Marketplace Terms & Conditions

1. Our Services

BookAfri is a multi-vendor online marketplace that connects customers with African and African-diaspora vendors offering physical products, bookable services, and event tickets. Features include:

• Product marketplace: Browse and purchase goods from independent vendors
• Service bookings: Book and pay for services (e.g. hair, beauty, events)
• AfriTickets: Purchase tickets to events organised through the Platform
• Collabo: Community features including group buying, errands, travel coordination, and event planning
• AfriChat: In-platform messaging between customers and vendors

Users who access the Services from outside Poland do so on their own initiative and are responsible for compliance with local laws.

2. Marketplace Nature

BookAfri operates as a marketplace intermediary. Individual vendors are independent third parties who are solely responsible for the quality, accuracy, legality, and fulfilment of their listed products and services. BookAfri is not the seller of record for vendor listings.

BookAfri does, however, process and hold customer payments in escrow on behalf of transactions (see Section 8), and maintains platform oversight including the ability to suspend vendors and mediate disputes.

Customers transacting on the Platform benefit from BookAfri's escrow protection, which ensures payment is only released to vendors following confirmed fulfilment or an auto-release period.

3. User Accounts

To access most features of the Platform, you must register for an account. You agree to: provide accurate and complete information; keep your login credentials secure and confidential; notify us immediately of any suspected unauthorised access; and not share your account with others.

You are responsible for all activity carried out under your account. You must be at least 18 years of age to register.

4. Intellectual Property Rights

All intellectual property in the Platform — including its source code, design, branding, text, and graphics — is owned by or licensed to BookAfri and is protected under applicable copyright and trademark law. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from Platform content without our written permission.

Vendor-uploaded content (product images, descriptions, etc.) remains the property of the respective vendor. BookAfri holds a licence to display and promote such content as necessary to operate the Platform.

5. User Representations

By using the Platform you represent and warrant that: (a) you are at least 18 years old and legally capable of entering into binding agreements; (b) all information you provide is accurate and current; (c) you will not access the Platform through automated means except as permitted; and (d) your use will comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

6. Prohibited Activities

You agree not to:

• Attempt to circumvent, disable, or interfere with any security feature of the Platform
• Use the Platform for any unlawful or fraudulent purpose
• Harass, abuse, threaten, or impersonate any other user or BookAfri personnel
• Systematically scrape, collect, or harvest data from the Platform without permission
• Upload or transmit any malicious code, virus, or disruptive material
• Attempt to transact with vendors outside the Platform to avoid escrow or commission mechanisms
• Post false reviews or engage in any review manipulation
• Use the Platform to promote competing marketplace services
• Engage in any conduct that interferes with the Platform's operation or other users' enjoyment of it

7. User Contributions

You may submit content to the Platform including reviews, messages, profile information, and other materials ("Contributions"). You retain ownership of your Contributions but grant BookAfri a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use, display, and moderate them for Platform purposes.

You are solely responsible for your Contributions and warrant that they are lawful, accurate, and do not infringe any third-party rights. BookAfri reserves the right to remove Contributions that violate these Terms or platform guidelines.

8. Payments, Escrow, and How Money Flows

All payments on the Platform are processed securely via Stripe. Accepted payment methods include credit/debit card, BLIK, and Przelewy24 (P24). BookAfri does not store your full card details.

Escrow Protection

Escrow release periods:

• Product orders: Released when you confirm receipt via your order page, or automatically 5 days after payment if you take no action.
• Service bookings: Released when you confirm the service was delivered, or automatically 3 days after the scheduled booking date.

Platform Service Charge

A platform service charge (currently 2 PLN per product order) is added at checkout. This charge is retained by BookAfri and is not refundable unless the entire order is refunded due to BookAfri's fault.

Pricing

All prices displayed on the Platform are in Polish Złoty (PLN). Vendors set their own prices. BookAfri does not control individual vendor pricing.

9. Booking Protection

When booking a service, you may optionally add BookAfri Booking Protection at a fee of 5% of the booking value (minimum 2 PLN). This fee is non-refundable in all circumstances.

If you have purchased Booking Protection and believe your service was not delivered as agreed, you may raise a claim with BookAfri at support@bookafri.app. BookAfri will investigate and, if the claim is valid in BookAfri's reasonable judgment, may refund the booking amount to you from escrow before it is released to the vendor.

Booking Protection does not guarantee a refund and does not override Stripe's standard chargeback process, which remains available to you independently.

10. Orders and Delivery

Once you place and pay for an order, the vendor is notified and obligated to fulfil it. Vendors have their own stated fulfilment and delivery timeframes, which are shown in their listings.

You may track your order status and communicate with the vendor via AfriChat from your order detail page. If a vendor is unresponsive or fails to fulfil your order, contact BookAfri at support@bookafri.app.

Self-pickup and courier: For pickup or customer-arranged courier orders, you are responsible for coordinating collection with the vendor. Risk of loss passes to you upon collection.

11. Returns and Refunds

Returns and cancellation policies are set by individual vendors and displayed on their listings. Under EU law, you may have a statutory right of withdrawal for distance purchases of physical goods (typically 14 days from delivery). This right does not apply to certain product categories (bespoke items, perishables, digital content used immediately, etc.) or to services that have been fully performed.

To request a return or refund, contact the vendor directly via AfriChat or email BookAfri at support@bookafri.app.

If you cannot resolve a dispute with a vendor, you may escalate to BookAfri. BookAfri may, at its discretion, intervene to facilitate a resolution, including withholding or returning escrowed funds.

Stripe chargebacks (raised through your bank or card provider) remain available to you as a separate consumer right, independent of this process.

12. Reviews

You may leave reviews for vendors and products after a completed transaction. Reviews must be honest, accurate, and based on your genuine experience. You must not post false, defamatory, or misleading reviews. BookAfri reserves the right to remove reviews that violate these Terms.

13. Platform Management

BookAfri reserves the right to monitor the Platform for violations of these Terms; remove or restrict any content or user account; refuse access to any person at any time; and take legal action where appropriate. We are not obligated to exercise these rights in any particular case.

14. Term and Termination

These Terms apply for as long as you use the Platform. BookAfri may suspend or permanently terminate your account at any time, without notice or liability, for breach of these Terms or applicable law. Upon termination, you lose access to your account and its content. You may close your account at any time via account settings or by emailing support@bookafri.app.

15. Modifications and Interruptions

We reserve the right to change or remove Platform features at any time without notice. We do not guarantee uninterrupted availability of the Platform and are not liable for any disruption, downtime, or loss of access.

16. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Poland. You and BookAfri irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Poland for any dispute arising under or in connection with these Terms, subject to the dispute resolution process below.

17. Dispute Resolution

Informal Resolution

Before initiating any formal proceedings, both parties agree to attempt to resolve disputes through good-faith negotiation for at least 30 days from written notice of the dispute.

Arbitration

Disputes not resolved informally shall be referred to binding arbitration under the European Arbitration Chamber (Belgium, Brussels, Avenue Louise 146), seated in Krakow, Poland. Class-action arbitration is not permitted.

Exceptions

Either party may seek emergency injunctive relief from a competent court without first completing the informal resolution process, where necessary to prevent irreparable harm or protect intellectual property.

18. Disclaimer

The Platform is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. To the fullest extent permitted by law, BookAfri disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including as to merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. BookAfri does not warrant that the Platform will be error-free, secure, or available at all times. BookAfri does not vet or guarantee the quality, safety, or legality of any vendor listing.

19. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, BookAfri shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages arising from your use of the Platform, including loss of data, revenue, or profits. BookAfri's total aggregate liability to you in connection with these Terms shall not exceed the greater of: (a) the total fees paid by you to BookAfri in the 12 months preceding the claim; or (b) 100 PLN. Nothing in these Terms excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by BookAfri's negligence, fraud, or any other matter that cannot be excluded by law.

20. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless BookAfri, its officers, employees, and agents from any claims, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from: your use of the Platform; your breach of these Terms; your Contributions; or your violation of any third-party rights.

21. User Data

We collect and process your personal data as described in our Privacy Policy. By using the Platform you consent to such processing. You are responsible for the accuracy of data you provide. While we implement reasonable security measures, no Internet transmission is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee the security of data you transmit to us.

22. Electronic Communications

By using the Platform, you consent to receive communications from us electronically (by email or via the Platform). You agree that electronic agreements, notices, and records satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing.

23. Miscellaneous

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and Vendor Agreement (if applicable), constitute the entire agreement between you and BookAfri regarding your use of the Platform. If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full effect. BookAfri's failure to enforce any right or provision does not constitute a waiver. BookAfri may assign its rights and obligations under these Terms without restriction.

24. Contact Us

For questions about these Terms or any aspect of your experience on BookAfri, please contact us: