Platform Rules and Guidelines

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Our mission is to enable everyone to access enjoyable fishing experiences anywhere.

Building a successful online community relies on a positive two-way relationship between captains, guides, charter operators (known as Partners*) and their customers (known as Customers**). This requires a foundation of trust based on shared values and behaviors.

Because of this, we have certain expectations when it comes to both Partner and Customer behaviors and values. We’ve created these Platform Rules and Guidelines to outline the principles that represent an integral part of FishingBooker's Terms of Use for both our Partners and Customers alike.

* Partners are defined as the person, agency or company responsible for delivering and managing the fishing trip service rendered through FishingBooker.com.
** Customers are defined as the person, agency or company paying for services delivered by the Partner through FishingBooker.com.

Core Principles

Respect and professionalism

Whether you’re a FishingBooker Partner or Customer, you're expected to treat other Users and FishingBooker representatives with respect.

Likewise, all FishingBooker representatives will treat Partners and Customers with respect.

You should act professionally and in good faith when on the FishingBooker platform, and manage your business honestly and fairly. Rude or unprofessional behavior is not allowed and may lead to removal from the platform.

Compliance with the law

You’re expected to follow all local laws and regulations (including but not limited to fishing). Don’t engage in or promote any behavior that could bring harm to fellow Users.

We don’t tolerate any type of criminal activity, vandalism, or extortion. Any kind of illegal or dangerous activity may lead to the deactivation of your account.

Safety

The safety of our Customers, Partners, and representatives is of the utmost importance to us. Any type of illegal or dangerous activity may lead to the deactivation of your account.

Our Rules

No Discrimination Policy

FishingBooker supports equality, acceptance, and respect alongside our mutual passion for fishing. We expect you to follow the same principles that we stand for and to act with respect towards other Users.

Engaging in any type of discrimination based on race, color, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, disability, health, gender identity, political views, or marital status when on a fishing charter will not be tolerated and can lead to your removal from the platform.

We don’t tolerate the following behaviors:

• Any abuse, physical, sexual, or verbal, directed at any User or FishingBooker employee;
• Any type of extortion from one User to another;
• False reporting will not be tolerated. When reporting an incident that happened prior to, during, or after the trip, the User must provide FishingBooker with true and accurate information;
• Any misinformation, including identity misrepresentation. All information submitted to FishingBooker while creating a profile and/or verifying User identity must be true and accurate. Falsified or forged documents may result in your account being deactivated and removed from our platform.

The above behaviors may result in the removal of the Partner or Customer from FishingBooker, or the deactivation of your account.

We don’t allow the following content:

In order to make sure all Partners and Customers are treated with respect and have a positive experience on our platform, you should not share or produce:

• Content that is discriminatory to other Users;
• Content containing spam, or content that is shared repeatedly in a disruptive manner;
• Content that promotes illegal or harmful activity, or that is sexually explicit, violent, graphic, threatening, or harassing;
• Content or communication with the aim to impersonate another person or entity, including a FishingBooker employee;
• Content that is illegal or that violates another person or entity’s rights, including intellectual property rights and privacy rights;
• Content that includes another person’s private or confidential information;
• Content created for advertising purposes not related to the listing, any trolling (deliberately trying to offend, cause trouble, or directly attack people by posting derogatory comments), and other off-topic communication not in line with the Platform Rules and Guidelines;
• Any other content that is illegal or fraudulent.

Platform Guidelines

For our Partners

Our relationship with our Partners is very important to us. You’re considered a Partner if you list your charter or guide fishing services with FishingBooker. We want to make sure that all the information presented about you on our platform is accurate, and that your overall experience is as positive and smooth as possible.

In return, we ask that you follow our Platform Rules and Guidelines. We recognize the hard work our Partners do to make sure that Customers have an excellent experience out on the water, earning lifelong memories. We’ve outlined some General Expectations for Partners to ensure that Customers can keep making these memories for years to come.

General Expectations

You should:

• Present yourself and your business/service truthfully;
• Try your best to provide Customers with a service that accurately reflects or exceeds your listing descriptions;
• Respect your Customers and commit to trips booked through FishingBooker, even if you decide to leave the platform but have FishingBooker trips booked for future dates;
• Make sure your profile and listing(s) are up to date. This includes keeping your calendars updated, communicating with Customers in a timely manner, and effectively accepting, declining, canceling, or changing your bookings.

You shouldn’t:

• Use any form of communication to encourage Customers to book outside of FishingBooker, whether the Customer has already booked a trip or was intending to book a trip;
• Transfer trips that you cannot run to other Partners without our consent or knowledge. We know that sometimes last-minute issues occur (e.g. mechanical problems) and it’s tempting to pass your Customer to another Partner in order for them to avoid disappointment. However, it’s better to either reschedule your trip or confirm that the transfer is okay with the other Partner, the Customer, and FishingBooker before proceeding;
• Mislead potential Customers using false advertising, thereby providing Customers with a service that doesn’t match your listing’s description. For example, if you have multiple boats and a Customer has booked a trip on a specific vessel, the trip should not take place on a vessel that’s different from the one described or pictured in the listing;
• Ask for surprise payment requests that weren’t previously advertised or communicated about on the FishingBooker platform. For example, you shouldn’t request additional deposits to the ones paid through FishingBooker or charge for drinks if the listing says that drinks are included in the trip price;
• Share content without consent. Private or confidential details, photos, or videos of Customers should not be publicly posted unless the person in question has agreed to it;
• Use direct or indirect threats to coerce Customer behavior, e.g. to get a more favorable review.

Content Expectations

Your Account

You should only have one account for yourself and your business on FishingBooker. No duplicate accounts are allowed and you should use the same account even if you have multiple listings.

Your Listing

Your FishingBooker listing is the first impression that Customers will have of your business. It should contain all of the necessary information about your charter and business. In order to adequately set and meet Customer expectations, you should make sure your listing is accurate and personalized to advertise your service in the best possible way. The listing process covers the following categories:

Your Personal Profile

Your personal profile should accurately reflect the type of business you run. If you work alongside a first mate or additional crew members, make sure you select the relevant business type and include information about any additional crew members in your profile as well as your listing description. That way, Customers will have a good idea of who will be taking them fishing.

Your Vessel(s)

You should only have one listing per location, unless you have multiple vessels departing from the same location. Creating two listings with the same location and vessel counts as a duplication, which is not allowed.

Details of your vessel(s) should be truthful and accurate in regard to vessel length, size, capacity, condition, and construction/renovation year, and should match the details you have on your boat registration.

Your Amenities

All the amenities you offer should be included in your listing description. You should make sure you update your listing if and when there are any changes to the amenities you have.

It’s your responsibility to make sure that the amenities mentioned on your listing are available and operational at the time of the trip, such as toilet facilities, AC, fish finders, life jackets for children, fighting chairs, etc.

Your Trips

Make sure you list all the target fish and fishing techniques available, so that Customers can be aware of what your trips include and make informed decisions ahead of booking.

Make sure that the advertised trip pricing on your personal or business website matches the prices on your FishingBooker listing and vice versa.

Your Photos

All photos need to abide by FishingBooker’s Content Terms. Consider including fresh photos of your recent catch to set Customer expectations and update your photos regularly. You can also provide authorization for our Content team to add photos for you. Your photos shouldn’t include details such as your personal/business website or external phone numbers. If you upload photos that include this information on your listing, we reserve the right to edit the photos in order to remove visible contact information.

Your Videos

The photos and videos on your listing are the first impression of you that your Customers will have. To make sure they get a great first impression, we recommend:

• Making sure the sun is behind your back when recording. Harsh, direct light casts dark shadows on your subject, hides details, and dilutes colors. On the contrary, when the sun is behind you, you get to see all the incredible details on your catch and your clients’ smiling faces.
• Making sure your lens is clean. A dirty lens leads to a blurry photo. Customers are twice as likely to book with you if you’ve got great video footage on your listing.
• Choosing your timing well. Make sure you’re filming when the action takes place and don’t cut out early. Customers will want to get a good look at the fish you reeled in.

Each video that is uploaded on FishingBooker needs to meet certain specifications. Your video should:

• Be at least 30 seconds long;
• Be no larger than 1 gigabyte in size;
• Have a resolution of at least 720 x 720 pixels.

Your Reviews

If you’re new to our platform, we recommend requesting reviews from previous customers who used your service outside the FishingBooker platform, in order to initially build your online reputation. These reviews are not labeled as verified, which only refers to those submitted by FishingBooker Customers.

You should not send unverified review invites to friends or family members who have either fished privately with you, i.e. not through booking or paying for a trip, or have never fished with you.

You are not allowed to accept fake reservations in exchange for positive reviews, e.g. you should not accept a booking from a friend with the intention of not running the trip just so that they can leave a verified review.

If you receive a review that you’re not happy with, you should use the opportunity to respond to the review and explain the situation from your perspective. That way, future Customers will be able to see your point of view.

Your Reports

Reports help you gain exposure, improve your online reputation, and let readers know what is biting, which contributes towards setting realistic Customer expectations. All information included in your report, such as what fish are biting and when the best time to come fishing is, should accurately reflect your experiences.

Guidelines for Communicating with Customers

You should communicate with your Customers through the FishingBooker platform. This ensures privacy and safety for both yourself and your potential Customers, as well as providing us with a record of all communication in the case of cancellations or disputed incidents after a trip has taken place.

General Expectations

Partners are expected to communicate with Customers with respect, respond quickly to their requests, and provide informative responses concerning the Customer’s inquiry.

Please do not communicate with Customers outside of FishingBooker once a booking has been confirmed in order to exchange contact details for personal gain, e.g. to rearrange the trip privately to avoid paying the commission. The commission we receive from each booking allows us to provide support to Partners and Customers, as well as helping you reach a wider audience of Customers via free marketing, which is not free for us.

We monitor communications that occur on our platform for security, fraud prevention, and platform abuse purposes. We review flagged conversations and assess whether there are indicators of attempts to redirect Customers off-platform, including sharing contact details, arranging direct payments, or otherwise circumventing FishingBooker’s booking process. Cases are evaluated based on the frequency, intent, and severity of the behavior, as well as whether there is a repeated pattern or prior history of similar conduct.

Once the system detects a message that breaches our policies, you will be notified immediately.

Depending on the circumstances, actions may range from an initial warning and educational outreach, to inquiry and booking restrictions or temporary limitations, and, in more serious or repeated cases, removal from the platform. The objective is to protect the integrity of the marketplace while maintaining fair and professional relationships with Partners.

Be aware that these consequences may also affect access to other features, such as FishingBooker Direct, which requires maintaining an active FishingBooker account.

Additionally, do not communicate private information like your payment details outside of FishingBooker's Instant Messaging platform. We can't guarantee safety when you share this information externally.

Before Booking Confirmation

If you want to contact a Customer before confirming their booking, you should communicate with them through Instant Messaging. All external details will be anonymized. Any messages containing an email address, phone number (written or numerical), location, or physical address will be declined by our system before you accept the booking.

After Booking Confirmation

Once you confirm a booking, you can contact the Customer through Instant Messaging or directly by phone or by email.

In order to protect your privacy, our system may assign you an anonymized number once you confirm a booking with a Customer. This number will remain active until the booking has taken place and allows you to directly contact the Customer. Read more about why we anonymize phone numbers.

Suggested Behaviors and Professional Conduct

At FishingBooker, our intention is to work with Partners who possess specific values and characteristics that help create positive experiences for Customers. In order to uphold these high standards, we ask that you follow these expected behaviors when working alongside us.

You should:

• Be punctual, reliable, well prepared, and organized. Communicate trip departure times reliably, as well as the pick-up location or meeting point;
• Abide by the relevant legal requirements when it comes to running your business, such as possessing the necessary licenses/accreditations and maintaining and accurately advertising your licenses and credentials without overrepresentation;
• Advertise trips in a way that sets proper expectations for your Customers.

You should not:

• Be involved in serious and/or unresolved criminal charges, professional complaints/claims, civil actions, or financial claims including proposals to creditors or family support arrears;
• Partake in any type of abusive behavior;
• Partake in illegal substances.

Behaviors that are not in line with FishingBooker’s Policies and Terms of Use may result in the following:

• Deactivation of your account;
• Pausing your listing from getting bookings;
• Your ranking being temporarily reduced;
• Removal of any content containing offensive or discriminatory language, misleading or false information, or any other information not in accordance with FishingBooker’s Content Terms.

For our Customers

At FishingBooker, one of our main goals is to make sure that you have a fantastic experience on the trip of your choice, creating lifelong positive memories.

In return, we ask that you treat captains with respect by following our Platform Rules and Guidelines. We’ve outlined some expectations that we ask all of our Customers to take a look at and adhere to. That way, you can keep booking trips and making memories out on the water for years to come.

We monitor communications on our platform for security, fraud prevention, and policy compliance purposes. If our systems detect messages that may violate our policies, they may be reviewed by our team and we may act upon them.

Please also do not attempt to avoid the platform or accommodate requests from captains to do so. FishingBooker works hard to provide a safe, secure, and reliable experience for everyone, and in order for us to continue operating and protecting both Customers and captains, all bookings, payments, and communication related to trips must remain on the platform.

Customer Expectations

General

You are expected to present information about yourself and your party truthfully. If you don’t, Partners are allowed to refuse service.

Before the trip

You should:

• Review your chosen charter operator’s Listing Policies. You can find these on your chosen charter’s listing or in your trip confirmation email;
• Familiarize yourself with the description of your preferred listing, primarily details such as the amenities available, the specifics of the trip, target species, and the charter operator;
• Read previous reviews about the charter operator in order to familiarize yourself with their service;
• Discuss all important details of the trip and open questions with the charter operator via our Instant Messaging service. You can find more information about contacting them here;
• Wear adequate clothes, bring sun protection, an extra bottle of water, headgear, and adequate shoes.

You can check out more information on how to prepare for your trip here.

During the trip

When you’re out on the water, it’s important to remember that your charter operator is in charge. Make sure you listen to their advice and follow the rules they set out before and during the trip.
Additionally, you should:

• Bear in mind that the overall experience of the trip largely depends on the weather and fishing conditions, and that some discrepancies with the listing’s description are possible because of this;
• Behave in such a way that no other passenger’s safety is put in any kind of danger;
• Always inform the charter operator if you have a certain condition that may impact the trip, such as previous or existing physical injuries;
• Be truthful about your previous fishing experience and your level of fishing skills. This will help the charter operator cater the experience to your needs;
• Be aware that fishing includes risks that cannot be separated from the experience itself (e.g. slipping on a deck, accidentally hitting someone with the rod, etc.);
• Not partake in illegal substances or be inebriated during or prior to the trip.

After the trip

You should:

• Pay for the trip right before departing the dock or at the end of the trip, depending on the charter operator’s choice, if payment was not completed prior to the trip. Tipping the charter operator and/or mate(s) is expected, as tips are not included in the price of the trip paid through FishingBooker;
• Leave an honest and informative review about your experience during the trip. Even if the trip didn’t fully meet your expectations, it’s valuable to point that out in your review so that charter operators know how to improve their service;
• Inform our support team in case the trip did not match the description of the trip you booked.

We don’t tolerate the following:

• Friendly Fraud chargebacks: Customers must not attempt to misuse or make false dispute/chargeback claims to obtain a refund;
• Any type of extortion. You should not use direct or indirect threats, such as threatening to post a negative review, in order to force an intended outcome, e.g. a reimbursement from your charter operator or FishingBooker;
• Communicating outside of FishingBooker in order to cancel trips and negotiate a better price directly with the charter operator;
• Disrespect towards other Users and FishingBooker employees;
• Abusing the Partner's cancellation policy.

The above behaviors may result in cancellation of your booking, removal from FishingBooker, and the deactivation of your account.

How Reviews Work

Our Policy

Giving you the opportunity to be honest about your experiences with FishingBooker and your chosen charter operator is a big part of running a reliable and successful platform for fishing trips. We expect reviews on FishingBooker to be helpful, informative, trustworthy, and truthful, and to not include any false or harmful information. We ask that you only submit honest and informative reviews about your experience during your trip.

You can only leave one review per trip, and the charter operator can respond to your review only once. Any reviews you submit need to meet the following guidelines:

1. They must not contain any false information, and must not be used for extortion purposes to manipulate a desired outcome, e.g. to receive compensation.
2. They should include detailed information about your experience during your trip, so future Customers can learn about the charter operator and their business.
3. They should be relevant and describe the charter experience, rather than other topics not connected to the trip.
4. They must be in line with FishingBooker’s Policies and Terms of Use.

To make sure your reviews are useful to other Customers, you should avoid the following:

• Content that refers to circumstances entirely outside of your charter operator’s control;
• Comments about a charter operator’s social, political, or religious views;
• Any information containing profanity, name-calling, and assumptions about a person’s character, habits, or personality;
• Marketing materials, and content about services not related to FishingBooker.

If a review violates our Policy, we may edit or remove the review from our platform. Repeated violations may lead to suspension or removal from our platform.

Reviews requiring supporting evidence

If you make a certain claim in your review about a charter operator’s behavior, especially regarding alleged unlawful behavior, you must present FishingBooker with proof. Otherwise, the review may be removed.

Reviews that violate our Terms and Policy

If a charter operator is dissatisfied with your review, they may inform us about it. In this case, we may investigate if the review is against our Policies and Terms of Use.