Equipment Hire Agreement

Dialtone Events Ltd
Last updated: 4 September 2026

This Equipment Hire Agreement (“Agreement”) is between:

Dialtone Events Ltd (“Dialtone”, “we”, “us” or “our”)
Company number: 16951950
Registered in: England and Wales
Registered office: 44 Lavender Way, Easingwold, North Yorkshire, YO61 3GU
Email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

and

the person or organisation identified as the customer in the Booking Confirmation (“Customer”, “you” or “your”).

By placing a booking and accepting our Terms and Conditions at checkout, you agree to this Agreement.

This Agreement should be read alongside our Terms and Conditions (https://chatgpt.com/terms-and-conditions), your Booking Confirmation and our Privacy and Recording Policy (https://chatgpt.com/privacy-and-recording-policy).

1. Definitions

In this Agreement:

Booking Confirmation means the confirmation issued after your booking has been accepted, showing the Equipment, Hire Period, Event Date and Hire Charges.

Booking Payment means the initial payment made at checkout to reserve the Equipment and Hire Period. It forms part of the Hire Charges and is not a security deposit.

Equipment means the items supplied by Dialtone as detailed in your Booking Confirmation, including the audio guestbook telephone, cables, chargers, signage, instructions, protective cases and any other accessories provided.

Event Date means the date of your wedding, event or other occasion, as provided during booking.

Fair Wear and Tear means minor deterioration resulting from normal, careful and permitted use of the Equipment. It does not include accidental damage, liquid damage, breakage, missing items, staining, misuse or damage caused by failing to follow our instructions.

Hire Charges means the price payable for hiring the Equipment and receiving the related services. It excludes the refundable Security Deposit and any additional charges arising under this Agreement.

Hire Period means the period shown in your Booking Confirmation during which you are permitted to possess and use the Equipment.

Security Deposit means the refundable amount held against loss, theft, damage, missing items, late return or non-return of the Equipment.

Service means the hire of the Equipment and any related delivery, collection, support, audio processing and recording-delivery services provided by Dialtone.

Total Loss means Equipment that is lost, stolen, not returned, damaged beyond reasonable repair or where the reasonable cost of repair would exceed its current replacement value.

Working Day means Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays in England.

2. The Agreement

2.1 Dialtone agrees to hire the Equipment to you for the Hire Period, and you agree to hire and look after it in accordance with this Agreement.

2.2 This is an agreement for hire only. You are not purchasing the Equipment, and ownership remains with Dialtone at all times.

2.3 You are responsible for taking reasonable steps to ensure that guests, venue staff, event suppliers and anyone else you permit to handle the Equipment follow the relevant requirements of this Agreement.

2.4 Your Booking Confirmation takes priority regarding the specific Equipment, Hire Period, Event Date and price agreed for your booking.

2.5 The Terms and Conditions govern general booking, payment and cancellation matters. This Agreement governs the possession, use, care and return of the Equipment.

3. Hire Period

3.1 The Hire Period begins and ends on the dates shown in your Booking Confirmation.

3.2 You must not keep or use the Equipment beyond the agreed Hire Period unless we have approved an extension in writing.

3.3 Return deadlines are important because the Equipment may be reserved for another customer. You must contact us as soon as possible if you believe the Equipment may be returned late.

3.4 An extension is subject to availability and may incur the additional daily hire charge displayed when you booked or otherwise agreed with you.

4. Charges and Payment

4.1 All payments must be made in pounds sterling using a payment method accepted at checkout or shown on your invoice.

4.2 Unless stated otherwise at checkout, a Booking Payment equal to 30% of the Hire Charges is required to reserve the Equipment and Hire Period.

4.3 The remaining Hire Charges and the £150 Security Deposit will normally be charged automatically to the same payment method 30 days before the Event Date.

4.4 For bookings placed 30 days or fewer before the Event Date, the full Hire Charges and Security Deposit may be payable at checkout.

4.5 If a scheduled payment fails, we will contact you and provide a reasonable opportunity to make payment. If it remains unpaid, we may cancel the booking in accordance with our Terms and Conditions.

4.6 Additional charges may apply where the Equipment is lost, stolen, damaged, returned incomplete or returned late. We will explain the reason for any charge and how it has been calculated.

5. Security Deposit

5.1 The Security Deposit is separate from the Hire Charges. It is held against loss, theft, damage, missing items, late return or non-return of the Equipment.

5.2 After the Equipment has been returned and inspected, we will initiate the refund of the Security Deposit to the original payment method within five Working Days, provided no deduction is required.

5.3 Your bank or payment provider may take additional time to display the refund after we have initiated it.

5.4 If we believe a deduction is necessary, we will contact you with:

an explanation of the issue;
the proposed deduction;
details of how the amount has been calculated; and
any relevant supporting information reasonably available to us.

5.5 We will refund any undisputed balance of the Security Deposit.

5.6 The Security Deposit does not limit your responsibility if reasonable repair, replacement or other recoverable costs exceed £150. Where necessary, we may invoice you for the remaining amount.

5.7 The Security Deposit is not a cancellation payment. If your booking is cancelled before the Equipment is supplied, it will be refunded in accordance with our Terms and Conditions.

6. Delivery

6.1 We will deliver the Equipment to the address shown in your Booking Confirmation, normally between one and three days before the Event Date unless otherwise agreed.

6.2 You must provide a complete and accurate delivery address and tell us promptly about any access restrictions or delivery instructions.

6.3 You must ensure that someone is available to accept delivery. If you are not present, you authorise another person at the agreed address to accept the Equipment on your behalf.

6.4 You may be responsible for reasonable redelivery or recovery costs where delivery fails because:

nobody is available to receive the Equipment;
the address supplied is incorrect or incomplete;
access to the address is not reasonably possible; or
you have not provided relevant delivery information.

6.5 We will take reasonable steps to ensure the Equipment arrives in time for your event and will provide tracking information where available.

7. Inspection on Arrival

7.1 You must inspect the Equipment promptly after delivery and check that:

it matches the items in your Booking Confirmation;
it appears clean and undamaged;
all expected parts and accessories are present; and
it powers on and operates in accordance with the supplied instructions.

7.2 You must notify us of any missing items, visible damage or apparent fault within 24 hours of delivery, or before your event begins if sooner.

7.3 We may ask you to provide photographs or videos to help us investigate and resolve the problem.

7.4 Failure to notify us promptly will not remove your statutory rights, but it may affect our ability to investigate the issue or provide a replacement before your event.

7.5 Responsibility for the Equipment transfers to you when it is delivered into your possession or the possession of someone accepting it on your behalf.

8. Using and Looking After the Equipment

8.1 You must use the Equipment carefully, only for its intended purpose and in accordance with the instructions supplied.

8.2 The audio guestbook telephone must be placed:

securely on a stable surface;
away from exposed edges;
away from food, drinks and other liquids;
away from open flames or excessive heat;
somewhere it is unlikely to be knocked, dropped or crushed;
away from emergency exits and access routes; and
ideally in a quieter area away from loudspeakers and excessive venue noise.

8.3 A surface measuring at least approximately 30cm × 40cm is recommended.

8.4 The Equipment is intended for indoor use. Covered outdoor use is permitted only where we have agreed to it in writing and suitable protection from weather, moisture and temperature is provided.

8.5 You must not:

open, dismantle, alter or attempt to repair the Equipment;
remove or interfere with internal components or storage media;
remove, obscure or alter identification or safety labels;
expose the Equipment to rain, liquids, spillages, excessive moisture or extreme temperatures;
deliberately allow it to be dropped, struck, crushed or otherwise mistreated;
use accessories, chargers or power supplies that we have not supplied or approved;
remove it from the agreed event or delivery location without permission;
take it outside the United Kingdom without written permission;
sell, sub-hire, lend or transfer it to another person or organisation; or
use it for an unlawful purpose.

8.6 You must stop using the Equipment and contact us if it becomes damaged, unusually hot, wet, unsafe or appears to develop an electrical fault.

9. Loss, Theft and Damage

9.1 You are responsible for loss, theft and damage occurring while the Equipment is in your possession or control, except where caused by:

Fair Wear and Tear;
an inherent or pre-existing fault;
an act or omission by Dialtone; or
loss or damage during delivery or an approved return after responsibility has passed to the relevant carrier.

9.2 If Equipment is lost or stolen, you must:

notify us immediately;
take reasonable steps to recover or protect it;
report theft to the police as soon as reasonably possible;
provide the crime reference number on request; and
cooperate with any reasonable investigation or insurance claim.

9.3 If the Equipment is damaged, you must notify us immediately. You must stop using it if continued use could cause further damage or create a safety risk.

9.4 Depending on the circumstances, you may be responsible for the reasonable cost of:

inspecting and diagnosing damage;
repair and replacement parts;
replacing Equipment that is a Total Loss;
replacing missing accessories;
cleaning beyond what is required following normal use;
recovery or additional delivery; and
losses caused by a subsequent booking that we cannot fulfil, where those losses are reasonably foreseeable and not already covered by another charge.

9.5 Repair and replacement charges will account for the age, condition and reasonable market value of the Equipment. We will not use damage charges to place ourselves in a better position than if the loss or damage had not occurred.

9.6 We will not charge you for Fair Wear and Tear.

9.7 Where damaged Equipment is replaced, the original item remains the property of Dialtone unless we agree otherwise in writing.

10. Returning the Equipment

10.1 Return instructions, packaging and any prepaid return label will be supplied with the Equipment or sent to you separately.

10.2 You must return the Equipment using the agreed method and on the date shown in your Booking Confirmation or return instructions.

10.3 The Equipment must be returned:

in the original protective packaging where provided;
using the correct return label;
with all supplied parts and accessories;
reasonably clean; and
in the condition in which it was supplied, allowing for Fair Wear and Tear.

10.4 Where a courier or postal service is used, you must obtain and retain proof of collection or postage and provide it to us on request.

10.5 Your responsibility for loss in return transit ends when the correctly packaged Equipment has been handed to the return carrier nominated by us and you have obtained proof of collection or postage.

10.6 You remain responsible for return-transit loss or damage where:

you use a different return service without our approval;
the Equipment is inadequately or incorrectly packaged;
the wrong return label is used;
you cannot provide reasonable evidence that it was handed to the nominated carrier; or
the loss or damage results from your failure to follow the return instructions.

10.7 If our nominated courier fails to collect the Equipment through no fault of your own, you must notify us promptly and continue to keep it safe. You will not be treated as returning the Equipment late solely because of that failed collection.

10.8 If the Equipment is otherwise returned late, reasonable additional hire charges and recoverable losses may apply. We will take reasonable steps to minimise any loss and will not recover the same loss twice.

11. Faults, Breakdown and Support

11.1 You must contact us as soon as reasonably possible if the Equipment appears faulty or does not operate as expected.

11.2 We will provide reasonable troubleshooting support and, where practicable, attempt to provide replacement Equipment or another appropriate solution.

11.3 You must follow reasonable troubleshooting instructions, provided doing so does not require you to dismantle the Equipment or perform anything unsafe.

11.4 We are not responsible for faults or reduced performance caused by:

misuse, accidental damage or tampering;
failure to follow the instructions;
unsuitable placement or environmental conditions;
loss of supplied accessories or power components;
unapproved equipment or accessories; or
the actions of the Customer, guests, venue or another third party outside our control.

11.5 If the Equipment was faulty before delivery or we otherwise fail to provide the Service with reasonable care and skill, you may be entitled to repeat performance, a price reduction, replacement Equipment, a partial refund or a full refund depending on the circumstances and your statutory rights.

12. Audio Recordings

12.1 The Equipment is designed to record messages intentionally left by guests who choose to use the telephone.

12.2 You must display the recording and privacy signage supplied with the Equipment clearly throughout the event.

12.3 Guests who do not wish to be recorded should not use the telephone. You are responsible for taking reasonable steps to ensure that children are appropriately supervised when using it.

12.4 We do not guarantee:

a minimum number or duration of messages;
that every guest will use the telephone;
that every recording will contain speech;
that every recording will be clear; or
that all background noise can be removed.

12.5 Recording quality can be affected by venue noise, music, guest behaviour, telephone placement and how each guest uses the handset.

12.6 We test the Equipment and take reasonable steps to protect recordings, but no electronic recording or storage system can be guaranteed to be entirely free from technical failure. Nothing in this section removes your statutory rights if we fail to provide the Service with reasonable care and skill.

12.7 Where editing is included, it will be limited to the processing described in your booking, such as trimming silence, adjusting volume and reducing some background noise.

12.8 We will deliver the recordings digitally after the Equipment has been returned and processing has been completed.

12.9 You are responsible for downloading and securely backing up the recordings after delivery.

12.10 We retain recordings for the period described in our Privacy and Recording Policy. Our storage should not be treated as a permanent backup.

12.11 Dialtone is not responsible for the opinions, statements or other content of messages voluntarily left by guests.

13. Privacy and Marketing

13.1 We process customer information and audio recordings in accordance with our Privacy and Recording Policy (https://chatgpt.com/privacy-and-recording-policy).

13.2 Permission to use recordings for Dialtone’s marketing is separate from acceptance of this Agreement and requires a positive opt-in.

13.3 A customer’s opt-in permits us to review recordings and contact the customer about possible promotional use. It does not automatically provide consent on behalf of every identifiable guest.

13.4 We will not publish an identifiable guest recording for marketing unless we have an appropriate lawful basis and any permission reasonably required from that guest.

13.5 Marketing permission may be withdrawn by contacting [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]). We will stop new use and take reasonable steps to remove content under our control going forward.

14. Cancellation and Termination

14.1 Customer cancellations, refunds, date changes and postponements are governed by section 10 of our Terms and Conditions (https://chatgpt.com/terms-and-conditions).

14.2 The Booking Payment will normally be retained where a customer cancels after the applicable cooling-off period, subject to Dialtone not retaining more than its reasonable losses.

14.3 The Security Deposit is not a cancellation charge and will be refunded if the Equipment has not been supplied.

14.4 We may end this Agreement where:

a required payment remains unpaid after you have had a reasonable opportunity to resolve it;
you commit a serious or repeated breach of this Agreement;
the Equipment is being used unlawfully;
we reasonably believe the Equipment faces an immediate and material risk of loss or damage; or
you refuse to stop using Equipment that may be unsafe.

14.5 Where reasonably possible, we will tell you about the breach and provide an opportunity to correct it before ending the Agreement.

14.6 Ending this Agreement does not affect any rights or obligations that arose beforehand, including responsibility for returning the Equipment or paying reasonable charges for loss or damage.

15. Our Responsibility to You

15.1 We will provide the Service with reasonable care and skill.

15.2 We are responsible for losses that are a reasonably foreseeable result of our breach of this Agreement or our failure to use reasonable care and skill.

15.3 We are not responsible for loss or damage that:

was not reasonably foreseeable when the agreement was made;
results from your breach of this Agreement;
results from failure to follow the supplied instructions;
is caused by guest behaviour, venue conditions or another third party outside our control; or
relates to business loss where the Service was booked wholly or mainly for personal use.

15.4 We are not responsible for guests failing to leave messages or audio limitations caused by venue noise, telephone placement, guest behaviour or how a guest uses the handset.

15.5 Nothing in this Agreement excludes or limits liability where doing so would be unlawful, including liability for:

death or personal injury caused by negligence;
fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation;
breach of statutory consumer rights; or
any other liability that cannot legally be excluded or limited.

16. Events Outside Our Reasonable Control

16.1 We are not responsible for delay or failure caused by an event genuinely outside our reasonable control, such as severe weather, widespread courier disruption, fire, flood, major infrastructure failure, government restrictions or another comparable emergency.

16.2 If such an event occurs, we will:

contact you as soon as reasonably possible;
take reasonable steps to minimise its effect;
try to provide replacement Equipment, an alternative delivery arrangement or a suitable date transfer where practicable; and
keep you informed about any material effect on the booking.

16.3 If the event prevents us from providing a material part of the Service and no reasonable alternative is available, either party may cancel the affected booking. We will refund amounts paid for Services that will not be provided, including the Security Deposit where the Equipment has not been supplied.

17. Other Important Terms

17.1 If any part of this Agreement is found unlawful or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue to apply.

17.2 If we delay enforcing a right, that does not mean we have waived it.

17.3 No person other than you and Dialtone has the right to enforce this Agreement.

17.4 The version of this Agreement in force when your booking is confirmed will apply to that booking. We will not materially change a confirmed booking without your agreement unless required by law.

17.5 This Agreement is governed by the laws of England and Wales. If you are a consumer living elsewhere in the United Kingdom, you retain any mandatory protections available where you live and may bring proceedings in the courts available to you under applicable law.

17.6 Nothing in this Agreement affects your statutory consumer rights.

18. Contact

Questions, fault reports, return issues and notices under this Agreement should be sent to:

Dialtone Events Ltd
Company number: 16951950
Registered in: England and Wales
Registered office: 44 Lavender Way, Easingwold, North Yorkshire, YO61 3GU
Email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])