give written notice to that effect to you, giving full particulars of such force majeure. In such instances LPC will liaise with you and/or your supplied Emergency Contact directly to determine if a workable solution can be found. If no workable solution can be found, the responsibility for the care of the pets reverts back to you or your nominated Emergency contact. LPC services will then be suspended during the Term of the force majeure and all monies received for the services which could not be provided will be refunded.