Referral Program Terms & Conditions

1. Introduction

These Referral Program Terms & Conditions ("Referral Terms") govern your participation in the BIG TOYS CLUB crew referral program ("Referral Program"). These Referral Terms supplement and form part of our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

By participating in the Referral Program, you agree to be bound by these Referral Terms. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not participate in the Referral Program.

IMPORTANT: The Referral Program is designed to reward professional yacht crew members who refer other qualified maritime professionals to join the BIG TOYS CLUB platform. This program complies with Australian Consumer Law and is not a pyramid scheme or illegal referral selling arrangement.

2. Eligibility

2.1 Who Can Participate

To participate in the Referral Program, you must:

• Be a registered crew member on the BIG TOYS CLUB waitlist or platform
• Be at least 18 years of age
• Have a valid email address and account in good standing
• Comply with these Referral Terms and our Terms of Service
• Hold valid maritime certifications relevant to your crew position (required for bonus payout eligibility)

2.2 Referee Eligibility

To qualify as a valid referral, the referred person (referee) must:

• Be a new user who has not previously registered on BIG TOYS CLUB
• Join using your unique referral code
• Be a professional maritime crew member or aspiring crew member
• Complete identity verification and credential verification
• Complete their first charter through the platform

3. How the Referral Program Works

3.1 Your Unique Referral Code

When you join the crew waitlist, you will receive a unique referral code. This code is personal to you and should only be shared with maritime professionals you know who may be interested in joining BIG TOYS CLUB.

3.2 Referral Bonus Structure

• Bonus Amount: You earn $25 (AUD) for each verified referral
• Maximum Earnings: Referral bonuses are capped at $100 (AUD) per referrer per calendar month (maximum 4 qualified referrals per month)
• Waitlist Priority: You also advance 5 positions in the waitlist queue for every successful referral

3.3 Verification Requirements

A referral is considered "verified" and eligible for bonus payment only after the referred crew member:

• Completes registration using your referral code
• Completes their crew profile with position, certifications, and availability
• Passes identity verification (KYC)
• Passes credential verification (maritime certificates)
• Completes their first charter through the BIG TOYS CLUB platform
• Receives payment for their first charter (payment must clear successfully)

3.4 Tracking Your Referrals

You can track the status of your referrals and accumulated bonuses through your crew dashboard. We will send you email notifications when:

• Someone joins using your referral code
• A referral completes verification
• A referral completes their first charter
• Your referral bonus is approved for payment

4. Payment Terms

4.1 Payment Timeline

Referral bonuses are paid within 30 business days of the referred crew member's first charter completion and payment clearance. Payments may be delayed if:

• The referred crew member's charter payment is disputed or refunded
• We detect suspicious or fraudulent activity
• Your account information is incomplete or incorrect
• You have not completed identity verification

4.2 Payment Method

Referral bonuses are paid via the same payment method used for your charter earnings (direct deposit to your verified Australian bank account). You must have a valid bank account on file to receive referral bonuses.

4.3 Minimum Payout Threshold

There is no minimum payout threshold for referral bonuses. If you earn a $25 bonus from a single referral, it will be paid according to the payment timeline above.

4.4 Tax Obligations

4.5 GST

Referral bonuses are not subject to Goods and Services Tax (GST) unless you are registered for GST and the referral payment is connected to your enterprise. Consult a tax professional if you are unsure about GST obligations.

5. Privacy & Data Collection

5.1 Information We Collect

When you participate in the Referral Program, we collect and process the following information:

• Referrer Data: Your unique referral code, number of referrals, referral bonus amounts, waitlist position changes, and payment records
• Referee Data: Names and email addresses of people who use your referral code, their registration status, verification status, and charter completion status (we do NOT share referee financial details with you)

5.2 Referee Consent Requirement

5.3 How We Use Referral Data

We use referral program data to:

• Track referrals and calculate bonus payments
• Send email invitations to referees
• Update waitlist positions
• Prevent fraud and abuse of the referral program
• Comply with tax reporting obligations

5.4 Privacy Policy

For complete information about how we collect, use, and protect your personal information, please see our Privacy Policy.

6. Prohibited Activities

The following activities are strictly prohibited and may result in immediate disqualification from the Referral Program, forfeiture of all pending bonuses, and termination of your BIG TOYS CLUB account:

6.1 Fraudulent Referrals

• Fake Accounts: Creating fake accounts or referring non-existent persons
• Self-Referrals: Referring yourself using multiple email addresses or accounts
• Household Referrals: Referring family members living in the same household (exceptions may apply for genuine crew members)
• Identity Misrepresentation: Providing false information about yourself or referees

6.2 Spam and Unsolicited Communications

• Mass Spamming: Sending unsolicited bulk emails, SMS, or social media messages promoting your referral code
• Misleading Advertising: Misrepresenting the platform, services, or referral benefits
• Paid Advertising Fraud: Using paid advertising (Google Ads, Facebook Ads, etc.) to promote your referral code without our written permission
• SEO Manipulation: Creating websites or content that mislead people into thinking they are official BIG TOYS CLUB pages

6.3 System Manipulation

• Manipulating the referral tracking system through technical means
• Using bots, scripts, or automation to generate fake referrals
• Circumventing verification requirements
• Colluding with referees to create fake charters or manipulate completion status

6.4 Consequences

If you engage in prohibited activities, we may:

• Immediately disqualify you from the Referral Program
• Forfeit all pending and future referral bonuses
• Remove waitlist priority positions gained through invalid referrals
• Suspend or permanently terminate your BIG TOYS CLUB account
• Pursue legal action and damages if fraud is detected

7. Program Modifications and Termination

7.1 Right to Modify

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or terminate the Referral Program at any time with 30 days' notice. Modifications may include:

• Changes to referral bonus amounts
• Changes to maximum earnings caps
• Changes to verification requirements
• Changes to payment timelines
• Changes to waitlist priority benefits

7.2 Grandfathering

Existing qualified referrals made before any program changes will be honoured according to the terms in effect at the time the referral code was shared. For example, if you refer someone while the bonus is $25, and we later change it to $20, your qualified referral will still earn the $25 bonus.

7.3 Program Termination

If we terminate the Referral Program entirely, we will:

• Provide 30 days' notice
• Process all pending referral bonuses for referrals that complete their first charter before the termination date
• Clearly communicate the termination timeline and final eligibility dates

8. Disputes and Questions

8.1 Reporting Issues

If you encounter any issues with the Referral Program, including:

• Missing or incorrect referral tracking
• Delayed bonus payments
• Questions about referee verification status
• Suspected fraudulent use of your referral code

Please contact us immediately at crew-support@bigtoysclub.com. We will investigate and respond within 5 business days.

8.2 Investigation Process

When you report an issue, we will:

• Acknowledge receipt of your inquiry within 1 business day
• Investigate the issue using referral tracking logs and verification records
• Provide a resolution or explanation within 5 business days
• Process any owed payments or corrections within 10 business days of resolution

8.3 Final Decision Authority

BIG TOYS CLUB has final decision authority on all matters relating to the Referral Program, including but not limited to:

• Determining whether a referral meets verification requirements
• Investigating and determining fraudulent activity
• Calculating bonus payments and waitlist positions
• Interpreting these Referral Terms

8.4 Dispute Resolution

If you disagree with our decision, you may request escalation to senior management by emailing disputes@bigtoysclub.com. Disputes will be handled according to the dispute resolution process in our Terms of Service.

9. Governing Law

These Referral Terms are governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia. Any disputes arising from the Referral Program are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of New South Wales.

These Referral Terms comply with the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Schedule 2 - Australian Consumer Law) and other applicable Australian consumer protection legislation.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions about the Referral Program or these Referral Terms, please contact us: