Effective Date: October 15, 2026 Version: 1.0 Applies to: All Sellers who sell Products or Services through the Platform.
Article 1: Introduction and Scope
1.1 This document states the Seller's duties to prevent payment fraud: which Orders the Seller shall fulfil, where payment for a Platform Order shall be collected, how an Order showing fraud indicators shall be handled, and what happens when the Seller's account is compromised. It also states the screening and order-hold controls the Company operates and the consequences of shipping an Order the Company has held. Fraud committed by a Seller is governed by the Fraud and Abuse: Zero Tolerance Policy (Fraud and Abuse — Zero Tolerance).
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 apply to this document. In addition, in this document 2.2 Fraud Indicator: a characteristic of an Order listed in clause 3.4.
2.3 Fraud Velocity: a rate of disputes, chargebacks, or item-not-received claims against a Seller that is materially above the Seller's own baseline and the baseline for the Seller's category.
2.4 Held Order: an Order the Company has held for review under Article 4, on which shipment is blocked until the Company releases it.
Article 3: Seller Duties
3.1 Platform Orders only. The Seller shall fulfil only Orders received through the Platform's order feed. An instruction to supply goods that arrives by email, by direct message, or by any channel outside the Seller Center is not a Platform Order. Fulfilling such an instruction as if it were a Platform Order creates liability the Company has not accepted, and collecting payment for it outside the Platform violates clause 3.2.
3.2 No off-platform payment. The Seller shall not process payment outside the Platform for a Platform Order: no external invoice, no direct payment link, no cash on delivery, and no payment application. The Company is the Seller's limited agent for the collection of payment under the Selling Terms of Service, and payment routed around that agency is routed around the fee accounting, the dispute record, and the tax reporting the agency exists to provide. Systematic collection of payment off the Platform is a diversion scheme under the Fraud and Abuse: Zero Tolerance Policy (Fraud and Abuse — Zero Tolerance).
3.3 Ship only to the Order address. The Seller shall ship only to the address stated on the Order. Where a Buyer asks for shipment to a different address, the change shall be made by re-verification through the Seller Center or not made at all. A shipment redirected to an address outside the Order defeats the delivery evidence on which representment depends under the Chargeback Policy (Sellers) (Chargeback Policy (Sellers)).
3.4 Flagging suspicious Orders. The Seller shall flag an Order that shows a Fraud Indicator rather than fulfil it without question. Fraud Indicators include: a rush request to a freight forwarder; mismatched billing and shipping addresses on a high-value Order; a Buyer pressing for payment off the Platform; multiple Orders from one Buyer to different addresses in a short period; and an Order value materially out of line with the Account's history. Flagging is made through the report control on the Order in the Seller Center. Flagging costs the Seller nothing and creates the record of the Seller's vigilance, which is material under Article 7 if the Order later proves fraudulent.
3.5 Records. The Seller shall keep the records of each Order: the Order record, the tracking record, and Buyer communications: sufficient to support representment under the Chargeback Policy (Sellers) (Chargeback Policy (Sellers)) and an investigation under Article 8.
Article 4: Screening and Held Orders
4.1 The Company screens transactions using the payment processor's fraud tooling and the Company's own risk assessment. Each Seller Order carries a fraud risk assessment, recorded with the Order and available to the Company's reviewers. A high assessment does not cancel an Order automatically; it routes the Order to review.
4.2 A high-risk Order may be held for review before the Seller is notified to ship. The hold is visible on the Order: the Seller sees the Order, its hold status, and that shipment is blocked. The Seller shall not ship a Held Order until the Company releases it.
4.3 Shipping a Held Order is a fulfilment violation. Where the Order was fraudulent, the Seller that shipped against the hold bears the resulting loss, because the Company directed the Seller not to ship.
4.4 Review of a Held Order ends in one of two outcomes: release, where the Order is legitimate and the Seller shall ship it; or cancellation, where the Order is fraudulent, in which case the Order never ships and the Buyer is refunded, and no fee is charged on the cancelled Order. An Order cancelled for fraud under this clause is not a cancellation by the Seller and does not count toward the Seller's cancellation rate.
Article 5: Fraud Velocity
5.1 Where Fraud Velocity arises against a Seller, the Company may apply, in order: (a) enhanced monitoring, under which the Seller's Orders receive closer review; (b) a disbursement hold under the Payment Holds and Reserves Policy; and (c) where required, a Capability Freeze under that policy.
5.2 Fraud Velocity is measured against the Seller's own baseline and the category baseline. A new Seller whose first Orders all result in chargebacks presents Fraud Velocity; a large Seller's ordinary dispute volume does not.
Article 6: Worked Scenario
6.1 A fraudster purchases a $400.00 orthopedic dog bed with a stolen card. The Order presents Fraud Indicators: a new Buyer, rush shipping, and a freight-forwarder address. The Company holds the Order for review. Three outcomes follow, depending on the Seller's conduct.
6.2 Where the Seller waits, review confirms the fraud, the Order is cancelled, and the cardholder is refunded. The Seller ships nothing and loses nothing, and the cancellation does not count against the Seller.
6.3 Where the Seller ships immediately, before the hold, or ships against the hold, the cardholder raises a chargeback and the $400.00, plus the network fee, is recovered from the Seller under the Chargeback Policy (Sellers) (Chargeback Policy (Sellers)). The Seller loses both the Product and the amount.
6.4 Where the Order did not trigger screening and the Seller shipped in good faith to the verified Order address with tracking, and a chargeback nevertheless follows, the chargeback is still charged to the Seller under the Chargeback Policy (Sellers) (Chargeback Policy (Sellers)). The Seller's record of compliance: tracking, the verified address, no Fraud Indicator missed: protects the Seller's account-health standing and keeps any rate enforcement at the notice stage rather than the hold stage.
Article 7: Compromised Accounts
7.1 A Seller that suspects the Seller's account is compromised: including unknown logins, listings the Seller did not create, disbursements redirected, or Orders the Seller did not authorize: shall notify the Company immediately, rotate the account credentials, and review recent Orders, disbursements, and listing changes, in accordance with the Seller Account Security Policy.
7.2 The Company may freeze disbursements during the investigation of a compromise. The freeze protects the Seller as well as the Company: it stops an attacker from withdrawing the balance while control of the account is re-established. Legitimate disbursements resume once the Seller's control is confirmed.
7.3 Orders shipped by a fraudster through a compromised account are investigated case by case. The allocation of the resulting losses turns on the Seller's cooperation: immediate notice, full access to the Seller's own records, and no destruction of evidence: and on the Seller's security posture before the compromise. A Seller that maintained the measures required by the Seller Account Security Policy, including two-factor authentication and separate credentials for each operator, and was compromised despite doing so, is treated as a victim of the compromise. A Seller that operated on a shared password without two-factor authentication, in violation of that policy, bears more of the loss, because the compromise was foreseeable and preventable.
7.4 After a compromise, the Seller's account is re-verified before full trading resumes: identity re-confirmed, the Designated Payment Account re-confirmed, and authorized user accounts audited, so that any access the attacker created is closed.
Article 8: Fraud Committed by the Seller
8.1 Articles 3 through 7 address the Seller as the potential victim of fraud. Where the Seller is the perpetrator: stolen cards run through the Seller's own listings, collusive Buyers, a friendly-fraud scheme operated by the Seller, or phantom shipments: this document does not apply and the Fraud and Abuse: Zero Tolerance Policy (Fraud and Abuse — Zero Tolerance) applies, directly to termination and Ban.
8.2 Whether a Seller is a victim or a perpetrator is determined on the evidence: Order patterns, device and payment identifiers, communication records, and the Seller's history.
Article 9: Liability
9.1 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.
9.2 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).
9.3 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; or (d) liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
9.4 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 10: Indemnification
10.1 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; (d) taxes for which the Seller is responsible under this document; and (e) losses, negative balances, and bank fees resulting from disputes, chargebacks, and fraudulent transactions the Seller originated.
10.2 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.
10.3 Survival. This Article survives the termination of this document.
Article 11: Enforcement and Appeals
11.1 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.
11.2 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.
11.3 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.
11.4 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; (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.
11.5 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.
11.6 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.
11.7 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 12: Term and Termination
12.1 Term. This document takes effect when the Seller accepts it and continues until terminated under this Article.
12.2 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.
12.3 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.
12.4 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.
12.5 Survival. The Definitions, Liability, Indemnification, Enforcement and Appeals (for measures taken before termination), Dispute Resolution, and General Provisions Articles survive termination.
Article 13: Dispute Resolution
13.1 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 14: General Provisions
14.1 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 12 before the amendment takes effect.
14.2 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.
14.3 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.
14.4 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.
14.5 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.
14.6 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.
14.7 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.
14.8 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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