Terms & Conditions.

1.About us

The Services are operated by [GondolaGo legal entity name], registered office [registered address, Venice, Italy], company registration and VAT number [number] ("GondolaGo", "we", "us"). You can contact us at [support@gondolago.example] or through the Help & Support section of the app.

2.Definitions

• App: the GondolaGo mobile application for iOS and Android.
• Website: the website on which these Terms are published.
• Services: the App, the Website and the booking, payment, messaging and support functions we make available through them.
• Tourist: a user who requests rides or buys tickets.
• Provider: an independent gondolier or licensed water-taxi operator who offers rides through the App.
• Ride: a gondola ride (simple ride or scenic tour) or a water-taxi journey performed by a Provider.
• Ticket: a single-journey vaporetto ticket issued by the public transport operator of Venice (ACTV) and sold through the App.
• Community Rules: the conduct rules in section 8 and any further rules published in the App.

3.General provisions

3.1 These Terms form a binding agreement between you and GondolaGo for your use of the Services. By creating an account or using the Services you accept them. If you do not agree, do not use the Services.

3.2 Additional terms may apply to specific features (for example a promotion). Where they conflict with these Terms, the additional terms prevail for that feature.

3.3 For Rides, GondolaGo acts as an intermediary and, for payment purposes, as a limited collection agent of the Provider. The contract for the Ride itself is between you and the Provider. For Tickets, the contract of carriage is between you and ACTV.

4.The Services

4.1 The Services let Tourists request Rides from nearby available Providers, follow the Provider's approach and ride progress on a map, message the Provider, pay through the App and buy Tickets. They let Providers publish their availability, services and prices, receive and accept requests, and be paid.

4.2 The Services are available only in Venice and its lagoon and for personal, non-commercial use, unless we agree otherwise in writing.

4.3 We may change, suspend or withdraw features at any time, for example for maintenance, safety or legal reasons. We will give reasonable notice where practicable.

4.4 The App needs a compatible device, an internet connection and, for most features, location permission. Data charges from your mobile operator are your responsibility.

5.Rides by independent providers

5.1 Providers are independent businesses or professionals. They are not employees, agents or partners of GondolaGo, and GondolaGo does not perform Rides.

5.2 When you submit a request, it is shown to Providers of the matching type near your pickup point. A Ride is booked only when a Provider accepts it. We do not guarantee that a Provider will be available or will accept your request.

5.3 Providers decide how to perform the Ride, including the exact route, subject to your booking details, weather and navigation conditions in the canals and lagoon. Providers may refuse or end a Ride for safety reasons, for example because of weather, overcrowding, or passenger behaviour.

5.4 Providers are responsible for holding the licences and insurance required by the Comune di Venezia and Italian law, for the condition of their boat and for the safety of the Ride. If you have a complaint about a Ride, contact us and we will help, but any claim for the Ride itself lies against the Provider.

5.5 Ratings and reviews must be honest and respectful. We may remove ratings that breach the Community Rules.

6.Vaporetto tickets

6.1 Tickets are issued by ACTV under its own conditions of carriage, which you accept when you buy a Ticket. GondolaGo sells Tickets as a reseller and does not operate vaporetto services.

6.2 A single-journey Ticket is valid for 75 minutes from the moment it is validated at the gate or on board. You must validate it before travel and show it on request. A Ticket is personal and may not be resold.

6.3 Timetables, strikes, service changes and refunds for transport not provided are governed by ACTV's rules, available on the ACTV website.

7.Accounts and eligibility

7.1 You must be at least 18 years old and have legal capacity to hold an account. Children may travel on a Ride booked by an adult who remains responsible for them.

7.2 You must give accurate, current information when you register and keep it updated. One person may hold one account; you may not create an account for someone else or transfer your account.

7.3 You are responsible for everything done through your account. Keep your password secret and tell us immediately if you suspect unauthorised use.

7.4 We may temporarily restrict account features while we verify information or investigate a possible breach of these Terms.

8.Your obligations

8.1 You must use the Services lawfully and in line with these Terms and the Community Rules. In particular you must not:

• harass, threaten or discriminate against Providers, Tourists or our staff;
• damage a boat, board or disembark unsafely, exceed the stated passenger limit, or ignore a Provider's safety instructions;
• request a Ride you do not intend to take, or create fake accounts, bookings or reviews;
• use the Services to carry prohibited goods or for any unlawful purpose;
• copy, scrape, reverse engineer or interfere with the App, its data or its security;
• contact a Provider or Tourist outside the App for purposes unrelated to the Ride.

8.2 You are responsible for any damage or loss you cause to a Provider, another user or GondolaGo through misuse of the Services.

9.Additional terms for providers

9.1 To offer Rides you must hold, and keep valid, every licence, authorisation and insurance required to carry passengers in Venice, and provide proof on request. You must inform us immediately if any of them is suspended or withdrawn.

9.2 You decide when to be available and which requests to accept. Once you accept a request you must perform the Ride as booked, or cancel it in the App as early as possible if you cannot.

9.3 You must keep your boat safe and clean, carry the required safety equipment, and complete the pre-ride checklist in the App before starting a Ride.

9.4 The prices you publish in the App are inclusive of all taxes. You are responsible for your own tax, social security and accounting obligations, and for issuing any receipt the law requires.

9.5 You appoint GondolaGo as your limited collection agent to receive payment from Tourists on your behalf. Payment received by GondolaGo is treated as received by you. We pay out amounts due to you, less our commission of [x]% and any refunds, according to the payout schedule published in the App.

9.6 While you are "available" or on a Ride, your live location is shared with the Tourist you are matched with, as described in our Privacy Policy.

10.Prices and payments

10.1 Before you confirm a Ride, the App shows the total price based on the ride type, duration, number of passengers and the Provider's published prices. The price shown at confirmation is the price charged, unless you and the Provider agree a change in the App (for example a longer tour).

10.2 Payment is taken from the payment method saved in your account when the Ride is completed, or when the Ticket is issued. Payments are processed by our payment provider; GondolaGo does not store full card numbers.

10.3 Tips are optional and go entirely to the Provider.

10.4 If a payment fails, we may retry it, ask you for another payment method and suspend new bookings until the amount is settled.

10.5 Prices include VAT where applicable. Receipts are available in your trip history.

11.Cancellation and refunds

11.1 You may cancel a request free of charge at any time before a Provider accepts it.

11.2 After acceptance, you may cancel in the App. A cancellation fee, shown in the App before you confirm, may apply if you cancel less than [x] minutes before the scheduled pickup or after the Provider has arrived, to compensate the Provider for their time.

11.3 If a Provider cancels, or does not arrive, you will not be charged and we will help you find another Provider.

11.4 Rides cancelled because of weather or navigation restrictions imposed by the authorities are not charged.

11.5 Tickets are not refundable once issued, except as provided by ACTV's conditions of carriage.

11.6 Because a Ride is a leisure service to be performed on a specific date, the 14-day right of withdrawal under the Italian Consumer Code does not apply to Ride bookings. It does not affect the cancellation rights above.

12.Licence and intellectual property

12.1 We grant you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable and revocable licence to install and use the App on a device you own or control, and to use the Website, solely to access the Services under these Terms.

12.2 The App, the Website, the GondolaGo name, logo and illustrations, and all content we provide are owned by GondolaGo or its licensors and protected by intellectual-property law. You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell or create derivative works from them, or use our name or marks without our written consent.

12.3 By posting reviews, messages or photos through the Services you grant us a worldwide, royalty-free licence to use them to operate and promote the Services. You confirm you have the right to grant this licence.

13.Privacy

Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use and share personal data. By using the Services you acknowledge that policy.

14.Liability and indemnity

14.1 Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded by law, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or under mandatory consumer protection rules.

14.2 The Services are provided "as available". We do not guarantee that the App or Website will be uninterrupted, error-free or always able to find an available Provider, and we are not responsible for delays caused by weather, tides, acqua alta, traffic in the canals or events outside our control.

14.3 Rides are performed by independent Providers. To the extent permitted by law, GondolaGo is not liable for the acts or omissions of a Provider, for the condition of a boat, or for loss or damage occurring during a Ride, which are matters between you and the Provider and their insurer.

14.4 Subject to 14.1, our total liability to you for all claims arising from the Services in any 12-month period is limited to the greater of €500 and the amounts you paid through the Services in that period. We are not liable for indirect loss, loss of profit or loss of data.

14.5 You agree to compensate GondolaGo for losses, costs and claims we suffer because of your breach of these Terms or your misuse of the Services.

15.Suspension and termination

15.1 You may close your account at any time from the settings screen or by contacting us. Amounts you owe remain due.

15.2 We may suspend or close your account, with notice where possible, if you breach these Terms or the Community Rules, if we are required to by law, if your account has been inactive for more than 24 months, or if we stop offering the Services. If we close your account without cause, we will tell you at least 30 days in advance.

15.3 Providers may be suspended immediately if a licence or insurance lapses or if a safety incident is reported, pending investigation.

15.4 Sections that by their nature should survive termination, including 12, 14 and 17, continue to apply.

16.General

16.1 Changes. We may amend these Terms. We will notify you in the App or by email at least 15 days before material changes take effect. If you do not accept them, you may close your account; continuing to use the Services after the effective date means you accept the new Terms.

16.2 Severability. If a provision is found invalid, the rest of the Terms remain in force.

16.3 Assignment. You may not transfer your rights under these Terms. We may transfer ours to a successor of our business, with notice to you.

16.4 Entire agreement. These Terms, the Privacy Policy and any additional terms we publish are the whole agreement between you and GondolaGo about the Services.

16.5 No waiver. If we do not enforce a provision, that is not a waiver of our right to do so later.

16.6 Language. These Terms are available in English, Italian and French. In case of conflict the Italian version prevails.

17.Disputes, law and jurisdiction

17.1 If you have a problem, contact us first through the App; most issues are resolved quickly by our support team.

17.2 Consumers resident in the EU may use the European Commission's Online Dispute Resolution platform at ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr, or any alternative dispute resolution body recognised in their country.

17.3 These Terms are governed by Italian law. If you are a consumer, you also benefit from any mandatory protections of the law of the EU country where you live.

17.4 Disputes will be submitted to the courts of Venice, Italy. If you are a consumer resident in Italy, the court of your place of residence or domicile is competent, as provided by the Italian Consumer Code. Consumers resident elsewhere in the EU may bring proceedings in their own country.