Effective Date: October 15, 2026 Version: 1.0 Applies to: All Sellers who appeal a finding concerning authenticity, sourcing, intellectual property, or a restricted Product.
Article 1: Introduction and Scope
1.1 This document states the evidence a Seller shall produce to prove the authenticity and the shipment and sourcing of Products in an appeal: the invoices, tracking and payment records, and authorization letters that qualify, the period for which such records shall be retained, and the consequence of an inability to produce qualifying evidence. This document states the evidence standard for appeals under the Appeals Policy and the Selling Terms of Service.
1.2 If a provision of this document conflicts with the Terms of Use, this document controls for the subject it governs. If a provision of this document conflicts with the terms of a program in which the Seller participates, the program terms control for that program. Policies and help pages explain this document; they do not amend it, and in any conflict this document prevails.
Article 2: Definitions
2.1 The definitions in the Selling Terms of Service are incorporated into this document by reference and apply to this document. This article defines only the additional terms used in this document, in alphabetical order.
2.2 Chain of Custody: the documented sequence that connects a Product from the brand owner or an authorized distributor to the Seller without a break, including an assignment, a resale invoice, or corporate affiliation records where the purchaser named on an invoice is not the Seller.
2.3 Qualifying Invoice: a supplier invoice that satisfies every requirement in Article 4.
2.4 Supply-Chain Documentation: the invoices, payment proof, and authorization records that together trace a Product from the brand owner or an authorized distributor to the Seller.
Article 3: When Invoice Evidence Is Required
3.1 An appeal of a finding concerning authenticity, sourcing, counterfeiting, intellectual property, or a restricted Product, and an appeal of a denial under brand gating, shall include Qualifying Invoices. An appeal without Qualifying Invoices is incomplete and may be denied without a decision on the merits of the underlying finding.
3.2 Invoice evidence may also be submitted in support of another class of appeal where sourcing is material to the finding, including an appeal in which the question is whether a Product is a regulated variant or a compliant variant, and an appeal in which the stated origin of a Product in a listing is disputed.
3.3 Invoice evidence shall be filed with the appeal or within the evidence period stated in the notice of the finding. Evidence filed after the appeal decision is issued is not considered. A Seller that awaits invoices from a supplier shall file the appeal within the appeal period and state that invoice evidence is forthcoming; a late appeal is not cured by later evidence, whereas a timely appeal may be supplemented within the evidence period.
Article 4: Requirements for a Qualifying Invoice
4.1 Every invoice shall satisfy all of the following requirements. An invoice that fails any requirement is not a Qualifying Invoice, and the appeal is decided on the evidence submitted.
(a) Itemized. The invoice states line items identifying each Product by name, quantity, and unit price, so that a line on the invoice can be matched to the Product in the finding. A general description of assorted goods with a single total does not qualify. Where the supplier uses internal stock numbers, the Seller shall provide a mapping of the supplier stock number to the Seller's listing, and the mapping forms part of the evidence.
(b) Dated within the qualifying period. The invoice date is within three hundred sixty-five (365) days before the appeal for an established Product, and within one hundred eighty (180) days before the appeal for a newly launched Product. An invoice outside the applicable period does not establish current sourcing.
(c) Supplier-identified. The invoice states the supplier's legal business name, physical address, telephone number, and email address or website, sufficient to permit verification with the supplier under Article 6.
(d) Purchaser-identified. The invoice names the Seller, as the legal business on the Seller Account, as the purchaser. An invoice naming a different party does not establish the Seller's sourcing unless accompanied by a documented Chain of Custody connecting the named purchaser to the Seller.
(e) Quantity-sufficient. The quantities on the invoice are consistent with the Seller's sales volume for the Product. The Company compares invoice quantities against Order records for the Product over the same period. Where the Seller holds multiple invoices for the Product, the Seller shall submit all such invoices.
(f) Unaltered. The invoice contains no redaction of supplier identity, dates, or line items and no indication of editing. The Seller may redact the Seller's own bank account numbers on accompanying payment proof; no redaction is permitted on the invoice itself.
4.2 Each invoice shall be accompanied by proof of payment linking the Seller to the supplier, including a bank transfer record, a cleared check image, or a card statement line. An invoice without payment proof carries less weight, because an unpaid invoice does not by itself prove a completed purchase. Where the Seller purchases on payment terms, the payment proof shall show the settled payment or the current statement of account, and not only the invoice marked as due.
4.3 Tracking records, carrier receipts, and delivery confirmations may be submitted to prove shipment of Products from the supplier to the Seller or from the Seller to the Buyer, and are weighed together with the invoice evidence. A tracking record alone does not prove authenticity or authorized sourcing.
Article 5: Supply-Chain Documentation and Brand Authorization
5.1 Where the Seller is not the direct importer or manufacturer, the Seller shall document the Chain of Custody: the supplier's authorization from the brand owner or an authorized distributor, or the distributor's own sourcing documentation, sufficient to trace the Product from the brand owner to the Seller without a break. A distributor's letter stating that the distributor is authorized, together with the distributor's invoice to the Seller, satisfies both links; either record alone does not.
5.2 The following do not qualify as sourcing evidence under any presentation: (a) a retail receipt for a consumer store purchase; (b) a screenshot of an Order confirmation without the underlying invoice; (c) a pro-forma invoice or a quotation; (d) a packing slip without the commercial invoice; and (e) an invoice from the Seller to the Seller, or between entities the Seller controls, offered as arm's-length sourcing.
5.3 A parallel import or other goods sourced outside an authorized channel are not disqualified by this document alone. The question under this document is documentation: a complete and verifiable record is evidence, and the absence of such a record leaves the sourcing unproved.
5.4 For a gated brand, invoices alone are insufficient. Brand authorization under the Brand Gating Policy (Sellers) (Brand Gating Policy (Sellers)) is additionally required. The invoice answers the question of source; the authorization answers the question of permission to sell. An authorized distributor's invoice together with the distribution authorization satisfies both questions in one submission.
5.5 Authorization shall be current at the time of the sale and not only at the time of the appeal. An authorization dated after a finding, covering sales that occurred before the authorization, is relevant to correction of the Seller's sourcing and to the measure imposed, and does not authorize the earlier sales retroactively.
Article 6: Verification, Decision Period, and Forged Evidence
6.1 The Company may contact the supplier to verify an invoice, including whether the invoice was issued, whether the quantities and dates match, and whether the purchaser is as stated. By submitting an invoice, the Seller authorizes that verification. A supplier that does not respond, or that states that the supplier did not issue the invoice, presents a defect in the Seller's evidence, for which the Seller bears the consequence because the Seller selected the supplier.
6.2 An appeal supported by invoice evidence is decided within twenty-one (21) calendar days, an extended period that reflects the time required for supplier verification. The Seller is informed at acknowledgement of the appeal whether the appeal proceeds on the invoice track and of the effect of that track on timing.
6.3 A forged, altered, or fabricated invoice is fraud. The appeal shall be denied, and the Account is subject to termination under Article 9 and the Selling Terms of Service. Submission of another Seller's invoice, a sample invoice, or an invoice with dates or quantities altered is fabrication. A Seller that cannot produce a Qualifying Invoice shall state that fact and present the merits on other grounds; submission of fabricated evidence converts a sourcing dispute into a fraud matter.
Article 7: Retention and Production
7.1 The Seller shall retain Qualifying Invoices and payment proof for every Product sold for at least three hundred sixty-five (365) days after the last sale of the Product, and shall produce such records within the appeal evidence period stated in Article 3.
7.2 A statement that a supplier did not provide invoices is not a defense. Absence of invoices is a sourcing-control failure and is recorded as such. A supplier that does not issue a commercial invoice does not satisfy the Seller's record duty under this document.
7.3 Records shall be retained as a legible and complete copy of the original document, in portable document format or as an image of the original. The Seller shall maintain such records in the Seller's own accounting records; submission in an appeal is not the first occasion on which the record shall exist.
7.4 Consequence of inability to produce. Where the Seller cannot produce Qualifying Invoices and Supply-Chain Documentation for a Product that is the subject of a finding within the evidence period, the sourcing and authenticity of that Product are treated as unproved, the appeal may be denied on that ground, and the underlying finding and measure stand.
Article 8: Liability
8.1 To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither party is liable to the other for indirect, incidental, special, punitive, or consequential damages, or for lost profits, lost revenue, or loss of goodwill, arising out of or relating to this document, even if the party has been advised of the possibility of those damages.
8.2 To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company's total liability arising out of or relating to this document shall not exceed the greater of (a) the amounts the Seller paid to the Company under this document in the twelve months before the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred dollars ($100).
8.3 This article does not limit (a) a party's indemnification obligations under this document; (b) liability for fraud or willful misconduct; (c) amounts the Seller owes for Orders, fees, chargebacks, or refunds under this document; or (d) liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
8.4 The parties agree that this article allocates risk between them, that it is an essential part of the basis of their bargain, and that it applies even if a limited remedy fails of its essential purpose.
Article 9: Indemnification
9.1 The Seller shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Company and its members, managers, employees, and agents from and against every claim, demand, action, loss, liability, judgment, settlement, cost, and expense (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to: (a) the Seller's breach of this document; (b) the Seller's Products, Services, listings, or User Content; (c) the Seller's violation of any law or of the rights of any person; and (d) taxes for which the Seller is responsible under this document.
9.2 The Company shall give prompt written notice of a claim under this article. The Seller shall control the defense with counsel reasonably acceptable to the Company. The Company may participate in the defense at its own expense. The Seller shall not settle a claim in a manner that imposes any obligation or restriction on the Company, or that does not release the Company fully, without the Company's prior written consent.
9.3 This article survives the termination of this document.
Article 10: Enforcement and Appeals
10.1 The Company may investigate any suspected violation of this document. The Seller shall cooperate with an investigation and shall produce the records this document requires the Seller to keep.
10.2 If the Company determines that the Seller has violated this document, the Company shall give written notice stating the provision violated and the facts relied on, except where notice would compromise an investigation of fraud, a safety risk, or a legal obligation.
10.3 Where a violation is capable of cure, the Seller has ten (10) business days from notice to cure it and to confirm the cure in writing. No cure period applies to fraud, counterfeiting, a risk to the safety of a person or an animal, unlawful conduct, or a violation that by its nature cannot be cured.
10.4 If a violation is established and is not cured within the period allowed, the Company may, proportionate to the violation: (a) issue a written warning; (b) remove or suppress a listing or content; (c) cancel an Order or a booking; (d) suspend the Account or a program participation, in whole or in part; (e) terminate this document and the Account; and (f) exercise any other right or remedy available under this document or at law.
10.5 The Company may hold disbursements to the Seller while an investigation under this article is pending, and shall release amounts not required to satisfy the Seller's obligations when the investigation closes.
10.6 The Seller may appeal a measure under this article by written notice to legal@aapawz.com within thirty (30) days of the measure, stating the grounds and attaching the records relied on. The appeal is decided by a person who did not make the original decision. The Company's decision on appeal is final. A measure remains in effect during an appeal unless the Company directs otherwise in writing.
10.7 The Company's delay in acting on a violation is not a waiver of the violation or of any later violation of the same kind.
Article 11: Term and Termination
11.1 This document takes effect when the Seller accepts it and continues until terminated under this article.
11.2 The Company may terminate this document and the Account on thirty (30) days' written notice for any reason, and immediately on written notice if the Seller materially breaches this document, engages in fraud, or becomes ineligible to participate.
11.3 The Seller may terminate this document on thirty (30) days' written notice to support@aapawz.com, provided the Seller has no Order, booking, or investigation outstanding.
11.4 On termination: (a) the rights granted under this document end; (b) obligations that arose before termination: including payment, refund, chargeback, record-keeping, and indemnification obligations: survive until satisfied; and (c) the Company shall disburse amounts owed, less amounts the Company may set off under this document, within thirty (30) days, except amounts held in connection with an open investigation or dispute.
11.5 The Definitions, Fees (for accrued amounts), Liability, Indemnification, Enforcement and Appeals (for measures taken before termination), Dispute Resolution, and General Provisions articles survive termination.
Article 12: Dispute Resolution
12.1 Any dispute arising out of or relating to this document, or to the relationship it governs, is governed by the Dispute Resolution Policy, which is incorporated into this document by reference.
Article 13: General Provisions
13.1 The Company may amend this document by posting the amended document in the Document Center and giving notice to the Seller at the email address in the Account. An amendment that materially increases the Seller's fees or obligations takes effect thirty (30) days after notice; other amendments take effect on posting. Continued use of the Platform after the effective date of an amendment is acceptance of it. If the Seller does not accept an amendment, the Seller's remedy is to terminate under the Term and Termination article before the amendment takes effect.
13.2 Legal notices under this document shall be sent to legal@aapawz.com. Operational notices and all other communications shall be sent to support@aapawz.com. A notice to the Company is effective when the Company acknowledges receipt or, for email, one business day after sending, whichever is earlier. Notices to the Seller are effective when sent to the email address in the Account or posted to the Account's notice facility in the portal, whichever occurs first. The Seller shall keep the email address in the Account current. Notices under the DMCA and Copyright Policy are given as provided in that policy, to the designated agent at legal@aapawz.com.
13.3 This document is governed by the laws of the State of Tennessee, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Subject to the Dispute Resolution Policy, any proceeding arising out of this document shall be brought in the state or federal courts located in Shelby County, Tennessee, and the parties consent to personal jurisdiction there.
13.4 If any provision of this document is held unenforceable, the provision shall be enforced to the fullest extent permitted, and the remaining provisions continue in full effect.
13.5 This document, together with the documents it incorporates by reference, is the entire agreement between the Company and the Seller for the subject it governs and supersedes every prior or contemporaneous statement, communication, or agreement on that subject, whether written or oral.
13.6 The Seller shall not assign this document or any right or obligation under it without the Company's prior written consent, and an assignment without consent is void. The Company may assign this document to an affiliate or in connection with a sale of all or part of its business, on notice to the Seller.
13.7 A waiver of any provision of this document is effective only in writing and only for the instance stated. No waiver is a waiver of any other provision or instance.
13.8 Headings are for convenience only. "Including" means "including without limitation." This document shall not be construed against a party on the ground that the party prepared this document. The English-language text controls over any translation.
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