Vendor Agreement

Effective date: the date you list your first product for sale on our platform. If you were already selling with us before this version was published, this agreement replaces all earlier seller terms (including the former Marketplace Model Agreement, Vendor Eligibility Policy and Fees and Commission Structure) from the date we notify you under section 16.

This agreement is between Fair-Roots Ltd trading as Great British Farmers Market ("Fair Roots", GBFM, "we") and you, the vendor.

1. Who We Are and What We Do

We run an online marketplace where you sell your products directly to customers. We do not buy, own, or sell your products, and we are not a party to the contract of sale — that contract is always between you and the customer.

2. Key Terms

• Vendor: you — an independent UK-based business or individual selling on our platform.

• Marketplace: our online platform where you list products and customers buy them.

• Customer: the person buying your products.

• Commission fee: the percentage we retain from each sale, as set out in section 8.

• Founding Vendor: one of the first 100 vendors approved to sell on the marketplace. We'll confirm your Founding Vendor status in writing when you're approved.

• Stripe: the payment processor we use to handle customer payments and your pay-outs.

3. How the Marketplace Works: Your Role and Ours

You are the legal seller (merchant of record) of your products. This means:

• You invoice the customer (we provide order details to help).

• You comply with UK consumer law, including the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

• You handle all refunds, returns, exchanges and customer service for your orders.

• You are responsible for VAT and any other taxes on your sales; we do not collect or remit VAT or tax on your behalf unless required by HMRC.

• You are solely responsible for the accuracy of your listings, product quality, product liability, and compliance with UK food safety law.

• You handle all customer disputes, including chargebacks initiated through a card scheme or bank. Because we are not a party to the contract of sale, we bear no responsibility for the outcome of any such dispute.

Our role is to facilitate: hosting your listings, processing payments through Stripe and transferring funds to your connected account (minus our fees and Stripe's charges), providing order-management and communication tools, and marketing the marketplace. We do not act as seller, reseller, or agent for your products.

4. Who Can Sell (Eligibility)

To sell with us, you must be a self-employed individual or independent business that meets all of these criteria:

1. You own and run your business — privately owned and operated by you or a small team, with you (or the owners) directly involved in day-to-day decisions.

2. You're independent — not part of a chain, franchise, or multi-location group under the same brand; not a subsidiary of a larger corporation.

3. Your products are primarily UK-sourced, produced or crafted. Speciality products from outside the UK are allowed if they are unique, high-quality, not commonly available in the UK, fully documented (certificates, invoices), and compliant with UK law (safety, labelling, import).

4. You're a small business — self-employed, micro-business, or part-time seller. You don't need a formal setup, but you must independently produce or source unique products.

5. Your products meet the standards in sections 5 and, where applicable, 7.

You must continue to meet these criteria while selling with us. If your business changes and you no longer qualify, tell us immediately. We may periodically review your business; if you stop qualifying, we may suspend or remove your listings or end this agreement under section 12.

Applying: submit our application form with details of your business structure, ownership, and products. We may ask for supporting documents (business registration, food hygiene rating, certifications) and may arrange a quick verification chat. We'll let you know the outcome in writing.

5. Product Standards and Listings

Quality, Accuracy and Legality

• Your products must be high quality, safe, and free from defects.

• They must comply with all UK laws and regulations, including packaging and labelling.

• You must describe products accurately (ingredients, allergens, origin) and have the legal right to sell them.

• If there's ever a safety issue (e.g. contamination or mislabelling), you must tell us and affected customers immediately. We may remove your listings if there's a problem.

Prohibited Items

• Items that are illegal or restricted under applicable laws.

• Controlled substances, including drugs and drug paraphernalia.

• Hazardous materials, including explosives and flammable items.

• Weapons and related accessories.

• Counterfeit goods and items that infringe others' intellectual property, including unauthorised replicas or copies of branded products.

Prohibited Content

• Content that is offensive, obscene or inappropriate by general community standards — including sexually explicit material, excessive profanity and graphic violence.

• Content that promotes or glorifies violence, hatred or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or any other characteristic — including items bearing universally recognised hate symbols (e.g. Nazi insignia).

• Misleading or false information about a product, its origin or intended use.

• Err on the side of caution with potentially controversial themes. We may remove content reported as offensive even if no harm was intended.

External Restrictions (Stripe)

Payments are processed by Stripe, so Stripe's prohibited and restricted businesses list also applies to what you can sell. Check their current list before listing anything unusual, and if you're not sure, ask us at info@greatbritishfarmersmarket.co.uk.

Listing Requirements

• Descriptions: clear, accurate and detailed — key features, specifications, usage instructions, care guidelines and any potential hazards.

• Images: high-quality and showing the actual product (multiple angles where useful). Avoid stock photos unless they accurately depict the real item.

• Pricing: clear, accurate and not misleading. Prices are in GBP and must include all applicable taxes and costs — remember shipping is included in your product price (section 8) and multi-purchase or group-purchase discounts are applied through the platform.

Monitoring and Enforcement

We regularly monitor listings for compliance and may ask for additional information or documentation to verify it. If a listing violates this section, we'll remove or modify it, notify you, and give you a chance to rectify the issue. Repeated or serious violations may result in suspension or termination under section 12.

6. Delivery

You are responsible for delivering products to customers on time and as described.

7. Food Safety

If you sell food, you must comply with UK food safety law, including:

• Food Safety Act 1990 — food must be safe to eat and not misleadingly described.

• Food Information Regulations 2014 — accurate labels (allergens, ingredients, use-by dates).

• Food Hygiene Regulations 2013 — high hygiene standards in production, storage and delivery.

You must register your food business with your local council (if you haven't already), give us a copy of your food hygiene rating and relevant certifications, and immediately tell us, affected customers, and recall affected products if there is any safety concern. We can and will remove your listings if food safety standards aren't met.

8. Fees and Commission

Commission rates

• There are no listing fees, no monthly fees and no upfront costs — you only pay when you make a sale.

• The commission percentage is calculated on the total amount the customer pays for the sale. Vendors include the cost of shipping in their product prices (with discounts available for multiple or grouped purchases), so there are no separate delivery charges.

• Our commission includes VAT — we account for the VAT on our fee with HMRC. VAT or tax on your remaining earnings is your responsibility.

What your commission covers: hosting your store, payment handling (see below), order-management tools, your product(s) marketing and promotion when listed on our site, marketplace marketing and promotion, seller support and educational resources, and ongoing platform development. We have no shareholders — the commission funds the running and improvement of the marketplace.

Payment processing (Stripe). Stripe's processing fees for your customers' payments are your responsibility as a separate charge, in addition to our commission. Stripe's fees are set by Stripe, vary by card type and country, and may change from time to time — check Stripe's current pricing at stripe.com/gb/pricing. Both our commission and Stripe's fees are taken from each sale before your payout.

Example. A Founding Vendor makes a £100 sale (illustrative only): our commission (6%) is £6.00; if Stripe's fee were 1.5% + 20p, it would be £1.70; approximately £92.30 would go to the vendor's payout. 

Refunds and chargebacks. If a refund is issued, the amount comes from your next payout. Our commission and Stripe's fees are not refunded for sales already processed, unless the refund was caused by our error.

9. Payments Through Stripe

• You must connect a valid Stripe account to receive payments. It must be UK-based and able to accept GBP.

• You're responsible for keeping your bank and tax details up to date in Stripe.

• Pay-outs are transferred to your Stripe account at least monthly, depending on Stripe's processing times (usually immediately). We're not responsible for Stripe's delays or disputes — payment issues are resolved directly with Stripe.

10. Intellectual Property

• Your content (photos, descriptions) remains yours. You give us permission to use it for marketing and promoting your products while you sell on the platform. If you leave, you can ask us to remove your content from our marketing materials.

• Our branding may only be used with our permission, and only to promote your products on the marketplace.

11. Confidentiality

We both keep each other's confidential information (business strategies, financial data, customer details) private and don't share it without permission, for 2 years after this agreement ends. This doesn't cover information that's public or that you lawfully obtain elsewhere.

12. Ending the Agreement

Duration: this agreement starts when you list your first product and continues until either of us ends it.

Ending it: either of us can end this agreement with 30 days' written notice for any reason. We can end it immediately for serious issues, including if:

• You no longer meet the eligibility criteria (section 4) or misrepresented your business.

• You break UK laws or regulations (e.g. prohibited items, food safety).

• Your products are defective, unsafe, or misrepresented.

• You fail to pay fees or commit fraud.

• You infringe intellectual property or break confidentiality.

• You harm our reputation or provide false information.

• You repeatedly ignore minor issues after we've given you 15 days to fix them.

Breaches of the Vendor Code of Conduct may lead to suspension or termination under this section, following the process set out there.

After it ends: we stop listing your products and remove your account; money owed to you (minus our fees and Stripe's charges) is paid in the next payment cycle; you remain responsible for refunds, chargebacks and fees relating to sales already made.

13. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Fair-Roots Ltd t/a Great British Farmers Market, its officers, employees and agents against all claims, damages, losses, costs (including reasonable legal fees) and liabilities arising out of or in connection with:

• (a) the products you list and sell;

• (b) any breach of this agreement by you;

• (c) any infringement of a third party's intellectual property or other rights by your products or listings;

• (d) any dispute or claim brought by your customers; and

• (e) any chargeback or payment dispute connected to your sales.

14. Limits on Liability

• Our total liability to you arising out of or in connection with this agreement, the site or the service — whether in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise — is limited to the total fees you have paid us in the 12 months preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

• We're not liable for indirect, incidental, special or consequential losses, loss of profits, loss of business, loss of goodwill, or loss of anticipated savings.

• Nothing in this agreement excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

15. Solving Problems

If we disagree, we'll first try mediation. If that fails, the dispute goes to binding arbitration (a neutral third party makes the final decision), with costs shared equally. This agreement is governed by the laws of England and Wales, and its courts have jurisdiction.

16. Other Important Bits

• Whole agreement: this document, together with the Vendor Code of Conduct and our Privacy Policy, is the full agreement between us and replaces all previous versions and side documents (including the former Marketplace Model Agreement, Vendor Eligibility Policy and Fees and Commission Structure).

• Severability: if any part is found invalid, the rest stands.

• Notices: official messages between us must be in writing (email or post).

• Changes: we may update this agreement from time to time and will notify you. You'll need to follow the updated terms to keep selling with us.

17. 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.

• Accept responsibility for VAT and taxes on your sales, invoicing, refunds, and customer service.

• Understand and meet the eligibility criteria (section 4).

• Understand and agree to follow the Vendor Code of Conduct.

Email: info@greatbritishfarmersmarket.co.uk

Last Updated: 02 October 2026