Help Center

Our Policy on Attempting to Bypass the Platform

    At FishingBooker, we work to maintain a safe, fair, and trustworthy marketplace for both captains and customers. To protect the integrity of the platform, we monitor communications for potential fraud, security risks, and attempts to circumvent FishingBooker’s booking process.

    Why This Matters

    FishingBooker’s platform provides important protections and benefits for both captains and customers, including secure payments, customer support, dispute resolution, fraud prevention, and marketing exposure. Attempts to redirect customers outside the platform undermine these protections and violate our policies.

    Examples of such behavior may include:

    • Asking customers to book directly outside FishingBooker
    • Sharing personal contact information for the purpose of avoiding commission fees
    • Redirecting inquiries to private websites, social media profiles, or messaging apps in order to bypass the platform

    How We Review Cases

    We review flagged conversations and assess whether there are indicators of attempts to redirect customers off-platform. Cases are evaluated based on the frequency, intent, and severity of the behavior, as well as whether there is a repeated pattern or prior history of similar conduct.

    Once the system detects a message that may breach our policies, you may be notified immediately and the conversation may be reviewed by our team.

    What Actions May Be Taken

    Depending on the circumstances, actions may range from:

    • Educational outreach or a formal warning;
    • Temporary booking restrictions or account limitations;
    • Removal of the ability receive inquiries from customers customers;
    • Reduced visibility or unbookable status;
    • Removal from the platform in cases of serious or repeated violations;

    When reviewing cases, we also consider factors such as captain tenure, booking history, realization rate, and local market conditions.

    FishingBooker Direct

    Captains may share FishingBooker Direct links when proactively reaching out to past customers. However, Direct links may not be used in response to new inquiries received through the FishingBooker platform if the purpose is to redirect the customer away from the standard booking flow.

    Please note that FishingBooker Direct is a feature fully connected to and dependent on the status of your FishingBooker account. Any negative consequences applied to your account  such as loss of visibility, unbookable status, or ultimately removal from the platform directly affect your access to and use of the Direct feature.

    Our Goal

    Our goal is not only to enforce platform policies, but also to maintain respectful and professional relationships with captains while ensuring a secure and transparent experience for all users.

    If you have questions about our policy on off-platform bookings, feel free to contact our Support team, or your dedicated Account Manager. We’ll be happy to go over any questions you may have.

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