Financial protection for every transaction
The Borrowed Protection Programme provides financial protection for both lenders and borrowers on every transaction.
Protection is funded by a combination of deposit holds on the borrower's payment method and a 2% contribution from each transaction to the Borrowed Protection Fund.
Maximum protection: up to £10,000 per incident. Every booking on Borrowed is automatically covered by the Protection Programme at no additional cost to lenders or borrowers.
per incident
What's covered
Both sides of every transaction are protected. Here is what the Protection Programme covers for lenders and borrowers.
Lender Protection
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Item damage (minor, major, severe) Covered up to full replacement value
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Item not returned after 48 hours Full item value up to £10,000
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Late return compensation Lender-configured hourly rate (default £5/hr)
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Borrower no-show 25% of first day's rental as compensation
Borrower Protection
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Item not as described Full refund at pickup if rejected
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Lender cancellation Full refund + £5 goodwill credit
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Lender no-show Full refund + £5 goodwill credit
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Overcharging Any billing disputes resolved within 48 hours
How protection works
Every transaction follows a structured process designed to protect both parties from start to finish.
Booking confirmed
A deposit authorisation hold is placed on the borrower's card. This is not a charge — it simply reserves funds in case they are needed.
Pickup
Both parties complete a mandatory 4-angle photo condition check (front, back, left side, right side). This creates a timestamped record of the item's condition.
Rental payment captured
The rental payment is only captured after both parties confirm the pickup has taken place. No confirmation, no charge.
Return
Both parties complete the return condition check — the same 4-angle process — creating a clear comparison with the pickup photos.
No issues reported
The deposit hold is released after 48 hours. The lender is paid within 3 business days.
Issue reported
A dispute must be filed within 24 hours of the return confirmation. The deposit is held pending resolution.
Dispute resolution process
Our Resolution Team handles every dispute with transparency and fairness. Here are the key timeframes and procedures.
Resolution outcomes
After reviewing all evidence, our Resolution Team may apply one or more of the following outcomes:
Evidence requirements
Strong evidence leads to faster, fairer resolutions. Here is what our Resolution Team considers when reviewing a dispute.
📸 Condition check photos
- 4 angles required: front, back, left side, right side
- Captured at both pickup and return
- Automatically timestamped
- GPS-tagged for location verification
📎 Additional evidence
- Close-up photos of specific damage
- Repair quotes from qualified professionals
- Communication screenshots between parties
- Police reports (for non-return or theft cases)
The stronger your evidence, the faster we can resolve your case. Condition check photos are the foundation of every dispute review. Transactions where both parties complete their condition checks are resolved significantly faster.
What's not covered
The Protection Programme does not cover the following situations. Please review these exclusions carefully.
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Prohibited items — weapons, illegal substances, counterfeit goods, hazardous materials, live animals, vehicles, and items with active safety recalls
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Items not documented — items that were not recorded with condition checks at pickup cannot be covered
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Pre-existing damage — damage that is visible in the pickup condition check photos
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Normal wear and tear — wear consistent with the agreed use of the item during the rental period
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Force majeure — loss or damage caused by natural disasters, severe weather events, or other circumstances beyond reasonable control
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Late claims — disputes filed outside the 24-hour window after return confirmation
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Fraudulent claims — submitting a fraudulent claim will result in immediate account suspension and a trust score penalty
The Borrowed Protection Fund
The Borrowed Protection Fund is maintained through a 2% contribution from each transaction. This fund exists to cover situations where damage or loss exceeds the deposit amount held on the borrower's card.
When damage or loss exceeds the deposit amount, the Protection Fund covers the remainder up to £10,000 per incident.
We review fund adequacy quarterly and may adjust the contribution rate to ensure coverage remains robust for all users on the platform.
Claim limits
To maintain the health of the Protection Fund and ensure fair coverage for all users, the following limits apply.
Maximum per incident
Up to £10,000 per incident, including the deposit hold and any Protection Fund contribution.
Claims per year
Maximum of 3 claims per user per rolling 12-month period. This applies to both lender and borrower claims.
Trust score impact
Claims history affects your trust score and may influence your borrowing limits on the platform.
Additional verification
Repeated claims may trigger additional verification requirements for future transactions.
Changes to this programme
We may update these terms from time to time. Changes take effect for bookings made after the update date. We will notify users of material changes via email and in-app notifications.
We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of the Borrowed marketplace after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Protection Programme terms.