This document sets out the rules that govern conduct on the Shopta platform. It applies to every vendor and every buyer without exception. Continued use of
Shopta after reading these rules constitutes your agreement to comply with them in full. Violation of any rule in this document may result in warnings,
suspension, permanent account termination, withholding of funds, or referral to law enforcement, depending on the severity of the violation.
This document should be read alongside the Shopta Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
A Buyer is any individual who has successfully completed identity verification on Shopta and uses the
platform to discover, negotiate, and purchase physical goods from vendors. A buyer is understood to be
someone who already purchases from informal vendors through channels such as WhatsApp and
Instagram, and who is using Shopta as a safer, more structured way to continue doing exactly that. A buyer
is responsible for their own purchasing decisions and is expected to review all available listing information
before completing a purchase.
2.1 Every buyer must complete onboarding and authentication with their email address and a
verified Nigerian phone number before placing an order on the platform.
2.2 A buyer must maintain accurate and current contact and delivery information. Failed deliveries resulting
from inaccurate buyer-provided information are the buyer's responsibility and are not eligible for refund.
2.3 A buyer may operate only one buyer account. Creating multiple buyer accounts to exploit promotions,
disputes, or any platform feature will result in a permanent ban across all associated accounts.
2.4 A buyer is solely responsible for the confidentiality of their Delivery OTP. Shopta will never ask a buyer
to share their OTP with any party, including Shopta staff, vendors, or riders, before an item is physically
received.
3.1 A buyer is responsible for reviewing all available listing information: photographs, descriptions, pricing,
vendor ratings, and reviews before completing any purchase. Shopta does not guarantee that any item will
meet expectations beyond what is explicitly stated in the listing.
3.2 A buyer engaging in negotiation must do so in good faith. A buyer is not obligated to accept a vendor's
counter-offer and may instead purchase at the original listed price.
3.3 A buyer who proceeds with a purchase from a vendor flagged as inactive for an extended period
acknowledges and accepts the risk of delayed response or dispatch, as disclosed to them at the point of
purchase.
4.1 A buyer must only enter their Delivery OTP at the moment the item is physically in their possession and
has been visually inspected. Entering the OTP before this point constitutes confirmation of satisfactory
delivery and waives all subsequent dispute rights for that order.
4.2 A buyer must be reasonably available at their declared delivery address during the expected delivery
window. Repeated unavailability resulting in failed delivery attempts is the buyer's responsibility, and any
associated redelivery cost will not be refunded.
4.3 A buyer must never share their OTP with a rider, vendor, or any party before physically receiving and
inspecting their item.
4.4 Repeated SLA breaches, whether resulting in cancellation or not, are recorded against the vendor's
account. A pattern of repeated breaches will result in a formal warning, reduced search visibility, and
eventually stall suspension.
4.5 A vendor may reject an order before dispatch using one of the approved rejection reasons: item out of
stock, unable to deliver to buyer's location, pricing error on listing, order quantity exceeds available stock,
or unable to fulfil order within dispatch window.
5.1 A buyer must complete all payments exclusively through the Shopta platform via escrow. A buyer must
never pay a vendor directly through bank transfer, WhatsApp, or any channel outside the platform.
5.2 A buyer who is asked by a vendor to pay outside the platform must refuse and report the vendor
immediately using the in-app reporting feature. Shopta provides no protection or recourse for any
transaction completed outside the platform.
5.3 A buyer accepts that all sales on Shopta are final. Refunds are not available for change of mind, no
longer needing the item, finding it cheaper elsewhere, or general dissatisfaction not tied to
misrepresentation or transit damage.
6.1 A buyer may report a vendor where the item received is materially different from the listing, or arrived
damaged due to inadequate vendor packaging.
6.2 A buyer must raise any valid dispute within twenty-four (24) hours of OTP confirmation, accompanied
by photo or video evidence. Disputes raised after this window, or without supporting evidence, will not be
considered.
6.3 A buyer must not file a dispute without genuine grounds, submit fabricated evidence, or raise a pattern
of disputes designed to extract free items or unwarranted refunds. Any such conduct will result in
permanent account termination and may be referred for further action.
7.1 A buyer must not submit false, misleading, or fabricated reviews. A review must reflect the buyer's
genuine experience of the specific transaction being reviewed.
7.2 A buyer must treat vendors, riders, and Shopta staff with respect. Abusive, threatening, or harassing
conduct toward any party will result in immediate account suspension pending investigation.
7.3 A buyer must not attempt to use the platform to facilitate, solicit, or disguise the purchase of any
prohibited item under any description or code.
Shopta reserves the right to investigate any suspected violation of these rules by either a vendor or a buyer.
Enforcement actions may include formal warnings, reduced visibility, suspension of specific features,
withholding of funds pending review, full account suspension, or permanent termination proportional to the
severity and pattern of the violation.
Where a violation involves suspected illegal activity, financial crime, or harm to another user, Shopta
reserves the right to refer the matter to the appropriate Nigerian regulatory or law enforcement authority,
including the NFIU, EFCC, NDLEA, or the Nigeria Police Force.
Shopta reserves the right to update these rules at any time to reflect platform changes, new features, or
regulatory requirements. Material changes will be communicated via in-app notification or email. Continued
use of the platform after such changes constitutes acceptance of the updated rules.
Questions about these rules can be directed to shoptamarket@gmail.com