Every marketplace business needs Terms of Service and Privacy Policy agreements. However, these legal documents can be fairly difficult to write, especially when you're just getting started.
To help you launch your marketplace faster, we've compiled two templates you can use as a baseline for the agreements between your online marketplace business and its users.
We've relied on TermsFeed's expertise to create these templates and can recommend their service if you want to create more legal agreements and policies for your online business. We've even partnered with them to offer you a 50% discount on any premium agreement TermsFeed offers.
Disclaimer
We've put a lot of work and attention into the templates we share with you. Still, these templates are not legal advice, and by using them, you agree to the disclaimer below.
The provided agreements are for informational purposes only and do not constitute advertising, solicitation, or legal advice. You should consult independent legal advice before publishing these agreements. The information contained is provided only as general information and may or may not reflect the most current legal developments.
How to use the Terms of Service template for your marketplace business
Go to your New Sharetribe Console.
Open the Pages editor in "Content → Pages".
Click on the “terms-of-service” page to edit it.
Open the “terms-of-service” article.
Open the “terms-of-service” block.
Remove the default content from the “Text content” text area.
Open this Google Docs document where you’ll find the Terms of Service template.
Select and copy all the content in the template, except the disclaimer (start from "Terms of Service").
Paste the content into the “Text content” text area of the “terms-of-service” block.
Go through the text content and replace parts marked with {{-- INSERT HERE XXX --}} with the correct content. This is to add today's date, your marketplace name, your contact details, etc. You can use the search feature in your browser to look for all "{{-- INSERT HERE" occurrences.
Save the changes. You can validate how the page looks by clicking on the "View page" in the top right corner of the editing page.
Voilà! Your marketplace visitors will be able to view your Terms of Service on the Terms of Service page.
How to use the Privacy Policy template for your marketplace business
Go to your New Sharetribe console.
Open the Pages editor in "Content → Pages".
Click on the “privacy-policy” page to edit it.
Open the “privacy-policy” article.
Open the “privacy-policy” block.
Remove the default content from the “Text content” text area.
Open this Google Docs document where you’ll find the Privacy Policy template.
Select and copy all the content in the template, except the disclaimer (start from "Privacy Policy").
Paste the content into the “Text content” text area of the “privacy-policy” block.
Go through the text content and replace parts marked with {{-- INSERT HERE XXX --}} with the correct content. This is to add today's date, your marketplace name, your contact details, etc. You can use the search feature in your browser to look for all "{{-- INSERT HERE" occurrences.
Save the changes. You can validate how the page looks by clicking on the "View page" in the top right corner of the editing page.
Voilà! Your marketplace visitors will be able to view your Privacy Policy on the Privacy Policy page.
What is not part of the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy templates
The templates cover the most important things to protect your business and your marketplace members. Still, your documents will likely need some customization to fit your unique business.
In particular, you should pay attention to:
Country-specific regulation compliance details. The country you’re operating in may have specific rules for online businesses and marketplaces. If that’s the case, you should contact your tax office or local legal state service to learn more and adjust your terms and privacy policy accordingly.
Industry-specific compliance details. If you operate in an industry that has specific rules and regulations, it may be important to take them into account in your terms.
Service fees. If your service fee structure is complex and isn't fully detailed during the checkout or on a listing page, you should explain it in detail in your terms.
Refund Policy. Once you have defined your refund policy in detail, it's a good idea to add it to your terms.
Listing fields. If you ask providers for something beyond the general listing information when they post a new listing, it's a good idea to write it down in your terms.
Access restriction. If you decide to restrict access to your marketplace (based on users’ age, location, background checks, or something else), you should list these criteria in your terms.