Terms of Service | CropConnect

1. Agreement to Terms

By creating an account or using CropConnect ("the Platform"), you agree to these Terms of Service. If you don't agree, don't use the Platform. We may update these terms from time to time — continued use after changes means you accept them.

2. What CropConnect Is

CropConnect is an online marketplace that connects agricultural producers ("Farmers") with buyers ("Buyers"). We facilitate transactions between Farmers and Buyers but are not a party to the sale itself. Think of us as the infrastructure — not the vendor.

We provide:

Listing and discovery of agricultural products
Secure escrow payment processing via Stripe
Messaging between transaction participants
Reputation scoring (CropScore) and reviews
Order tracking and dispute resolution tools

3. Accounts & Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old and legally able to form contracts. One account per person. You're responsible for everything that happens under your account.

You agree to:

Provide accurate, current information during registration
Verify your email address before conducting transactions
Keep your login credentials secure and confidential
Notify us immediately of any unauthorized account access

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms, post fraudulent listings, or engage in abusive behavior.

4. Escrow Payments & Stripe

All payments on CropConnect are processed through Stripe. By using our payment features, you also agree to Stripe's Terms of Service and Stripe's Privacy Policy.

How escrow works:

Buyer pays. Funds are held securely by Stripe — not released to the Farmer.
Farmer ships. The Farmer provides tracking information and marks the order as shipped.
Buyer confirms. Once the Buyer receives the goods and confirms delivery, funds are released to the Farmer minus a 5% platform fee.
Auto-release. If the Buyer doesn't confirm or dispute within 7 days of shipment, funds are automatically released to the Farmer.

Timeouts & cancellations:

Orders not paid within 24 hours are automatically cancelled.
Orders not shipped within 3 days of payment are cancelled and the Buyer is refunded.
Disputes not resolved within 14 days result in an automatic refund to the Buyer.

5. Platform Fee

CropConnect charges a 5% platform fee on completed transactions. This fee is deducted from the Farmer's payout when funds are released. There are no listing fees, subscription fees, or hidden charges.

6. Farmer Responsibilities

If you're a Farmer on CropConnect, you agree to:

List only products you actually have available and can deliver
Provide accurate descriptions, quantities, and pricing
Ship orders within 3 days of receiving payment
Provide valid tracking information
Complete Stripe Connect onboarding to receive payouts
Comply with all applicable food safety and agricultural regulations

7. Buyer Responsibilities

If you're a Buyer on CropConnect, you agree to:

Pay for orders promptly after committing to purchase
Confirm delivery or file a dispute within 7 days of shipment
Not file false disputes or fraudulent refund claims
Leave honest, fair reviews

8. Disputes & Refunds

If something goes wrong with an order, Buyers can file a dispute. Here's how it works:

Disputes can be filed while funds are held or after shipment.
Filing a dispute pauses the auto-release countdown.
Our team reviews disputes and may refund the Buyer or release funds to the Farmer.
Unresolved disputes are automatically refunded after 14 days.
We make final decisions on disputes at our discretion.

Refunds are processed back to the original payment method via Stripe. Processing times depend on your bank or card issuer.

9. Prohibited Conduct

You may not:

Post fake, misleading, or fraudulent listings
Create multiple accounts to manipulate reviews or CropScore
Harass, threaten, or abuse other users
Circumvent the escrow system or arrange off-platform payments
Upload malicious files or spam content
Scrape or data-mine the Platform
Impersonate another person, farm, or business
Use the Platform for any illegal purpose

10. CropScore & Reviews

CropScore is our proprietary reputation system. It's calculated from transaction history, response times, review ratings, and other behavioral signals. You cannot buy, transfer, or manipulate your CropScore. We reserve the right to reset scores if we detect fraud.

Reviews must be honest and relate to actual transactions. We may remove reviews that are abusive, fraudulent, or violate these terms.

11. Intellectual Property

CropConnect's brand, design, code, and CropScore algorithm are our property. Your content (listings, photos, reviews) remains yours, but you grant us a license to display it on the Platform.

12. Limitation of Liability

CropConnect is a marketplace facilitator. We are not responsible for:

The quality, safety, or legality of products listed
The ability of Farmers to deliver or Buyers to pay
Any loss or damage arising from transactions between users
Service interruptions, data loss, or technical failures

To the maximum extent permitted by law, CropConnect's total liability to you for any claim arising from your use of the Platform shall not exceed the amount of platform fees you paid to us in the 12 months preceding the claim.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless CropConnect, its officers, employees, and affiliates from any claims, losses, or damages arising from your use of the Platform, your violation of these terms, or your violation of any rights of another party.

14. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, United States. Any disputes arising from these terms will be resolved through binding arbitration, except where prohibited by law.

15. Contact

Questions about these terms? Reach us at legal@cropconnect.com.