AGE & GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must be 18 years of age with valid drivers license to rent equipment (does not include boats)

• Must be 25 years of age with valid drivers license to rent any boat (pontoon, tritoon, fishing)

• Renter must be present to complete rental contract.

• Qualified persons other than renter whom plan to operate rental equipment MUST be present with renter for full instruction at the time of check in and will be required to fill out required forms.

• We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone whom we feel is not capable, mature, and/or comfortable enough to operate our equipment.

• We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.

• Large groups or gatherings please see additional rules/information listed below.

• No Lake Michigan or Pine River Channel:  Rentals on the Great Lakes (ie. Lake Michigan) including the Pine River Channel are strictly prohibited.  No going past or under the draw bridge in Charlevoix.

• Special personal watercraft (PWC) rules: Operator age restrictions: Must be at least 14 years of age or older to drive. Those who are 14 or 15 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian on the PWC. Those 16 years and older have no restrictions. All those who will operate/drive one of our PWCs, regardless of age, must be instructed by Summertime Rentals LLC and have filled out applicable forms.  Children 6 years and under are not allowed to ride on or involved with PWCs.  

• Dogs - by advanced permission only.  Must call to reserve if you intend to bring a dog.  We are dog friendly but there are certain rules and reasons for wanting to discuss our dog policy.  Not all dogs will be allowed regardless of a renter's reasoning.    

• All persons involved with our activities acknowledge that said activities are potentially dangerous and agree to hold Summertime Rentals LLC., all owners, employees and affiliated properties harmless.

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PROHIBITED & RESTRICTED RENTALS - Large Group/Gatherings/Parties, Multiple Boats, Boat/Jetski Combinations, Fireworks, Night Time Operation, Events

• A large group or gathering must fully explain their planned activities, intentions, and group size in order to receive consideration and approval to rent our equipment.   

• We reserve the right to refuse service and rentals to large or very large groups and/or parties (ie. reunions, large family gatherings, wedding receptions, corporate parties, and the like).  Please call if you have a large group.

• Gatherings of multiple boats, boat/jet-ski combinations, or the like, regardless of rented or personally owned must call for prior approval to rent and include one of our boats or jet skis.  

• If your group is larger than a boat's capacity (even if not everyone will be using or riding it at the same time) you must call for approval.

• Renting multiple boats is highly discouraged and is only allowed on a case by case basis.  Must call for approval.  Again, we reserve the right to refuse service and rentals for such circumstances. 

• Renting a boat and jet-ski simultaneously for the day to help accommodate a larger group than the boat's capacity is highly discouraged and may be refused.   Special rules apply to boat/jetski combinations and must call for information and approval.

• Fireworks: Attending firework events on one of our boats such as Freedom Festival, 4th of July, and Venetian Festival are highly discouraged and require prior permission.  There are many considerations and issues that renters may not be aware of that we want to discuss with you.   

• Night Time Operation: If you intend to operate one of our boats at night we request that you contact us to discuss and for approval

• Prohibited Events: Aquapalooza 

• Restricted Events: Boyne Thunder - ask us about or policies regarding this event

• NO SMOKING - Smoking on our boats is strictly prohibited.

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CREDIT CARD REQUIREMENT & PAYMENT

• We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and cash.

• Customers must have a CREDIT CARD (NOT a debit card) on file in the event of damage to the equipment.  The person renting must be the same person on the credit card.  You may, however, pay with a debit card, credit card or cash.

• All credit card transactions must be made by the person named on the card unless an authorization form (only for payment) is received and prepared in advance. A valid drivers license must accompany the credit card.

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RESERVATIONS

• Reservations are strongly recommended and encouraged.

• Walk-in traffic will be accommodated based on availability. We recommend that you call first.

• 30% NON-REFUNDABLE reservation deposit is required to be placed on our reservation schedule.  The deposit is applied to your rental.  Please be certain of your reservation prior to making a reservation. Again, the deposit is NON-REFUNDABLE except as shown in cancellations below. 

• Reservation deposits may be paid by Visa, MasterCard, Discover or Amex. Check deposits are available for early reservations (credit card, not debit card, is required to have on file).​

 

CANCELLATION POLICY

• We have a 2 week (14 day) notice cancellation policy to receive HALF of the Non-Refundable reservation deposit.  A cancellation notice given at least 14 days prior will receive half of the 30% non-refundable reservation deposit refunded.  When a reservation is cancelled it will show as “cancelled” within our reservation system and a cancellation email will be sent to the customer as proof.  We highly recommend calling if cancelling.  Emails requesting cancellation may require clarification via phone call to be cancelled.  A cancellation requires a “cancellation confirmation” in order to be cancelled.

• Please contact us within 24hrs if you have not received proof of cancellation.  Please note: Customer claims of having cancelled but no email cancellation confirmation or cancellation proof within our reservation system will be deemed as not legitimate and forfeiture of funds.  We will send proof if there is a cancellation and we will have proof on our end. 

• Within 7 days of your rental you are responsible for the FULL RENTAL AMOUNT. 

• If you must cancel for any reason it is in your best interest to call us.  The more advanced notice we have the better. Our season is very short (10-12 weeks) and so we must be able to rent when we can to support the livelihood of our staff and our business. Please do not make a reservation if there is a chance of cancellation or are unable to accept the risk. 

• We reserve the right to cancel your reservation for violations of our policies.

• We reserve the right, solely at our discretion, to reschedule and/or cancel your reservation in the event of inclement weather. Please see “Weather” for more details.

• No refunds/exchanges for early returns.

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CHANGES TO RESERVATION

• We ask that you make a reservation only when certain of your schedule. 

• Changes or modifications to a reservation are accepted on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed to be accepted.  There are a lot of different scenarios and so feel free to ask us if this is a possibility with your reservation.  The sooner you ask the better.

•  We will not make a change to a reservation based on weather forecasts.  We will wait until the day of the reservation to see what actually happens.  Our weather fluctuates and many days are nicer than forecasted.

• The most common question is regarding to weather.  Regarding weather, we tell our customers to plan for a day/time and hope for the best.  If you wait until it is a perfect day, there is a high chance we will have booked up or not have the particular piece of equipment you are looking for.  We will not send you out if it is unsafe or not “boatable” but we cannot guarantee a perfect day.  There is a risk in reserving and a risk in not reserving and we ask that you don’t reserve unless willing to accept the risk of not perfect weather.  See WEATHER POLICY below for more details.  We have some groups that have a blast and make the most of a 65 degree dreary day and some that complain when its 75 degrees and sunny because it was not 85.  It’s subjective but keep in mind this is Northern Michigan. 

• As a general rule, we will move reservations forward if available versus pushing a reservation back.  This is because we have more time to fill the schedule.  

 

SUBSTITUTIONS

• It is inevitable that reserved equipment will occasionally be unavailable due to unforeseen circumstances at the time of your rental reservation. We reserve the right to offer you substitute equipment in lieu of the originally reserved equipment. If no alternate equipment is available, we really have no choice but to reschedule or cancel your reservation.  

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DAMAGES

• We require a signed CREDIT CARD (NOT A DEBIT CARD) imprint in case of damages of powered equipment (all boats and jet skis) in addition to rental agreements.

• Renter is responsible for any and all damages to our equipment, while in your care, up to and including replacement cost. Damage costs will be paid upfront upon return without exception.  If damage requires an qualified estimate, an estimate based on our best judgement will be charged to your card.  When a qualified estimate or actual repair cost is complete, the customer will either pay the undercharge or be returned the overcharge.  Please keep in mind repairs to boats and jet-skis are very costly and more costly to repair or replace items than many people realize.  Parts and labor are specialized. 

• Damages in excess of $100 may require, at our discretion, local law enforcement notification and police report. 

• If damage occurs repairs will be made by a local qualified boat shop or by our mechanic (at half shop labor rate) at our discretion.

• Summertime Rentals LLC wants the following to be known. Damages greater than $100 are very infrequent (normally no more than 2-5 occurrences per year). We do not profit from damages, prefer you do not damage, and is why we spend so much instructional time. The renter is responsible only for exact cost of repair and/or replacement. We do not charge for equipment downtime or the time it takes Summertime Rentals LLC to coordinate repairs.  Our largest damage amount in 20 years was approximately $5000.  

 

INSURANCE

• Summertime Rentals LLC offers no insurance coverage on equipment during your rental.

• Please check with your homeowner, auto, or credit card company to see if there is an insurance option available to you.  In nearly 20 years this has never been utilized.  Please keep in mind, full payment of damage cost is required up front for any and all damage, regardless of if insurance will pay or reimburse the damage cost.  

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WEATHER

• What constitutes good and bad weather for water sports activities is highly subjective. The following are things the renter shall keep in mind regarding weather.

• As mentioned in “Cancellations”: We reserve the right, solely at our discretion, to reschedule and/or cancel your reservation in the event of inclement weather.

• Multiple-day rentals do not get refunds or additional days added on to rentals because of lost days due to weather. This is reflected in the discounted price of the multiple-day rentals.  

• While Northern Michigan summers are generally known to be very nice, we understand that there are certain weather related events that make our rental activities unsafe. Obvious cancellations include all day thunder, lightning, and/or rainstorms.

• DO NOT Rely on weather forecasts! These are only predictions (especially precipitation) and not necessarily what will take place. For example, there are many days throughout the summer in Northern Michigan that are forecasted a certain percentage of rain but turn out to be gorgeous days. Do not be scared by the rain cloud on TV or online...especially when its only a 10-30% chance.

• If the morning looks uncertain, there is a very high probability it will be beautiful once the sun gets higher in the sky; usually somewhere between 10am to 12pm. We will not cancel unless it’s proven otherwise.

• We will not cancel/make changes to your reservation based on a weather predictions or before the morning has a chance to clear up.

• Weather and conditions on the lake varies and Lake Charlevoix is a huge lake!  While some parts of the lake may be windy and rough other parts may be much calmer and very nice. We will gladly show you where the best places to go are based on weather conditions. 

• Dress for the weather. It can be a good idea to pack a sweatshirt, windbreaker, or blanket in case you get a little chilly.

• Occasionally we get the brief afternoon thundershower. As long as it is not an all-day event we do not allow for cancellations or partial refunds.

• Less weather discrepancy on boats versus jet-skis. Boats: Generally, cancellations occur only if it is a rainout day or extremely windy/choppy across the majority of the lake. Jet-Skis: Generally, only air temperatures less than 68-70 degrees may receive consideration for cancellation.

• We at Summertime Rentals LLC want you to enjoy your experience with our equipment out on the water. If you have any questions regarding our weather policies or changes in the rental charge because of weather please feel free to give us a call.

 

GAS/FUEL

• Gas is not included on rentals except on 1 and 2 hour jet-ski rentals.

• There will be a full tank of gas at the start of the rental. The equipment will be refueled by our staff at our marina and paid by the renter at the end of the rental.

• Remember to have funds (i.e. cash or Visa/MasterCard) on hand to pay for the fuel at the end of the rental.