Terms & Conditions
Splash Smart (trading as charlieswim.com) · Effective Date: 01/04/2026
These Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of charlieswim.com (“Platform”), operated by Splash Smart (“we”, “us”, “our”). By creating an account or using the Platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms. Please read them carefully.
1. Acceptance of Terms
By registering for and using charlieswim.com, you confirm that you are at least 16 years old (or have parental or guardian consent if younger) and that you agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, you must not use the Platform.
2. About the Platform
charlieswim.com is an online marketplace that connects independent swimming teachers with swimmers seeking private lessons. Splash Smart acts solely as a platform intermediary and does not itself provide swimming instruction or employ teachers. All lessons are arranged directly between swimmers and teachers as independent parties.
3. Account Responsibilities
- You are responsible for keeping your login credentials confidential.
- You must provide accurate, truthful, and up-to-date information when registering and maintaining your profile.
- You must not share your account with others or use another person’s account.
- You must notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorised access to your account.
- Accounts may only be created and used by individual persons; automated account creation is prohibited.
4. Swimmers
4.1 Booking Lessons
Swimmers book lessons by purchasing a lesson package from a chosen teacher. A package consists of a nominated number of lessons at an agreed lesson length and price. Booking a package does not guarantee acceptance by the teacher — the teacher must accept the booking before lessons are confirmed.
4.2 Lesson Conduct
- Swimmers (or their guardians) are responsible for ensuring access to a suitable, private swimming pool. Teachers are not permitted to conduct lessons in public pools.
- Swimmers must be present and ready at the agreed time. Repeated no-shows or last-minute cancellations may result in account review.
4.3 Releasing Lesson Payments
After each lesson, the swimmer must confirm that the lesson has been completed satisfactorily by releasing the lesson payment through the Platform. Payment is transferred to the teacher only upon this confirmation. If a swimmer does not release payment within a reasonable period following the lesson date, the Platform may release the payment automatically.
4.4 Cancellations
A swimmer may cancel an active lesson package at any time before the final lesson has commenced. The value of remaining unused lessons (less any applicable fees) will be credited to the swimmer’s credit balance on the Platform and may be applied towards a future booking.
- Individual lesson cancellations made with 24 hours or more notice will not incur a penalty.
- Cancellations made within 24 hours of a scheduled lesson may be subject to a cancellation fee at the teacher’s discretion.
4.5 Credit Balance
Credit in a swimmer’s balance may be applied to future lesson packages. Credit is non-transferable, non-refundable as cash (except where required by law), and expires if an account is closed.
5. Teachers
5.1 Independent Contractor Status
Teachers listed on charlieswim.com operate as independent contractors, not as employees or agents of Splash Smart. Teachers are solely responsible for:
- The quality and safety of swimming lessons they provide
- Holding and maintaining all required qualifications and certifications (see section 5.2)
- Complying with all applicable laws, including tax obligations and insurance requirements
- Their own professional conduct and behaviour towards swimmers
5.2 Qualifications and Certifications
To build trust on the Platform, teachers may upload qualifications including:
- Working With Children Check (WWCC) — strongly recommended and may be required in certain circumstances
- CPR Certificate
- First Aid Certificate
- AUSTSWIM Teacher Licence or equivalent recognised teaching qualification
- Certificate of Insurance
Uploading valid qualifications allows the admin to grant verified badges on the teacher’s public profile. It is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure all certifications are kept up to date. Splash Smart does not verify the authenticity of documents, and the presence of a badge does not constitute a warranty as to a teacher’s qualifications or fitness to teach.
5.3 Accepting and Declining Bookings
Teachers may accept or decline any booking request. By accepting a booking, the teacher agrees to provide the nominated number of lessons at the agreed price and schedule.
5.4 Payouts
Teacher payouts are processed via Stripe Connect. A platform service fee is deducted from each lesson payment before the net amount is transferred to the teacher’s nominated bank account. The current fee rate is displayed within the Platform. Payouts are subject to Stripe’s terms of service.
5.5 Availability
Teachers are responsible for keeping their availability calendar accurate and up to date. Accepting bookings for times you are not available may negatively affect your profile rating.
6. Payments
All payments on the Platform are processed by Stripe. By making or receiving payments, you also agree to Stripe’s terms of service. Splash Smart does not store full payment card details. Prices are displayed in Australian Dollars (AUD) and are inclusive of GST where applicable.
7. Ratings and Reviews
Swimmers may rate teachers (and teachers may rate swimmers) on a scale of 1–5 stars following a lesson. Star ratings may be publicly displayed on a teacher’s profile. Written feedback words selected during a review are kept confidential and are only accessible by the Splash Smart admin team. Ratings are anonymous to the other party.
You must not submit false, misleading, or malicious ratings. Splash Smart reserves the right to remove ratings that violate these Terms.
8. Messaging
The in-platform messaging feature is provided exclusively to enable professional communication between swimmers and teachers regarding lessons. All messages must be respectful, relevant, and appropriate for a professional coaching context.
- The use of derogatory, hateful, discriminatory, threatening, or otherwise inappropriate language is strictly prohibited.
- Messages containing prohibited language are automatically detected. Sending such a message will result in the immediate temporary suspension of the offending account, which will be flagged for review by an admin.
- Following review, an admin may extend or make the suspension permanent, or lift it if raised in error.
- Permanently banned accounts lose all access to the Platform.
- If you believe a suspension has been applied in error, contact us at charlie@charlieswim.com.
9. Referral Programme
Swimmers may refer new users to the Platform using a unique referral code. When a referred swimmer purchases their first lesson package, the referring swimmer receives a credit reward of $50 applied to their account balance. Referral rewards:
- Are non-transferable and have no cash value
- May only be earned once per referred new account
- May be modified or discontinued by Splash Smart at any time with reasonable notice
- Cannot be earned through self-referrals or fraudulent activity
10. Prohibited Conduct
You must not use the Platform to:
- Arrange or facilitate off-platform payments to circumvent Platform fees
- Impersonate another person or misrepresent your qualifications
- Upload false, misleading, or infringing content
- Scrape, reverse-engineer, or otherwise interfere with the Platform
- Engage in any unlawful activity
Violations may result in immediate account suspension or permanent termination.
11. Intellectual Property
All content, branding, design, and software on charlieswim.com is the property of Splash Smart and may not be reproduced, distributed, or used without prior written permission.
12. Limitation of Liability
The Platform is provided on an “as is” basis. To the fullest extent permitted by Australian law:
- Splash Smart makes no warranties regarding the uninterrupted availability of the Platform or the accuracy of any content
- Splash Smart is not responsible for the conduct of any teacher or swimmer
- Splash Smart is not liable for any injury, loss, or damage arising from swimming lessons arranged through the Platform
- Splash Smart is not liable for any indirect, consequential, or special loss arising from use of the Platform
Nothing in these Terms limits any rights you may have under the Australian Consumer Law.
13. Account Termination
You may close your account at any time by using the “Delete my account” option within the Platform. Splash Smart reserves the right to suspend or terminate any account that violates these Terms, at our sole discretion and without prior notice. Upon termination, any outstanding credit balance is forfeited unless otherwise required by law.
14. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify users of material changes via the Platform or by email. Continued use of the Platform after changes are published constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.
15. Governing Law
These Terms are governed by the laws of Victoria, Australia. Any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Victoria.
16. Contact Us
If you have any questions about these Terms & Conditions, please contact us at:
- Email: charlie@charlieswim.com
- Business Name: Splash Smart (charlieswim.com)