How it works
Borrow instead of buying. You join, you reserve what you need, you pick it up, you bring it back.
You don't need to be a member to look.
Step one
Join
Membership is $15 for 3 months, or $52 for the year, paid upfront when you join. You need to be 18 or over.
Sign up online. Pay by card.
Check the renewal setting. Your membership renews automatically unless you untick the box.
Bring ID the first time. Anything with your name on it: a licence, Photo Card, Medicare card, bank card, or post addressed to you.
Step two
Reserve
Log in, find what you need, choose your dates and submit. Approval is automatic, and you'll get a confirmation email.
You can have 5 things out at a time.
You can also turn up and borrow whatever's on the shelf. Booking ahead means you won't be disappointed.
Step three
Pick it up
Come in during opening hours and give your name. We'll have your things ready.
Saturdays, 10am–12pm, all year.
Thursdays, 4:30–6pm, during daylight saving.
Shed 1, 21 Gordon Avenue, Hamilton. Getting here
Can't make an opening? Email us and we'll see what we can arrange.
Step four
Renew
Most things come home with you for 14 days. Ryobi things are 7 days, because everyone wants them.
Need longer? Log in and renew. The button unlocks part-way through your loan, you get one renewal, and it won't work if someone else has reserved the thing.
Step five
Bring it back
Give it a clean and check all the parts are there, so the next person gets it in good shape. Then hand it to a volunteer during opening hours.
Broken something? Let us know when you bring it back.
Running late? The system will remind you. Late fees are $1 for each opening you miss, and $5 for Ryobi things. Charged per opening, not per day.
Questions
A few things people ask.
What if I can't afford it?
Email us. We'll work something out and we won't make it awkward.
Can I pay cash?
Yes. Choose pay offline when you sign up, then bring it next time you come in.
What if I don't have any ID?
Talk to us and we'll sort it out.
What if I break or lose something?
Tell us. Things wear out, and most of the time that's all that's happened — we'll fix it or replace the part and that's the end of it. If something's lost or properly destroyed we'll have a chat, and we'll take it out of the inventory. We'd always rather know. Deliberately smashing a bunch of things to pieces is a different matter. Frowned upon.
Can someone else pick it up or drop it back for me?
Yes. Send a mate. Just make sure they know your name and what they're collecting.
Can I leave things outside the shop out of hours?
Please don't. Things left at Pachamama House get stolen or damaged, and it makes life harder for the volunteers. Email us and we'll sort out a time.
The thing I want is never available.
Tell us. Most of our things are donated, so popularity is useful information. If something's always out, we'll try to get another. That's how we ended up with more than one electric mower.