Marketplace Policy

This Marketplace Policy applies to anyone who lists items for sale, makes an offer, or completes a transaction through the realfarmtalk.com marketplace (the “Marketplace”). It supplements the Terms of Service and Disclaimer.

1. Our role

realfarmtalk is a venue. We provide a place to list, browse, and contact other users. We are not a party to any sale, we do not take possession of inventory, and (currently) we do not process payments. Title to goods passes directly between seller and buyer per their agreed terms.

2. Eligibility to sell

• You must be 18 or older.
• You must be the owner of the items listed, or have authority from the owner (e.g. a farm manager listing on behalf of a verified farm).
• You must hold any licences and registrations required in your jurisdiction (food handler, abattoir, organic certification, livestock dealer, etc.).

3. Listing requirements

• Honest descriptions, including weight, grade, age, breed, or other identifying details a reasonable buyer would want.
• Real photos. No stock images presented as the actual item.
• Clear price (or “Make an offer”) and currency.
• Disclosure of any defects, prior treatments, or compliance status that affects the buyer.

4. Prohibited items

You may not list, and we may remove without notice:

• Anything illegal to sell in your jurisdiction or the likely buyer's jurisdiction.
• Controlled veterinary medicines or restricted agrichemicals, unless you are a licensed reseller and you state so prominently in the listing.
• Live animals where movement is prohibited under biosecurity orders.
• Endangered species or products derived from endangered species (e.g. ivory).
• Counterfeit or stolen goods.
• Anything that infringes a third party's intellectual property or trademarks.

5. Food, meat, and livestock, special rules

These three trade in different regulatory regimes and are listed under separate marketplace categories so sellers and buyers can find what they actually want. Mixing them in one listing is not allowed:

• Meat, butchered cuts, mince, halves, quarters, processed products. List under the meat category. Sellers are responsible for compliance with applicable food-safety, slaughter-and-processing, traceability, cold-chain, and labelling laws (e.g. USDA-FSIS in the United States, FSA / FSS in the United Kingdom, MPI in New Zealand, SAGARPA in Mexico, list illustrative, not exhaustive).
• Livestock, living animals: breeding stock, weaners, finishing animals, dairy cows, sheep, poultry, pigs, etc. List under thelivestock category. Movements must comply with veterinary certification, biosecurity, and animal-welfare laws in both origin and destination jurisdictions. Sellers should disclose vaccination, treatment, and movement history.
• Cross-border, sellers and buyers are responsible for export permits, import permits, sanitary and phytosanitary requirements, customs declarations, and duties.
• realfarmtalk does not assess, verify, or certify compliance. We may remove listings if we become aware of likely non-compliance, and we may remove a listing tagged under the wrong category.

6. Pricing, taxes, and fees

• Prices are set by sellers and shown in the currency they choose. Buyers are responsible for confirming the price and currency before completing a transaction.
• Sellers are responsible for calculating, collecting, and remitting any applicable sales tax, VAT, GST, or similar.
• The Marketplace is currently free of platform fees. If we introduce fees, we will provide notice in advance.

7. Payment (forward-looking, not yet enabled)

The Marketplace currently does not process payments. Sellers and buyers arrange payment themselves (bank transfer, on-pickup cash, etc.) and accept the risks of doing so.

When integrated payment lands, it will be subject to additional terms presented at checkout, including:

• Terms from the payment processor (Stripe, Wise, or regional alternative).
• A platform fee schedule, charge timing, and refund / dispute process.
• Holds on funds where required for fraud prevention, chargebacks, or regulatory compliance.
• Strong customer authentication for buyers in jurisdictions that require it (e.g. PSD2 in the EU).

Until that point, the “Make an offer” button on a listing is a contact mechanism only; clicking it does not commit you to a purchase.

8. Disputes between buyer and seller

realfarmtalk does not adjudicate disputes between users. We may, at our discretion, suspend a user account where there is credible evidence of repeated complaints, fraud, or breach of this Policy.

Users should resolve disputes by direct communication first; if that fails, consider local consumer-protection bodies, small-claims processes, or independent mediation appropriate to the value of the transaction.

9. Reporting problems

Report a listing that violates this Policy, a suspected fraudulent user, or a safety issue to marketplace@realfarmtalk.com. Provide the listing URL, the username concerned, and a brief description.

10. Changes

We may update this Policy from time to time. Material changes will be announced on the Service.