Terms

The short version: Bidding takes a 20% deposit (minimum £10), refunded in full if you don't win and deducted from the price if you do. The highest bid on a spot when the auction closes wins it, and you'll be invoiced for the remainder afterwards. Every logo is checked by hand and may be refused. Full terms below.

1. What is being sold

Sticker spots on a genuine restored 1970s open-top London Routemaster bus, hired for 7 days by Advert Bus ("we", "us", "our") from a third-party bus operator. Up to eleven spots are available across the outside of the bus, on the side panels, front, and rear. Winning a spot buys a printed die-cut vinyl sticker of your logo applied to that surface for the duration of the run, plus a listing on this site with a link to your website.

We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Transport for London or any bus operator. "Routemaster" remains the trademark of its respective owner and is used descriptively only.

2. Eligibility

Sticker spots are sold as business-to-business advertising space to businesses and professionals acting in the course of their trade, not to consumers. By bidding, you confirm you are 18 or over and have authority to bind the business placing the bid. We reserve the right to refuse bids from any individual or entity at our sole discretion.

3. How the auction works

• Placing a bid charges a deposit of 20% of your bid, minimum £10, by card.
• Deposits already paid on a spot count toward a later bid on that same spot, so re-bidding after being outbid costs only the difference.
• A bid is not valid or counted until the deposit is paid and the logo is approved.
• Each spot has a starting price. A new bid must exceed the standing bid by at least £10.
• A bid placed in the final 10 minutes extends the closing time by 10 minutes, to prevent last-second sniping.
• The highest valid bid on a spot when the auction closes wins it, regardless of whether any overall funding target is reached.
• We may change spot availability, starting prices, minimum increments, or auction close times before an auction closes, and will update the site accordingly. We are not liable for any loss arising from such changes.

4. Payment

All amounts are in GBP. A 20% deposit (minimum £10) is charged at the time of bidding via Stripe Payments Europe, Ltd. We do not see or store your card details.

If your bid wins, the balance is charged to the same card when the auction closes, or invoiced separately if the charge fails. If your bid does not win, your deposit is refunded in full, automatically, without you needing to request it.

If a winning bidder fails to pay the outstanding balance within 7 days of invoicing, the deposit is forfeited in full as a non-refundable cancellation fee, and the spot may be reoffered to the next highest bidder or re-auctioned at our discretion. We reserve the right to pursue the outstanding balance as a debt if the sticker has already been printed or applied.

5. Artwork and intellectual property

By submitting a logo or artwork, you warrant that you own it or hold all necessary rights and licences to use it, and that you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to reproduce, print, display, and photograph it on the bus, on this website, and in any resulting promotional photos or video, without further compensation, for the duration of the project and afterwards for our own portfolio and marketing purposes.

You agree to indemnify us against any claim, loss, or cost arising from a breach of this warranty, including third-party intellectual property claims relating to your artwork.

We reserve the right to review and refuse any logo or bid at our sole discretion, without obligation to give a reason. If refused, any bid is cancelled and the deposit refunded in full.

6. What we promise, and what we don't

We will make reasonable efforts to print your sticker, apply it to the bus, and drive the published route for the agreed run, subject to Section 8 (Force Majeure) and ordinary operational contingencies (traffic, weather, mechanical issues, licensing, road closures, and similar).

We do not guarantee any specific number of impressions, views, reach, engagement, clicks, sales, or other commercial outcome from your placement. Estimated reach figures published on this site are indicative only, derived from general industry benchmarks, and are not a warranty or representation of actual performance. You are purchasing physical advertising placement and associated promotional appearance, not a guaranteed audience or result.

A sticker is a paid placement only. It does not constitute an endorsement, partnership, sponsorship, or association between us and your brand, in either direction.

7. Removal and misconduct

If a brand on the bus is later found to be fraudulent, unlawful, in breach of these terms, or materially misrepresented at the time of bidding, we may remove the sticker immediately without notice and, at our discretion, refund the remaining unused portion of the fee on a pro-rata basis. This is our sole remedy and liability in such circumstances.

We reserve final and sole discretion over what the bus displays at all times, as its owner and operator.

8. Force majeure and operational risk

If the bus is damaged, lost, stolen, requires replacement, or is otherwise unable to complete the run for a sustained period due to circumstances including but not limited to mechanical failure, accident, theft, adverse weather, road closures, regulatory action, illness, or other events beyond our reasonable control, we will, at our discretion, either transfer your sticker to a replacement vehicle where reasonably practicable, or refund you pro rata for the unused portion of the run. This is your sole remedy in these circumstances.

If we cancel the auction before it closes for any reason, all deposits are refunded in full and no further sum is owed by any party.

9. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, our total liability to you arising out of or in connection with this project, however arising (including in contract, tort, or otherwise), is limited to the total amount you have paid for your sticker spot.

We are not liable for any indirect, consequential, or special loss, including loss of profit, loss of business, loss of anticipated savings, or reputational harm, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such loss.

Nothing in these terms limits or excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded.

10. Data and privacy

Personal and payment information is processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable UK data protection law. Payment card data is handled entirely by Stripe Payments Europe, Ltd. and is never received or stored by us directly.

11. General

These terms constitute the entire agreement between you and us regarding your sticker spot and supersede any prior discussion or representation. If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force. We may update these terms from time to time; the version in force at the time you place a bid applies to that bid.

12. Governing law and disputes

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and any dispute is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

13. Contact

Questions about these terms, or about a specific bid or spot, can be sent via the contact details published on this site.