Terms & Conditions

Welcome to Zeko. These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the Zeko website, marketplace, seller tools, buyer checkout, order management system and related services (collectively, the “Platform”).

By accessing or using Zeko, creating an account, listing products, placing an order, or otherwise using the Platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms. Please read them carefully before using Zeko.

1. About Zeko

Zeko is a South African online marketplace that connects independent craft makers, artists and creative sellers (“Sellers”) with customers who wish to buy handmade, creative or independently produced goods (“Buyers”).

Zeko provides the marketplace technology, storefront tools, checkout flow, order management features, courier integration, payment facilitation and dispute support processes. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the products listed on Zeko are sold by the individual Sellers, not by Zeko.

Each Seller is responsible for their own product listings, product descriptions, pricing, stock, product quality, packaging, fulfilment, legal compliance and customer-facing obligations relating to the goods they sell.

2. Eligibility

• You must be at least 18 years old, or have parental/guardian consent, to create an account.
• You must provide accurate, complete information when registering.
• You may not create an account on behalf of another person without authorisation.
• Accounts are personal and non-transferable.

3. Accounts and Security

You are responsible for keeping your login details confidential and for all activity that occurs under your account.

You must notify Zeko as soon as possible if you believe your account has been accessed without authorisation, your password has been compromised, or there has been any suspicious activity on your account.

Zeko may suspend or restrict access to any account where we reasonably suspect unauthorised access, fraud, abuse, unlawful activity, breach of these Terms, or risk to Buyers, Sellers, Zeko or third parties.

4. Buying on Zeko

4.1 Product Listings

Products on Zeko are listed by independent Sellers. Sellers are responsible for ensuring that their product descriptions, prices, photos, stock information, customisation options, delivery information and other listing details are accurate and not misleading. Return terms are set by Zeko and are the same for every product, as set out in clause 7.1.

Because many Zeko products are handmade, small variations in colour, texture, shape, size, pattern, finish or appearance may occur. These natural handmade variations do not automatically make a product defective or not as described, provided that the product is materially consistent with the listing.

4.2 Orders and Payment

All prices on Zeko are displayed in South African Rand (ZAR). Prices include VAT only where VAT is applicable and where the relevant Seller is required to charge VAT.

By placing an Order, you make a binding offer to purchase the selected product or products from the relevant Seller or Sellers, subject to successful payment and acceptance of the Order.

Your Order is confirmed only once payment has been successfully processed or secured through Zeko's payment system.

Zeko may refuse, cancel, reverse or place on hold any Order where we reasonably suspect fraud, error, unlawful activity, stock unavailability, incorrect pricing, payment failure, courier incompatibility, breach of these Terms, or another valid reason.

4.3 Multi-Seller Orders

A Buyer may be able to purchase products from more than one Seller in a single checkout. In that case, the Order may be divided into separate Seller Orders or Seller Allocations for fulfilment, delivery tracking, payment allocation, dispute handling and payout purposes.

Each Seller is responsible only for the products in their own Seller Order. Delivery timelines, courier arrangements, dispute status and payout timing may differ between Sellers in the same Buyer Order.

4.4 Safe Transaction Fee

Zeko may charge a Safe Transaction Fee at checkout. This fee supports the use of secure protected payment infrastructure, which may include escrow, payment protection, transaction monitoring, payment holding, buyer acceptance, dispute handling and related payment services.

The Safe Transaction Fee will be shown to the Buyer before payment is completed. By completing checkout, the Buyer agrees to pay the displayed Safe Transaction Fee.

Unless otherwise stated at checkout or required by applicable law, the Safe Transaction Fee may be non-refundable once the protected payment service has been used, even if an Order is later cancelled, amended, partially refunded or refunded. Where a refund is processed, the refundable amount may depend on the rules of the applicable payment provider, escrow provider, card processor, courier provider and Zeko's policies.

4.5 Payment Provider

Zeko may use TradeSafe or another third-party payment, escrow, paymaster or payment protection provider to process payments, hold funds, manage allocations, facilitate refunds, release Seller payouts, or support disputes.

By placing an Order, you agree that your payment may be processed, held, allocated, amended, refunded or released through the relevant payment provider's systems and subject to that provider's applicable terms, conditions, processes and compliance requirements.

5. Shipping and Delivery

Shipping rates, delivery options and courier availability are calculated or displayed at checkout based on information such as the Seller's delivery setup, parcel size, product details, pickup or drop-off method, delivery address, courier rules and supported delivery routes.

Zeko may integrate with third-party courier providers, including The Courier Guy and related services such as PUDO, to support delivery, tracking, delivery confirmation and courier booking.

Delivery estimates are estimates only. Actual delivery times may vary due to courier delays, Seller preparation time, public holidays, incorrect addresses, failed delivery attempts, operational issues, force majeure events, or other factors outside Zeko's control.

For multi-Seller Orders, each Seller's products may be packed, collected, dropped off, shipped, tracked and delivered separately.

Buyers are responsible for providing accurate and complete delivery information. Zeko and Sellers are not responsible for failed or delayed delivery caused by incorrect, incomplete or outdated delivery details provided by the Buyer.

6. Buyer Inspection, Acceptance, Issues and Disputes

6.1 Buyer Inspection Window

Once delivery of an Order, Seller Order or parcel is confirmed, the Buyer may be given a limited inspection period to accept the item or raise an issue.

Unless a different period is shown at checkout or in the Order details, Zeko's standard inspection period is 7 days from Delivery Confirmation.

During this inspection period, the Buyer should check whether the item has been received, whether it is damaged, whether it is materially as described, and whether the correct item has been delivered.

6.2 Accepting an Order

The Buyer may accept the Order or Seller Order through the Platform where this feature is available. Acceptance may also occur automatically if the Buyer does not raise an issue within the applicable inspection period after Delivery Confirmation.

Once an Order or Seller Order is accepted, the relevant protected funds may become eligible for release to the Seller and to Zeko for applicable fees or commission.

6.3 Raising an Issue

If there is a problem with an item, the Buyer must raise an issue through the Zeko Platform within the applicable inspection period, unless a longer period is required by applicable law.

The Buyer may be required to provide details of the issue, supporting photographs, packaging photographs, courier information, and any other relevant evidence.

Issues may include, for example:

• the item was not received despite being marked as delivered;
• the item arrived damaged;
• the wrong item was sent;
• an item was missing from the parcel;
• the item was materially different from the listing;
• the item appears defective, unsafe or not fit for its ordinary intended purpose.

6.4 What Is Not Automatically Covered

Change of mind is covered by the return standard in clause 7.1, and is handled as a return rather than as a fault-based dispute. The following will not automatically qualify for a refund or dispute outcome in the Buyer's favour:

• minor handmade variations that are reasonably consistent with the listing;
• slight colour differences caused by lighting, screens or photography;
• issues caused by Buyer misuse, damage after delivery, improper care, or failure to follow product instructions;
• dissatisfaction with a custom or personalised product where the product was made according to the Buyer's approved instructions, unless the product is defective, unsafe or materially not as described.

Where an item qualifies for a change-of-mind return under clause 7.1 and the Refund & Dispute Policy, the Buyer is refunded the product price once the returned item reaches the Seller in the required condition.

6.5 Zeko's Role in Disputes

Zeko may assist with, review, manage or decide disputes between Buyers and Sellers on the Platform. This may include requesting information from the Buyer or Seller, reviewing product listings, reviewing photographs or other evidence, checking courier status, considering Seller responses, and deciding whether to release payment, approve a full refund, approve a partial refund, request a replacement, or escalate the matter.

Zeko's dispute process is designed to support fair marketplace outcomes, but it does not exclude or limit any statutory rights that may apply under South African law.

6.6 TradeSafe or Payment Provider Role in Disputes

Where an Order is processed through TradeSafe or another protected payment provider, the payment provider may hold funds, pause release, process amendments, process refunds, release Seller payouts, or follow its own dispute or escalation processes.

If Zeko makes a dispute decision, Zeko may need to communicate that decision to the payment provider through the provider's dashboard, API, support process or other required method.

Zeko cannot guarantee the timing of any refund, payout release, reversal, withdrawal or bank settlement where that timing depends on TradeSafe, a bank, card processor, courier, payout provider or other third party.

7. Returns and Refunds

7.1 Marketplace Return Standard

Returns and refunds are accepted on every product listed on Zeko. Sellers cannot set their own return terms, cannot mark a product as non-returnable, and cannot state anywhere in a listing that returns or refunds are unavailable. Listing a product on Zeko means accepting this standard.

Every Order is covered where the item is not delivered, arrives damaged, is the wrong item, is missing from the parcel, is defective or unsafe, or is materially not as described. Buyers may also return an item because they changed their mind, within the buyer inspection window and subject to the conditions and limited exclusions set out in the Refund & Dispute Policy, which forms part of these Terms. Items personalised to the Buyer, items made to the Buyer's measurements or specification, perishables, hygiene-sensitive items and digital products are excluded from change-of-mind returns only, and remain fully covered for the issues listed above.

On a change-of-mind return the Buyer carries the return delivery cost and the original shipping fee is not refunded. Where the return is due to a fault, the Buyer is not asked to carry the cost of sending the item back.

7.2 Statutory Consumer Rights

Nothing in these Terms limits any rights a Buyer may have under the Consumer Protection Act, 68 of 2008, the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, 25 of 2002, or any other applicable South African consumer protection law.

Where goods are defective, unsafe, materially not as described, or otherwise fail to meet applicable statutory standards, the Buyer may have legal remedies in addition to the return standard set out in clause 7.1.

7.3 Refund Amounts

Refund amounts may depend on the circumstances of the Order, the reason for the refund, the stage of fulfilment, courier costs, payment provider rules, TradeSafe rules, card processor rules, Seller policy, Zeko policy and applicable law.

Zeko's platform commission of 5% and any applicable shipping fees are deducted at the point of payment processing through the protected payment system and are non-refundable. Where a refund is approved, whether full or partial, the refundable amount covers the product price paid to the seller only. It does not include the platform commission, shipping fees, or the Safe Transaction Fee.

Payment processing fees, Safe Transaction Fees, courier fees, return delivery fees, payout fees, withdrawal fees or other third-party fees may not always be refundable. Zeko will apply the refund outcome according to applicable law, the payment provider's processes and the facts of the particular case.

8. Selling on Zeko

If you register as a Seller, you are also subject to Zeko's Seller Terms and Conditions, delivery rules, product listing rules, fee rules, payout rules and any other Seller-specific policies made available to you. These documents form part of your agreement with Zeko.

Sellers must comply with all applicable laws, including consumer protection, product safety, labelling, tax, privacy, intellectual property and advertising laws.

Sellers are responsible for ensuring that their products are accurately described, safe, lawful, properly packaged and fulfilled on time.

9. Zeko Fees, Seller Payouts and Payment Deductions

Zeko may charge Sellers a platform fee or commission on successful sales. Unless otherwise agreed or displayed to the Seller, Zeko's standard platform fee is 5% of the relevant product sale amount.

Payment Processing Fees may be deducted from Seller payouts. These may include card processing fees, EFT or instant EFT fees, payment gateway fees, escrow provider fees, payout fees, withdrawal fees, bank fees, chargeback fees or similar transaction costs.

The Buyer may pay a Safe Transaction Fee at checkout. The Seller's expected payout, shown in the Seller dashboard where available, may be calculated after deduction of Zeko's platform fee and applicable Seller-side Payment Processing Fees.

Seller payouts may be held, delayed, paused or adjusted where there is a delivery issue, inspection window, Buyer issue, dispute, refund, suspected fraud, chargeback, compliance review, incorrect Seller bank details, failed verification, breach of Seller terms, or payment provider restriction.

10. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

• list, sell, buy or attempt to buy counterfeit, stolen, illegal, unsafe, restricted or prohibited goods;
• misrepresent your identity, business, products, stock, pricing, location, delivery capabilities or relationship with Zeko;
• manipulate reviews, ratings, search rankings, orders, disputes, fees, payouts or Platform systems;
• use bots, scraping tools, automated access, data harvesting or other unauthorised methods to access the Platform;
• bypass, avoid or circumvent Zeko's checkout, payment, fee, delivery, dispute or messaging systems;
• encourage Buyers or Sellers to complete transactions outside Zeko where the connection was made through Zeko;
• upload malicious code, interfere with Platform security, or attempt unauthorised access to systems or accounts;
• harass, threaten, abuse, defame, discriminate against, mislead or harm other users;
• infringe intellectual property, privacy, publicity or other rights of Zeko, users or third parties;
• use Zeko for unlawful, fraudulent or harmful purposes.

11. Intellectual Property

All Zeko branding, logos, design elements, software, text, graphics, layouts, icons, features, code, marketplace structure and other Platform content are owned by or licensed to Zeko and may not be copied, reproduced, modified, distributed or used without Zeko's written permission.

You retain ownership of content you upload to Zeko, including product photos, product descriptions, shop branding, logos, banners and profile information, provided that you have the rights to use that content.

By uploading content to Zeko, you grant Zeko a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to use, host, store, reproduce, display, resize, crop, publish, promote, distribute and otherwise use that content for purposes related to operating, improving, marketing and promoting Zeko, your shop, your products and the Platform.

You warrant that content you upload does not infringe the rights of any third party.

12. Reviews, Messages and User Content

Zeko may allow Buyers and Sellers to send messages, submit reviews, upload evidence, provide comments or otherwise submit content through the Platform.

You agree that your user content must be honest, lawful, relevant and respectful. Zeko may remove, moderate or restrict user content that we reasonably believe is false, abusive, unlawful, misleading, defamatory, discriminatory, spam, irrelevant, manipulative, or in breach of these Terms.

13. Third-Party Services

Zeko may rely on third-party providers for payment processing, escrow or protected payment services, courier services, maps, email delivery, hosting, analytics, storage, security, identity checks, bank verification, payout processing and other operational services.

These third-party services may have their own terms, conditions, privacy notices, service levels, fees, delays and limitations. Zeko is not responsible for failures, delays, errors or outages caused by third-party providers, except where applicable law provides otherwise.

14. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Platform is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis.

Zeko does not guarantee that the Platform will always be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, compatible with your device, or free from viruses or harmful components.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Zeko disclaims all warranties, representations and guarantees not expressly stated in these Terms.

Nothing in these Terms excludes any warranty, guarantee or right that cannot legally be excluded under South African law.

15. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable South African law, Zeko will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, punitive or consequential loss or damage, including loss of profits, loss of revenue, loss of data, reputational harm, business interruption or loss of opportunity.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Zeko's aggregate liability for any claim arising from or relating to these Terms, the Platform, or a transaction will not exceed the amount paid by the Buyer for the relevant transaction giving rise to the claim. This limitation does not apply where liability cannot legally be limited or excluded.

16. Privacy

Zeko processes personal information in accordance with its Privacy Policy and applicable South African privacy law, including the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013.

By using Zeko, you acknowledge that Zeko may collect, use, store and share personal information as described in the Privacy Policy, including where necessary to operate the Platform, process Orders, facilitate payments, arrange delivery, manage disputes, communicate with users, comply with law, prevent fraud and improve Zeko's services.

17. Suspension and Termination

Zeko may suspend, restrict or terminate your access to the Platform if we reasonably believe that you have breached these Terms, violated applicable law, created risk for Zeko or other users, provided false information, engaged in fraud or abuse, or used the Platform in a harmful or unauthorised way.

You may stop using Zeko at any time. Certain obligations, including payment obligations, dispute obligations, intellectual property provisions, liability provisions and any terms intended to survive termination, will continue after your account is closed.

18. Changes to These Terms

Zeko may update these Terms from time to time.

If we make material changes, we may notify users by email, in-app notice, website notice or another reasonable method. Continued use of the Platform after updated Terms take effect means you accept the updated Terms.

19. Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.

Any disputes arising from or relating to these Terms, the Platform or any transaction on Zeko will be subject to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the South African courts, unless applicable law requires otherwise.

Where appropriate, Zeko may encourage Buyers and Sellers to resolve disputes through Zeko's internal dispute process, the relevant payment provider's process, the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud, the National Consumer Commission, arbitration, small claims processes or other available dispute resolution channels.

20. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, your account, an order, a dispute, or your rights and responsibilities on Zeko, please contact Zeko through saskia@zeko.co.za.

Definitions

In these Terms:

“Buyer” means a person who browses, adds products to cart, places an order, pays for products, or otherwise purchases goods through Zeko.

“Seller” means an independent maker, artist, creative business or other approved user who lists or sells products through Zeko.

“Platform” means the Zeko website, marketplace, seller dashboard, buyer dashboard, checkout system, order tools, delivery tools and related services.

“Order” means a purchase placed by a Buyer through Zeko.

“Seller Order” or “Seller Allocation” means the part of an Order that relates to a specific Seller. A single Buyer Order may contain products from more than one Seller, in which case each Seller's portion of the Order may be managed, fulfilled, tracked and paid out separately.

“Safe Transaction Fee” means the buyer-facing fee charged at checkout to support secure protected payment processing through Zeko's escrow or payment protection provider, currently expected to be TradeSafe or another provider selected by Zeko.

“Payment Processing Fee” means the fee charged by the relevant payment method, card processor, acquiring bank, payment gateway, escrow provider, payout provider or similar service provider for processing a payment, refund, payout or withdrawal.

“TradeSafe” means the third-party protected payment, escrow or paymaster provider that Zeko may use to facilitate secure buyer payments, seller allocations, payment holding, refunds, amendments and payout releases.

“Delivery Confirmation” means confirmation from the courier, delivery provider, tracking system, TradeSafe, Zeko, the Seller or another relevant delivery source that an order or parcel has been delivered or made available for collection.