Frequently asked questions

HobbyDetective is the platform that helps you discover activities, classes, workshops, events, excursions, volunteering actions and youth programmes near you or online — and connect with the people who run them.

You can search by your interest, compare options, message the provider and, where supported, book your spot directly through the platform.

HobbyDetective opens on 1 December 2026. From that day you can create an account, save favourites, message providers and book places on activities.

Searching, browsing and messaging providers through HobbyDetective is free for you. You pay for taking part in an activity or for an e-shop purchase, at the price each provider sets.

When you pay online by card — a booking, a package or an e-shop purchase — a “Service fee” of 5% of the amount you pay is added (in the e-shop, of the value of the goods, not delivery), capped at €2 per payment, for each provider; on a €20 payment it is €1, and on a €100 payment it is still €2. It appears as a separate line, inside the total, before you pay. If part or all of a payment is refunded to you, the same share of the service fee is refunded with it. When you pay the provider another way, for example at their venue or by bank transfer, there is no service fee.

You can browse and discover activities without an account. You need an account for actions that are yours — for example saving favourites, messaging a provider, completing a booking or a purchase, and tracking your history.

From 1 December 2026 you create a free account in seconds with your email, from the sign-up/sign-in option at the top of the page. Once you confirm your email, you can save favourites, message providers and make bookings.

Use the search and filters to quickly find what you’re looking for: you can search by keyword and narrow the results by category, location and activity type.

Each listing has its own page with a description, photos, location, schedule and contact details, so you can decide with confidence before booking your spot.

On HobbyDetective you’ll find many kinds of actions:

• Activities: classes, training, workshops and programmes that run on a regular basis.
• Events: one-off happenings on a specific date, such as seminars, performances or workshops.
• Excursions: organized trips out of town, hikes and educational or leisure tours.
• Volunteering: actions where you offer your time and skills for a public-benefit cause.
• Youth programmes: youth exchanges, Erasmus+, ESC and other mobility programmes.
• Space rental: a pitch, hall or studio you book by the hour, for your own use.
• Corporate activities: for a company's team, by quote request, on the «For business» page.

Yes. You can search for activities by your area and see each listing’s location. Many providers also offer online activities you can join from wherever you are, with no geographic limits.

When you’re signed in, you can add an activity or product to your favourites with one click on the heart icon. Your favourites are gathered in your account, so you can easily come back to them and compare at your own pace.

Many activities are organized into sections — e.g. by age group, experience level, or day and time. On the activity page you see the available sections with their details, so you can pick the one that fits you.

If anything is unclear, you can always message the provider through the platform and ask before booking your spot.

How you book depends on how each provider set up their listing. You’ll see one of the following options on the activity page:

• Chat: you message the provider and arrange your participation together, with no online payment.
• Online booking with payment: you book and pay securely by card at the moment of booking, and your spot is reserved automatically.
• Free participation online: on free listings you press «Book your free spot online» — on volunteering actions «Sign up» — and your spot is booked at once, with nothing to pay.
• Interest request: you fill in a short form with your details and the provider gets in touch about the next steps.
• Booking on the provider's website: the «Book on the provider's website» button opens their own booking page in a new tab. You finish there, on their terms, and the booking does not appear in «My bookings».

From the activity page or the provider’s profile you can send a message through the platform’s built-in chat, as long as you’re signed in. Your conversations are gathered in your account’s messages, so you can easily keep track of replies.

Some providers accept participation via an interest request instead of a direct payment. You fill in a short, structured form with your details and needs, and the provider receives it and contacts you to confirm your participation.

It’s useful for activities that need a little coordination before booking — for example tailored classes or a level assessment.

Some providers offer session packages (credits) — for example a 10-class package — instead of single participations. Each booking holds one lesson from your package, and it comes off as soon as the provider records your attendance.

It’s a convenient and often more economical option if you plan to attend regularly. How many credits you have left and when they expire is shown in «My packages» in your account.

Yes. When you complete an online booking with payment, your spot is reserved automatically after a successful payment and you receive a confirmation. For bookings arranged via chat or an interest request, the provider confirms it during your coordination.

Volunteering actions and youth programmes usually have their own participation framework — e.g. dates, criteria or required documents, which are listed on the listing’s page. You express your interest or contact the provider through the platform, and they guide you through the next steps.

Where the page shows «Sign up», you pick a date and your spot is booked at once, with no payment; the provider sees your sign-up and you find it in «My bookings».

Yes. The «For business» page holds providers’ corporate activities — team building, workshops, wellbeing, volunteering days — with how many people, how long and where each one runs. They have no set prices: you press «Request a quote», give your team’s details, and the provider replies by email with a price and availability. The request commits you to nothing and needs no account.

If you would like us to organise it, the same page has «Request a proposal».

Online payments are made by card, securely, through the payment provider Stripe. Your card details are handled solely by the payment provider and are not stored by HobbyDetective.

Your spot is reserved only after the payment is completed successfully, so you can be sure your booking has gone through.

Cancellation and refund terms are set by each provider and shown on the activity page as a cancellation policy. For example, a provider may offer free cancellation up to a point before the start, a partial refund, or no refund after a deadline.

Always check the cancellation policy before booking. To cancel, use the booking in «My bookings» when it offers you that option, or contact the provider through the platform as soon as possible.

If the provider has set no policy, the page says so before you pay: «The provider has not set a cancellation policy — paid bookings are not refunded automatically.» If you cancel, a refund then happens only if the provider gives one.

In your account you’ll find your favourites, your messages, your e-shop orders and your participation history all in one place, so you always have a clear overview.

If a payment doesn’t go through, the spot isn’t reserved and you aren’t charged. Try again after checking your card details, or use a different card. If you see a charge without a booking confirmation, contact us through the form below and we’ll look into it.

Yes. Some providers have an e-shop with products related to their activities. You can browse the products, add them to your cart and complete your purchase securely, just like with bookings.

A provider can offer some products only to the people on their list — the equipment or material of a class, for example. They do not appear in the public e-shop.

You find them in the “My providers” section of your account, together with the providers who have you on their list. You join a provider’s list with your first booking or package purchase, or when they add you themselves. If they entered you by email, you will see a connection invitation there that you complete with one click.

Shipping cost is calculated automatically at checkout based on the rules the provider has set — for example by region or by order value, while some offer free shipping above a certain amount. That way you see the total cost before completing your order. Delivery times depend on the provider and the shipping region.

You track your orders from your account, where you can see their status. If you need to return a product, you can submit a return request and the provider reviews it according to their policy.

Yes. After a purchase you can leave a review and rating for the product. Reviews help other users choose with more confidence and give providers useful feedback.

From your account settings you update your details and manage your preferences. You’ll receive notifications about important actions — for example replies to your messages or updates about your bookings and orders.

We protect your personal data and use it only to make the service work properly. Payments go through a secure provider and your card details are not stored by us. For full details, see HobbyDetective’s Privacy Policy.

If you come across a listing or behaviour that doesn’t seem right, or if you run into any problem, let us know through the contact form below or at [email protected]. Our team will look into it as soon as possible.

We’re glad you want to join us as a partner! You can create a partner account from the “Become a Partner” page and start listing your activities. As a partner you get access to a dedicated help center with everything you need to manage your listings and bookings.

You can send us your question through the contact form at the bottom of this page, or write to us at [email protected]. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible.