Fresh Trade

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Fresh Trade ("the Platform"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, please do not use the Platform.

2. What Fresh Trade Is

Fresh Trade is a community marketplace that enables New Zealanders to trade, swap, buy, and sell homegrown produce, plants, seeds, homemade food goods, and related garden items. The Platform acts as a venue for members to connect and is not a party to any transaction between users.

3. Membership

To post listings, purchase items, or contact sellers, you must hold an active Fresh Trade membership. Membership is billed via Stripe on a recurring basis — you may choose to pay every 3 months, every 6 months, or annually. Memberships renew automatically at the end of each billing period and can be cancelled at any time. Membership fees are non-refundable except where required by New Zealand law. Fresh Trade reserves the right to change membership fees at any time; any price change applies to future billing periods only and will not affect an active membership until its next renewal.

4. Permitted Items

Fresh Trade is intended for the exchange of homegrown produce, food products, plants, seeds, and homemade goods. The following are not permitted on the Platform:

• Illegal drugs and recreational substances
• Alcohol and alcohol-related products
• Tobacco and tobacco-related products
• Controlled or illegal drugs, including any substance intended for use as a drug
• Medicines and pharmaceutical products
• Appliances, electronics, and household goods
• Vehicles and automotive parts
• Industrial machinery and equipment
• Any illegal, dangerous, or regulated items

Listings may be reviewed and removed by the Fresh Trade team if they do not meet these guidelines.

Fresh Trade is designed exclusively for locals to trade, swap, and sell homegrown produce, food products, animal products, pet food, plants, garden supplies, seeds, herbal remedies, teas, and homemade goods. Listings must strictly adhere to these categories. The Fresh Trade team reserves the right to review, flag, and remove any listing that does not meet these requirements, is deemed inappropriate, illegal, or otherwise violates the spirit of our community marketplace. Fresh Trade further reserves the right to remove any other wrongful, illicit, or illegal uploads and/or abuse of the website.

5. User Responsibilities

You are solely responsible for the accuracy of your listings, the legality of your items, and the completion of any trade or transaction you enter into. You agree to deal honestly and fairly with other members.

6. Transactions & Payments

Fresh Trade facilitates connections between buyers and sellers but does not guarantee, warranty, or mediate transactions. Where online payments are used, they are processed through Stripe. Sellers are responsible for their own payment details and tax obligations.

7. Food Health & Safety

Fresh Trade is a platform that facilitates connections between members for the purpose of buying, selling, and trading locally grown produce and homemade goods. Fresh Trade is not a seller, manufacturer, distributor, or party to any trade that takes place between members.

Sellers are entirely responsible for ensuring that any food products they list, sell, swap, or trade comply with all applicable New Zealand food health and safety laws and regulations, including the Food Act 2014 and the Food Regulations 2015. This includes holding any required registrations, certifications, or verifications, and following safe food handling, preparation, labelling, and storage practices.

Buyers accept that Fresh Trade does not inspect, verify, or guarantee the safety, quality, or compliance of any product listed on the Platform. Buyers are entirely responsible for their own health and safety decisions when purchasing, consuming, or using products obtained through Fresh Trade.

Fresh Trade shall not be held liable for any illness, injury, loss, or damage arising from the consumption or use of any product traded through the Platform.

8. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to: post false or misleading content; harass or defraud other users; infringe intellectual property rights; or use the Platform for any unlawful purpose.

9. Listing Removal & Account Termination

Fresh Trade reserves the right to remove any listing and suspend or terminate any account that violates these Terms, without notice.

Fresh Trade reserves the right to remove any other wrongful, illicit, or illegal uploads and/or abuse of the website.

10. Intellectual Property

All content on the Fresh Trade Platform — including branding, design, text, and code — is owned by Fresh Trade and protected under New Zealand copyright law. You retain ownership of content you post (such as listings and photos) but grant Fresh Trade a licence to display it on the Platform.

11. Limitation of Liability

Fresh Trade is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Fresh Trade shall not be liable for any loss, damage, or dispute arising from interactions between users or use of the Platform.

12. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Continued use of the Platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

13. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of New Zealand.

1. Information We Collect

When you create an account or use Fresh Trade, we collect:

• Account details (name, email address)
• Listing information (descriptions, photos, location)
• Profile address (street name, suburb, region/postcode) — used to place your profile on the interactive map
• Messages exchanged between users
• Payment information processed securely by Stripe (we do not store card details)
• Usage data such as device and browser information

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to: operate the Platform; facilitate trades and communication between members; process membership payments; send service notifications; and improve our services.

3. Sharing of Information

Your contact details and listing information are shared with other members as needed to facilitate trades. We do not sell your personal information to third parties. Payment data is handled by Stripe under their own privacy policy.

4. Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your personal information. However, no online platform is completely secure, and you share information with other members at your own discretion.

5. Your Rights

Under the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020, you have the right to access, correct, or request deletion of your personal information. To do so, contact us at the email below.

6. Cookies

Fresh Trade uses essential cookies to keep you logged in and the Platform functioning. We do not use cookies for targeted advertising.

7. Contact

If you have any questions about these Terms or your privacy, please contact the Fresh Trade team at info@freshtrade.co.nz.