1. Acceptance of Terms

These Terms of Usage ("Terms") govern access to and use of Free Market, branded FMK (the "Platform"), including the website, dashboard, marketplace, and any related mobile or installed app (PWA). By creating an account, listing a product, browsing the marketplace, or otherwise using the Platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use FMK.

2. What FMK Is

FMK is a general marketplace and free business-management toolkit. Business owners get access to inventory tracking, point-of-sale, customer records, and sales reporting for running their own business and every product they add is automatically published on the public marketplace so buyers can discover and reach out to them. Artisans and delivery riders can build a public profile to advertise their skills and services to the same audience.

FMK acts as a facilitator that connects buyers, sellers, artisans, and riders. Unless stated otherwise, FMK is not a party to the actual transaction between a buyer and a seller/artisan/rider (for example, checkout is completed directly between buyer and seller via WhatsApp) see Section 10 and Section 14 for what this means for you.

3. Eligibility & Accounts

• You must be at least 18 years old, or the age of legal majority in your jurisdiction, to create an account.
• You must provide accurate, current, and complete information when registering, and keep it up to date.
• You are responsible for all activity that happens under your account and for keeping your login credentials confidential.
• One account per person/business, unless otherwise approved by FMK.

4. Seller & Artisan Verification

To protect buyers and keep the marketplace trustworthy, before your business, product, or artisan/rider profile can go live and be publicly visible, you must complete verification by uploading valid, original supporting documents appropriate to your account type, which may include:

1. National ID or Driver's License to confirm your real identity.
2. Business Registration Certificate (e.g. CAC) required for registered businesses listing products under a company name.
3. Export / trade documentation where your business or artisan services involve export, cross-border trade, or regulated goods.

FMK reserves the right to request re-verification at any time, including when documents expire, business details change, or an account is flagged through user reports or routine review.

5. Listings & Marketplace Content

• You are solely responsible for the accuracy of your product listings, prices, descriptions, images, and service offerings.
• Listings must represent real, available products or services you are authorized to sell or provide.
• Prohibited items include counterfeit goods, stolen goods, illegal substances, weapons, and any product or service that violates applicable law.
• FMK regularly monitors marketplace activity including how the site is searched and used by buyers and may review, flag, edit visibility of, or remove any listing that appears misleading, fraudulent, or in violation of these Terms, with or without prior notice.

6. Product Quality & Inferior Goods

Trust between buyers and sellers is the foundation of FMK, so both sides carry clear responsibilities when it comes to the actual quality of what changes hands.

6.1 Sellers must deliver what they describe

• Business owners and artisans must not knowingly sell, substitute, or deliver inferior, fake, expired, damaged, or otherwise materially different goods from what was listed, described, or agreed with the buyer.
• If a business owner is reported and, after review, confirmed to have supplied inferior or misrepresented goods, FMK's resolution is two-sided and mandatory: the seller takes the inferior goods back, and the seller refunds the buyer in full for the affected order. FMK support (Section 18) can mediate this hand-back-and-refund process where the buyer and seller are unable to resolve it directly.
• A confirmed pattern of selling inferior goods is treated the same as fraud under Section 9 and the Fraud & Transparency Policy on our Support Hub, and can result in suspension, permanent removal, and publication in the Fraud Department.

6.2 Buyers must not misuse the returns process

• A buyer may not return, or claim a refund for, goods they have used, altered, damaged, swapped, or partially consumed and then present as "inferior" or "not as described." Returns and refunds under this policy apply only to goods in the same condition the buyer received them in.
• Falsely claiming a genuine product is inferior in order to keep a swapped or damaged item, extract an unfair refund, or otherwise defraud a seller is itself a violation of these Terms (see Section 9) and may result in warning, suspension, or permanent removal of the buyer's account, exactly as it would for a seller who cheats a buyer.
• Where a report involves conflicting claims about a good's condition, FMK reviews the evidence provided by both sides (e.g. order details, photos, chat history) before deciding the outcome, so that neither a dishonest seller nor a dishonest buyer can exploit the process described in 6.1.

7. In-App Orders

In addition to contacting a seller directly (e.g. via WhatsApp), FMK offers in-app ordering so both sides can track a purchase from placement to completion inside the Platform.

• Any FMK account — business owner/admin/cashier, artisan, or rider — can place an in-app order as a buyer, using the same account they already log in with.
• Orders move through a fixed status flow: Order Placed → Accepted by Store → Being Prepared → Ready for Pickup/Delivery → Completed (or Rejected/Cancelled). Every status change is timestamped and kept in the order's history, visible to both buyer and seller.
• A buyer may cancel an order while it is still Order Placed or Accepted by Store. Once an order is Ready or Completed, cancellation is no longer available and any dispute is handled under Section 6 (Product Quality) and Section 11 (Reports, Suspension & Appeals).
• Sellers are expected to keep order status current and honest — deliberately marking an order "Completed" without fulfilling it is treated as fraud under Section 9.
• Placing an in-app order does not by itself move money through FMK; see Section 10 for how payment for orders actually works.

8. Refer & Earn Program

Every account gets a personal referral code/link they can share. This section governs your participation in that program.

• You earn a signup bonus into your referral wallet once someone who joined using your referral link actually becomes active on FMK — for a rider or artisan that means going live, and for a business owner that means listing their first product. Signups that never go live or list a product remain "pending" and do not earn a bonus.
• You cannot refer yourself, and a person can only be credited as referred once, by whoever referred them first.
• Referral wallet balances can be withdrawn to your registered bank account once you reach the minimum withdrawal threshold shown on your Referrals page.
• Creating fake, duplicate, or bot accounts, or otherwise manufacturing "referrals" that are not genuine new users, is treated as fraud under Section 9. FMK may reverse fraudulent referral bonuses, freeze the affected wallet, and suspend or permanently remove the account responsible.

9. User Conduct & Prohibited Activity

You agree not to, and acknowledge that the following will not be tolerated on FMK:

• Scamming, defrauding, or misleading buyers, sellers, artisans, or riders.
• Stealing from, harassing, threatening, or otherwise violating the safety and dignity of another user.
• Impersonating another person or business, or submitting false verification documents.
• Manipulating reviews, ratings, or search visibility.
• Attempting to bypass, disable, or interfere with the security or normal operation of the Platform.
• Using the Platform for any unlawful purpose.

FMK is built to serve real people fairly. Any conduct that violates the trust or safety of other users including theft or any act that disregards the basic dignity and wellbeing of others is treated as a serious breach of these Terms.

10. Transactions, Payments & Fees

When you see FMK's payment screen in the app — for example the card / bank transfer / USSD checkout modal — here is exactly what it is for and what it is not for:

• Inventory management and marketplace listing are free to use up to the thresholds shown in your dashboard; beyond those thresholds, an annual subscription applies and is processed securely through our payment partner, Paystack (card, bank transfer, USSD, or bank/QR). This is the only payment flow FMK itself collects money through.
• Buyer-seller checkout for an actual product/service purchase — whether arranged via WhatsApp or tracked as an in-app order (Section 7) — is a direct arrangement between the buyer and the seller/artisan/rider. FMK does not process, hold, or guarantee payment for these purchase transactions unless explicitly stated otherwise on the Platform.
• Referral bonuses (Section 8) accumulate in your in-app referral wallet and are paid out to your registered bank account once you request a withdrawal above the minimum threshold shown on your Referrals page. This is a payout FMK sends to you, not a checkout you pay through.
• You are responsible for any taxes or fees applicable to your own sales.
• Subscription fees are non-refundable except where required by law or expressly stated by FMK. Refunds owed to a buyer under Section 6 (Product Quality & Inferior Goods) are handled directly by the seller, not through the Paystack subscription checkout.

11. Reports, Suspension & Appeals

Buyers and other users can report a seller, artisan, or rider they believe has scammed them, stolen from them, or otherwise violated these Terms. FMK management reviews these reports and may take enforcement action, including:

• Warning for minor or first-time issues.
• Temporary lock/suspension the account and its listings are hidden from the marketplace while the report is investigated.
• Permanent removal for confirmed scams, theft, fraud, fake verification documents, or conduct that endangers other users.

A locked or suspended user may appeal by contacting support (Section 18) with an explanation and any supporting evidence. FMK will review appeals in good faith, but reserves final discretion over account status to protect the integrity of the marketplace and the safety of its users.

12. Notifications

If you allow browser/device notifications, FMK may send you real-time alerts for things like order updates, product approvals, reviews, withdrawal status, and important platform announcements. You can disable notifications at any time from your browser settings or from Settings inside FMK, without affecting your ability to use the Platform.

13. Intellectual Property

The FMK name, logo, and platform design are the property of Free Market. You retain ownership of the content you upload (product photos, descriptions, portfolio media), but grant FMK a license to display it on the marketplace and in promotional placements for the purpose of operating the Platform.

14. Disclaimers & Liability

FMK provides tools to list, discover, and manage products and services, and takes active steps to monitor and moderate the marketplace, but cannot guarantee the conduct of every user. To the fullest extent permitted by law, FMK is not liable for losses arising from transactions conducted directly between buyers and sellers/artisans/riders, except where FMK's own negligence or breach of these Terms directly caused the loss. Always verify a seller's rating, reviews, and verification status, and report suspicious activity immediately.

15. Termination

You may close your account at any time by contacting support. FMK may suspend or terminate access to the Platform for violation of these Terms, as described in Section 11, or to comply with legal obligations.

16. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, without regard to conflict-of-law principles, without prejudice to any mandatory consumer-protection rights you may have under the laws of your own country of residence.

17. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms as FMK grows and adds new features. Material changes will be announced in-app or by notification. Continued use of the Platform after changes take effect means you accept the updated Terms.

18. Contact Us

Questions, reports, or appeals can be sent to vendoramarket@gmail.com, via WhatsApp at 0912 956 5847, or through our Support Hub.