Effective Date: October 15, 2026 Version: 1.0 Applies to: All Sellers who fulfill Orders themselves through the Platform.
Article 1: Introduction and Scope
1.1 This document states the duties of a Seller in respect of packaging for an Order the Seller fulfills itself: the standard of protection a package shall provide, category-specific minimums, the material that shall not be included in a package, and responsibility for damage attributable to inadequate packaging. It binds every Seller that fulfills its own Orders and supplements the Fulfillment Policy.
1.2 Diversion of a Buyer to an off-Platform channel is also governed by the Buyer-Seller Communication Policy, which states the prohibition on directing a Buyer off the Platform. This document states the packaging form of that prohibition.
1.3 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 Account: the account a person or business establishes with the Company to use the Platform.
2.2 Buyer: a person who purchases Products or Services through the Platform.
2.3 Company: All About Pawz, LLC, a Tennessee limited liability company.
2.4 Order: a Buyer's purchase of Products or Services through the Platform, accepted in accordance with the Order Formation and Acceptance Policy.
2.5 Platform: the websites, applications, and services the Company operates under the name All About Pawz, including aapawz.com.
2.6 Products: goods offered for sale through the Platform.
2.7 Seller: a person or business the Company has accepted to offer Products or Services through the Platform.
2.8 Services: services offered through the Platform, including grooming, veterinary, pharmacy, and fulfillment services, as applicable.
Article 3: Packaging Standards
3.1 Packaging shall protect the Product through normal transit handling, including dropping, stacking, exposure to rain, and carriage in a heated vehicle. The Seller shall provide: (a) a container of strength appropriate to the weight of the contents; (b) cushioning that prevents movement of the Product inside the container; (c) sealing that withstands handling; and (d) weather protection where the Product requires it. The Seller shall pack for the transit conditions that occur, not for careful handling.
3.2 Category minimums apply as follows: (a) liquids, including shampoos, conditioners, and ear cleaners, shall have a leak-proof primary closure, shall be sealed in a polybag or shrink wrap, shall be marked for upright orientation, and shall be cushioned against crushing; (b) glass containers, including supplement bottles and treat jars, shall be individually wrapped and partitioned or heavily cushioned, and the package shall be marked as fragile; (c) fragile items, including ceramics, aquariums, and feeder electronics, shall be double-boxed where the value or fragility of the item warrants it, with void fill that immobilizes the item; (d) food and consumables shall be shipped in sealed, tamper-evident packaging, and an expired, opened, or resealed food Product shall not be shipped, as governed by the Pet Food and Treats Policy stated in the Selling Terms of Service; and (e) soft goods, including beds and apparel, shall be sealed in a polybag inside a shipping container that withstands weather.
3.3 Retail packaging that is not itself capable of surviving transit: including a blister pack: shall be placed in an outer shipping container. A poly mailer alone is not a shipping container for such a Product.
3.4 In a multi-item Order, items shall be packed so that an item does not damage another item in the same package, with separation between items of materially different weight or density.
3.5 The strength of the container, including its burst strength and edge-crush rating, shall suit the contents. A heavy Product, including a forty-pound bag of food, shall not be shipped in a single-wall mailer container. Where the Seller is uncertain of the required strength, the Carrier's packaging guidance is the minimum standard.
3.6 Oversized and freight items shall be crated, palletized, and strapped as the freight Carrier requires, and the Buyer's delivery constraints shall be confirmed before shipment as required by the Shipping Policy.
3.7 A temperature-sensitive Product, including a probiotic or a treat that requires temperature control, shall be shipped in insulated packaging with cold packs and by an expedited service where the Product requires it. A Seller that has no cold-chain shipping arrangement for such a Product shall not list the Product.
Article 4: Contents of the Package
4.1 A Seller shall not include in a package a marketing insert that diverts the Buyer off the Platform, including a card stating the Seller's website address, a flyer inviting the Buyer to buy directly from the Seller, or a code that directs the Buyer to the Seller's own store. Such an insert is a circumvention violation under the Buyer-Seller Communication Policy and is enforced under that document; the package is the place the violation is found, not a separate packaging violation.
4.2 Product literature relevant to the Product purchased is permitted, including a feeding guide for the food ordered, assembly instructions for the crate ordered, and warranty registration material for the Product ordered. Relevance is measured against the purchase in the package, not against the Seller's catalog.
4.3 A Seller shall not include an unrelated sample or an upsell insert in a package unless the Buyer has opted in to receive it. An unsolicited consumable sample raises safety and allergen questions the Seller cannot answer for that Buyer.
Article 5: Damage Responsibility
5.1 Damage in transit attributable to inadequate packaging is a Seller-fault return under the Return and Refund Policy: Sellers (Return and Refund Policy — Sellers): the Seller bears the cost of return shipping and the refund for the damaged Product.
5.2 Attribution of damage is determined on the evidence, including photographs of the packaging, the Product, and the container, the return inspection record, and the pattern of damage across the Seller's shipments. An isolated instance of container damage is consistent with Carrier handling; a repeated pattern of the same damage across the Seller's shipments establishes a packaging failure.
5.3 Packaging, labeling, and documentation for dangerous goods are governed by the Dangerous Goods Policy stated in the Selling Terms of Service and by the Carrier's dangerous-goods rules. A dangerous-goods packaging failure is a compliance violation with regulatory exposure and is not treated only as a return.
Article 6: Records
6.1 A Seller shall keep a record of the packaging method used for each category of Product the Seller ships and shall produce that record, together with return inspection records for damaged shipments, to the Company on request in connection with an investigation or a damage-pattern review.
Article 7: Fees
7.1 A fee is payable under this document only if the fee is stated in the Seller Fee Schedule. No other charge of any kind is payable, and the Company shall not impose a fee that the schedule does not state.
Article 8: Liability
8.1 Exclusion of certain damages. 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 Cap. 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 Carve-outs. 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, including a Seller-fault return cost under Article 5; or (d) liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
8.4 Essential purpose. 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 Duty. 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, including dangerous-goods packaging law; (d) product liability, intellectual property infringement, and product recall costs arising from the Seller's Products or packaging; and (e) taxes for which the Seller is responsible under this document.
9.2 Procedure. 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 Survival. This Article survives the termination of this document.
Article 10: Enforcement and Appeals
10.1 Investigation. 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 Notice. 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 Opportunity to cure. 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 Measures. 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, with a requirement that the Seller submit a packaging-correction plan; (b) remove or suppress a listing or content, including restriction of the Products affected by a packaging pattern; (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. A marketing insert in violation of Article 4 is enforced as a circumvention violation under the Buyer-Seller Communication Policy.
10.5 Disbursement hold. 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 Appeal. 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 No waiver by delay. 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 Term. This document takes effect when the Seller is accepted to offer Products through the Platform and continues until terminated under this Article.
11.2 Termination by the Company. 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 Termination by the Seller. 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 Effect of termination. 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 Survival. 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 Amendments. 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 Article 11 before the amendment takes effect.
13.2 Notices. (a) 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. (b) 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. (c) DMCA notices are given as provided in the DMCA and Copyright Policy, to the designated agent at legal@aapawz.com.
13.3 Governing law. 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 Severability. 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 Entire agreement. 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 Assignment. 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 Waiver. 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 Interpretation. Headings are for convenience only. "Including" means "including without limitation." This document shall not be construed against a party as its drafter. The English-language text controls over any translation.
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