Terms and Conditions

By placing an order with Hills Shire Hire you are entering a legally binding contract between yourself and Hills Shire Hire. Please ensure that you read all of the below Terms & Conditions carefully before looking to hire from Hills Shire Hire. By accessing and hiring from Hills Shire Hire, you agree to follow all of our terms and conditions. 

Hills Shire Hire’s Commitment to you:

We will deliver the product that you have ordered including the correct size, colour, and style on or before the date you have specified for delivery on your order. Except where we have indicated to you that your request for this is not possible or guaranteed and therefore your order has been amended. 

Garment Condition:

Hills Shire Hire prides themselves on quality cared for dresses, however as we hire our dresses frequently, there needs to be an expectation that the garment may not be in brand new condition. Some items may have general signs of wear, however we would never hire out a garment damaged beyond wear to you. If we are hiring the dress out to you, it is deemed as wearable and we will not consider refunds should you choose to disagree. Please note, we take photos of our garments prior to hiring them out to you so the condition of the garment must not and should not be argued however, should you have concerns with the condition of your garment, you must communicate your concerns within the same day of receiving your hire and we will respond accordingly. 

All of our hire items are ALWAYS appropriately cleaned prior to renting them out to you, so there will be no discussion that the item is unwashed or dirty. Please note, we pride ourselves in cleanliness, however potential smells due to washing materials, room scents, packaging, shipping etc. are unable to be avoided. 

Ownership of Rental Items:

By renting through Hills Shire Hire you acknowledge that all ownership of the items rented, is and remains with Hills Shire Hire at all times. In the event that the item is not returned, the renter (you) will be responsible for paying 150% of the full RRP of the clothing item. Failure to do so will result in authorities being notified.

Try On Service: 

Hills Shire Hire offers a try on service to potential renters willing to travel to our home based studio in Castle Hill. This service is offered by pre-booked appointments only and will incur a $20 non-refundable fee. 

As stated upon booking a try on, we can never guarantee a particular outfit will be available to try on, as we are a dress hire business and must prioritise last minute hires over try ons. 

Note - Once your try on has been booked, you will receive TWO emails from us. If you do not receive a secondary email from us titled ‘Booking Information’ with details about your try on and our address, be sure to check your junk/spam and reach out to us. If you do not flag with us that you have not received the information, we will assume you have all the necessary information to attend.

Hire Period:

All hires are considered to be a 4 day hire period unless otherwise arranged. 

To arrange an extended hire, please contact Hills Shire Hire to arrange a quote. 

Local Hire Pick Up and Returns:

All pick up orders will be picked up from Castle Hill. The pick up address will be sent to the renter via email once the try on/rental period is secured. 

The hire garment will be in a white garment bag hanging near the door, with your name attached. 

All hires must be returned in the bag and hanger to the original location in which collected by the specific date provided (typically a 4 day hire period unless otherwise discussed). Should it not be returned in its original bag and hanger, a fee will be charged. The hired item must be returned to the original pick up address by 8pm on the specified date to avoid any late fees. The lender is required to take a photo of the hire garment at the returned address to notify Hills Shire Hire of the return. Be aware, if you choose to post the hire back you will be charged accordingly as this will delay our next hire. 

Online Hires:

Hills Shire Hire requires a minimum of 3 full business days notice to allow for express postage time, however, the earlier is always better. It is also recommended that you select your hire date as the date you would like your item to arrive. Ideally, the day prior to your event and no more than two days before the event. 

All postage orders will be express posted to you in time for the beginning of your hire period. The tracking number will be provided to you via email. 

Please keep in mind, there may be creasing, package damages and/or water damage during the postage process and this is unavoidable. If something like this occurs, please notify us via email and we will liaise to the shipping company where appropriate.  

Online Hire Delivery:

Delivery is offered Australia wide and the shipping method will be the choice of Hills Shire Hire. You will receive a tracking number via email from Hills Shire Hire once the item has been shipped. Please note that once delivery has been made to your nominated address you will bear all responsibility for the product until it arrives back to us. 

All postage orders will be express posted to you in time for the beginning of your hire period. However, we do recommend booking the hire garment at least 1 day in advance to accommodate for any Australia Post delays.

WARNING: If you are unavailable to sign for this delivery it may be taken back to the post office for collection by you. It is your responsibility to be available for delivery of your item/s or collection of your item when you have not been available. Your rental period starts from the time the courier attempted first delivery and credits will not be issued for late delivery where you have not been available to accept delivery. 

Online Hire Return:

With the delivery of your hire, pre-paid return packaging will be provided. If you lose your return packaging it is your responsibility to return the garment via an Australian Post Express Post satchel to Hills Shire Hire. You must then provide tracking details to hillsshirehire@gmail.com in order to avoid late fee charges.

Please ensure that you place your dress inside the original packaging and place the return label over the old label and return your parcel to your local Australia Post office by 4pm on the last day of your rental. If you enter an Australian Post Store and scan the parcel over the counter to receive proof of lodgement, then the article will be deemed as returned, BUT, if you choose to return your dress via an Australian post box THIS IS AT YOUR OWN RISK as the dress is not scanned and may become lost which will result in the renter (you) being responsible for the loss!!

If an item is lost by Australia Post, then there will be no fees charged to you. This is why it is important that you return the item by posting it over-the-counter at an Australia Post office. By doing this, the item will be scanned and there will be a record of you posting the item in their tracking system. This will not happen when you put it into a street post box, as a system record won't be created until it reaches a scanning depot, and there will be no evidence of you having posted the item, meaning you would be liable for the loss.

Late Fees: 

Failure to return the dress to its picked up location (Castle Hill) or provide proof of express postage by the given return date will result in the renter (you) being charged a late fee of $20 per day. Your original order confirmation receipt will advise you of the date you will need to return the garment by, so be aware of this in order to avoid payment of late fee(s). 

If you have not returned the garment within 7 days after the end of the hire period, we will consider the garment not returned. In this instance, we have a right to charge you, and you will pay up to 150% of the original RRP. 

Payment:

All payments are to be made online or via bank transfer and are non refundable. Please note that bookings are only confirmed once payment has been received.

In the event that additional charges need to be made as outlined in this agreement (such as damages, theft or late return fees) the fees will be deducted from your original payment method. By hiring with Hills Shire Hire, you agree that we shall charge you and that you shall pay for the price of repairing or replacing the product, as determined by Hills Shire Hire. If payment is not processed, Hills Shire Hire will provide you with an invoice for the fees which you agree to pay within 5 business days. 

Hills Shire Hire reserves the right to take all steps necessary to recoup any amounts owing as per this agreement, including the use of debt collection agencies and taking legal action. This may increase the amount owed by the customer, to cover the costs of these services. Hills Shire Hire also reserves the right to terminate your right to rent products from us at any time at our own discretion should you breach any of these terms and conditions or for any other reason. 

Refundable Bond Payment:

Hills Shire Hire requires a bond payment for each garment hired as a means of protection against damages or theft. 

Once your outfit is returned back to Hills Shire Hire in its original condition, HSH will process the return of your bond payment within 3 business days. Please note, that the bond payment may take up to 7 days to return back to your original payment method.  

In the unfortunate event that Hills Shire Hire needs to utilise your bond payment to cover cleaning or damage costs of the outfit, we will correspond with you accordingly. 

Cancellation Policy:

All hire bookings are non-refundable and have a 100% cancellation fee. In exceptional circumstances we will consider a cancellation outside the allowances above, but reserve the right to decide. 

Please keep in mind, if your event is cancelled or you hire an item but you do not wear it during the hire period, no refund will be provided. We offer try ons so we do not accomodate for refunds where the dress does not suit/fit you. 

No refunds or credit will be offered once the hired item has been posted, unless the item arrives too late for you to wear to your planned event. In this case, as long as you placed the hire more than 5 business days before postage then you will be entitled to a full refund or credit note. However, if your hire is considered a “last minute order” meaning you placed the order within the past 5 business days, then you will have the option of a 50% credit note only - minus the postage fees. You will be advised when securing your order if your order is considered last minute.

Cancellations by Hills Shire Hire: 

Hills Shire Hire is consistently committed to providing you with designer hires, however external barriers may sometimes prevent us from fulfilling this commitment. With this, Hills Shire Hire reserves the right to cancel your booking, for any reason. The compensation to you will be limited to the amount you paid to Hills Shire Hire for the booking and postage. Hills Shire Hire will not be responsible for any consequential damages that result from cancellation of the booking.

Reasons The Hills Shire Hire may cancel your booking include, but are not limited to:

  • The item is damaged, lost or stolen by a customer that has rented the item prior to you.
  • It is deemed that it is not possible to deliver the item to you in time for your booking, due to previous late return by a customer, or for any other reason, such as postage network delays (particularly during periods of COVID-19 restrictions).
  • Cleaning:

    You agree that under NO circumstances will you attempt to clean the rental item(s) yourself or have them cleaned by anyone else. However, please communicate with us if there are any damages or stains. 

    Hills Shire Hire understands that minor stains may happen. If the minor stains do not come out with a regular wash, then a dry cleaning fee will be charged. This charge will be taken from your bond payment. In the case that the dress is irreparable, the renter (you) will be responsible for paying 150% of the full retail value of the clothing item. 

    In hiring Hills Shire Hire’s products you agree to treat the products like you would your own, with the utmost of care. You will not attempt to fit into a dress that is too small for you, you will not try and zip up a dress that is too tight and therefore damage the zip. You are responsible for any damage to the dress due to major stains, breakages, loss, fire or theft. 

    Damage or Loss: 

    You are responsible for the loss or damage of the garment. You must not alter any garment to fit and must return the garment in the same condition it was received. 

    If an item is damaged and is not covered by minor repairs such as sewing, you will be liable for for paying 150% of the full retail value of the clothing item to ensure it can be replaced. 

    If you have lost or not returned an item, you will be liable to pay, and you will pay, for up to 150% of the RRP of the item. The items available for rent at Hills Shire Hire are often sold out in all retail stores. This, along with the loss of earning from future rentals is why we charge up to 150% of the RRP for lost and unreturned items. 

    Governing Law: 

    These terms and conditions and any separate agreements whereby Hills Shire Hire provides you services shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws. 

    Limitation of Liability: 

    By accepting these terms and conditions, you are agreeing that Hills Shire Hire will not be liable for any loss, damage, costs or expenses of an indirect or consequential nature incurred or suffered by you as a result of:

  • Cancellation of a rental booking
  • Late delivery of a rental item
  • Non-delivery of a rental item
  • An issue with the quality of a delivered rental item 
  • This includes but is not limited to economic loss, loss of goodwill, emotional suffering, loss of opportunity or other loss of turnover, profits or business. Hills Shire Hire's liability will be limited to any amount paid by the customer to Hills Shire Hire.