Fish City Charters Booking & Charter Policies
These policies are designed to make booking with Fish City Charters clear and straightforward. They explain how bookings, payments, cancellations, rescheduling and weather-related changes are handled. By confirming a charter booking, customers acknowledge and agree to the applicable booking conditions set out below.
Booking Confirmation & Payment
A booking is confirmed once Fish City Charters has accepted the requested charter date and a 20% booking deposit has been paid.
The booking deposit secures the vessel, skipper and agreed charter date exclusively for the customer.
For bookings made more than 7 days before departure, the remaining balance must be paid in full no later than 7 days before the charter date.
For bookings made within 7 days of departure, full payment is required at the time the booking is confirmed.
Failure to make payment by the due date may result in the booking being released.
Customer Cancellation & Rescheduling
Fish City Charters understands that plans can change. However, once a charter is confirmed, the agreed date and time are reserved for that customer and may prevent Fish City Charters from accepting another booking.
For the purposes of this policy, a customer-requested change of charter date is treated in the same manner as a cancellation, subject to the rescheduling option below.
More than 14 days before departure
Where more than 14 days’ notice is provided, a customer may reschedule their charter once to another mutually available date without cancellation charge.
Where the customer chooses to cancel rather than reschedule, the booking deposit will be refunded in full.
Between 14 days and 48 hours before departure
Where a customer cancels or requests to reschedule between 14 days and 48 hours before the scheduled departure, 20% of the total charter price will be retained.
Any amount paid above that value will be refunded or, where agreed by Fish City Charters, applied toward a rescheduled charter.
Less than 48 hours before departure
Cancellations made within 48 hours of the scheduled charter will result in forfeiture of the full charter fee, reflecting the short notice and the reasonable loss associated with a charter date and vessel that have been reserved exclusively for that customer.
However, if Fish City Charters is able to secure and complete a replacement charter for the cancelled booking period, monies received may be refunded, less reasonable administration costs.
A request to reschedule within 48 hours of departure will be treated as a cancellation unless otherwise agreed by Fish City Charters under the Extenuating Circumstances provision below.
No-Show or Failure to Attend
Where a customer fails to attend a confirmed charter without prior notice, the full charter fee will be forfeited.
Extenuating Circumstances
Fish City Charters recognises that genuine emergencies and exceptional circumstances can occur.
Where a cancellation or rescheduling request results from genuine extenuating circumstances, Fish City Charters may, at its discretion and having regard to the individual circumstances, waive or reduce the applicable cancellation amount or offer an alternative charter date.
This provision does not create an automatic entitlement to a refund or rescheduling.
Weather & Safety Cancellations
The safety of our passengers and crew comes first. The decision as to whether a charter can safely proceed rests with Fish City Charters and will take into account the weather, sea conditions and other relevant safety considerations.
If Fish City Charters cancels a charter because of unsafe weather, sea conditions or other safety considerations, the customer may choose either a full refund of all charter payments made or rescheduling to another mutually suitable date without penalty.
Customers will not incur cancellation or rescheduling charges where Fish City Charters cancels the charter for these reasons.
Gift Certificate Bookings
Fish City Charters Gift Certificates may be used toward an eligible charter in accordance with our separate Gift Certificate Terms & Conditions.
Once a Gift Certificate is used to secure a confirmed charter date, the value applied to that booking is treated as payment toward the charter and the booking becomes subject to the same cancellation and rescheduling conditions as any other confirmed charter.
Where an amount becomes payable or is forfeited under the cancellation or rescheduling provisions of this policy, the corresponding amount may be deducted from the Gift Certificate value applied to the booking. Any value forfeited under these conditions is not restored by subsequently making another booking.
Where a cancellation occurs within 48 hours and Fish City Charters is able to secure and complete a replacement charter for the cancelled booking period, Gift Certificate value may be restored, less reasonable administration costs.
If the remaining Gift Certificate value is insufficient to cover a subsequent charter, the certificate holder must pay the difference.
Where Fish City Charters cancels a charter because of unsafe weather, sea conditions or other safety considerations, no Gift Certificate value will be forfeited, and the certificate holder may reschedule without penalty.
Australian Consumer Law
These booking conditions operate subject to the Australian Consumer Law.
Nothing in these policies is intended to exclude, restrict or modify any consumer guarantee, right or remedy that cannot lawfully be excluded, restricted or modified.