How the CIOS Deposit and Approval System Protects Perth Equipment Owners

The most common question from new CIOS listers is always the same. What happens if someone damages my gear?

It's a fair question. Handing over equipment to a stranger feels like a leap of faith. On CIOS it isn't, because there are several layers of protection built in before, during and after every booking.

You Control Every Booking

No one can hire your equipment without your say so. When a booking request comes in, you get a notification and can look over the details before deciding anything. You can approve it, decline it, or suggest a different pickup time if the one requested doesn't suit you.

Your pickup address stays private until you approve. Renters don't see where to collect from until you've said yes.

The Security Deposit

When you create a listing, you choose whether to require a deposit and set the amount yourself. We'd suggest picking a figure that reflects how valuable and how vulnerable the item is.

Here's how it plays out. The renter pays the deposit at checkout and Stripe holds it, not CIOS and not you. The rental happens as normal. Once the item's returned, you check it over and confirm its condition through the app. If everything's fine, the deposit goes back to the renter automatically within a couple of days. If something's wrong, you flag it before releasing anything, and the deposit covers the cost of putting it right.

Payment Isn't Taken Until You Say Yes

All payments run through Stripe, one of the most trusted payment processors in the world. When a renter books, their card is authorised but not charged. Nothing gets taken until you approve the booking. Once you do, the payment captures and you're paid out to your nominated account after the rental's done.

What to Do If Something Goes Wrong

If there's a dispute, damage, a late return or anything missing, get in touch with the CIOS team directly through the contact options in the app. We're a small team and we read every message personally.

Setting the Right Deposit

As a rough guide, items under $100 in value suit a $20 to $50 deposit. For $100 to $300 items, think $50 to $100. For $300 to $600, around $100 to $200. For $600 to $1,000, $200 to $400. Anything over $1,000, $400 or more.

These are starting points, not rules. You know your gear and your own comfort level better than anyone.

The Bottom Line

You approve every booking. You set the deposit. You confirm the condition on return. CIOS gives you more control than a cash deal with a stranger and more accountability than lending to a mate, without any of the hassle of a commercial depot. If you're curious exactly what happens from the moment someone books to the moment they pick up, we've laid out the full booking walkthrough here.

List your gear for free at cios.net.au.