All members of Spotted Zebra Toy Library are bound by the following Terms and Conditions:
Joining the Toy Library
Anyone living in Waterford City or nearby may join the toy library for a fee and borrow items for just €1; certain larger item may incur an additional borrowing fee, as detailed on our website. An ‘item’ is any kind of toy, game or play equipment in the collection.
Spotted Zebra aims to reach any income type, and therefore relies upon the fundraising, grant support plus fees paid by its members to run the service. The fees are kept as reasonable as possible and are published on our website.
Members may join online or in person at the toy library.
Documents needed:
- 1 photo ID (driving licence or passport) and
- 1 proof of address (such as a utility bill), dated within the last 3 months.
Members will be asked to provide certain details about their children, which will be used to analyse members’ needs and provide anonymous information about the service to funders.
Your Membership
A membership gives you access to the catalogue and the ability to borrowing items. Members must notify us at Spotted Zebra of any change of name, address or other contact details as soon as possible.
Borrowing
Members may borrow up to 4 items for a maximum of 3 weeks (21 days).
Only one item (of the total number of items borrowed) may be a large item (identified by XL in the description).
Wooden items are for indoor use only and must not be used outdoors; members may be liable for any damages caused beyond normal wear and tear (cases reviewed individually).
Batteries are not provided with the item. It’s the responsibility of the member to provide the necessary batteries, this information is given in the product description.
Members are responsible for any items taken out on their account until a loss is reported.
If for any reason, members wish to stop using the toy library to borrow items, let us know.
All toys must be returned on/before the final loan period has elapsed.
Returns and Renewals
Members must renew (when possible) or return items to the toy library by closing time on the date due back (or the earliest prior opening date if that date is a public holiday). If there is a delay in returning items, members should inform us of this as soon as possible.
Toys must be returned to a toy library staff during opening hours. Members are responsible for toys until they are returned to us and checked in. Members will be liable for any loss or damage to toys left outside of opening hours, i.e. left outside our door.
Any item may be renewed for one more period of three weeks. Contact Spotted Zebra for renewals. Beyond this, the item must be brought back into the toy library to be re-issued.
This is to help with the smooth circulation of toys (fairness), and to ensure sufficient toy stock levels to keep the toy library operational.
Responsibility: Loss or Damage
Before returning a toy, please check that all pieces are included.
We ask all members to take good care of borrowed items and to let us know as soon as possible if a toy is lost, damaged. If you discover that something is missing, let us know as soon as possible. We can allow up to two extra weeks beyond the original loan period for missing pieces to be found and returned.
We know that toys are meant to be played with and enjoyed, and that occasional wear and tear is a normal part of that. We do not charge for minor cosmetic damage or reasonable wear from everyday use.
Where significant damage or loss occurs, if an item cannot be returned complete, we may charge a fee to help cover the cost of repair or replacement. Each situation will be considered individually and fairly.
Thank you for helping us keep our toys complete, safe, and ready for other families to enjoy.
Payments & Authorisations
Membership fees and other charges can be paid securely online through our payment provider. A transaction fee of €0.50 applies to each online card payment and will be clearly shown at checkout before payment is completed.
To help us manage memberships and any outstanding charges, members may be asked to provide payment details during registration. Payment information is processed and stored securely by our payment provider.
Termination of Membership
Members may not be allowed to borrow further items if:
- There are any outstanding charges
- Items that are overdue
- A member is often keeping items overdue, treating them badly or refusing to pay outstanding charges.
When on Spotted Zebra premises, members agree to:
- Observe our Equalities Policy, by not speaking or behaving in a discriminatory or anti-social way towards others.
- Adequately supervise children you bring to the toy library and ensure that no property is damaged.
- Treat all people in the toy library, especially children, with care and respect.
Any of the above not respected may trigger warnings and/or termination of membership.
Members also agree that if the points above are not respected, in our absolute discretion, your membership or any related privilege may be cancelled without further notice.
Health and Safety
When using items borrowed from the toy library, members agree to ensure that:
- Only children of an appropriate age play with them.
- Children are supervised at all times while using borrowed items.
- The health and safety of the child using the item is considered.
All toys are checked and thoroughly cleaned between loans using child-safe cleaning products. Toys that cannot be properly cleaned or are no longer safe to use are removed from circulation.
Parents and guardians are responsible for ensuring that toys are suitable for their child and used safely. Members agree to inform Spotted Zebra Toy Library if they have any reason to believe that any item is, or may become, unsafe.
More details on Memberships – Hyperlink to How it Works page
Catalogue – Hyperlink to Catalogue page