Terms of Service

JE Connects ("JE Connects", "we", "us", or "our") provides a multi-vendor digital marketplace that connects customers with businesses and service providers for discovering, ordering, booking, quoting, hiring, and arranging rides and courier deliveries. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the JE Connects platform, website, and apps (the "Platform").

By creating an account or using any part of the Platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, you must stop using the Platform.

These Terms form a binding agreement between you and JE Connects. Using the Platform — whether as a guest browsing, a registered customer, a business vendor, or a driver/service provider — means you accept these Terms and any policies, guidelines, or rules we reference or publish (including our Privacy Policy). If you are accepting on behalf of an organisation, you confirm you have the authority to bind that organisation.

JE Connects is open to users of all ages. Anyone may create an account, browse, message, request quotes, place orders, make bookings, and otherwise interact with the Platform. Where a user does not have full legal capacity to enter into contracts (for example, because they are under 18), they should use JE Connects with the involvement of a parent or legal guardian, who is responsible for the account and any transactions made through it. By using the Platform, you represent that you meet any legal requirements that apply to you, and that you have obtained any consent required from a parent or guardian. Businesses and service providers must have the legal right to offer the products and services they list and must comply with all applicable laws and licensing requirements.

Customers can browse the marketplace without an account, but placing orders, making bookings, requesting quotes, sending messages, and using rides or courier services requires a registered account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate and complete registration information.
• Keep your password and sign-in details confidential and secure.
• Be responsible for all activity that happens under your account.
• Notify us promptly of any unauthorised use of your account.

You may close your account at any time from within the app.

Businesses ("vendors") can register a profile, publish a storefront, list products and services, receive orders and bookings, and respond to quote requests. By operating a business on JE Connects you agree to:

• Provide truthful, current business information, including any required registration, VAT, or licence numbers.
• Only offer products and services you are legally permitted and able to supply.
• Set accurate prices, stock, and availability, and honour accepted orders and confirmed bookings.
• Comply with consumer-protection laws applicable to your sales.
• Pay any platform fees, commissions, or service charges that apply to your transactions.
• Keep your business, banking, and payout details accurate and up to date.

JE Connects acts as a platform connecting customers and vendors. We are not a party to the sale between you and your customers, except where we clearly act as the payment facilitator.

Drivers and service providers can register to accept ride, scheduled-trip, and courier jobs, and to perform deliveries on behalf of vendors. By acting as a driver or service provider you agree to:

• Hold a valid driver's licence and any permits required for your vehicle and the services you offer.
• Maintain a roadworthy, insured, and legally registered vehicle.
• Perform deliveries and trips safely, lawfully, and in line with the details of each job.
• Opt in only to services your vehicle and circumstances allow.
• Not engage in unsafe, unlawful, or discriminatory conduct toward customers or vendors.

Drivers are independent service providers, not employees of JE Connects. JE Connects facilitates matching and payments but does not direct or control how a driver performs a trip or delivery.

Reliability: strikes, suspensions and appeals

• Customers and businesses rely on drivers who accept a job. You get a strike when you: cancel a job more than 2 minutes after accepting it; don't collect a delivery within 45 minutes of accepting it; don't start an accepted ride within 30 minutes (for scheduled trips, from the pickup time); or don't complete a delivery within 120 minutes of collecting it. Each job can give only one strike. JE Connects may also add a strike after investigating a complaint.
• You are told every time you get a strike. A strike drops off your record after 60 days.
• 3 strikes within 30 days means your account is suspended for 7 days and you can't receive rides or deliveries during that time. It ends automatically, except that a second suspension within 90 days stays in place until our team has reviewed your account.
• JE Connects may also suspend a driver directly — for example for safety, fraud or serious complaints — for a set period or until the matter is resolved.
• You can appeal any strike or suspension from your driver dashboard, with an explanation and optional photos. A person at JE Connects reviews it and you are told the outcome. If an appeal is approved, the strike is removed or the suspension is lifted.

Vendors are responsible for the content of their listings and storefronts, including business details, descriptions, images, hours, service areas, and pricing. Listings must be accurate, not misleading, and must not infringe the rights of others. JE Connects may review, edit, reject, or remove listings that violate these Terms or applicable law, or that we believe are inappropriate, without prior notice.

Vendors set their own prices, stock levels, and availability. Some products and services may be bookable (appointments or rentals) rather than purchasable directly. Vendors must ensure their offerings are legal, accurately described, and fit for their intended purpose. JE Connects may feature, promote, or organise listings (including Reels and promotional carousels) to help customers discover them.

When you place an order, you make an offer to purchase. An order is generally accepted when the vendor confirms it. Until then, a vendor may decline an order (for example, if an item is unavailable). Once accepted, the vendor is responsible for preparing and fulfilling the order, and you are responsible for payment. Order status updates are shared through the Platform.

How long a business has to accept

• A business has a set time to accept a new order — normally 5 minutes. Businesses may choose a different time from the options we allow (5, 10, 15, 30 minutes); the business's choice is shown to them in their dashboard.
• If the business doesn't accept in time, the order is cancelled automatically and you are told. If you hadn't paid, nothing is charged. If you had already paid, the full amount is refunded to your card (your bank may take a few working days to show it).
• Some businesses accept orders automatically, and a business may pause new orders for a while when it's busy. While paused, checkout tells you when they will be back.
• After a business accepts, card orders must be paid within 60 minutes or the order is cancelled.
• Pay on Delivery / Collection is only offered where JE Connects and the business allow it.

Some products and services are booked by appointment or for a rental period. When you make a booking, you agree to the time, duration, and terms shown. You are responsible for arriving on time and following any instructions from the business. Businesses manage their own availability and may set cancellation or no-show policies, which will be shown before you book.

Customers can request competitive quotes for services through JE Connects. Businesses may respond with quotes, and customers may negotiate, accept, or decline. A quote is an offer and is not binding until accepted and, where required, paid for. Both parties should keep communications on the Platform so there is a clear record.

This section explains, in plain language, how JE Connects business plans work — what you get, what you pay, when your plan starts and ends, and the rules for the extra tools. If anything here is unclear, contact us before you pay (see “Contact Information” below).

1. The plans

Every business can use JE Connects for free, with no limit on the number of products, services, photos or reels you upload. Paid plans are optional and add tools that help you grow. Current prices:

• Free — R0. Storefront, products, services & gallery — no upload limits; Quotes, orders, bookings & chats; Reviews & reputation; Reels & marketplace; Post 3 updates a week to your followers; 1 community (up to 100 members); Profile health score & milestones; Basic monthly numbers.
• Growth — R199 a month. AI growth insights & growth opportunities; AI business coach (50 questions a month); Monthly growth goals; Lower service fee for your customers (−1%); 1 free boost a month; 10 updates a week + post analytics; 3 communities (up to 1 000 members each) + private, approve-to-join communities; Get-more-reviews kit: automatic “rate us” + QR poster; Quick replies, quote templates & branded quotes; Your own discount codes; Growth badge · priority support.
• Pro — R599 a month. Everything in Growth, plus: Featured badge & higher placement in search, Home and Reels; 4 free boosts a month; 30 updates a week; 10 communities (up to 10 000 members each); Customer list & promotions to past customers (4/month); Market intelligence for your area; Unlimited AI coach; Lower service fee for your customers (−2%); Custom storefront: brand colour, cover video, own web address; Monthly performance report by email; Business of the Week & JE Connects social media shout-out.
• Enterprise — from R1 899 a month, agreed with you in writing. Everything in Pro, plus: Multiple branches & combined reporting; 8 boosts & 8 promotions a month; 25 communities (up to 50 000 members each); We load your whole catalogue for you; Dedicated contact person & monthly strategy call; Priority help with disputes.

You can also pay for a year at a time: a yearly plan costs 10 months' price and gives you 12 months.

2. Who you pay and how

• Plan fees and boosts are paid to JE Connects. They are our income for providing the tools and are kept completely separate from the money customers pay you for orders and bookings.
• Card payments are processed securely by our payment partners (Yoco or Paystack). JE Connects never sees or stores your full card number. Enterprise plans may also be paid by EFT on invoice.
• Every payment gets a receipt with its own number (for example JEC-SUB-000123). You can view, print or save your receipts any time under Business Dashboard → Plan & Billing.

3. When your plan starts and ends

• Your plan switches on as soon as the payment is confirmed — usually within seconds.
• A monthly plan runs for one calendar month and a yearly plan for 12 months. If you pay again before your plan ends, the new time is added on after your current end date, so you never lose days.
• Plans do not renew or debit your card automatically. We remind you by notification 7 days, 3 days and 1 day before your plan ends. To keep your plan, simply pay again.
• If you don't renew, you have a grace period of 3 days after the end date. After that your business moves back to the Free plan.
• When a plan ends, nothing you uploaded is deleted — your storefront, products, photos, reviews, chats, saved quick replies and templates stay. Only the paid tools switch off (for example AI insights, boosts, promotions and your place in the early request queue). They switch back on when you subscribe again.

4. Upgrading and changing plans

• You can upgrade at any time. If you still have paid time on a lower plan, the value of the unused days is taken off the price of the higher plan.
• You can't move to a lower plan while a higher paid plan is still running; you can choose the lower plan when your current period ends.

5. Refunds

• Plan fees cover the period you paid for. Because plans do not renew automatically, you are never charged for a period you didn't choose.
• Fees already paid are not refunded for unused time, except where the law (including the Consumer Protection Act) requires a refund, or where you were charged in error — for example a double payment, which we will refund or credit in full.
• If you believe you were charged incorrectly, contact us within 30 days with your receipt number.

6. Free trials, promotions and rewards

• JE Connects may offer free trials or free time on a plan — for example to new businesses, as a thank-you to businesses that contribute to the platform, or as a referral reward. These are at our discretion, may differ between businesses and may be changed or stopped at any time for future offers.
• No card is needed for a free trial or promotion. You'll see the end date in Plan & Billing and receive reminders before it ends. When it ends you return to the Free plan unless you subscribe.
• If you already pay for a plan and we give you free time on a higher plan, your paid plan simply continues after the free time ends.
• Referral reward: when a business you referred pays for its first plan, your business receives 30 days of Growth free.

7. Founding-member price

The first 100 businesses to pay for a plan become founding members. A founding member keeps the price that applied when they first subscribed for as long as they use JE Connects, even if we raise prices later.

8. Price changes

We may change plan prices or what a plan includes. We'll tell you in the app before a change affects you, and a new price only applies from your next payment — never to time you have already paid for.

9. How customer requests are shared

• Right now this ordering is switched off: every suitable business receives an open request at the same time, whatever its plan. We may switch it on later; when we do, it works as described below and we'll let businesses know in the app.
• When the ordering is on and a customer sends an open request (“Hire Anything” / Smart Quotes), it goes to suitable businesses in this order: Pro and Enterprise first, then Growth after 10 minutes, then Free businesses 10 minutes after that.
• For urgent or same-day requests the head start is only 3 minutes per group, so customers aren't kept waiting.
• If there are no matching businesses in a group, that group is skipped. If every business that already received the request has quoted or declined, the next group receives it straight away.
• Requests a customer sends to a specific business go to that business only, whatever its plan.
• The customer always chooses freely which business to hire. A head start improves your chances of responding first; it does not guarantee you will be chosen or that you'll receive a certain number of requests.

10. Boosts

• A boost places one item you choose (your storefront, a product, service, gallery post or reel) at the top of the Home page, Reels and search for 3 days, marked as featured.
• Growth includes 1 boost a month, Pro 4 and Enterprise 8. Monthly boosts don't carry over to the next month. Extra boosts can be bought for R49 each by any business; bought boosts don't expire.
• Boosted content must follow our Community Guidelines. We may remove a boost from content that breaks them, without refund of the boost.

11. Featured placement, badges and shout-outs

• Paid-plan businesses show a Growth or Pro / Featured badge and are placed higher among results that match what the customer searched for. Relevance and distance still come first, so results stay useful to customers.
• “Business of the Week” on the Home page rotates through Pro and Enterprise businesses, a new one each week. Pro and Enterprise businesses also receive one shout-out a month on JE Connects' social media; we choose the timing and wording.
• Placement, badges and shout-outs improve visibility but don't guarantee any number of views, enquiries or sales.

12. Promotions to past customers (Pro)

• Pro businesses can see a list of people who have ordered from, booked, chatted with, hired or reviewed them on JE Connects, and can send them a promotion up to 4 times a month (Enterprise: 8). Promotions arrive in the customer's Chats, clearly labelled as a promotion.
• Every promotion has a “Stop promotions from this business” button. Once a customer opts out, they receive no further promotions from that business (normal messages still work).
• Promotions must be honest, relevant to your business and lawful. You may not copy the customer list out of JE Connects, use it for anything else, or send spam. Misuse may lead to the feature being removed or your account being suspended.

13. Your own discount codes (Growth)

• Growth and Pro businesses can create discount codes (for example SUMMER10) that customers enter at checkout.
• The discount comes off your own price, so your payout for that order is reduced by the discount. You must honour codes you publish until you switch them off or they expire.

14. Lower service fee for your customers

Customers pay a JE Connects service fee on orders. When a customer buys from a Growth business the fee is 1 percentage point lower, and from a Pro business 2 percentage points lower (a minimum fee may still apply). This makes your prices more attractive to customers; it does not change what you are paid for your items.

15. AI tools and reports

• AI growth insights, the AI business coach and market intelligence give suggestions based on your business information. They can be wrong or incomplete — use your own judgement before acting on them.
• Growth includes 50 AI coach questions a month; Pro and Enterprise are unlimited (subject to fair use).
• Pro and Enterprise businesses receive a monthly performance report by email on the 1st of each month.

16. Review requests

• For Growth businesses and up, customers automatically get one friendly reminder to rate their experience after a completed order or booking. You can also print a QR poster or share your review link.
• Reviews must be genuine. You may not pay or reward people for reviews, write reviews about your own business, or pressure customers to change a review.

17. Custom storefront and web address (Pro)

• Pro businesses can set a brand colour, a cover video and a short web address such as jeconnects.net/b/yourname. Addresses are first come, first served.
• You may not use a name or address that belongs to another business or brand, or that is misleading or offensive. We may change or reclaim an address that breaks these rules. Your custom look switches off if you leave Pro, but your address is kept for you for as long as we reasonably can.

18. Suspension and ending a plan

If an account is suspended for breaking these Terms or our Community Guidelines, its paid tools stop while it is suspended. Where an account is closed permanently for serious misuse, unused plan time is not refunded except where the law requires it. You can stop using a paid plan at any time simply by not renewing it.

Payments on JE Connects are processed through supported payment methods and gateways. By making a payment you authorise the charge for the total shown, which may include the item subtotal, delivery fee, service fee, tip, donation, and applicable taxes. Vendors receive their payout after applicable fees and commissions are deducted. Card and sensitive payment data are handled by our payment partners — JE Connects does not store full card numbers.

For delivered orders, vendors prepare the items and drivers perform the delivery. Delivery fees, estimated times, and tracking are provided through the Platform. Delivery times are estimates and may be affected by traffic, weather, and other factors. Customers should provide accurate delivery addresses and be available to receive deliveries where required.

Cancellation and refund rights depend on the type of transaction and applicable consumer-protection law. In general:

• Orders may be cancelled before they are accepted or prepared; once preparation or fulfilment has begun, cancellation may be limited.
• Bookings follow the cancellation and no-show policy set by the business and shown at booking.
• Refunds, where due, are returned to the original payment method or as otherwise arranged, and may take time to reflect.
• JE Connects may process refunds on behalf of vendors and adjust vendor payouts accordingly.

Where the law gives you a cooling-off or return right, nothing in these Terms limits that right.

If you have a problem with a transaction, please first try to resolve it with the other party through the Platform. If you cannot resolve it, you may raise a dispute or request a refund through JE Connects. We may review the facts and, where appropriate, issue a refund, adjust payouts, or reverse a transaction. Initiating a chargeback through your bank without first attempting to resolve the matter on the Platform may result in account restrictions.

Communication about requests, quotes, orders, bookings, rides and marketplace listings should take place inside JE Connects. In-app messages help us keep users safe and assist when something goes wrong.

• 90-day retention: every conversation — including business, marketplace, request, group, ride and Help Centre chats — is automatically and permanently deleted 90 days after its last message. New messages restart the 90 days.
• Keep your own records: if an issue, warranty, refund, dispute or agreement may need attention after 90 days, you are responsible for keeping screenshots of the relevant messages and your reference numbers. Deleted messages cannot be restored by anyone, including JE Connects.
• Raise issues early: please report problems as soon as possible, while the conversation is still available, so we can review it.
• Other records: orders, bookings, payments and receipts are kept separately from chats, as described in our Privacy Policy.

Keep contact inside JE Connects. Customers, businesses, sellers and drivers contact each other through in-app messages and in-app voice and video calls, so phone numbers and email addresses stay private and there is a record if something goes wrong. Calls are not recorded; a short call note (for example “Missed call”) is added to the chat. Please don't ask for or share phone numbers, WhatsApp or email to move a deal outside the platform — protection, reviews and dispute help only cover dealings made through JE Connects.

You may post reviews, ratings, messages, photos, videos, and other content. By posting content, you grant JE Connects a licence to use, display, and distribute it on the Platform for the purpose of operating and promoting the service. You agree that your content will be lawful, truthful, and not infringe the rights of others. JE Connects may remove content that is false, abusive, misleading, or that violates these Terms. Posting fake or retaliatory reviews is prohibited.

The JE Connects name, logo, platform design, software, and content we create are owned by JE Connects and protected by intellectual-property laws. You may not copy, modify, or redistribute them without our permission. You retain ownership of the content you submit, and you give us the limited licence described above. Vendors are responsible for ensuring their listings and media do not infringe the intellectual-property rights of others.

You must not, among other things:

• Use the Platform for any unlawful, fraudulent, or deceptive purpose.
• List or sell illegal, counterfeit, unsafe, or restricted goods or services.
• Impersonate another person or business, or misrepresent your identity or qualifications.
• Harass, threaten, or discriminate against other users.
• Interfere with the Platform's security, operation, or data.
• Attempt to bypass fees, payments, or platform features to transact off-platform in a way that harms the marketplace.
• Scrape, copy, or misuse data from the Platform.

We take fraud seriously. We may investigate, delay, reverse, or cancel transactions, withhold payouts, and suspend accounts where we suspect fraud, chargeback abuse, fake reviews, money laundering, or other misuse. We may report suspected illegal activity to the relevant authorities and cooperate with investigations.

The Platform integrates with third parties — payment providers, mapping and location services, email, storage, and authentication (including Google). These services are governed by their own terms and policies. JE Connects is not responsible for the acts or omissions of third-party providers, and your use of those services is subject to their terms.

We may suspend, restrict, or terminate accounts and access to the Platform where we believe a user has violated these Terms, the law, or the rights of others, or to protect the Platform. We may also remove listings, reverse transactions, or withhold payouts in such cases. You can close your account at any time from within the app. The provisions of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination — including those relating to payments, liability, and intellectual property — will remain in effect.

JE Connects is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. We do not guarantee that the Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure, or that any listing, order, booking, quote, ride, or delivery will be completed as expected. To the extent permitted by law, we exclude warranties that might otherwise be implied. We are a marketplace and are not the seller or provider of the goods and services offered by vendors and drivers.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, JE Connects, its officers, and its staff will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages, or for loss of profits, data, or goodwill, arising from your use of or inability to use the Platform. Our aggregate liability for any claim relating to the Platform is limited to the amount (if any) you paid to JE Connects for the service giving rise to the claim. Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law.

We may update, change, or discontinue features, listings, pricing, fees, and other aspects of the Platform at any time. We may also update these Terms; when we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date and, for significant changes, provide notice in the Platform. Your continued use after a change takes effect means you accept the updated Terms.

These Terms and any dispute arising out of or relating to the Platform or your use of it are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. You and JE Connects submit to the jurisdiction of the South African courts, subject to any mandatory consumer-protection rights you may have in your place of residence.

If you have questions about these Terms, your account, or a transaction, you can reach the JE Connects team through the in-app Help Centre (the help button available throughout the Platform). Please include your account email and a short description so we can assist you.

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