AfriChop Marketplace Terms of Use

Welcome to AfriChop. These Terms of Use (“Terms”, “Agreement”) constitute a legally binding agreement between you (“User”, “Customer”, “Seller”, or “you”) and AFRICHOP GLOBAL VENTURES LTD (“AfriChop”, “we”, “us”, or “our”), a company duly incorporated under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

By accessing, browsing, registering an account on, or purchasing through our website (africhop.com) and related digital services (collectively, the “Platform” or “Marketplace”), you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by these Terms, together with our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not access or use the Platform.

For the purposes of these Terms, the following definitions apply:

• “AfriChop” refers to AFRICHOP GLOBAL VENTURES LTD, the operator and provider of the online marketplace platform.
• “Marketplace” / “Platform” refers to the online multi-vendor e-commerce platform accessible via africhop.com, enabling food vendors to showcase items and customers to purchase items.
• “Customer” / “Buyer” refers to any individual or business entity placing an order for products on the Platform, whether as a registered account holder or via guest checkout.
• “Seller” / “Vendor” / “Farmer” refers to any verified third-party agricultural producer, farmer, food merchant, or food processing entity approved to list and sell goods through the Platform.
• “Products” refers to African agricultural produce, packaged food staples, spices, pantry items, grains, processed foods, and related items made available for sale on the Platform.
• “Local Delivery” refers to orders placed for delivery to physical addresses located within the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
• “International Delivery” refers to cross-border orders dispatched from Nigeria to destinations including the United Kingdom, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Germany, France, and any additional countries subsequently enabled by AfriChop.
• “Logistics Partners” refers to independent third-party domestic couriers, international freight forwarders, air cargo carriers, export handling agents, and final-mile delivery providers engaged to transport products.
• “Payment Processor” refers to licensed payment service providers (including Paystack) that securely process credit/debit card, bank transfer, and electronic payments on behalf of the Marketplace.

To use AfriChop, create an account, apply as a seller, or complete a purchase, you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age or possess the legal age of majority in your jurisdiction of residence;
• Have the full legal capacity to enter into a legally binding contract under applicable Nigerian and international laws;
• Not be barred from using e-commerce or digital services under any applicable sanctions, trade restrictions, or export control laws;
• Provide accurate, truthful, and up-to-date information during account registration, seller onboarding, and order checkout.

AfriChop operates as an online marketplace and digital intermediary. Unless expressly stated otherwise on a specific product listing, AfriChop is not the direct manufacturer, producer, farmer, or original packager of the food products sold by independent sellers.

Nothing in these Terms seeks to exclude or limit any non-excludable consumer rights or statutory guarantees that apply under mandatory consumer protection laws in Nigeria (FCCPA 2018), the United Kingdom (Consumer Rights Act 2015), or European Union Member States (Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU).

You may browse the Marketplace without an account. However, to access personalized features, track past orders, or save delivery addresses, you may register an account. We also support guest checkout using a secure session identifier (mv_session_id).

• Accuracy: You agree to provide true, accurate, current, and complete information, including a valid email address and an active telephone number capable of receiving delivery updates.
• Security: You are responsible for safeguarding your password and account credentials. You must immediately notify AfriChop at care@africhop.com if you suspect any unauthorized access to your account.
• Account Responsibility: You are responsible for all activities and purchases conducted through your account unless you have timely notified us of compromised credentials.

Vendors, farmers, and suppliers who wish to list products on AfriChop must complete our formal seller application process at africhop.com/sell.

AfriChop reserves the right to accept or reject any seller application in its absolute discretion, to request updated compliance documents periodically, and to suspend or terminate any seller account that fails compliance audits.

Because AfriChop specializes in African food items, raw agricultural produce, dried ingredients, and pantry staples, sellers and customers must adhere to rigorous quality and safety protocols:

• Regulatory Compliance in Nigeria: All food products must comply with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) guidelines, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) benchmarks, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA).
• Packaging & Labelling: Packaged products must feature clear labeling indicating product name, net weight, ingredients, allergen warnings, production date, and expiration/best-before date where applicable.
• Fixed vs. Variable Weight Items: Certain raw produce (such as tubers, fresh vegetables, or proteins) are sold as variable-weight goods. Where an item is variable-weight, sellers must prepare goods within the acceptable weight thresholds defined on the listing.
• Storage and Handling: Sellers must store, process, and handle food in sanitary, pest-free environments suitable for human consumption.

The following categories of items are strictly prohibited from being listed or shipped via AfriChop:

• Endangered flora or fauna, illegally harvested wildlife, bushmeat, or CITES-listed species;
• Unpasteurized dairy, unregulated meat, or live animals;
• Counterfeit, adulterated, decayed, expired, or chemically contaminated food items;
• Substances classified as narcotics, prescription pharmaceuticals, or unapproved herbal medicines;
• Agricultural items subject to current phytosanitary embargoes or disease bans in destination countries (e.g., fruit fly or avian influenza restrictions);
• Flammable, corrosive, toxic, or hazardous goods that cannot be legally transported by air cargo.

AfriChop reserves the right to immediately remove any listing, confiscate non-compliant inventory upon collection, report violations to law enforcement or agricultural quarantine authorities, and permanently ban offending sellers.

Order Placement: When you place an order on AfriChop, your order constitutes an offer to purchase the listed products. We will send an order confirmation email acknowledging receipt of your order. An order contract is formally concluded only when the products are dispatched or confirmed for collection by our fulfillment team.

Currencies & Exchange Rates: Product prices are maintained natively in Nigerian Naira (NGN). For international shoppers, prices may be displayed in British Pounds (GBP) or Euros (EUR) based on periodic exchange rate conversions provided by our backend system. The final charged amount, conversion rate used, and currency are clearly summarized before payment authorization.

Weight Limits: To ensure logistics feasibility and compliance with airline and courier cargo limits, AfriChop enforces minimum and maximum order weight limits (measured in kilograms) on international orders, as calculated at checkout.

Pricing Errors: In the event of a manifest technical error in pricing or product description, AfriChop reserves the right to cancel the affected order prior to dispatch and issue a full refund to the buyer.

All online customer payments on AfriChop are processed securely through licensed, PCI-DSS compliant third-party payment providers, primarily Paystack (a Stripe company).

• No Direct Card Storage: AfriChop never receives, stores, or processes raw credit or debit card numbers, security codes (CVV/CVC), or bank PINs on our servers. All financial data is entered directly into the payment processor’s encrypted checkout portal.
• Payment Authorization: Orders are processed only after our payment gateway returns a verified successful transaction status. If your payment is declined by your bank or card issuer, the order will remain unpaid and will not be dispatched.
• Idempotency & Anti-Fraud: Our checkout incorporates cryptographic idempotency keys to prevent duplicate billing during network interruptions and automated anti-fraud screening.

AfriChop coordinates delivery through an integrated network of independent third-party logistics partners, domestic delivery fleets, and international air cargo forwarders.

When placing an order for delivery outside Nigeria (United Kingdom, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Germany, France), you act as the importer of record for the goods, or authorize AfriChop’s logistics partners to clear customs on your behalf.

• Customs Clearance & Import Regulations: You are responsible for ensuring that the products you purchase can be lawfully imported into the destination country under applicable national food and agricultural import regulations.
• Duties, Tariffs, and Import VAT: Unless explicitly itemized and collected at checkout under a Delivered Duty Paid (“DDP”) arrangement, international orders are shipped on a Delivered at Place (“DAP” / “DDU”) basis. This means any customs duties, excise charges, import VAT, brokerage fees, or administrative clearance fees levied by customs authorities in the destination country are the direct responsibility of the Customer.
• Customs Inspections & Holds: Customs or phytosanitary agencies (e.g., UK Border Force / APHA in the UK, or customs inspection services in Spain, Belgium, Italy, Germany, and France) have the legal authority to open, inspect, quarantine, or hold food shipments. AfriChop is not liable for delays resulting from lawful government inspections.
• Confiscation or Destruction: If a customs authority confiscates, refuses entry to, or orders the destruction of a food consignment because the item is prohibited in the destination country or the buyer fails to pay required import taxes, AfriChop cannot offer a refund for the affected goods or incurred shipping costs.

Customers must provide an accurate, complete, and deliverable delivery address, including postal/ZIP codes and an active telephone number accessible by the courier.

• Inaccurate Information: AfriChop is not responsible for failed, delayed, or misdelivered shipments resulting from incorrect, incomplete, or outdated address details provided by the customer.
• Delivery Attempts: Couriers will typically attempt delivery according to their standard local protocol (usually 1 to 3 attempts). If the customer is unavailable, the customer must coordinate collection from the designated local depot or parcel locker within the courier’s holding window.
• Uncollected Perishables: If an order containing perishable food items is returned or abandoned due to the customer’s unavailability or failure to collect within the carrier’s holding period, the products will be disposed of for public health reasons, and no refund will be issued.

Our cancellation terms balance buyer flexibility with the unique nature of agricultural and food items:

• Pre-Processing Cancellations: You may request cancellation of an order free of charge only while the order status remains in “Pending” or before the seller has commenced harvesting, packaging, or dispatching the goods.
• Once Sourced or Dispatched: Once fresh produce, variable-weight items, or perishable foods have been harvested, packed, or handed over to our consolidation/logistics team, the order cannot be cancelled.
• Cancellation by AfriChop: AfriChop reserves the right to cancel an order if: (i) an item is discovered to be out of stock or fails pre-shipment quality inspection; (ii) destination import restrictions prohibit shipment; or (iii) fraudulent activity is identified. In such events, a full refund will be promptly issued.

Under general consumer protection legislation (including the UK Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 and the EU Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU), consumers typically enjoy a 14-day statutory right of withdrawal for online purchases. However, applicable statutory law provides explicit legal exemptions for specific categories of goods.

Returnable Packaged Items: For non-perishable, shelf-stable, ambient goods (such as unopened dry spices, canned foods, or dried grains in original manufacturer packaging with unbroken tamper seals), customers may request a return within the defined return window, provided the customer pays the return shipping costs to our designated facility.

We take pride in our fulfillment standards. If your order arrives damaged, spoiled, materially defective, or missing items:

• Reporting Window: You must inspect your delivery immediately upon receipt and notify AfriChop customer support at care@africhop.com or via WhatsApp (+234 811 999 5696) within 24 to 48 hours of parcel delivery for perishable items, or within 7 days for non-perishable packaged items.
• Evidence Required: Claims must include: (i) your order number; (ii) clear photographic or video evidence of the exterior shipping box and carrier label; and (iii) close-up photographs showing the damaged or spoiled items.
• Resolution: Following review, where a claim is verified, AfriChop will arrange either a replacement (where feasible) or issue a refund or store credit for the affected item(s).
• Refund Method: Approved refunds are credited back to the original payment method used via Paystack. Bank processing times generally take between 5 to 10 business days depending on your financial institution.

All content on the AfriChop Platform—including logos, trademarks, text, graphics, user interface designs, software code, icons, and compilation—is the proprietary property of AFRICHOP GLOBAL VENTURES LTD or its content suppliers and is protected under Nigerian copyright and trademark laws as well as international treaties.

You are granted a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and make personal, non-commercial use of the Platform. You may not scrape, frame, mirror, reverse engineer, reproduce, or commercially exploit any portion of the Platform without our prior written consent.

By uploading product photos, descriptions, or reviews, sellers and users grant AfriChop a worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free license to use, display, and distribute such media for the operation and promotion of the Marketplace.

When accessing or using the Platform, you agree not to:

• Violate any applicable local, national, or international food, customs, export, or criminal law;
• Post fraudulent, deceptive, defamatory, or misleading product listings or customer reviews;
• Attempt to circumvent AfriChop’s platform fees or solicit off-platform transactions;
• Introduce viruses, trojans, worms, logic bombs, or other technologically malicious materials;
• Engage in unauthorized data harvesting, scraping, or automated querying;
• Impersonate any person, business, or government official, or misrepresent affiliation with AfriChop.

THE PLATFORM AND ALL PRODUCTS ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, EXCEPT AS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE CONSUMER STATUTES.

• Third-Party Carrier Exclusions: AfriChop is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential losses resulting from courier flight cancellations, destination customs inspections, weather disruptions, or government import embargoes.
• Vendor Food Warranties: To the maximum extent permitted by law, AfriChop disclaims direct liability for allergic reactions, illness, or injury resulting from a seller’s misrepresentation of ingredients, failure to disclose allergens, or substandard packaging, where the seller acted as the independent producer.
• Financial Liability Cap: To the maximum extent permitted under applicable law, AfriChop’s total aggregate liability arising out of or relating to any order or your use of the Platform shall be strictly capped at the total amount actually paid by you for the specific order giving rise to the claim.

Nothing in these Terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our gross negligence, fraud, or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any liability that cannot be excluded under applicable consumer law in Nigeria, the UK, or the EU.

Governing Law: These Terms and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them or their subject matter shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law principles.

Statutory Consumer Forum Rights: If you are a consumer habitually resident in the United Kingdom or an EU Member State (Spain, Belgium, Italy, Germany, France), mandatory provisions of your country of residence may entitle you to bring proceedings in your local courts or through statutory consumer dispute bodies.

For questions, feedback, commercial inquiries, or legal notices concerning these Terms, please contact us: