Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms; Modifications.

These Terms of Service (the “Terms”) are a binding legal agreement between you and Bondly, a sole proprietorship (eenmanszaak) registered with the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (Kamer van Koophandel) under number 89320476, trading as Bondly Pet Care, with its address at Blaak, 3011 XP Rotterdam, the Netherlands (“Bondly,” “we,” “us” and “our”). The Terms govern your use of our mobile applications (the “App”), our website at https://bondlypets.com (the “Site”), and our related services that allow pet owners and pet carers to find each other, communicate, and arrange pet care services (together, the “Bondly Service”). Our Privacy Policy explains how we use your personal data.

By ticking the box during the account sign-up process, or by using the Bondly Service, you accept these Terms. If you do not agree with these Terms, you may not use the Bondly Service. You can read these Terms at any time in the App under Settings and on the Site.

We may change or add features of the Bondly Service. We will inform you of important changes to these Terms, including changes to fees, at least 30 days before they take effect, and ask you to accept them. If you do not agree, you may delete your account before the changes apply. Changes never affect Bookings that are already confirmed.

2. The Bondly Service.

2.1 Nature of the Bondly Service. The Bondly Service is an online platform that pet owners (“Owners”) and pet carers (“Carers”) use to find and communicate with each other and to arrange dog walking and pet sitting, during the day or overnight, at the Owner’s home or at the Carer’s home (“Pet Care Services”). The Bondly Service is currently available in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Owners post requests, Carers apply, and the Owner chooses which Carer to book (a “Booking”).

2.2 Bondly does not provide Pet Care Services. When an Owner books a Carer, the agreement for the Pet Care Services is concluded between the Owner and the Carer (the “Care Agreement”). Bondly is not a party to the Care Agreement and does not provide Pet Care Services itself. Bondly’s own service consists of operating the platform: matching, chat, payments, support and enforcing these Terms.

2.3 Carers are private individuals. Carers offer Pet Care Services as private individuals and not as businesses. Carers are not employees of Bondly. They decide which requests to apply for, when they work and what they charge. Because Carers are private individuals, EU consumer protection law does not apply to the Care Agreement. It does apply to Bondly’s own service to Owners.

2.4 Verification. Before a Carer can apply to requests, a member of the Bondly team checks the Carer’s identity document and reviews the Carer’s profile, and the Carer completes Bondly’s training for each service. We do not check criminal records and cannot guarantee how a Carer behaves. Owners should use profiles, reviews and the free meet and greet to make their choice.

2.5 Ranking. We sort the Carers who apply to a request by distance to the pet, rating and number of completed Bookings. Carers cannot pay to rank higher.

2.6 AI booking assistant. The App includes an AI assistant that can help Owners write a request and suggest Carers. The assistant can make mistakes. Check all details before you confirm. Nothing is booked or paid until you confirm it yourself. What you type to the assistant is processed by our AI provider, OpenAI, on our behalf, as described in our Privacy Policy. Do not share sensitive information that is not needed.

2.7 Availability. We work to keep the Bondly Service available, but we cannot promise that it will always work without interruptions or errors.

3. Eligibility and Accounts.

3.1 Age. You must be at least 18 years old to use the Bondly Service.

3.2 Registration. You can sign up with email, Google or Apple. You must provide correct and complete information and keep it up to date.

3.3 One account. Each person may have one account. You may not share your account or create a second account, including after a suspension.

3.4 Security. You are responsible for keeping your login details safe. Tell us immediately if someone else uses your account.

3.5 Waitlist. If the Bondly Service is not yet available in your area, you can join the waitlist. We will email you when we start in your area.

4. Bookings.

4.1 Requests. An Owner posts a request with the pet’s details, the service, the date and time, and whether the care takes place at the Owner’s home or the Carer’s home. Posting a request is free and does not oblige the Owner to book.

4.2 Applications. Carers apply to a request, each with their own price. By applying, a Carer offers to perform the request at that price on the dates and times shown. A Carer may withdraw an application until the Owner accepts it. The Owner has 48 hours to accept or decline each application, after which it expires.

4.3 Confirmation. A Booking is confirmed when the Owner accepts a Carer and pays in the App. Both receive a confirmation in the App, and the Owner also by email. From that moment, the Carer has agreed to perform the Booking.

4.4 Changes. To change a date or time, the Owner and Carer agree the change in chat and then make it in the App. A change only counts once it shows in the App.

4.5 Start of a Booking. The Carer taps Start in the App at the start of the Booking. If a Booking has not started 30 minutes after the start time, we contact the Owner and the Carer. If the Carer does not start within 60 minutes and no new time has been agreed, we check what happened, for example whether the Carer was present but the App did not work. A Carer who was present but could not start the Booking in the App must tell us immediately.

4.6 Live location during walks. During a walk, the App shares the Carer’s live location with the Owner of that Booking. Sharing starts when the Carer taps Start and stops when the walk ends. The Carer must allow location access on their phone for walks. The location is shown to the Owner only. Bondly does not use it to rate, rank or assess Carers, and only reviews a route if there is a dispute about whether a walk took place.

5. Free Meet and Greet.

An Owner’s first Booking on Bondly is a free meet and greet of about 30 minutes, so the Owner and a Carer can get to know each other and the pet. The meet and greet is free for the Owner. Carers choose whether to apply and, if they do, perform the meet and greet free of charge. The Owner may cancel a meet and greet in the App at any time, free of charge. A Carer who cancels a confirmed meet and greet pays the fee set out in Section 11.6. Each Owner is entitled to one free meet and greet, on their first Booking only. Creating a new account to obtain another meet and greet is not allowed.

6. Prices and Payment.

6.1 Prices. Carers set their own prices. Bondly adds a service fee of 10% to 30%, depending on the service (the “Service Fee”). The price shown at checkout is the total amount the Owner pays. There are no other costs.

6.2 Payment. Payments are processed by Stripe, a licensed payment provider. Bondly does not store full card details. We hold the Owner’s payment until the Booking is completed and then pay the Carer.

6.3 Promo codes. Promo codes are subject to their own conditions, shown with the code. They have no cash value.

6.4 Chargebacks. If you reverse a payment through your bank without a valid reason, we may suspend your account until the matter is settled.

7. The Bondly Guarantee.

The Bondly Guarantee shown at checkout means the following:

1. if the Carer cancels or does not show up, the Owner receives a full refund, including the Service Fee, within 48 hours;
2. the Owner’s payment is held until the Booking is completed and is not paid to the Carer in advance; and
3. if the Pet Care Services were clearly not provided as booked, the Owner may report this within 24 hours with details or photos. We review the report and refund all or part of the price where justified.

The Bondly Guarantee is not insurance. It does not cover vet costs, injury, or damage to people, pets or property, and it does not limit your rights under the law.

8. Cancellations and Refunds for Owners.

8.1 Cancellation by the Owner. The Owner can cancel a confirmed Booking in the App under Booking Details. If the Owner cancels 48 hours or more before the start, the Owner receives a full refund, including the Service Fee. If the Owner cancels less than 48 hours before the start, the Owner receives a refund of the Carer’s price, but the Service Fee is not refunded. The Carer is not paid for a cancelled Booking. We send refunds to the original payment method straight away. The Owner’s bank may take 5 to 10 working days to show the refund.

8.2 Cancellation or no-show by the Carer. If the Carer cancels a confirmed Booking, the Owner receives a full refund, including the Service Fee, within 48 hours. If the Carer does not show up, and our check under Section 4.5 confirms it was a no-show, the Owner receives a full refund, including the Service Fee, within 48 hours. We inform the Owner immediately and help find another Carer.

9. Right of Withdrawal.

9.1 Care Agreement. Because Carers are private individuals, the statutory 14-day right of withdrawal for consumers does not apply to the Care Agreement. The cancellation rules in Section 8 apply instead.

9.2 Bondly’s service. Bondly’s service is to match the Owner with a Carer and to handle the Booking. At checkout, the Owner requests that we perform this service immediately. The service is fully performed once the Booking is confirmed. By ticking the box at checkout, the Owner agrees to lose the right of withdrawal for Bondly’s service at that moment. Before confirming, the Owner can always stop without paying anything.

10. Owner Obligations.

As an Owner, you agree that:

1. you tell the Carer everything they need to know about your pet, including health problems, medication, fears, and any history of biting, aggression or escaping;
2. your pet is vaccinated, protected against parasites and free of contagious diseases, and your dog is chipped and registered as Dutch law requires;
3. you have liability insurance (aansprakelijkheidsverzekering) that covers damage caused by your pet. As the owner, you remain legally responsible for your pet, also while a Carer looks after it;
4. you provide a working leash and harness and agree in chat how keys or codes are handed over and returned;
5. if your pet stays at the Carer’s home, you agree the details in chat beforehand, including food, sleeping place and any other animals in the Carer’s home;
6. you tell the Carer before the Booking if there are cameras in your home; and
7. in an emergency, the Carer will first try to reach you. If the Carer cannot reach you and your pet needs urgent care, you authorise the Carer to take your pet to the nearest vet. You pay the vet costs, unless the Carer caused the problem.

Bondly does not currently offer insurance for Bookings.

11. Carer Terms.

11.1 Status. You are not an employee, agent or contractor of Bondly, and nothing in these Terms creates an employment relationship. You decide which requests to apply for, if any. There is no minimum number of Bookings, and declining requests has no consequences. You may also work through other platforms, or directly for people you did not meet through Bondly. You offer Pet Care Services as a private individual, alongside your other activities. If this becomes a regular business activity, you are responsible for registering with the Chamber of Commerce (KvK) and you must inform us, so we can update your profile. You are responsible for declaring your earnings in your own income tax return. Bondly does not withhold tax.

11.2 Verification and training. Before you can apply to requests, a member of the Bondly team checks your identity document. Please cover your BSN on the photo of your document, as we ask for it separately under Section 11.3. You must complete Bondly’s training for each service you want to offer. Your profile must be true and accurate, including your name, photo, experience and services.

11.3 Tax information (DAC7). Dutch tax law requires Bondly to collect and verify information about Carers who earn money through the Bondly Service and to report it to the Dutch Tax Administration (Belastingdienst) every year. This includes your name, address, date of birth, BSN, IBAN, and your earnings and number of Bookings per quarter. You must provide this information in the App before your first payout. We send you an overview of what we reported by 31 January each year. If the information is still missing after two reminders, the law requires us to hold your payouts until you provide it, or to close your account. We keep this information for 7 years, also after you delete your account, because tax law requires it.

11.4 Payout account. To receive payments, you set up a payout account with Stripe, our payment provider. Stripe may ask for identity and bank details, and Stripe’s own terms apply to your payout account. Your bank details are held by Stripe, not by Bondly.

11.5 Prices, earnings and payouts. You set your own prices and may change them at any time. Changes apply to new applications only. Bondly adds the Service Fee on top for the Owner, so your earnings for a Booking are your full price. When a Booking is completed, your earnings show as pending. After 7 days they move to your available balance and you can withdraw them. If an Owner receives a refund because you cancelled, did not show up or did not provide the Pet Care Services, you are not paid for that Booking. If you were already paid, we deduct the amount from your balance or future earnings. We recommend liability insurance that covers your pet care activities.

11.6 Cancellation and no-show fees. Owners plan around you, so cancel only when you really have to, always in the App and as early as possible. Never simply stop responding. Deleting your account does not cancel your Bookings. By accepting a Booking, you agree to the following fees, which are payable to Bondly:

1. the Owner always receives a full refund;
2. we deduct the fee from your available balance or from your future earnings. While you owe a fee you cannot withdraw money, but you can still apply to requests;
3. we waive the fee if the cancellation or no-show was beyond your control, for example illness, an accident or a death in the family. Tell us as soon as possible. Proof is required;
4. you may dispute a fee in the App within 7 days. A member of the Bondly team reviews it and informs you of the outcome and the reason; and
5. if you do not show up 3 times within 3 months, we may suspend your account.

11.7 Care standards. You care for every pet safely and kindly and follow the Owner’s instructions on food, medication, walks and behaviour. You follow the law and local rules, such as leash rules and picking up after the dog. You perform the care yourself and never leave a pet with someone else, or bring other animals or people, without the Owner’s agreement in chat. If a pet stays in your home, you make it safe, with closed doors, windows and garden and no access to toxic plants, medicine or chemicals, and you tell the Owner in advance about other animals and people in your home. You keep keys, door codes and the Owner’s address private, return keys as agreed, and only enter the Owner’s home for the Booking and only the rooms you need. In an emergency, you first try to reach the Owner. If you cannot reach the Owner and the pet needs urgent care, you take the pet to the nearest vet and inform the Owner and Bondly immediately. You are responsible towards the Owner for damage or injury you cause through your own fault during a Booking.

12. Rules of Conduct.

When using the Bondly Service, you agree that:

1. all payments between Owners and Carers go through the App. Owners do not pay Carers they met on Bondly in cash, by bank transfer or through another app, and Carers do not ask for or accept such payments from an Owner for 12 months after they first met through Bondly. Payments outside the App have no protection and no refunds;
2. you do not share or ask for phone numbers, email addresses, social media or payment details in chat. The chat blocks these automatically, and you do not try to get around this;
3. taking an Owner off Bondly, or trying to, may lead to closing the Carer’s account;
4. you treat other users with respect. Discrimination, harassment and abuse are not allowed;
5. you do not create fake accounts, requests, profiles or reviews, misuse promotions, copy data from the Bondly Service, or use the Bondly Service for anything illegal; and
6. if someone asks you to pay outside the App, you report it to us. Reporting never has negative consequences for you.

13. Reviews and User Content.

13.1 Reviews. After a Booking, the Owner may review the Carer within 14 days, and the Carer may reply once to each review. Reviews must be honest and about your own Booking. Do not offer or accept anything in exchange for a review, and do not ask for a review to be changed or removed. We check that every review belongs to a real, completed Booking. We only remove reviews that break the law or these Terms, never for being negative.

13.2 Your content. Your photos, reviews and profile remain yours. You grant Bondly a free licence to show them in the App and on the Site for as long as your account exists. We only use a Carer’s photos and profile in advertising with the Carer’s separate permission. Only upload content you have the right to share, and only post photos of an Owner’s pet or home with the Owner’s permission.

14. Reporting and Complaints.

14.1 Reporting illegal content or unsafe behaviour. Anyone can report a profile, message, review or behaviour they believe is illegal or breaks these Terms, using the report button in the App, Help & Support, or contact@bondlypets.com. Please state what it is, where it is, why you are reporting it, and your name and email address. We confirm your report, review it carefully and without delay, and inform you of our decision. We report suspected animal abuse to the authorities, such as the animal police (144).

14.2 Complaints. You can submit a complaint in the App under Help & Support or at contact@bondlypets.com, preferably within 14 days after the Booking. We confirm receipt within 2 working days and aim to respond within 14 days. If you and another user disagree, contact us and we will help find a solution. You always keep the right to go to court.

15. Limitation of Liability.

Bondly is responsible for operating the Bondly Service with due care. Bondly is not responsible for how a Carer performs the Pet Care Services or how an Owner behaves, or for injury, illness, loss or damage that occurs during a Booking, unless Bondly caused it. If a Carer or Owner causes damage, you should first claim from that person. We will share the information we are allowed to share to help.

Where Bondly is liable towards an Owner, our liability is limited to the amount paid for the Booking concerned, with a minimum of €100. Where Bondly is liable towards a Carer, our liability is limited to the Carer’s earnings through Bondly in the 6 months before the event, or €100, whichever is higher. Bondly is not liable for indirect damage, such as lost income, unless the law provides otherwise. These limitations do not apply to death or personal injury caused by Bondly, or to damage caused by our intent or gross negligence, and they do not affect your rights under mandatory consumer law.

16. Suspension, Termination and Account Deletion.

16.1 Suspension and termination. We may limit, suspend or close an account if the user breaks these Terms, if we suspect fraud or a risk to pets or people, or if the law requires it. We state the reason and the rule concerned before or when the measure takes effect, unless the law does not allow this. In urgent safety cases, we may act first and explain immediately afterwards. For a permanent closure of a Carer account, we give 30 days’ notice, except for serious or repeated breaches, fraud or safety reasons. You may respond and ask us to review the decision. A member of the Bondly team, not an automated system, always reviews a case before we suspend or close an account.

16.2 Deleting your account. You may delete your account in the App at any time. You must first complete or cancel any confirmed Bookings, and Carers must first withdraw their available balance. The cancellation rules in Sections 8 and 11.6 apply. Your data is deleted within 90 days, as described in our Privacy Policy. We only keep payment and tax records for 7 years, because the law requires it. If a Carer still owes a fee, we keep the Carer’s name, email address, phone number and the fee record until it is paid, and the fee remains payable if the Carer signs up again.

17. General Provisions.

17.1 Severability. If any part of these Terms is found invalid, the remaining parts remain in effect.

17.2 Transfer. We may transfer these Terms to another company that operates the Bondly Service, such as a future Bondly B.V., without reducing your rights. We will inform you in advance.

17.3 Governing law and disputes. These Terms are governed by Dutch law. Disputes are submitted to the competent court in the Netherlands. If you live in another EU country, you keep the consumer protection of that country.

17.4 Language. These Terms are available in Dutch and English. If the two versions differ, the Dutch version prevails.

18. Contact.

Bondly (Bondly Pet Care), eenmanszaak, KvK 89320476, Blaak, 3011 XP Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Email: contact@bondlypets.com.