Hire A Bus
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Terms of Service

Baseline terms, pending final review by a qualified solicitor before launch.

1. Who we are

Hire A Bus AU Pty Ltd, trading as "Hire A Bus" ("we", "us", "the platform"). You can reach us at [email protected].

These terms apply when you use Hire A Bus to plan or book group transport. The operators who provide transport through Hire A Bus work with us under a separate agreement, the Operator Terms.

2. What Hire A Bus is, and isn't

Hire A Bus is an aggregator and intermediary. We connect customers who need group transport with independent, vetted coach and minibus operators. We are not a transport operator and we do not own, drive, or control any vehicle. The transport contract for your trip is between you and the operator you book. We facilitate discovery, quoting, payment, and dispute support, but the operator is responsible for actually carrying out the trip.

3. Quotes and the deposit-unlocks-contact model

You describe your trip and we invite suitable operators to quote. Quotes are firm prices from real operators. To keep both sides protected, operator and customer contact details stay private until a deposit is paid. Paying the deposit confirms your booking, unlocks direct contact between you and the operator, and forms the transport contract between you and the operator.

4. Paying for your trip

Payments are processed securely by Stripe; we do not store full card details. Prices include applicable taxes unless stated otherwise.

  • Deposit. A deposit of 25% of the quoted price is taken to confirm the booking.
  • Balance. The remaining 75% is collected automatically by us, using the payment method you paid the deposit with, 7 days before departure. If you book within 7 days of departure, the balance is collected shortly after booking (normally about a day later), and always before departure. The exact date is shown when you book and on your trip page, and if your departure date changes, the balance date moves with it.
  • Group Pay. Where a split-payment ('Group Pay') option is offered, the same totals and terms apply.

We collect payment on the operator's behalf: paying us discharges what you owe the operator for the booked trip.

5. Changing your trip

You can ask to change a booked trip from your trip page. The operator prices the change, and it only takes effect once you have seen and accepted any price difference. If a change cannot be accommodated, your booking continues on its original terms, or you can cancel it under section 6.

6. Cancelling your booking

You can cancel from your trip page or by emailing [email protected]. What comes back to you depends on how far before the scheduled departure you cancel:

  • 14 days or more before departure: you are refunded everything you have paid.
  • 7 to 13 days before departure: you are refunded 50% of the total trip price, up to what you have actually paid at that point. If you have only paid the 25% deposit, that means the whole deposit comes back.
  • Less than 7 days before departure: no refund.

Refunds go back to the payment method you paid with. Part of what we retain funds a cancellation fee to the operator who was holding the date for you — see the Operator Terms. The full policy is on the Cancellation & Refund Policy page.

7. If the operator cancels, or something goes wrong

If an operator cancels on you, we will help you find an alternative or arrange an appropriate refund of what you have paid. If a trip does not go as it should, tell us as soon as possible — we provide dispute support between you and the operator, and the operator remains responsible for delivering the trip.

8. Your responsibilities

Give accurate trip details, treat operators and drivers respectfully, and comply with the operator's reasonable conditions of carriage (capacity, conduct, alcohol, luggage). You are responsible for any damage caused by your party beyond fair wear and tear.

9. Our role and the limits of our liability

The operator is responsible for the vehicle, driver, licensing, insurance, safety, punctuality, and delivery of the trip. The platform is responsible for running the marketplace, collecting and refunding payments as described above, and providing reasonable support if something goes wrong. We vet operators but cannot guarantee any operator's performance. To the maximum extent permitted by law, our liability is limited to the platform fees we have received for the relevant booking.

Nothing in these terms limits or excludes your rights under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), to the extent those rights cannot be excluded by agreement. Where the ACL applies, our liability is limited to re-supplying the service or paying the cost of re-supply, to the extent permitted by law.

10. AI assistance and call recording

We use AI to help parse trip requests and to assist phone calls. Phone calls may be recorded and transcribed for quoting, quality, training, and dispute resolution. Personal data is minimised and redacted where possible. See our Privacy Policy for detail and your rights.

11. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the relevant Australian State or Territory, and the courts of that State or Territory have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute. Nothing in this section takes away a protection you have under the mandatory consumer law of the country you live in.

12. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. The version in force is the one published here at the time you book. Material changes will be highlighted where reasonably practicable.

Questions about these terms? Email [email protected]. If you are a coach or minibus operator, the Operator Terms govern your relationship with us.