1. Platform Purpose & Merchant Eligibility
Tackle Connect provides digital lead routing, regional angler telemetry, and syndication tools to verified, independent Australian bait and tackle retailers, custom rod builders, and regional marine suppliers.
By registering an account on fishingaustralia.net.au, you warrant that you are an authorized representative of a bona fide Australian retail tackle or marine business with an active Australian Business Number (ABN).
2. The 0% Commission Policy & Direct Buyer Transactions
Tackle Connect is not an e-commerce middleman or payment gateway for angler tackle purchases.
- When an angler accepts your quotation, all financial transactions, stock fulfillment, warranties, and over-the-counter payments occur directly between your store and the customer.
- Tackle Connect collects no transaction percentage, merchant clip, or per-lead fulfillment fee on completed sales.
- Your store is solely responsible for collecting payment, honoring consumer warranties under Australian Consumer Law, and issuing tax invoices.
3. Lead Dispatch & The 168-Hour Auction Engine
To maintain a high-converting, fair marketplace for both anglers and retailers, all buyer requests operate under our automated auction rules:
- 7-Day First-Bid Trigger: Leads remain open indefinitely in an unstarted state (⏳ Awaiting First Bid). The 168-hour countdown clock only initiates when the first participating tackle shop submits a quote.
- Strict Bid Caps: To protect anglers from inbox fatigue, leads enforce a dynamic ceiling of 7 quotes for local pickup requests, and 15 quotes for delivery/nationwide requests. Once a cap is reached, the lead locks automatically.
- Quote Honesty: Retailers agree to quote realistic, in-stock pricing or clearly advise the buyer if an item is a special order or equivalent technical alternative.
4. Fishing Report Studio & Syndication License
Retailers utilizing the 4-Part Fishing Report Studio to draft weekly updates grant Fishing Australia a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to publish and syndicate the submitted report text, store branding, and uploaded catch photos across fishingaustralia.com.au destination guides and social channels.
In exchange, Fishing Australia prominently features your store trading name, physical address, verified badge, and direct click-to-call phone button at the top of the syndicated regional report card.
5. Founder's Club Subscriptions, Trials & Cancellations
Platform access is governed by the following clear subscription terms:
- 90-Day Free Trial: New verified retailers receive full 90-day complimentary access to all software features, lead dispatches, and report syndication tools.
- Founder's Partner Grandfathered Rate: Retailers who join during our initial 50-store rollout lock in the permanent Founder's Club rate of $120.00 AUD/year (equivalent to $10/month), grandfathered against future price increases (Standard commercial release: $490.00 AUD/year).
- Automated Invoicing: Recurring subscriptions are managed securely via Stripe. Invoices and receipts are generated automatically inside your Billing Desk (`billing.php`).
- Cancel Anytime: You may cancel your subscription at any time with zero penalty directly inside the Billing Desk or by emailing webmaster@fishingaustralia.com.au prior to your renewal date. Access remains active until the end of your prepaid annual cycle.
- Refund Policy: We offer a 14-day money-back guarantee following any annual renewal charge. If you are not satisfied with platform lead volume, notify us within 14 days of billing for a prompt, 100% refund.
6. Prohibited Activities & Spam Prevention
Participating stores must not:
- Scrape, export, or aggregate angler lead details for external commercial marketing lists without separate opt-in consent.
- Submit misleading, predatory, or fraudulent quotations to anglers.
- Upload copyrighted, defamatory, or inappropriate photos via the Fishing Report Studio.
Violation of these rules will result in immediate store suspension and revocation of platform access.
7. Limitation of Liability
Tackle Connect and Fishing Australia provide market telemetry and marine reporting on an "as-is" basis. Marine conditions, solunar indices, and weather feeds are sourced from automated meteorological models. Skippers and fishos remain solely responsible for on-water vessel safety, bar crossings, and regulatory compliance.
8. Governing Law & Contact
These terms are governed by the laws of Queensland, Australia. For merchant support, billing inquiries, or account adjustments:
Entity: Grant Noel Johnson t/a Fishing Australia
ABN: 33 316 291 360 (Active / Registered for GST)
Location: Redcliffe / Moreton Bay Region, QLD 4019, Australia
Email: grant@fishingaustralia.com.au
Support Desk: webmaster@fishingaustralia.com.au
Direct Phone: 0493 083 081