📜 Terms & Conditions

PETFRIENDS (Pty) Ltd ("MyPetFriends", "we", "us", or "our") operates an online marketplace platform that connects pet owners with independent pet sitters.

To use the Platform, you must be at least 18 years old. You agree to:

• Provide accurate and truthful information
• Comply with all applicable laws
• Use the Platform only for lawful purposes and in compliance with these Terms
• Not misuse, interfere with, or attempt to exploit the Platform

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate access for users who do not meet these requirements.

To use the Platform as a pet sitter or pet owner, you must register and create an account. You are responsible for all activity under your account and must not share your login details or allow another user access to your account.

You may also create a public profile on the Platform containing:

• Biographical information and experience
• Suburb or general location
• Services offered and rates
• Photos
• Reviews and ratings

Sitters are responsible for ensuring all information is accurate and up to date.

Pet owners and pet sitters are solely responsible for assessing the suitability of each other for the agreement they enter into. MyPetFriends provides a limited review of pet sitters and facilitates a voluntary identity screening process, but we do not warrant that this is accurate, or conclusive. MyPetFriends does not make any guarantee that any reviews of pet sitters or pet owners on the Platform are accurate.

We reserve the right to edit, hide, or remove profiles, content, or listings that are misleading, unsafe, or violate these Terms.

Our collection and use of your personal information is set out in our Privacy Policy.

4.1 Booking process

Any agreements or bookings entered into through the Platform are between the pet owner and pet sitter. Once you complete a booking, you agree to the terms of that booking.

• Pet sitters may generate quotes for pet owners
• A booking is formed once the pet sitter and pet owner agree to a time period, a pet owner accepts a pet sitter's quote and payment is made by the pet owner as per the process described in clause 4.2 below.

MyPetFriends does not guarantee that a booking will be accepted or completed.

4.2 Payment facilitation

Payments are facilitated through an independent third-party escrow service (TradeSafe). As soon as a pet owner agrees to a booking, it must secure the booking by paying the agreed amount to the third party escrow service. You agree to the escrow provider's terms and conditions when making this payment, available here. If you do not accept those terms, you can choose not to make the payment. The escrow provider is responsible for payment processing, fund holding, and release of funds in accordance with its own terms and conditions.

MyPetFriends does not receive, hold or control user funds at any time.

We may charge a platform or broker fee for facilitating bookings.

4.3 Payouts

Payouts to sitters occur after service completion and may be subject to a processing delay.

4.4 Refunds

Refunds, cancellations, and charge reversals are handled via the escrow provider and subject to its terms and conditions which you agree to at the time of making the payment.

4.5 Late Fees

You agree that as a Pet Owner, if you are late to fetch your pet or relieve the pet sitter of their obligations at the end of the agreed time period, you will be charged for the additional time pro-rated to the agreed rate.

Cancellations by either party are permitted up to 48 hours before the agreed start time of the booking. Any cancellation within the 48 hour period will mean:

• If you cancel as the pet sitter: we may deactivate your account for late cancellation and will refund the full amount to the pet owner.
• If you cancel as the pet owner: you will still be charged the full amount and are not entitled to a refund.

No-shows, disputes, or service issues are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. In our reasonable discretion, if we review the case and decide that the pet sitter has acted negligently or in breach of these terms, we may issue a full or partial refund to the pet owner. However, once the payment has been disbursed by the escrow provider, any disputes are between the pet sitter and pet owner and MyPetFriends has no obligation to facilitate this.

MyPetFriends is not obligated to provide replacement sitters.

The Platform is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. While we aim to provide a reliable service, MyPetFriends does not guarantee that the Platform will always be available, error-free, or suitable for your specific needs. To the fullest extent permitted by law, MyPetFriends makes no representations or warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory, regarding the Platform or its use. This includes, but is not limited to, the accuracy or validity of content provided, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement and suitability for use.

We are not responsible for the actions or omissions of pet owners, pet sitters, or any third parties. All services are provided directly between pet owners and pet sitters.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, MyPetFriends is not liable for any claims, injuries, loss, damages and/or other harm from and/or related to your use of the Platform and interaction with other users, including, but not limited to:

• Theft, loss, or damage to property
• Injury or death of pets
• Injury to sitters, owners or third parties
• Emergency veterinary care costs
• Negligence or misconduct by users of the Platform
• Failure of a sitter to attend a booking
• Force majeure events (illness, accidents, weather, power outages, etc.)

Pet owners remain responsible for veterinary and emergency costs.

• MyPetFriends does not provide insurance coverage of any kind
• Sitters are responsible for obtaining their own insurance (if applicable)
• We do not guarantee the quality, safety, or outcome of services

To the maximum extent permitted by law, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless MyPetFriends and its officers from any and all claims, demands, costs, losses and/or damages arising from or in any way related to:

• Your use of the Platform
• The content you post on the Platform
• Your interactions with other users of the Platform
• Your breach of these Terms

When using the Platform, you agree not to:

• Solicit or advertise off-platform services to users you have connected with via MyPetFriends
• Take bookings off the Platform that originate through MyPetFriends in an attempt to bypass or manipulate the Platform's systems or fee structures
• Harass, abuse, threaten, or mislead others or engage in any other harmful behaviour
• Upload unlawful, harmful, or deceptive content

Breaches may result in suspension or permanent removal without refund of Platform fees.

11.1 Messaging

Messages on the Platform may be accessed by MyPetFriends in its sole discretion where necessary for any reason, including but not limited to:

• Safety
• Fraud prevention
• Harassment investigations
• Customer support

11.2 Reviews

Reviews must be honest and respectful. We may remove reviews that are abusive, misleading, or violate these Terms.

11.3 Content licence

Users retain ownership of any content posted onto the Platform but grant MyPetFriends a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to host, display, and use such content for operating the Platform and its promotion.

You acknowledge that other users of the Platform may be able to leave reviews about your services or pets on the Platform, which may be shared publicly. We have no obligation to obtain your consent prior to a review being published about you.

The Platform, including its software, design, layout, user interface, logos, trademarks, text, graphics, images, databases, and all underlying technology (collectively, the "Platform IP"), is owned by MyPetFriends. Except for the limited right to access and use the Platform in accordance with these Terms, nothing in these Terms grants you any rights, title, or interest in or to the Platform IP. You may not copy, reproduce, reverse engineer, decompile or distribute our materials without permission.

We may immediately (and without notice) suspend or terminate your access to the Platform at any time for any reason, including, but not limited to:

• Breach of these Terms
• Safety or trust concerns
• Off-platform solicitation in breach of clause 10
• Misconduct or abuse

Your obligations under these Terms that, by their nature, should survive termination will continue even after your access is terminated (e.g., liability disclaimers and indemnities).

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.

Any legal action arising from or relating to these Terms shall be brought before the courts of South Africa.

We may update these Terms from time to time. Updated versions will be posted on the Platform. Your continued use after changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms.