Effective Date: October 15, 2026 Version: 1.0 Applies to: All Sellers who offer Services, including grooming, training, sitting, boarding, walking, installation, and coordinated delivery, through the Platform.
Article 1: Introduction and Scope
1.1 This document states the terms on which a Seller sells Services through the marketplace: the service standards the Seller shall meet, the licensing and credential duties of a Seller of Services, and liability for Services performed. This document is an addendum to the Selling Terms of Service and is program terms under the Seller Program Terms. The operative service duties are stated in this document; the Selling Terms of Service remains the master agreement for the Seller relationship.
1.2 This document governs Services sold by a Seller through the marketplace. This document does not govern grooming services provided by a groomer engaged under the groomer program, which are governed by the Groomer Terms of Service and the other documents in Groomers. A grooming Service sold by a Seller as a marketplace Seller is governed by this document; a grooming service provided by a platform groomer in that capacity is governed by Groomers and not by this document.
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 Selling Terms of Service, the Selling Terms of Service controls, except that for a matter that arises solely in the sale of Services, this document controls over a general Seller policy. 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 Personnel: the employees, representatives, agents, contractors, subcontractors, and carriers of the Seller. An act of Personnel in the performance of a Service is an act of the Seller for purposes of this document.
2.3 Seller Services: pet grooming; pet training; pet sitting, boarding, and dog walking; product installation and assembly, including assembly of a crate, an enclosure, and an aquarium; coordinated delivery and return pickup; and any other service offered in connection with the sale of the Seller's Products through the Platform.
Article 3: Eligibility
3.1 Eligibility to offer Services is by invitation only, at the Company's sole discretion. No application facility creates a right to an invitation, and no checklist compels an invitation. Absence of an invitation is not subject to appeal under this document.
3.2 An invitation is specific to the Seller and to the Services stated in the invitation. A Seller invited for one Service does not thereby offer another Service; expansion of the service scope requires a separate invitation.
3.3 No service offering becomes active until the Company confirms that the Seller's credentials, background checks, and insurance required by this document are on file.
Article 4: Service Standards and Licensing Duties
4.1 The Seller shall, and shall cause Personnel to: (a) perform each Service in accordance with the service description page for that Service and with applicable instructions, specifications, and detail-page requirements; (b) perform each Service in a competent and workmanlike manner with professional care; (c) comply with the service standards in the Customer Service Standards Policy and with the Service Level Requirements; (d) maintain every certification, license, and authorization required by applicable law for the Service, and document each such credential in Seller Center before the first performance of the Service; (e) use customer personal information made available to the Seller solely to coordinate the service appointment, as governed by the Data Protection Policy for Sellers; (f) refrain from representing that the Seller or Personnel is the Company or acts on behalf of the Company; (g) obtain every local permit, inspection, and regulatory filing required for the Service; (h) comply with governmental health and safety guidance for an in-home Service; and (i) provide a compliance report on the Company's request.
4.2 Competent and workmanlike performance is assessed against the professional standard for the trade concerned and against the promise in the service description page, and not against a Buyer's subjective preference alone. Performance that endangers an animal, including an injury caused by inattention and leaving an animal unattended in a manner that presents a risk, does not meet the standard in clause 4.1 regardless of the outcome the Buyer expected.
4.3 A credential shall be documented before the first performance of the Service and not after a complaint. A statement in a listing or a service page that Personnel is certified, without the certificate on file, is a prohibited claim under the Product Claims Policy in addition to a violation of this article.
4.4 A Seller that sells a Product and offers assembly or installation of that Product as a Service is subject to the product policies for the sale and to this document for the Service, including the background-check duties in Article 5 where the Service is performed in the Buyer's home and the insurance duties in Article 6. Both sets of duties apply in full.
4.5 A Service performed entirely at the Seller's own facility, where the Buyer brings the animal to the facility, does not trigger the in-home background-check duty in Article 5. Every other duty in this document applies to such a Service.
Article 5: Personnel and Background Checks
5.1 The Seller and Personnel who perform a Service at a customer's residence, business, or other customer-designated location shall pass an individual background check conducted by a third party acting on behalf of the Company, unless the Company informs the Seller in writing that the Seller is exempt from that duty.
5.2 The Company may at any time: (a) require or conduct an additional background check; (b) request the Seller's background-check policies and procedures; (c) request additional information concerning the Seller or Personnel; and (d) access and use a third-party background-check result to determine compliance or to prevent fraud. The Seller shall cooperate and shall obtain every consent from Personnel that applicable law allows or requires for such a check.
5.3 The criteria for a background-check decision are not disclosed. The Seller is informed of the outcome for a person as cleared or not cleared, and not of the reasons for the outcome.
5.4 The Seller shall not assign a new member of Personnel, including a new subcontractor, to a Service at a customer-designated location until that person is cleared. Assignment of a person who has not cleared, or who has failed, a required background check is an intentional violation of this document. A failed check for one person does not by itself terminate the Seller's Account. A person cleared at an earlier date shall be re-checked when the Company requires a re-check.
5.5 An exemption under this article is written and specific to the facts stated in the exemption. A Seller exempted for facility-only Services loses the benefit of the exemption for an in-home Service from the date the Seller begins to offer such a Service.
5.6 The Seller is responsible for a subcontractor engaged by the Seller. Where a subcontractor's vehicle or conduct gives rise to a claim, the Seller's coverage under Article 6 answers first as between the Seller and the Company and the Buyer. A Seller that engages a subcontractor bears the duty to confirm that the subcontractor is cleared under this article before assignment to a customer-designated location.
Article 6: Insurance, Customer Data, and Solicitation
6.1 The Seller shall maintain the insurance stated in the Insurance Requirements Policy: commercial general liability insurance of one million dollars ($1,000,000) per occurrence and in the aggregate; workers' compensation insurance in every state of operation; and automobile liability insurance of at least three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) per loss where a Service involves operating a motor vehicle, in each case unless the Company grants a written exemption. The Insurance Requirements Policy states the filing, lapse, and claim duties in full and forms part of this document for a Seller of Services.
6.2 Insurance is verified before the first performance of a Service and remains subject to monitoring for the duration of the service offering. A Seller whose required coverage lapses shall cease accepting a booking for a Service until the lapse is cured, as provided in the Insurance Requirements Policy.
6.3 Customer personal information is governed by the Data Protection Policy for Sellers, including the heightened duties for in-home access information in that document. A Seller of Services shall comply with that document as part of compliance with this document.
6.4 The Seller and Personnel shall not solicit an order for a Product or a Service not described in the applicable Order notification from a person who ordered the Seller's Services, and shall not market such a Product or a Service to such a person, except as the Selling Terms of Service and applicable policies expressly permit. Conduct prohibited by this clause includes presentation of a card for the Seller's own business outside the Platform, a message that invites a direct booking outside the Platform, and an offer of a product or a warranty the Platform does not offer, made to a customer obtained through the Platform.
6.5 Clause 6.4 does not prohibit performance of the Service ordered, performance performed well, use of a rebooking facility the Platform provides, and a communication an applicable policy expressly permits. The prohibition concerns solicitation of other business and not the quality of the Service ordered.
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. A service fee not stated in the schedule is not chargeable.
7.2 The Seller shall not invent a fee for a Service, including a trip charge, an after-hours premium, and an equipment fee that the schedule does not name. The Buyer pays the scheduled fee for the scheduled Service. An offer at the time and place of performance of an additional service for an additional amount outside the schedule is a charge outside the schedule and a violation of the Customer Service Standards Policy, even where the Buyer agrees at the time. A premium tier of a Service shall be established through the schedule before the tier is offered.
Article 8: Liability for Services Performed
8.1 The Seller is liable for a Service performed by the Seller and by Personnel as for the Seller's own performance, including an injury to an animal, an injury to a person, and damage to property that arises from the performance or the failure to perform the Service as described. The Company is not the provider of the Seller's Services and does not assume liability for a Service by reason of the sale of the Service through the Platform.
8.2 In an emergency during a Service, including an injury to an animal, the Seller shall, in order: (a) attend to the immediate welfare of the animal; (b) communicate the facts truthfully to the owner; (c) preserve the facts and records of the incident; and (d) cooperate with a resulting claim under Article 6 and the Insurance Requirements Policy. Concealment of an injury or an incident is a separate violation of this document.
8.3 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. Nothing in this article limits liability for personal injury or injury to an animal caused by negligence, where applicable law does not permit such a limitation.
8.4 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).
8.5 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.
8.6 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, including a Service performed by Personnel; (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. No cure period applies to an intentional assignment of Personnel in breach of Article 5 and to misrepresentation that the Seller or Personnel is the Company.
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, including suspension of the service offering; (e) terminate this document and the Account; and (f) exercise any other right or remedy available under this document or at law. Because a Service places Personnel in a Buyer's home, a repeated serious service failure and an intentional evasion of a background check are weighed in favor of suspension rather than a lesser restriction.
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 is accepted into the service offering 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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