Terms of Service

Definitions & Interpretation

In this Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions shall apply:

Scope of Services

The Platform provides (i) a technology-enabled marketplace for the listing, discovery, negotiation, auction, and secure transfer of aftermarket Digital Assets, and (ii) a Registrar Service through which Users may register new domain names, renew existing registrations, and transfer domains to or from the Operator (see Section 7). In the marketplace role, the Operator acts as facilitator and licensed broker and does not take ownership, custody, or fiduciary responsibility for any Digital Asset or Buyer funds. In the Registrar Service role, the Operator acts as an authorised reseller of the Upstream Registrar (Tucows/OpenSRS) and provisions registrations on the Registrant's behalf.

2.1 Listing & Interaction Modes

Sellers configure the terms of engagement for each Digital Asset through one of the following modes:

1. Buy It Now & Negotiate. Buyers may purchase at the listed price via instant checkout or initiate a secure messaging channel to negotiate terms. The Operator facilitates communication but does not guarantee response times, broker availability, or negotiation outcomes.
2. Buy It Now Only. Purchases are made exclusively at the listed price. All messaging, negotiation, and offer submission functionality is disabled for the listing. The Operator assumes no liability for missed acquisition opportunities arising from this restriction.
3. Auction. The Digital Asset is offered through a timed auction with configurable duration, starting price, reserve price, and optional proxy bidding. Auction-specific terms are detailed in Section 5.

2.2 Brokerage Services

When brokered messaging is enabled, the Operator assigns a qualified intermediary to facilitate communication between the parties. Brokers act as agents of the Operator, not as agents of either party to the transaction. Broker communications are subject to platform monitoring and quality assurance review.

Account Registration & Eligibility

1. Users must be at least eighteen (18) years of age or the age of legal majority in their jurisdiction, whichever is greater, to create an account.
2. Users are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their account credentials and for all activity that occurs under their account.
3. The Operator reserves the right to refuse registration, suspend, or terminate any account at its sole discretion, including but not limited to cases of suspected fraud, identity misrepresentation, or violation of these Terms.
4. Registration via third-party authentication providers (including Google OAuth) is subject to the respective provider's terms of service in addition to this Agreement.
5. Users shall provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and shall update such information promptly to maintain its accuracy.

Identity Verification (KYC/AML Compliance)

The Operator maintains a mandatory Know Your Customer ("KYC") programme in compliance with applicable Anti-Money Laundering ("AML") regulations. Users acknowledge and agree to the following:

1. Tiered Verification. The Operator implements a multi-tier verification framework. Requirements escalate based on transaction value, account risk profile, and regulatory obligations. Verification tiers may require government-issued identification, proof of address, and live identity confirmation.
2. Auction KYC Thresholds. Individual auctions may specify a bid value threshold above which KYC verification is mandatory. Bids placed by unverified Users exceeding this threshold will be automatically rejected until verification is completed.
3. Suspect Account Designation. The Operator may flag accounts as suspect based on behavioural analysis, transaction patterns, or third-party intelligence. Suspect accounts are restricted to read-only access until High-tier KYC verification is completed and approved.
4. Document Security. All identity documents are stored using cryptographically randomised file paths and served exclusively through secure internal proxy mechanisms. Documents are never exposed through publicly accessible URLs.
5. Non-Compliance Consequences. Refusal or failure to complete required KYC verification empowers the Operator to immediately restrict, freeze, or terminate the User's account without compensation, refund, or access to pending balances.

Auction Terms & Conditions

Listing a Digital Asset through the auction engine, placing a bid, clicking the Buy-Now button, or accepting an early offer is a legally binding act. By doing so you explicitly agree to the following Auction Terms in addition to the general Terms.

1. Binding Bids. Each bid placed constitutes a legally binding offer to purchase the Digital Asset at the stated amount. Bids may be retracted only during a narrow retraction window and subject to the limits described in 5.4 below; outside that window, bids are irrevocable.
2. Auction Duration. Sellers configure auction duration from the available options (3, 5, 7, 10, or 14 calendar days). The Operator does not modify auction timelines except as required by the anti-snipe mechanism described below.
3. Anti-Snipe Protection & Hard Close. If a qualifying bid is placed within the final anti-snipe window (default five minutes, configurable by the Operator in site settings), the auction end time is automatically extended by an additional period (default five minutes). The Operator may impose a maximum number of such extensions; once that limit is reached the auction closes hard and no further extensions apply, even if qualifying bids are received. The current anti-snipe window, extension size, and extension cap in force at the time of bidding are binding on all participants and may be adjusted prospectively at the Operator's discretion.
4. Bid Retraction. During a limited retraction window after each bid is placed (default five minutes, configurable), the Bidder may withdraw that specific bid through the platform, providing a reason. Retractions are blocked once the auction has entered the final anti-snipe window (to prevent last-second deflate-sniping) and are further subject to a rolling 24-hour cap on the number of retractions per User account. Retracted bids remain in the audit record but are disregarded for the purpose of determining the current highest bid.
5. Reserve Price. Sellers may set a confidential reserve price. If the highest bid at auction close does not meet or exceed the reserve, the Seller is under no obligation to complete the sale. Reserve price values are never disclosed to Buyers, except where the Seller has specifically opted into the Hybrid format's progressive reveal (see 5.10).
6. Proxy Bidding & Sanity Ceiling. When enabled, Buyers may submit a maximum bid ceiling. The system will automatically place incremental bids on the Buyer's behalf up to the specified maximum. Proxy bid ceilings are strictly confidential and are never disclosed to other participants. In the event of matching proxy ceilings, priority is awarded to the bid placed earliest in time. To prevent accidental typo-submissions, the Operator enforces a sanity ceiling that rejects proxy limits exceeding a configurable multiple of the current price (default ten times, for prices over fifty US dollars). Rejection of a bid under this rule does not create any entitlement on the part of the Buyer.
7. Bid Increment Schedule. The minimum acceptable next bid is determined by a tiered increment schedule scaled to the current price (e.g. five US dollars under one hundred, escalating up to five thousand US dollars above one million). The schedule in force at the time of bidding is binding; the Operator may adjust the schedule prospectively.
8. Buy-Now Option. Where a Seller enables a Buy-Now price on an auction, any qualifying Bidder may accept that price at any time during the auction. Clicking the Buy-Now button immediately closes the auction, constitutes a binding sale, triggers the escrow workflow, and is treated as if the Bidder had won under Section 5.11. Buy-Now is subject to all bidding eligibility gates (identity verification, account age, ban status).
9. Early Acceptance. Sellers retain the right to accept the current highest bid and close the auction prior to the scheduled end time. Early acceptance constitutes a binding sale agreement between the Seller and the leading Bidder.
10. Auction Format Variants. The auction engine supports the following format variants, each with distinct bidding mechanics:
    • English (ascending, open). The default format. All bids and bidder identities (masked) are public; proxy bidding and anti-snipe apply.
    • Sealed-Bid (first-price). Each Bidder submits one or more bids at or above the starting price without visibility of other Bidders' amounts. Bid history is hidden from non-participants during the active window and revealed only once the auction closes. Proxy bidding is disabled. The highest valid bid at close wins; ties are resolved by earlier timestamp.
    • Dutch (descending, instant-win). The quoted price decays linearly from the starting price to the reserve price over the auction duration. The first Bidder to accept the current quoted price wins immediately and the auction closes. Proxy bidding and the sanity ceiling do not apply. The quote in effect at the moment of acceptance is binding on both parties.
    • Hybrid. Mechanically identical to English, except that once the highest bid reaches a Seller-chosen percentage of the span between starting price and reserve price, the reserve is publicly revealed. Bidders should assume the reserve is concealed until the reveal trigger is crossed.
11. Auction Suspension & Cancellation. The Operator reserves the right to pause or cancel any auction at its sole discretion, including but not limited to cases of suspected manipulation, regulatory concern, or platform integrity issues. Paused auctions may be resumed or cancelled. Cancelled auctions release all Bidders from their obligations.
12. Post-Auction Obligations & Non-Paying-Bidder Policy. The winning Bidder must fund the escrow transaction without undue delay. The Operator enforces an automated non-paying-bidder ("NPB") escalation sequence against winners who fail to fund escrow: a first courtesy reminder is sent after several calendar days of inaction; a final warning and a strike against the Bidder's account are issued thereafter; and, upon continued non-payment, the auction is automatically forfeited, the Digital Asset is returned to active listings, a second strike is recorded, and the Seller is notified. The exact intervals in force at any given time are configured in site settings and may be adjusted prospectively by the Operator. Upon accumulating a Bidder strike threshold set by the Operator within a rolling ninety-day window, the account is automatically suspended from bidding for a period of thirty days. Strike counts and any ban are cleared upon successful completion of a subsequent escrow transaction. The Operator further reserves the right to pursue account suspension, KYC revocation, permanent platform ban, and third-party debt recovery against repeat offenders.
13. Bid Eligibility Gates. The Operator applies automated pre-bid eligibility checks including, without limitation: rate limiting, an account-age minimum for non-KYC-verified Bidders, active NPB bans, identity-verification thresholds, and the proxy sanity ceiling. Bids that fail any of these checks are rejected without being recorded. Bidders have no right of action arising from such rejections.
14. Fraud and Shill-Bid Monitoring. Every Bid is scored by an automated classifier that considers signals including shared IP addresses between Bidders and Sellers or between rival Bidders, rapid alternating bid patterns, brand-new account activity, statistically anomalous bid-to-win ratios, and similar indicators. Bids that exceed an Operator-configured threshold are flagged for human review without being automatically blocked; the Operator may, following review, remove flagged bids, void the auction, raise the Bidder's required verification tier, mark the account as suspect, or refer the matter to law enforcement. Users acknowledge and consent to this monitoring as a condition of bidding.
15. Forensic Context Retention. Upon placing any bid, the Operator records the connecting IP address and a one-way hash of the submitting browser's User-Agent string alongside the bid. This data is stored for fraud investigation, dispute resolution, and regulatory compliance, and is retained for the audit-retention period described in the Privacy Policy. Users consent to this processing as a condition of bidding.
16. Watchlist Communications. Users may add auctions to a personal watchlist. Watchlisted auctions trigger automated e-mail and in-application reminders before close, digested hourly. Users may remove an auction from their watchlist at any time from the auction detail page; removing the auction stops further reminders for that auction.
17. Seller Obligations & Consent. By launching an auction, the Seller warrants that: (a) they hold valid legal title to the Digital Asset; (b) they have read and agree to these Auction Terms and the general Terms; (c) they accept binding arbitration as the exclusive dispute-resolution mechanism per Section 13; and (d) they authorise the Operator to process the sale via the Escrow Agent and to retain the agreed commission. Launching an auction captures an affirmative, timestamped record of this consent together with the version of these Terms in force at that time.
18. Bidder Consent. By placing a bid, clicking Buy-Now, or accepting an early offer, the Bidder agrees to these Auction Terms and the general Terms in their then-current form. Such actions capture a timestamped record of agreement in the Operator's audit log.

Transactions, Escrow & Settlement (Marketplace)

This Section governs aftermarket marketplace transactions only. Charges collected for the Registrar Service (new registrations, renewals, transfers) do not flow through the Escrow Agent and are governed by Section 7 and the Registrar Refund Policy.

1. Escrow Requirement. All completed marketplace transactions (Buy It Now, negotiated sale, and auction win) are settled through the Escrow Agent. The Operator does not hold, process, or have access to Buyer funds or Seller proceeds at any stage of the transaction lifecycle.
2. Broker Commission. The Operator earns a commission on each completed transaction, structured as a broker fee within the Escrow Agent's transaction framework. Commission rates are disclosed to the Seller at the time the Digital Asset is listed and are re-surfaced to both parties in the checkout summary prior to payment. The commission is deducted from the Seller's proceeds; the Buyer pays only the agreed transaction price.
3. Offer Acceptance & Checkout Link. Upon acceptance of a structured offer or a seller-declared closing price, the Platform issues a single-use, time-limited checkout link to the Buyer by email and within the in-Platform conversation. The link is valid for seventy-two (72) hours from issuance and carries the price as of acceptance; subsequent edits to the listing price have no effect on the Buyer's obligation under the accepted offer. Clicking the link creates an Escrow.com transaction at the stated amount. A link that has expired, has been used to mint a transaction, or has been revoked cannot be re-used.
4. Seller Revocation. The Seller may revoke an un-used checkout link at any time prior to Buyer redemption (for example, where the asset has been sold through a distinct channel or where circumstances have materially changed). Revocation is recorded in the conversation timeline so both parties receive a contemporaneous notice. Revocation after Buyer redemption is not possible; once an Escrow.com transaction is minted it proceeds under the Escrow Agent's terms.
5. Transaction Finality. Once a Buyer initiates a purchase (via Buy It Now), accepts a negotiated price, or wins an auction, the transaction constitutes a binding agreement. The Operator is not responsible for disputes arising from Escrow Agent holding periods, fund release timing, or domain transfer logistics.
6. Off-Platform Settlement. Users are not contractually prohibited from concluding a transaction outside the Platform. However, Users acknowledge that (a) transactions settled outside the Escrow Agent are not covered by the Operator's dispute-resolution, fraud-monitoring, or broker-mediation services; (b) the Operator may insert a single informational safety reminder into a conversation if off-platform payment terminology is detected, which is advisory only and does not constitute blocking, throttling, or surveillance of User communications; and (c) the Operator disclaims all liability for loss arising from such off-platform settlement, including without limitation wire fraud, chargeback reversal, impersonation, or non-delivery of the Digital Asset.
7. Currency. All prices, bids, and financial values on the Platform are denominated in United States Dollars (USD) unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Registrar Service

Where the Operator provides the Registrar Service, the Operator acts as an authorised reseller of the Upstream Registrar (Tucows Domains Inc., trading as OpenSRS). The Registrant, not the Operator, is the ICANN-recognised holder of any domain registered through the Service. By initiating a registration, renewal, or transfer, the Registrant accepts the additional terms in this Section.

1. Registrar of Record. Every domain registered through the Service is held at the Upstream Registrar under its ICANN accreditation. The Operator appears in WHOIS and in Registrant-facing communications under the "Deepnom Registrar" brand but is legally a reseller, not an ICANN-accredited registrar in its own right.
2. ICANN Pass-Through Obligations. The Registrant acknowledges that the registration is subject to the ICANN Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA), the ICANN Registrants' Benefits and Responsibilities Specification, any TLD-specific registry policies (including UDRP and URS), and any policies communicated by the Upstream Registrar. The Operator will forward any notices received from ICANN, the registry, or the Upstream Registrar to the contact email on file.
3. Accurate WHOIS Data. The Registrant warrants that the contact information submitted at checkout — and any subsequent edit — is accurate, complete, and kept current. Providing or retaining materially inaccurate WHOIS data is grounds for immediate suspension or cancellation of the registration by the Upstream Registrar or the Operator, without refund. The Operator will forward any ICANN-initiated WHOIS accuracy complaints to the Registrant and comply with the fifteen (15) day correction deadline under the RAA.
4. WHOIS Publication. Registrant contact data (name, organisation, postal address, email, phone) is published in the public WHOIS / RDAP directory as required by ICANN and the relevant registry. Where the Operator offers WHOIS privacy for a given TLD and the Registrant has enabled it, proxy details are published in place of the underlying contact; the underlying data remains on file and is disclosable under the Upstream Registrar's disclosure policy. WHOIS publication is a legal requirement of the registration, not an optional platform feature.
5. WDRP Annual Reminder. In accordance with ICANN's WHOIS Data Reminder Policy, the Operator sends an annual reminder to the Registrant's contact email asking them to review and correct their WHOIS data. Failure to respond does not by itself cancel the registration, but unanswered reminders combined with evident inaccuracy can trigger RAA-mandated action.
6. Auto-Renewal. Registrations default to auto-renew enabled. Where auto-renew is enabled, the Operator will attempt to charge the Registrant's stored payment method for the same registration period up to thirty (30) days before the expiry date and will send advance-warning reminders at approximately thirty (30), seven (7), and one (1) day(s) before expiry. The Registrant may disable auto-renew at any time from the domain detail page; disabling it does not refund any prior renewal. If auto-renewal fails, the Operator will retry and notify the Registrant; continued failure results in the domain expiring and entering the registry's redemption grace and pending-delete phases, after which the name is released to the public.
7. Pricing & Price Changes. Registration, renewal, and transfer prices are displayed at checkout in United States Dollars, inclusive of the Operator's reseller margin and any applicable ICANN transaction fee. Wholesale prices set by the registry or the Upstream Registrar may change at any time; the Operator will honour the price displayed at the moment of successful checkout and will provide no fewer than thirty (30) days' notice of any material change to recurring renewal prices where reasonably practicable.
8. Transfer Lock. Newly registered and newly transferred-in domains are subject to a sixty (60) day transfer lock imposed by ICANN and the registry, during which transfer out to another registrar is not permitted. The Registrant may separately enable a registrar-level transfer lock from the control panel for additional protection against unauthorised transfer.
9. Transfer Out. The Registrant may at any time, subject to the sixty (60) day lock, initiate a transfer of a domain to another ICANN-accredited registrar. The Operator will release the authorisation code to the Registrant's verified contact email on request and will not impose a fee for releasing it. No portion of the remaining registration period is refunded on transfer out; the transferred domain retains the remaining term at the gaining registrar.
10. Transfer In. The Registrant may transfer an existing domain into the Service by supplying the domain name, the authorisation code from the losing registrar, and a registrant contact. A successful inbound transfer extends the registration term by the minimum period required by the registry (typically one year); launch-phase inbound transfers may be processed at no charge to the Registrant at the Operator's sole discretion. Transfers may fail at the losing registrar or the registry for reasons outside the Operator's control; in such cases the transfer is reversed without liability to the Operator.
11. DNS Control & Nameservers. New registrations are provisioned by default to the Operator's authoritative DNS (ns1.deepnom.net / ns2.deepnom.net). The Registrant may edit records through the DNS control panel or delegate the domain to external nameservers at any time. The Operator is not liable for interruption, misdirection, or data loss arising from DNS changes made by the Registrant or caused by third-party DNS providers.
12. Express Consent & Right of Withdrawal. Registration, renewal, and transfer-in are digital services that the Operator performs immediately, and their wholesale cost is committed to the registry and the Upstream Registrar without the ability to recover it. By confirming the checkout, the Registrant expressly requests that performance begin immediately and acknowledges that, where the Registrant is a consumer within the European Union, European Economic Area, or United Kingdom, this express consent extinguishes any statutory right of cancellation or withdrawal (including the fourteen (14) day right under Directive 2011/83/EU Article 16(a) and (m) and the UK Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013). The Operator will still refund charges automatically where the Upstream Registrar permanently rejects the registration, as detailed in the Registrar Refund Policy.
13. Non-Refundable Charges & Chargebacks. Once a domain is successfully registered, renewed, or transferred in, the charge is non-refundable. Initiating a payment-card chargeback against a successfully provisioned domain authorises the Operator to cancel the corresponding registration and surrender the name to the registry. The Operator will cooperate with the card issuer's investigation and provide evidence of provisioning. The full Registrar Refund Policy is incorporated by reference into this Agreement and is available at deepnom.com/registrar/legal/refund-policy/.
14. Account Lifecycle. Deletion or permanent suspension of the User's Deepnom account does not automatically cancel active domain registrations. The Operator will, where feasible, offer the Registrant a transfer-out window before taking any irreversible action against a registered domain; the Registrant is responsible for completing that transfer in time. Domains left past the redemption and pending-delete windows will be released to the registry in the ordinary course.
15. Compliance Actions. The Operator, acting on instruction from the Upstream Registrar, the registry, a court order, or ICANN, may suspend, lock, transfer, or delete a domain registration without the Registrant's consent where required by applicable law or accreditation policy (including but not limited to UDRP, URS, trademark-holder complaints, and law-enforcement process). Such actions do not entitle the Registrant to a refund beyond any refund the Upstream Registrar independently provides to the Operator.

Promotion, Commission & Earned Status

1. Commission-Only Marketplace. The Platform charges no listing fees, no per-domain promotion fees, and no Seller subscriptions for marketplace participation. The Operator's compensation is a percentage commission deducted from the final sale price at settlement. The current commission rate is disclosed in the Seller Dashboard and on each Auction or Buy-It-Now confirmation page prior to acceptance.
2. AI-Appraised Promotion. Marketplace placement and badge eligibility (AI-Appraised "Top," "Strong," and "Scored" tiers) are determined by an automated valuation score derived from the Digital Asset's characteristics. The Operator does not sell, rent, or otherwise provide paid placement on marketplace cards or in search results. Sellers improve their listing's placement by improving the listing itself.
3. Verified Seller Status. A free, earned trust designation granted at the Operator's discretion based on objective criteria (sales history, payout-method verification, response timeliness, dispute history). Verified Seller status is not for sale, is not transferable, and may be revoked by the Operator if criteria cease to be met.
4. Editorial Featured Selection. The Operator may, at its sole editorial discretion, designate Digital Assets as "Featured" on the marketplace homepage or category pages. Editorial selection is independent of the AI-Appraised score and is not available for purchase.
5. Registrar Subscriptions. The Registrar product (domain registration, renewal, transfer) is billed through Stripe as a separate service. Registrar billing, payment-method management, and invoice history are accessible through the Stripe Customer Portal at /billing/portal/.
6. Historical Subscriptions. The Operator previously offered a "Pro" Seller subscription and a per-listing "Boost" promotion. Both were retired effective 2026-05-10. Existing Transaction-ledger records of those past purchases are preserved for accounting and audit purposes; no further charges will be initiated against accounts that previously held them.

Communications & Messaging

1. Platform Messaging. The Platform provides secure messaging channels for transaction-related communication between Users. All messages transmitted through the Platform are subject to monitoring, filtering, and moderation by the Operator to maintain platform integrity and compliance.
2. Automated Content Scanning. To comply with applicable law and maintain platform safety, all messages are automatically scanned by artificial intelligence classifiers for the detection of illegal content, including but not limited to: child sexual abuse material (CSAM), terrorism-related content, weapons or drug trafficking, hate speech, fraud, and other prohibited categories. Message scanning occurs asynchronously and does not delay message delivery. Messages flagged by automated systems may be temporarily quarantined, reviewed by human moderators, and removed or reported to appropriate authorities without prior notice. Users consent to this scanning as a condition of platform use.
3. Message Routing. The Operator may route messages through designated Brokers or support channels based on platform configuration, transaction stage, or compliance requirements. Users acknowledge that direct buyer-seller communication may be mediated or restricted at the Operator's discretion.
4. Guest Communications. Unregistered visitors may initiate inquiries by providing a valid email address. Guest communications are assigned a unique reference identifier and may be subject to additional routing restrictions.
5. Prohibited Content. Users shall not transmit content that is defamatory, threatening, obscene, fraudulent, or that infringes upon the rights of any third party. The Operator reserves the right to remove content, suspend messaging privileges, or terminate accounts in response to violations.
6. Notifications. The Platform delivers notifications through in-application alerts, real-time push events, and email. Users acknowledge that network conditions, device settings, or platform load may affect notification delivery timing. The Operator assumes no liability for missed notifications or delayed alerts.

Technology & Infrastructure Disclaimers

1. Service Availability. The Platform is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. The Operator does not warrant uninterrupted access, error-free operation, or real-time data accuracy. Automated infrastructure processes including DNS propagation, SSL certificate issuance, domain provisioning, and cache invalidation may experience delays.
2. Real-Time Systems. The Platform employs WebSocket technology for real-time updates including auction bid prices, messaging, and notifications. Users acknowledge that real-time functionality is dependent on network conditions, browser compatibility, and infrastructure availability. Momentary delays or disconnections do not constitute a service failure.
3. Data Integrity. While the Operator employs industry-standard database, caching, and backup systems, no guarantee is made regarding the absolute preservation of User data, transaction records, or platform content in the event of catastrophic infrastructure failure.
4. Third-Party Dependencies. The Platform integrates with third-party services including Stripe, Escrow.com, Cloudflare, and Google. The Operator is not liable for outages, policy changes, or service degradation by any third-party provider.

Intellectual Property

1. Platform IP. All Platform content, design, source code, algorithms, trademarks, and documentation are the exclusive property of the Operator. No licence or right is granted to Users except the limited, revocable right to access and use the Platform in accordance with these Terms.
2. User Content. By listing a Digital Asset, Sellers grant the Operator a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to display, market, and promote the listing within the Platform and related marketing channels for the duration of the listing period.
3. Ownership Representation. Sellers represent and warrant that they hold valid legal title or duly authorised agency rights to every Digital Asset listed. Misrepresentation of ownership constitutes a material breach of these Terms and may result in immediate account termination and legal action.

Dispute Resolution & Arbitration

1. Informal Resolution. Prior to initiating formal proceedings, the disputing party shall submit a written notice of dispute to the Operator via [email protected]. The parties shall attempt in good faith to resolve the dispute within thirty (30) calendar days of such notice.
2. Binding Arbitration. Any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, including its existence, validity, interpretation, performance, breach, or termination, shall be referred to and finally resolved by arbitration administered by the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre ("HKIAC") under the HKIAC Administered Arbitration Rules in force at the time of filing.
3. Arbitration Parameters. The seat of arbitration shall be Hong Kong. The tribunal shall consist of a sole arbitrator. The language of the arbitration shall be English. The arbitrator's award shall be final, binding, and enforceable in any court of competent jurisdiction.
4. Class Action Waiver. Users expressly waive the right to participate in any class action, collective action, or representative proceeding against the Operator. All disputes must be brought in the User's individual capacity.
5. Injunctive Relief. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Operator retains the right to seek injunctive or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to prevent the actual or threatened infringement, misappropriation, or violation of its intellectual property rights or confidential information.

Data Protection & Law Enforcement

1. Data Collection. The Operator collects, processes, and stores personal data as described in the Privacy Policy, which forms an integral part of this Agreement.
2. Law Enforcement Cooperation. The Operator will comply with lawful requests from law enforcement authorities and regulatory bodies. Upon receipt of a valid subpoena, court order, or equivalent legal process, the Operator may disclose User profiles, IP addresses, transaction histories, KYC records, messaging content, and audit logs without prior notice to the affected User.
3. Voluntary Disclosure. In cases of suspected fraud, money laundering, terrorist financing, or severe platform abuse, the Operator reserves the right to proactively report relevant information to appropriate authorities without legal compulsion and without notice to the User.
4. Cross-Border Transfers. User data may be transferred to and processed in jurisdictions outside the User's country of residence, including but not limited to Hong Kong, the European Economic Area, and the United States. By using the Platform, Users consent to such transfers.

Termination

1. User Termination. Users may terminate their account at any time by contacting support. Termination does not release Users from obligations arising from transactions initiated prior to termination.
2. Operator Termination. The Operator may suspend or terminate any account immediately, with or without cause, and with or without notice. Grounds for termination include but are not limited to: breach of these Terms, fraudulent activity, KYC non-compliance, abusive behaviour, or court order.
3. Effect of Termination. Upon termination: active listings are deactivated, pending transactions continue to completion under escrow, subscription benefits cease immediately without proration, and the User's right to access the Platform is revoked.

Installed Application (Progressive Web App)

The Operator distributes the Platform as a Progressive Web Application ("PWA"), installable to a User's home screen, taskbar, or application launcher without use of a third-party application marketplace. The PWA is the same software as the website and is governed by these Terms in their entirety. Where a User chooses to install the PWA, the following supplemental provisions apply:

1. Extended Authentication Sessions. Sessions established from an installed PWA context are issued an extended cookie lifetime — up to one (1) year — and are not terminated on browser close, in order to mirror the behaviour of a native mobile application. This setting is detected automatically from the User's device install context and may be revoked at any time by signing out, by clearing site data in the operating system or browser, or by invoking the "Log out everywhere" facility from Profile Settings. Sessions established from the standard, non-installed browser remain subject to the shorter session policy described elsewhere in this Agreement.
2. User Responsibility for Installed Sessions. Because installed-PWA sessions persist across device reboots and browser closures, the User is responsible for the physical and account-level security of any device on which the application is installed. Loss, theft, or shared use of such a device should be remediated immediately by signing out from another browser and invoking Log out everywhere; the Operator is not liable for activity arising from a third party's access to a device on which the User has elected to remain signed in.
3. Push Notifications (Opt-in). The PWA may deliver push notifications regarding new inbox messages, offers, auctions, and account-relevant events. Push notifications are strictly opt-in and require an explicit affirmative grant of permission via the User's operating system or browser. The Operator does not transmit promotional or marketing content via push notifications without further, separate consent. Notification delivery depends on third-party push relay services operated by the User's browser vendor (e.g., Google FCM, Apple APNs, Mozilla autopush); the Operator does not guarantee delivery or latency.
4. Application Icon Badge. Where supported by the User's operating system and browser, the Platform may decorate the installed application icon with a numeric unread-message badge ("App Badge"). The badge is generated locally from the User's authenticated session state and contains no personally identifying information. The User may disable the badge by withdrawing notification permissions or uninstalling the PWA.
5. Withdrawal of Consent. The User may withdraw consent to push notifications at any time, without penalty, from Profile Settings or via the operating system / browser permissions panel. Withdrawal of consent terminates push delivery and clears the App Badge but does not, on its own, terminate the User's account or extended-session authorization, both of which require separate User action as described above.
6. Offline Capabilities. The PWA caches a limited offline shell to permit minimal navigation when the User's device is offline. Cached pages reflect a prior state of the Platform; transactional actions (offers, bids, payments, registrations) require an active network connection and are never executed against cached state. The Operator is not liable for User reliance on cached content for time-sensitive decisions.
7. No App-Store Distribution. The PWA is delivered exclusively from the Operator's web origin and is not currently distributed via the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, or any other application marketplace. Should the Operator elect to publish a native application in the future, that application will be subject to the additional terms of the relevant marketplace operator in addition to these Terms.

General Provisions

1. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, without regard to its conflict of laws principles.
2. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, such provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.
3. Entire Agreement. This Agreement, together with the Privacy Policy and any supplementary terms referenced herein, constitutes the entire agreement between the User and the Operator with respect to the Platform and supersedes all prior agreements, representations, and understandings.
4. Amendment. The Operator reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be notified via email or prominent platform notice no fewer than fourteen (14) days prior to taking effect. Continued use of the Platform after the effective date of any modification constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
5. Waiver. No failure or delay by the Operator in exercising any right under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right preclude further exercise of that or any other right.
6. Assignment. The Operator may assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement without User consent. Users may not assign their rights or obligations without the prior written consent of the Operator.
7. Force Majeure. The Operator shall not be liable for any delay or failure to perform resulting from causes beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, acts of government, internet outages, cyber attacks, or failure of third-party service providers.

Contact Information

For questions, concerns, or legal notices regarding this Agreement, please contact: