1. Overview
Welcome to The Makers. By using our marketplace, you agree to these Terms of Service. The Makers is a platform connecting independent makers with buyers who value authentic, handmade goods.
Made Fair, Sold Fair: We believe makers deserve to keep what they earn. That's why we charge one flat monthly membership instead of taking a cut of every sale.
2. Seller Responsibilities
As a seller on The Makers, you agree to:
- Accurate listings: Provide honest, accurate descriptions and photos of your products
- Handmade or vintage only: List only handmade, hand-altered, or vintage items (20+ years old) — no mass-produced goods
- Timely fulfillment: Ship orders within your stated processing time and provide tracking when available
- Honest product representation: Use your own photos and never misrepresent materials, condition, or origin
- Professional communication: Respond to buyer messages within 48 hours during business days
- Accurate inventory: Keep your listings up to date and remove sold-out items promptly
3. Buyer Responsibilities
As a buyer on The Makers, you agree to:
- Honest disputes: Only file disputes or chargebacks for legitimate issues (non-delivery, significantly misrepresented items)
- Accurate information: Provide correct payment and shipping details at checkout
- Communication: Contact the seller first if there's an issue with your order before escalating to a dispute
- Respect independent makers: Understand that sellers are small businesses with varying processing times
4. Our Role as a Platform
The Makers is a marketplace platform that facilitates transactions between independent sellers and buyers.
What we do:
- Provide tools for sellers to create storefronts and list products
- Enable payment processing through secure third-party providers
- Mediate disputes when sellers and buyers cannot resolve issues directly
- Enforce marketplace policies to maintain quality and authenticity
What we don't do:
- We don't manufacture or sell products. Sellers are independent businesses, not employees of The Makers
- We don't handle shipping. Sellers are responsible for packaging and shipping orders
- We don't guarantee product quality. While we vet sellers, buyers purchase directly from individual makers
5. Prohibited Items
The following items are not allowed on The Makers:
- Mass-produced goods: Factory-made items, dropshipped products, or anything not handmade/vintage
- Illegal items: Anything prohibited by local, state, or federal law
- Intellectual property violations: Counterfeit goods, unauthorized use of trademarks, copyrighted designs without permission
- Hazardous materials: Flammable, toxic, or dangerous substances without proper licensing and disclosure
- Weapons: Firearms, explosives, or weapons (decorative antique items may be allowed with restrictions)
- Drugs and paraphernalia: Illegal drugs, controlled substances, or items primarily used for drug consumption
- Recalled items: Products subject to safety recalls or regulatory bans
6. Account Termination
We may suspend or terminate accounts for:
- Repeated policy violations: Multiple warnings for prohibited items, misrepresentation, or other policy breaches
- Fraudulent activity: Scams, fake reviews, chargebacks abuse, or payment fraud
- Seller inactivity: Seller accounts inactive for 6+ months with unfulfilled orders or unresolved disputes
- Abusive behavior: Harassment, threats, or disrespectful communication toward buyers, sellers, or staff
You have the right to appeal termination decisions by contacting support within 30 days.
7. Dispute Resolution
If an issue arises between a buyer and seller, follow this process:
Step 1: Direct Communication
Buyers should contact the seller directly through the marketplace messaging system to resolve issues (wrong item, damage in shipping, etc.).
Step 2: Seller Response (48 hours)
Sellers must respond within 48 hours with a resolution (refund, replacement, partial refund, etc.).
Step 3: Marketplace Mediation
If unresolved after 48 hours, the buyer can open a formal dispute. The Makers will review evidence from both parties and make a final decision within 7 business days.
Buyer Protection
Buyers are protected for:
- Items that never arrive (after tracking shows no delivery)
- Items significantly different from the listing description
- Items damaged during shipping (if seller did not properly package)
Return policy integration: This dispute process ties into the return/refund policy system (task #67389). Sellers set their own return policies, but buyers can escalate to The Makers if sellers violate their stated policies.
8. Limitation of Liability
The Makers facilitates connections between independent sellers and buyers but is not liable for:
- Product quality or accuracy: Sellers are responsible for their listings and product quality
- Shipping issues: Lost, delayed, or damaged shipments (unless due to seller negligence)
- Seller-buyer disputes: Beyond our mediation services and buyer protection policy
- Third-party services: Payment processors, shipping carriers, or other external services
Our maximum liability for any claim is limited to the total membership fees you've paid in the past 12 months (for sellers) or the transaction amount (for buyers).
9. Fee Structure
Zero transaction fees. Zero listing fees. Zero surprises.
Seller Memberships
- Flat monthly fee: Choose from Starter ($9/mo), Pro ($29/mo), or Enterprise ($79/mo)
- No per-item fees: List unlimited products within your tier's listing limit
- No transaction cuts: Every dollar from your sale goes to you (minus standard payment processing fees from Stripe, which we don't control)
- No hidden costs: No mandatory advertising, no "promoted listing" upsells
Buyers
Shopping on The Makers is always free. You pay only the product price plus shipping (if applicable).
10. Intellectual Property
Your Content
You retain full ownership of your shop content, product photos, descriptions, and designs.
License to The Makers
By listing products, you grant The Makers a non-exclusive, worldwide license to display your content (photos, shop name, descriptions) on the platform for the purpose of operating the marketplace. This includes:
- Displaying your products in search results and category pages
- Featuring your shop in promotional materials (homepage, newsletters, social media)
- Using aggregated, anonymized data for marketplace analytics
This license ends when you close your shop or remove a listing.
Respecting Others' IP
Never list products that infringe on copyrights, trademarks, or patents. If we receive a valid DMCA takedown notice, we'll remove the listing and may suspend repeat offenders.
11. Modifications to Terms
We may update these Terms of Service as the marketplace evolves. Changes will be communicated via:
- Email notification to all active users (sent 30 days before changes take effect)
- In-app notification in your seller dashboard or buyer account
- Updated "Last updated" date at the top of this page
Continued use of The Makers after changes take effect means you accept the updated terms.