Theft, Fraud & Damage Policy

Theft. A borrower keeps an item past the agreed return date, ignores reasonable return requests, claims it as their own, sells or pawns it, or otherwise treats it as if the loan never happened.

Willful damage. Damage caused on purpose, through misuse the borrower knew was off-limits, or through gross negligence (e.g. leaving an item unsecured, lending it to a third party without the lender's permission).

Normal wear and tear. The expected aging of an item under reasonable use during the rental period. Normal wear is not damage and the deposit cannot be claimed for it.

1. The borrower receives automated reminders 24 hours before due, at the due time, and once per 24 hours while overdue.
2. The lender may add a late fee per the loan's late-fee policy. Late fees do not cap the lender's right to escalate.
3. If the item is at least 48 hours overdue and the borrower has not arranged a return, the lender may file a theft report from the item's tag page or from "My Listings."
4. Filing a theft report automatically marks the loan as stolen, suspends the borrower's account pending investigation, and locks the borrower out of starting new rentals.

Lend Me's theft report is a record between you, the borrower, and Lend Me. It is not a substitute for filing a report with police. The platform generates a printable packet containing the item description, photos, declared value, the borrower's name and contact info you collected at check-out, the loan timeline, and any messages exchanged on the platform. Bring that packet to your local police department to open a criminal report.

If you receive a police report number, add it to your Lend Me theft report. Confirmed police reports unlock additional action against the borrower's account, including a permanent ban.

The following actions trigger an immediate permanent ban from Lend Me, plus suspension of any pending payouts:

• Failing to return an item after a verified police report has been filed by the lender.
• Using a false identity, payment method belonging to someone else, or fraudulent insurance documentation.
• Selling, pawning, or otherwise transferring an item that was rented, not bought.
• Willfully damaging or destroying a borrowed item.
• Threatening, harassing, or attempting to intimidate a lender into not reporting an incident.
• Operating multiple accounts to evade a prior ban or suspension.

Lend Me may also suspend or ban accounts for repeated lender complaints, repeated deposit forfeits, or any pattern of behavior the trust & safety team determines to be incompatible with safe peer-to-peer lending.

If an item is returned damaged, the lender may claim against the refundable deposit using the process described in the Deposit & Refund Policy. Both parties get a chance to present evidence (photos, messages, receipts). Lend Me reviews the claim in good faith and is the final decision-maker for disputes under the deposit amount.

Damage that exceeds the deposit is a matter between the lender, the borrower, the borrower's insurance, and — when criminal — law enforcement. Lend Me will share relevant account records in response to a valid subpoena or court order.

Lend Me does not insure your items. The platform does not provide a "host protection" or "all-risk" policy. We strongly recommend that lenders:

• Carry a homeowner's, renter's, or business policy that extends to property loaned out, or buy a separate inland-marine / rental-equipment rider.
• For vehicles, maintain a personal auto policy with uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (already required for vehicle listings).
• Set a refundable deposit on every listing — it is your first line of recovery for damage and small losses.
• Record serial numbers, take dated photos at check-out, and use the Lend Me QR tag system so the loan timeline is preserved for any future claim.

You can record an optional insurance policy on each listing so that, if anything goes wrong, your provider details are already attached to your theft report packet.

When law enforcement contacts Lend Me with a valid request tied to a theft report, we cooperate. We may provide identifying information about a borrower's account, loan history, messages on the platform, and any photos or documents the borrower uploaded. We tell users when their data is requested unless we are prohibited by law from doing so.

Lend Me's tools — QR tags, deposits, ratings, identity checks, theft reports — exist to reduce risk, not to eliminate it. By listing an item you accept that there is always some risk of loss or damage that no platform can fully prevent. Set deposits that reflect what you can afford to lose, screen borrowers using their trust score, and carry insurance for anything valuable.