Summit Shred Swap — Terms of Service

Version 0.1 — DRAFT for attorney review — September 17, 2026

1. Who we are

Summit Shred Swap LLC, a Colorado limited liability company ("Summit Shred Swap," "we," "us"), runs a local marketplace at summitshredswap.com where neighbors rent outdoor gear to each other. Don't sell it, rent it out.

These Terms are a contract between you and us covering your membership and everything you do on the platform. Each rental is also covered by a Rental Agreement between the Lender and the Renter, accepted at booking. Our Privacy Policy, Biometric Data Policy and Community Standards are part of these Terms.

We are a marketplace, not a rental shop. We don't own, inspect, store or deliver the gear. Members rent to members; we verify people, move the money safely, keep the record, and step in when something goes wrong.

2. Words we use

Community — the area a marketplace serves. Right now: Summit County, Colorado (Frisco, Breckenridge, Silverthorne, Dillon, Keystone, Copper Mountain and the rest of the county).
Member — anyone with a verified account. "You" means you as a Member.
Lender — a Member who lists gear they own (we sometimes say "owner"). Renter — a Member who rents it.
Listed Replacement Value — the amount the Lender sets on a listing as the cost to replace the item. It's the most a Renter can be charged for damage to or loss of that item.
Shred Score — a reputation score built from your completed rentals and reviews.
Payment Processor — Stripe, Inc., which handles identity verification, cards, holds and payouts for us.

3. Who can join

You must be at least 18. You sign in with a phone number that receives a texted code and a verified email, and you must complete identity verification (Section 4). One account per person; no accounts for someone else; no business or rental-shop accounts unless we approve them in writing.

4. Identity verification

Every Member verifies their identity through Stripe Identity: a scan of a government ID (usually a driver's license) and a live selfie that Stripe matches to the ID photo.

Stripe holds the images. We store only the outcome — document verified, selfie matched, your legal name, your date of birth (for the 18+ check), and the ZIP code and county from your ID address — and then ask Stripe to redact the session. The selfie match is biometric data under Colorado law; our Biometric Data Policy explains how it's handled, and you'll see a consent screen before the selfie step.

We may ask you to verify again if your ID expires or your account is flagged. If you won't verify, you can't use the platform.

5. Lenders must live in the Community

Only residents of the Community can list gear. We check the address on your ID. If it's outside the Community but you own a home or live seasonally here — a second-home owner, or a seasonal worker in employee housing — you can ask for a manual review and show proof: a property tax bill, a deed, a lease or an employer housing letter. We decide, and we don't have to say yes.

A person on our team approves every Lender before their first listing goes live. We can pause or remove listings or Lender status at any time.

6. Renters

Renters can come from anywhere — locals, seasonal workers and visitors are all welcome — but every Renter is identity-verified, keeps a valid card on file, and is subject to deposits and the rules below. To manage risk, we may limit some rentals — first rentals, motorized gear, high-value gear — to in-person handoffs and to Renters whose Shred Score we consider sufficient. A Lender may decline any request.

7. Your account

Keep your phone and email secure; anyone who controls them can get into your account. Tell us right away at [security@summitshredswap.com] if you think someone else has used it. You're responsible for what happens in your account until you do. We can suspend an account while we look into a problem.

8. Listings

When you list gear you promise that you own it (or have the owner's written permission to rent it out and be paid); that your description, photos, size, condition and included accessories are accurate; that the Listed Replacement Value is an honest, current estimate of what it costs to replace the item — not a wish (we may cap or question values that look off); that the gear is safe for its intended purpose and not recalled; and that you understand your homeowners' or renters' insurance may not cover gear you rent out, and that we don't insure it.

For each listing you also set your rental terms: a minimum rental length (1 day, 2 days, 3 days, a week); the rental units you allow — hour blocks of 4, 8 or 12 hours, by the day, overnight (pick up one day, return the next by a set time), or by the week; your latest daily return time; and how many days ahead a booking must be made. You also choose the handoff options you offer (Section 10). Bookings must fit those settings, and you agree to honor bookings that do.

You set your own rate within our rules. We can edit listings for clarity, hide listings that don't meet our standards, and refuse categories we consider too risky or that can't legally be rented. Some things can never be listed at all — see Section 9.

9. Prohibited items

Some things can never be listed, requested, rented, swapped or sold on Summit Shred Swap — not in a listing, not in a message, not as a side deal:

Firearms of every kind: handguns, rifles, shotguns, receivers and frames, suppressors, ammunition and reloading components, and anything that needs a federal firearms license or a background check to transfer. Air rifles and BB guns are out too, to keep the line simple. Archery equipment — bows, crossbows and arrows — is allowed.
Fireworks and explosives.
Anything stolen, or anything you can't show you own or have permission to rent.
Recalled or unsafe gear.
Controlled substances and drug paraphernalia.
Motor vehicles that need registration for road use. The only motorized categories we support are snowmobiles, side-by-sides and UTVs, ATVs and dirt bikes — off-road use only, in-person handoff, and the license and age rules in the Rental Agreement.

If you list or ask for a prohibited item, we remove the listing and suspend your account. Repeat attempts get a permanent ban, and we report them to law enforcement where the law requires.

10. Booking and the Rental Agreement

A Renter sends a request for a term that fits the listing's settings and picks one of the handoff options the Lender offers; the Lender accepts or declines. On acceptance, both are bound by the Rental Agreement for that rental and the Renter's card is charged. If the Rental Agreement conflicts with these Terms about a specific rental, the Rental Agreement wins.

The booked term and handoff shown at checkout are binding. Changes — an extension, an earlier return, a different meeting time — are negotiated in the booking thread and take effect only when both sides accept them in the app.

Handoff options. The Lender proposes the meeting options on the listing: a named public spot from our spot list; the trailhead, lot or marina where the gear will be used; a "swing by" pickup at a place and time window the Lender chooses; delivery for a fee; or an unattended lockbox (opt-in, with limits). Lenders are never required to give out a home address, and we recommend public spots. The Renter picks one option at booking. Meeting places and times are proposed by the Lender and accepted by the Renter; our role is to record them. Both sides confirm the pickup and return windows in the app, both complete the photo check-in and check-out at each handoff, and the no-show and late-return rules (Section 14) apply to the confirmed windows and the booked term.

11. Fees and taxes

We show the total price — rental rate, service fee, any protection plan, deposit and tax — before the Renter confirms.

Renter service fee: a percentage of the rental price. Renters whose ID address is in the Community pay a lower rate than visitors.
Owner fee: a small percentage deducted from the Lender's payout. Founding Lenders — approved before [DATE] — pay no owner fee while their account stays in good standing.
Sales and rental taxes: where the law treats us as a marketplace facilitator, we collect and remit tax on rentals as a separate line.
Lenders handle their own income taxes; we issue tax forms when the law requires.

We may change fees with 14 days' notice, for bookings made after the notice.

12. How the money moves

The Renter pays at booking acceptance through our Payment Processor. The rental price (less the owner fee) is paid to the Lender through Stripe Connect as soon as both the Lender and the Renter confirm the hand-off in the app. The Lender does not wait for the return to be paid. The only money that waits is the Renter's deposit, which is held (or charged) at the hand-off and released or refunded when both parties confirm the return, unless a claim is open (Section 15). If only one party confirms a hand-off or return, we may confirm it ourselves after checking the photos and messages. Payouts normally arrive in the Lender's bank within [2–7] business days of the hand-off.

Lenders must set up a Stripe Connect account and accept Stripe's terms. We are not a bank and don't hold Member funds ourselves.

13. Deposits and your card

Every Renter authorizes a deposit. For short rentals 3 days or less we place a hold on your card at the hand-off; it drops off when both parties confirm the return, unless a claim is open. For longer or high-value rentals over $1,500 Listed Replacement Value we charge the deposit at the hand-off and refund it on the same terms. An open claim keeps the deposit held until we decide it. Anything you owe under the Rental Agreement comes out of the deposit first and then your card on file; a claim filed after the deposit has been released is charged to your card.

By renting, you authorize us to apply the deposit and then charge the card on file, and any other card in your account, for damage beyond normal wear, missing items, late fees, cleaning fees and unreturned gear — up to the Listed Replacement Value plus applicable fees and tax — as set out in the Rental Agreement. If a charge fails you still owe the amount.

14. Cancellations, no-shows and late returns

Before the hand-off, nothing has been paid to the Lender — the Renter's payment is still with our Payment Processor — so cancellation refunds come from that balance. After the hand-off, the Lender has been paid, so late fees, damage and non-return charges come from the deposit first and then the Renter's card on file.

Free cancellation until 12 hours before the pickup window opens; full refund, including the service fee.
Inside 12 hours, the Lender decides how much of the rental price to refund. We always refund the tax and any protection plan fee.
Renter no-show: 30 minutes after the confirmed pickup window closes with no message, the Lender may cancel and is paid one day's rate. The rest is refunded.
Lender no-show or cancellation: full refund to the Renter, and the Lender's Shred Score takes the hit. Repeat no-shows lose Lender status.
Late return: 2 hours of grace after the booked return time, then we automatically charge the Renter a full extra day at the listed rate — for hour-block or overnight rentals, a full extra period — and each further 24 hours is another day, taken from the deposit first and then the card on file. The Lender can waive late fees in the app.
48 hours late and unresponsive: the non-return protocol starts (Section 16).

15. Break it, fix it

Normal wear is expected — that's what the rental price covers. Damage beyond normal wear is the Renter's responsibility: the actual repair cost, or if the item can't reasonably be repaired, its depreciated replacement value, never more than the Listed Replacement Value. Missing accessories are charged at their listed value. Time- and location-stamped photos at pickup and return are the record. Claims must be filed within 48 hours of the return; we decide them in writing as the administrator, and what the Renter owes comes from the deposit first and then the card on file. Details are in the Rental Agreement.

16. Non-return and theft — read this

If gear isn't returned within 48 hours after the return date and the Renter doesn't respond to us, we treat it as stolen. We will:

take the Listed Replacement Value plus late fees, our fees and tax from the deposit first and then the Renter's card;
file a police report using the Renter's verified legal name, date of birth and ID details; and
permanently ban the Renter.

We may also give the Renter's identity and the rental record to the Lender so the Lender can pursue their own claim. Returning the gear later doesn't undo the report or the ban, though we'll refund the replacement charge (less late fees and any damage) once the Lender confirms the gear is back.

17. Protection plans

At booking a Renter may buy an optional protection plan. Basic caps what the Renter owes for damage beyond normal wear at a deductible shown at booking. Plus reduces it to $0 and waives the deposit hold. Plans are priced from the rental price and the Listed Replacement Value.

A protection plan is a contractual limit on what the Renter owes Summit Shred Swap under the Rental Agreement. It is not insurance. We are not an insurer. A plan doesn't cover injuries, anyone's property other than the rented gear, non-return or theft, missing accessories, late or cleaning fees, or damage caused by breaking the Rental Agreement. If a plan reduces what the Renter owes, we pay the Lender the difference, up to the Listed Replacement Value, from the plan fees we collect.

We may later offer coverage through a licensed insurance company under its own terms, with the insurer named. We won't take commissions unless we're licensed to.

18. Rental credit and referrals

Referral credit. Every member has an invite link and code. When someone joins through it, verifies their identity, and then either gets a Listing live or completes a Rental, we credit the referrer $20 and the new member $10 in rental credit. Rental credit is promotional and paid by us; it never reduces a Lender's payout. It spends only on rentals through Summit Shred Swap and comes off the Renter's total at checkout — never a deposit, and a minimum $1 is always charged to the card so a payment method is on file. It is not cash, can't be transferred, sold or redeemed for cash, and goes back on your balance if a booking it was applied to is cancelled under Section 14 (less anything the Lender keeps). One inviter per new account, linked within 14 days of joining and before the account's first Listing or Rental; up to 20 paid referrals per member per year. We may change or end the referral program at any time for referrals not yet earned, and we may void credit from fake, duplicate or self-referred accounts, from anyone who is banned, or from referrals obtained by spam or misleading claims. Credit has no value outside the platform and is forfeited if your account is closed for a violation of these Terms.

Exchange Credit. If we later let Lenders take a payout as Exchange Credit instead of cash (with a bonus percentage shown when they choose), the same rules apply: spends only on rentals, no cash redemption or transfer, and never expires while the account exists. Once a Lender takes credit they can't switch it back to cash. If we shut the platform down we'll give at least 60 days' notice to spend it.

19. Reviews and Shred Score

After each rental both parties may review each other. Reviews must be honest and based on your own experience. No fake or bought reviews, no reviewing your own listings, no trading reviews, no pressuring anyone to change one. We don't pay for reviews or hide them for being negative; we remove reviews only for breaking our Community Standards, and we apply that rule evenly. We follow the FTC's 2024 Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule and the Colorado Consumer Protection Act.

Your Shred Score is built from completed rentals and reviews. We decide the formula and may change it. It's for use inside the platform only; it isn't a credit score.

20. Messaging and off-platform deals

Messaging happens in the app. Phone numbers and emails are masked until a booking is accepted. If you found the gear — or the Renter — on Summit Shred Swap, the rental goes through Summit Shred Swap: no cash deals, no "Venmo me and skip the fee," no "just text me next time." Off-platform deals leave both people without verification, deposits, the condition record or our help, and they break these Terms. We may read messages to enforce these Terms or resolve a claim.

21. What you can't do

Lie about who you are, where you live, or what you're listing. Rent for someone else, or let anyone else use gear you rented. Use the platform for anything illegal, including renting gear you're not allowed to own or operate. Harass, threaten or discriminate against anyone — harassment is one strike and you're out. Scrape, copy or reverse engineer the platform, or use it to build a competing service. Create fake accounts, listings or reviews. List, request, rent, swap or sell anything on the prohibited list (Section 9). Try to get around a ban, a deposit or a payment.

22. Suspension and bans

We can warn you, limit what you can do, suspend you, or ban you for breaking these Terms, the Community Standards or a Rental Agreement, or when we think it's needed to keep Members safe. Non-return, fraud and harassment get a permanent ban. We'll tell you why unless doing so would put someone at risk or the law says we can't. Money you owe survives a ban; money owed to you is paid out once open claims are settled.

23. Things we don't promise

The platform is provided "as is." We don't inspect gear and don't promise it's safe, suitable, legal or as described. We don't promise a Lender or Renter will show up, or that the platform will always work. We don't stand behind any statement a Member makes. To the extent the law allows, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.

24. Outdoor and motorized activities are risky

Skiing, riding, paddling, climbing, biking, snowmobiling and everything else this gear is for can cause serious injury or death. When you rent gear you accept those risks and release us and the Lender as set out in the Rental Agreement. Helmets, PFDs, avalanche beacons and other safety equipment are your responsibility.

25. Limit on our liability

To the fullest extent the law allows: we're not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential or punitive damages, lost profits, or personal injury, death or property damage arising from a rental or from gear; and our total liability to you for anything connected with the platform is limited to the greater of $100 or the fees you paid us in the 12 months before the claim. This limit doesn't apply to our gross negligence, willful misconduct or fraud, or to liability the law says can't be limited.

26. Indemnity

If someone brings a claim against us because of your gear, your rental, your breach of these Terms or a Rental Agreement, or your violation of the law or someone's rights, you'll defend us and pay any damages, costs and reasonable attorney fees. We'll tell you about the claim promptly. You may run the defense, but you need our consent to settle on our behalf.

27. Disputes between you and us

Talk first. Email [legal@summitshredswap.com] with what went wrong and what you want; we'll do the same if we have a claim against you. Both of us will try in good faith for 30 days before doing anything formal.

Then arbitration. If we can't resolve it, either of us may start binding arbitration administered by [AAA / JAMS] under its consumer rules, in Summit County, Colorado or by video. The arbitrator decides everything, including whether this section applies. Class-action waiver: you and we bring claims only as individuals — never as a plaintiff or member of a class or representative action. Small-claims carve-out: either of us may instead bring an individual claim in small claims court in Summit County. Opt-out: you may opt out of arbitration by emailing us within 30 days after you first agree to these Terms.

Disputes between a Lender and a Renter about a specific rental go through our claims process first (see the Rental Agreement); after that, the two of them may take it wherever the law allows.

28. Governing law and venue

Colorado law governs these Terms. For anything not sent to arbitration, the state and federal courts serving Summit County, Colorado have exclusive jurisdiction, and you agree to it.

29. Changes to these Terms

We can change these Terms. For material changes we'll email you and post a notice in the app at least 14 days before they take effect. Changes don't affect rentals already booked. Using the platform after the effective date means you accept the new Terms; if you don't, delete your account.

30. Other communities

We may license the Summit Shred Swap software and brand to operators in other areas — an "Eagle Shred Swap," say. Each licensed marketplace is a separate Community with its own operator, residency rule and versions of these documents. These Terms cover only the Summit County Community operated by Summit Shred Swap LLC.

31. The fine print

These Terms, the Rental Agreements you accept, the Privacy Policy, the Biometric Data Policy and the Community Standards are the whole agreement between you and us. If a court finds part unenforceable, the rest stands. We may assign these Terms to a successor; you may not assign yours. Not enforcing something once doesn't waive it. Notices to you go to your verified email; notices to us go to the address below. Sections 13, 16, 25, 26, 27 and 28 survive if your account closes.

32. Contact

Summit Shred Swap LLC · [Mailing address], Frisco, CO 80443 · [legal@summitshredswap.com] · summitshredswap.com