Effective Date: The date you list your first product for sale on our platform.
1. Who We Are and What We Do
This agreement is between Fair Roots Ltd trading as Great British Farmers Market (we’ll call ourselves "Fair Roots" or "we" in this document) and you, the seller ("you" or "your").
We run an online marketplace where you can sell your products directly to customers. You are the seller, and we simply provide the platform to help you connect with buyers. We do not buy your products, own them, or sell them for you. The sale is always between you and the customer.
2. Key Terms Explained
- Seller: You – an independent UK-based business or individual selling products on our platform.
- Marketplace: Our online platform where you list your products and customers buy them.
- Customer: The person or business buying your products.
- Products: The items (mostly food) you list for sale.
- Commission Fee: The percentage we take from each sale to cover our costs. This is 7.5% until 31 December 2026, and 10% from 1 January 2027. This fee includes VAT, so there’s no extra VAT added on top.
- Confidential Information: Private details like business strategies, financial data, or customer information that we share with each other.
3. How It Works: Your Role and Ours
Your Role as the Seller
- You are the legal seller of your products. This means:
- You invoice the customer (we’ll give you the order details to help with this).
- You follow all UK laws, including consumer rights and food safety rules.
- You handle refunds, returns, and customer service for your sales.
- You are responsible for VAT on your product sales (if applicable). We do not collect or pay VAT for your sales – that’s your job.
Our Role as the Marketplace
- We provide the platform for you to list and sell your products.
- We currently process payments through Stripe and transfer your earnings to your account (after deducting our commission).
- We promote your products through our marketing efforts.
- We do not act as the seller, take ownership of your products, or become involved in the sale contract between you and the customer.
4. What We Expect from You
Who Can Sell
- You must be an independent UK-based business and meet our Seller Eligibility Policy. For example, you can’t be part of a chain, franchise, or a large corporation.
- If your business changes and you no longer meet these criteria, you must let us know straight away.
Product Standards
- Your products must be high quality, safe, and free from defects.
- They must follow all UK laws and regulations, including proper packaging and labelling.
- You must accurately describe your products (e.g., ingredients, allergens, origin).
- If there’s ever a safety issue (e.g., contamination or mislabelling), you must tell us and your customers immediately. We may need to remove your listings if there’s a problem.
Delivery
- You are responsible for delivering products to customers on time and as described in your shipping policy.
5. Fees and Payments
Our Commission Fee
- We take a 7.5% fee from each sale until 31 December 2026, and 10% from 1 January 2027. This fee already includes VAT, so there’s no extra charge.
- Example: If you sell something for £100, we take £7.50 (7.5% fee). You receive £92.50, and we handle the VAT portion of the £7.50 fee with HMRC.
6. Food Safety Rules
If you sell food, you must follow UK food safety laws, including:
What You Must Do:
- Register your food business with your local council (if you haven’t already).
- Provide us with a copy of your food hygiene rating and any relevant certifications (e.g., organic, gluten-free).
- If there’s a safety concern (e.g., contamination), you must tell us and recall the product immediately. We can remove your listings if food safety standards aren’t met.
7. How Payments Work with Stripe
We use Stripe Connect to handle payments. Here’s how it works:
Setting Up Stripe
- You must connect a valid Stripe account to receive payments.
- Your Stripe account must be UK-based and able to accept payments in GBP.
- You’re responsible for keeping your bank and tax details up to date in Stripe.
How Fees Are Deducted
- Our 7.5% or 10% commission fee (including VAT) is automatically taken from each sale before the money goes to your Stripe account.
- Example: For a £100 sale, we take £7.50 (7.5% fee), and £92.50 goes to your Stripe account.
When You Get Paid
- Payments are transferred to your Stripe account at least once a month, depending on Stripe’s processing times.
- We’re not responsible for Stripe’s fees, delays, or disputes. If you have payment issues, you’ll need to sort them out with Stripe directly.
Refunds and Chargebacks
- You are responsible for handling refunds or chargebacks for your sales.
- If a refund is issued, the amount will be taken from your next payout. Our commission fee is not refunded for sales that have already been processed.
VAT on Our Fee
- Our commission fee includes VAT, and we’ll pay the VAT portion to HMRC as part of our own VAT return.
- You don’t need to worry about VAT on our fee – that’s our responsibility.
8. Intellectual Property (Who Owns What)
- Your Content: You own all the content you provide (e.g., photos, descriptions). You give us permission to use this content only for marketing and promoting your products while you’re selling on our platform.
- Our Branding: You can use our logo or branding only with our permission and only to promote your products on our marketplace.
- If you leave our platform, you can ask us to remove your content from our marketing materials.
9. Confidentiality (Keeping Secrets Safe)
- We’ll both keep each other’s confidential information (e.g., business strategies, financial data, customer details) private and won’t share it without permission.
- This confidentiality lasts for 2 years after this agreement ends.
- This doesn’t apply to information that’s already public or that you legally get from someone else.
10. Ending the Agreement
How Long It Lasts
- This agreement starts when you list your first product and continues until either of us ends it.
How to End It
- Either of us can end this agreement with 30 days’ written notice for any reason.
- We can end it immediately if there’s a serious issue, such as:
- You no longer meet our Seller Eligibility Policy (e.g., you misrepresented your business).
- You break UK laws or regulations (e.g., sell prohibited items or ignore food safety rules).
- Your products are defective, unsafe, or misrepresented.
- You fail to pay fees or commit fraud.
- You infringe on intellectual property rights or break confidentiality.
- You harm our reputation or provide false or misleading information.
- You repeatedly ignore minor issues after we’ve given you 15 days to fix them.
What Happens When It Ends
- We’ll stop listing your products and remove your account.
- Any money owed to you (minus our fees) will be paid in the next payment cycle.
- You’re still responsible for any refunds, chargebacks, or fees even after the agreement ends.
11. Limits on Liability and Protection
- Our Liability: We’re only responsible up to the amount of fees we’ve collected from you in the relevant month.
- Your Protection of Us: You agree to cover any costs or damages we face because of your actions, such as breaking this agreement, selling unsafe products, or not following UK laws.
12. Solving Problems
- If we have a disagreement, we’ll first try to resolve it through mediation.
- If that doesn’t work, we’ll use binding arbitration (a neutral third party makes the final decision), and we’ll share the costs equally.
- This agreement follows English and Welsh law, and any legal disputes will be handled in the courts of England and Wales.
13. Other Important Bits
- Whole Agreement: This document is the full agreement between us and replaces any previous agreements.
- Severability: If one part of this agreement is found to be invalid, the rest still stands.
- Notices: Any official messages between us must be in writing (email or post).
- Changes: We may update this agreement from time to time. We’ll let you know about any changes, and you’ll need to follow the updated terms to keep selling with us.
14. Your Confirmation
By signing up to sell on our platform, you confirm that you:
- Understand and agree that you are the legal seller of your products.
- Acknowledge that Fair Roots Ltd t/a Great British Farmers Market is only the platform and does not sell your products for you.
- Agree that our commission fee (7.5% or 10%) includes VAT, and no extra VAT will be added.
- Accept responsibility for VAT on your sales, invoicing, refunds, and customer service.
Last Updated: 18 July 2026
Questions? Contact us at info@greatbritishfarmersmarket.co.uk.
