1. Introduction and Status of These Rules
In short: When you bid in a MoorHub Auction, you set a confidential Maximum Bid and the Platform bids for you in £5 steps, only as far as needed to keep you in the lead. If you win, you have a limited time to apply for the mooring, and the Mooring Provider can still turn you down on eligibility grounds (clause 9). If the winner does not go ahead, the Mooring Provider can offer the mooring to the next-highest bidder, at that bidder's own Maximum Bid (clause 7). You will always be asked to accept the Mooring Provider's own terms separately, and MoorHub is not a party to, and does not enforce, any agreement you make with them (clause 13). MoorHub never takes payment from you: any price shown is owed to the Mooring Provider.
1.1 These MoorHub Auction Rules (“these Rules”) set out how Auctions work on the MoorHub platform (the “Platform”), operated by Labello Enterprises Limited trading as MoorHub (“MoorHub”, “we”, “us”). They do not apply to Vacancies listed at a fixed price, which are governed by the Website Terms of Use and the Partnership Agreement.
1.2 These Rules form part of, by reference: (a) the MoorHub Website Terms of Use (Boat Owners) (the “Website Terms of Use”), which govern a Boat Owner's use of the Platform generally; and (b) the MoorHub Mooring Provider Partnership Agreement and Partner Terms and Conditions (the “Partnership Agreement”), which govern a Mooring Provider's use of the Platform generally. If there is a conflict between these Rules and the Website Terms of Use or the Partnership Agreement on a matter these Rules specifically address, including the meaning of a term defined in clause 2, these Rules take precedence on that matter. On every other matter, the Website Terms of Use or the Partnership Agreement (as applicable) governs.
1.3 These Rules are addressed to Boat Owners, who bid in Auctions, and to Mooring Providers, who list Vacancies. Clauses of general application apply to both. Where a clause applies to Mooring Providers only, it is marked accordingly.
1.4 MoorHub provides the auction technology only. It is not an auctioneer, is not a Mooring Provider, does not own or operate any Mooring Site, and is not a party to any Mooring Agreement. These Rules govern the Auction and Application process on the Platform; they do not govern the Mooring Agreement itself, which is a matter between the Boat Owner and the Mooring Provider (clause 13).
2. Definitions
Terms defined in the Website Terms of Use or the Partnership Agreement carry the same meaning in these Rules unless defined below. In these Rules:
“Application” means the Offered Bidder's submission to book a Vacancy following an Auction, made as described in clause 8.1.
“Auction” means a Vacancy listed for competitive bidding, closing at a stated date and time.
“Berth” means an individual mooring space within a Mooring Site.
“Bid” means a Maximum Bid placed, or raised, by a Boat Owner in an Auction.
“Booking Window” means the period within which the Offered Bidder must submit their Application (clause 6.4). It is distinct from the Response Period.
“Current Bid” means the price at which an Auction stands at any moment, calculated under clause 4.4, which is shown on the Listing.
“Eligibility Criteria” means the requirements a Mooring Provider applies when deciding whether to accept an Application (clause 9).
“Fixed Price Listing” means a Vacancy listed at a fixed price set by the Mooring Provider, without bidding. Fixed Price Listings are not governed by these Rules; they are referred to only as an option for re-listing a Vacancy after an Auction (clauses 6.3 and 7.1).
“Listing” means a Vacancy as displayed on the Platform.
“Maximum Bid” means the most a Boat Owner is willing to pay for a Vacancy in an Auction, as entered by them.
“Mooring Agreement” means the agreement formed directly between a Boat Owner and a Mooring Provider for the mooring of a boat at a Mooring Site.
“Mooring Provider's Own Terms” means the Mooring Provider's own terms and conditions published on the Platform, which a Boat Owner must accept before submitting an Application (clause 8.1).
“MoorHub Terms” means the Website Terms of Use and the Acceptable Use Policy, as accepted by a Boat Owner.
“Offered Bidder” means the bidder who, at a given time, has been offered the Vacancy following an Auction: first the Winning Bidder and then, if the Vacancy is offered on under clause 7, the next-highest bidder.
“Response Period” means the period within which a Mooring Provider must accept or reject a submitted Application (clause 8.4).
“Starting Price” means the price at which the Mooring Provider opens an Auction.
“Vacancy” means a Berth, or part of a Mooring Site, advertised as available on the Platform.
“Winning Bidder” means the bidder leading an Auction when it closes.
3. Listing an Auction
3.1 When listing an Auction, a Mooring Provider sets the Starting Price, the closing date and time, and the other terms of the Listing, including the contract length where one applies. An Auction must close no more than 30 days after it is listed.
3.2 Once a Bid has been placed, bidders are bidding on the terms as they stand. From that point the Mooring Provider cannot change the terms of the Listing, and cannot withdraw or delete the Auction before it closes. This does not limit MoorHub's rights under clause 15 or under the Website Terms of Use and the Partnership Agreement to suspend, hide or remove a Listing.
3.3 Auctions do not renew automatically. An Auction that closes without an Application being accepted is dealt with under clauses 6 and 7.
3.4 The Starting Price, the Current Bid and any other figure shown against an Auction is the Mooring Fee payable to the Mooring Provider under the Mooring Agreement. It is not a fee owed to MoorHub, and MoorHub does not take payment from a Boat Owner at any stage (Website Terms of Use, clauses 4.8 to 4.10 and 16). There is no reserve price: the Starting Price is the only minimum, and no undisclosed or higher minimum applies.
4. Bidding
4.1 To bid, a Boat Owner must be signed in, must be aged 18 or over and have given their date of birth, and must have accepted the current version of the MoorHub Terms, including any material update to them.
4.2 A Boat Owner bids by entering a Maximum Bid. A Maximum Bid must be more than the Starting Price. A Boat Owner who is not currently leading must also enter a Maximum Bid that is more than the Current Bid.
4.3 The Platform bids on each bidder's behalf (proxy bidding). A Maximum Bid can be higher than the Current Bid and still not lead, if another bidder's Maximum Bid is higher; the Platform tells the bidder when this happens.
4.4 The Current Bid is calculated as follows:
(a) where there is one bidder, it is the lower of that bidder's Maximum Bid and the Starting Price plus £5;
(b) where there are two or more bidders, the bidder with the highest Maximum Bid leads, and the Current Bid is the lower of their Maximum Bid and the next-highest Maximum Bid plus £5.
The leading bidder therefore never pays more than their Maximum Bid, and pays only what is needed to lead. MoorHub may change the £5 bid increment by publishing notice on the Platform (and, for Mooring Providers, in accordance with Partnership Agreement clause 7.7); a change applies only to Auctions opening after it takes effect.
4.5 If two bidders have the same Maximum Bid, the bidder who placed their first Bid on that Auction earlier leads.
4.6 A Boat Owner may raise their Maximum Bid at any time before the Auction closes. A Maximum Bid cannot be lowered, and a Bid cannot be withdrawn once placed. A leading bidder who raises their Maximum Bid does not raise the Current Bid by doing so.
4.7 A Bid is an indication of the most a Boat Owner is willing to pay for the Vacancy. Placing a Bid, or becoming the Winning Bidder or an Offered Bidder, does not create a contract with MoorHub or with the Mooring Provider, and does not oblige the Boat Owner to submit an Application. A binding agreement for the mooring is formed only under the Mooring Agreement, after the Mooring Provider accepts an Application.
4.8 However, a Boat Owner must bid only where they genuinely intend to proceed if offered the Vacancy (Acceptable Use Policy, clause 11.2). Repeatedly winning, or being offered, Vacancies without submitting an Application may be treated as a breach of the Acceptable Use Policy, and MoorHub may take action in accordance with clauses 16 and 17 of that policy and clause 27 of the Website Terms of Use.
4.9 The Platform may notify a bidder by email when they are outbid. These notifications are limited in frequency and are sent as a convenience only (clause 15.3).
5. Confidentiality: What the Mooring Provider Sees
5.1 A bidder's Maximum Bid is never shown to other bidders.
5.2 While an Auction is running and after it closes, the Mooring Provider can see the Starting Price, the Current Bid, the number of bidders, each bidder's ranking and the time of their first Bid, and the outcome for each bidder. Bidders are identified to the Mooring Provider by number only. The Mooring Provider does not see the Maximum Bid of any bidder, except that of a bidder offered the Vacancy under clause 7.2, whose Maximum Bid becomes their price.
5.3 A bidder's name, contact details (email, telephone and address), date of birth and boat details are shared with the Mooring Provider only when that bidder submits an Application. How MoorHub and the Mooring Provider use that information is set out in the Privacy Policy and in Website Terms of Use clause 14.4.
6. When an Auction Closes
6.1 An Auction closes at its stated closing date and time (UK time). No Bid can be placed or raised after that time, and the closing time is not extended because of Bids placed shortly before it.
6.2 If at least one Bid was placed, the leading bidder becomes the Winning Bidder and is offered the Vacancy at the Current Bid at closing. The Winning Bidder is notified, and every other bidder is notified that they were not the highest bidder and that the Vacancy may later be offered to them under clause 7.
6.3 If no Bid was placed, the Mooring Provider is notified and may re-list the Vacancy as a new Auction, list it as a Fixed Price Listing, or close it.
6.4 The Offered Bidder must submit their Application within their Booking Window. The Booking Window is 14 days unless the Mooring Provider has set a different period for its account, which may be between 1 and 90 days. It starts when the Auction closes, for the Winning Bidder, and when the offer is made, for a bidder offered the Vacancy under clause 7. The deadline is shown in the bidder's MoorHub account and included in the notification sent to them, and the Platform aims to send a reminder when less than 24 hours remain. The Booking Window runs whether or not a notification or reminder is received.
6.5 Only the Offered Bidder may submit an Application for the Vacancy, and only within their Booking Window. The Application is made at the price at which the Vacancy was offered to them. While the Offered Bidder's Booking Window is running, the Vacancy is not advertised.
7. If the Offered Bidder Does Not Proceed
7.1 If the Offered Bidder does not submit an Application within their Booking Window, or submits an Application that the Mooring Provider rejects under clause 9, the Mooring Provider may do any one of the following:
(a) offer the Vacancy to the next-highest bidder who has not already been offered it (clause 7.2);
(b) re-list the Vacancy as a new Auction;
(c) re-list the Vacancy as a Fixed Price Listing; or
(d) close the Vacancy, in which case no other bidder will be offered it.
7.2 Offers to further bidders are made one at a time, in order of Maximum Bid (with ties decided under clause 4.5). A bidder offered the Vacancy in this way is offered it at their own Maximum Bid, which becomes the price for their Application and is disclosed to the Mooring Provider. Their own Booking Window then starts (clause 6.4). They are not obliged to accept the offer (clause 4.7). Whether to make such an offer is entirely at the Mooring Provider's discretion.
7.3 Bidding does not reopen once an Auction has closed. Re-listing a Vacancy under clause 7.1(b) or (c) creates a new, separate Listing: Bids placed on the original Auction do not carry over, and the new Listing is charged as a new Listing Period (Partnership Agreement, clauses 7.5 and 10.2).
7.4 Bidders who were not the Winning Bidder are not notified again if the Vacancy is later re-listed or closed.
8. Applications and the Mooring Provider's Response
8.1 To submit an Application, a Boat Owner must: (a) select their boat, which must pass the dimension check in clause 10; (b) provide their full name, email address, telephone number, address and date of birth; and (c) accept the current version of the Mooring Provider's Own Terms. That acceptance, and the version accepted, are recorded against the Application. If the Mooring Provider's Own Terms change while an Application is being prepared, the Boat Owner must review and accept the new version before submitting. The Boat Owner must also have accepted the current MoorHub Terms (clause 4.1).
8.2 Submitting an Application does not complete a booking or create any right to the Vacancy. The Mooring Provider reviews the Application and either accepts it, confirming the Mooring Agreement's start date and, where applicable, end date, or rejects it (clause 9).
8.3 A Vacancy is treated as booked only when the Mooring Provider accepts an Application, consistent with Partnership Agreement clause 9.3. The Mooring Provider must respond to each submitted Application individually.
8.4 The Mooring Provider must accept or reject a submitted Application by the end of the day (UK time) falling 5 days after the Application was submitted (the “Response Period”). MoorHub sets the Response Period for the Platform and may change it; a change applies only to Applications submitted after it takes effect. The Platform sends the Mooring Provider reminders two days before, one day before and on the day the Response Period ends, although not every reminder may be sent where the Response Period is short.
8.5 Once the Response Period has ended, the Application can no longer be accepted or rejected. It is automatically cancelled, the Boat Owner and the Mooring Provider are notified, and the Vacancy is closed. It is not offered to any other bidder.
8.6 When a Mooring Provider accepts an Application and confirms the start and end dates, MoorHub relays that information but does not verify or guarantee it (Website Terms of Use, clause 12.7).
9. Winning Isn't Guaranteed: Eligibility and the Right to Reject
9.1 Being the Winning Bidder or an Offered Bidder does not guarantee that the Mooring Provider will accept the Application. The Mooring Provider may reject an Application if the Boat Owner does not meet its Eligibility Criteria for that Mooring Site.
9.2 Eligibility Criteria may include, for example: a valid boat licence and Boat Safety Certificate (where applicable); evidence of third-party liability insurance; no outstanding debt owed to the Mooring Provider; no history of a serious breach of a previous Mooring Agreement or removal from a Mooring Site; the outcome of a credit check, where the Mooring Provider reasonably carries one out; the boat's suitability for the Mooring Site beyond the dimension check in clause 10; and any planning, residential-use or commercial-use restriction that applies to the Mooring Site. This list is illustrative, not exhaustive.
9.3 The Platform may record a Mooring Provider's stated reason for rejecting an Application. MoorHub is not responsible for disclosing, explaining or communicating that reason to the Boat Owner, who should raise any question about a rejection with the Mooring Provider directly.
9.4 A Boat Owner does not have a right to have a Mooring Provider's decision overturned by MoorHub. MoorHub is not a party to the Mooring Agreement and does not adjudicate eligibility (clause 13).
10. Boat and Berth Suitability
10.1 Before an Application can be submitted, the Platform automatically checks the boat's length, beam and draught against the maximum dimensions the Mooring Provider has stated for the Berth. Where no maximum is stated for a dimension, no check is made against that dimension.
10.2 Passing this check confirms only that the boat's recorded dimensions fall within the Berth's stated maximums. It is not a substitute for the Mooring Provider's own assessment of suitability, including under any site rules, Eligibility Criteria (clause 9), residential or planning restrictions, or navigation authority requirements (Website Terms of Use, clauses 10 and 11).
11. Payment and the Mooring Agreement
11.1 MoorHub is not a party to, and does not process payment for, any Mooring Agreement. A Boat Owner whose Application is accepted pays the Mooring Provider directly, under the terms of their Mooring Agreement, and never pays MoorHub.
11.2 (Mooring Providers) A Mooring Provider must obtain payment, or a payment commitment it is satisfied with, before accepting an Application (Partnership Agreement, clause 9.4).
11.3 If a Boat Owner's Application is accepted but they then fail to pay the Mooring Provider, or otherwise fail to complete the Mooring Agreement, that is a matter between the Boat Owner and the Mooring Provider under the Mooring Agreement. MoorHub has no visibility of payment and cannot enforce it (Partnership Agreement, clause 10).
12. Cancellation and Cooling-Off
12.1 These Rules concern the Auction and Application process on the Platform, not a Boat Owner's rights under a Mooring Agreement once formed. Any cooling-off or cancellation right relating to the Mooring Agreement, including any statutory right, is a matter for the Mooring Provider's Own Terms and the Mooring Agreement. MoorHub is not a party to that agreement and does not grant, administer or guarantee any such right (clause 13).
12.2 A Boat Owner cannot cancel an Application through the Platform once it has been submitted. A Winning Bidder or Offered Bidder who does not wish to proceed may instead choose not to submit an Application (clause 4.7), subject to clause 4.8. A Boat Owner who wishes to withdraw an Application already submitted should contact the Mooring Provider directly.
12.3 Because MoorHub charges Boat Owners nothing, the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 do not apply to the relationship between a Boat Owner and MoorHub (Website Terms of Use, clause 16.4).
13. The Mooring Provider's Own Terms: Status and Liability
13.1 Requiring a Boat Owner to accept the Mooring Provider's Own Terms (clause 8.1) is a feature of how the Platform works. It is not an endorsement, review or approval by MoorHub of those terms or of any Mooring Agreement, and it does not make MoorHub a party to either.
13.2 MoorHub is not responsible for enforcing a Mooring Provider's Own Terms or a Mooring Agreement against either the Boat Owner or the Mooring Provider. Enforcement, performance and compliance are matters exclusively between them.
13.3 MoorHub accepts no liability for any breach of a Mooring Provider's Own Terms or a Mooring Agreement by either the Boat Owner or the Mooring Provider, including a failure to pay, a failure to vacate, damage to a Berth or boat, or a dispute over the terms themselves. This is consistent with, and does not narrow, the general limitations of MoorHub's liability and the indemnities given under the Website Terms of Use and the Partnership Agreement.
13.4 A dispute about a Mooring Provider's Own Terms or a Mooring Agreement is between the Boat Owner and the Mooring Provider. MoorHub's role is limited to the conduct of the Auction and Application process on the Platform, which is the subject of the Complaints Policy.
14. Mooring Provider Obligations
14.1 (Mooring Providers) A Mooring Provider's obligations in listing Auctions and handling Applications are set out in the Partnership Agreement, in particular clauses 9, 11, 12 and 13, in addition to those stated in these Rules (including clauses 3, 8.4 and 11.2).
15. Technical Faults and Notifications
15.1 If a technical fault materially affects the conduct of an Auction, for example a fault in bid processing, an incorrect display of the Current Bid, or a Platform outage close to the closing time, MoorHub may, at its reasonable discretion, extend the Auction's closing time, void the affected Bids, void the Auction, or restart it. MoorHub may apply any such remedy manually, and may do so notwithstanding clause 3.2.
15.2 MoorHub is not liable for a technical fault beyond its reasonable control, subject to the general liability provisions of the Website Terms of Use and the Partnership Agreement.
15.3 The Platform sends email notifications, including outbid, winning, offer, reminder and deadline notices, as a convenience. MoorHub does not guarantee their delivery or timing. All closing times, Booking Windows and Response Periods run whether or not a notification is received, and Boat Owners and Mooring Providers should check their MoorHub account for the current position.
15.4 All times in these Rules and on the Platform are UK time, as recorded by the Platform.
16. Relationship to Other MoorHub Documents
16.1 These Rules work alongside the rest of the MoorHub policy suite:
(a) the Website Terms of Use govern a Boat Owner's use of the Platform generally;
(b) the Partnership Agreement governs a Mooring Provider's use of the Platform generally;
(c) the Acceptable Use Policy (clause 11) governs bidding integrity, including shill bidding, bid manipulation and collusion between a Mooring Provider and a bidder, and the requirement to bid only with a genuine intention to proceed;
(d) the Privacy Policy governs how MoorHub uses the information shared with a Mooring Provider when an Application is submitted; and
(e) the Complaints Policy is the route for a complaint about how the Auction or Application process was conducted.
17. Changes to These Rules
17.1 MoorHub may update these Rules from time to time. Updated Rules are published on the Platform with their effective date. For Boat Owners, changes are made in accordance with clause 30 of the Website Terms of Use; for Mooring Providers, in accordance with clause 24.2 of the Partnership Agreement.
17.2 The version of these Rules in force when an Auction opens applies to that Auction, including any offer made under clause 7 and any Application following it.
18. Governing Law and Contact
18.1 These Rules are governed by the law of England and Wales, consistent with the Website Terms of Use and the Partnership Agreement.
18.2 Questions about these Rules can be sent to info@moorhub.co.uk.