Terms & Conditions

1. Introduction

Who We Are

Home Shopping Centre Ltd (“HSC”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) operates the multi-vendor marketplace available at homeshoppingcentre.co.uk and via our mobile applications. We are a company registered in England and Wales. Our registered address is [COMPANY ADDRESS]. You can contact us at legal@homeshoppingcentre.co.uk.

Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using HSC — whether as a visitor, buyer, or seller — you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions (“Terms”), our Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and Acceptable Use Policy. These documents together form the legally binding agreement between you and HSC.

If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use our platform. If you are using HSC on behalf of a business, you represent that you have authority to bind that business to these Terms.

Age Requirement

You must be at least 18 years of age to register an account, make purchases, or list items on HSC. By creating an account you confirm that you are 18 or older. We reserve the right to request proof of age at any time. If we discover that a user is under 18, we will immediately terminate their account and cancel any pending transactions, returning funds where appropriate.

2. Account Registration

Creating an Account

To buy or sell on HSC you must register for a free account. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and to keep that information up to date. Providing false or misleading information is a breach of these Terms and may result in immediate account termination.

Account Security

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You must notify us immediately at legal@homeshoppingcentre.co.uk if you believe your account has been compromised. HSC will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from unauthorised access to your account that results from your failure to keep your credentials secure.

One Account per Person

Each individual or business may operate one account. Operating multiple accounts to circumvent suspensions, fee obligations, or marketplace rules is prohibited and may result in all associated accounts being permanently banned.

Business Accounts

If you are selling as a business (rather than as a private individual), you must accurately represent this in your profile. Business sellers are subject to additional obligations under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and must honour statutory consumer rights including the right to a refund for faulty goods and the right to cancel within 14 days under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.

3. Buyer Terms

Making a Purchase

When you purchase an item on HSC, you are entering into a contract directly with the seller — not with HSC. HSC acts as the payment intermediary and marketplace facilitator but is not a party to the sale contract. You should read all listing descriptions carefully before purchasing. By completing checkout you confirm that you have reviewed the listing and agree to the stated price and terms.

Payment

Payments for Shop, Services, Digital, and Motors (invoice-based) listings are processed through Stripe, a regulated third-party payment processor. HSC does not store your card details. Payment must be made in full at the time of purchase. By submitting payment you authorise the relevant charge. Stripe’s own terms apply to payment processing.

Delivery & Fulfilment

Delivery is the responsibility of the seller. Estimated delivery times are provided by sellers and are indicative only. If your item has not arrived within the estimated timeframe plus seven (7) additional calendar days, you may raise a dispute through the HSC Resolution Centre. For digital goods, delivery is typically immediate upon payment confirmation.

Returns & Refunds

Returns are governed by the seller’s stated return policy and by applicable UK law. Business sellers must comply with the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which gives you the right to return goods that are faulty, misdescribed, or not fit for purpose. Where a business seller is involved, you also have a 14-day right of cancellation under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 for most goods purchased online. Private sellers are not legally required to accept returns unless the item is significantly not as described. HSC can mediate disputes where parties cannot reach agreement.

Buyer Responsibility

You agree not to purchase items for the purpose of reselling them in a manner that violates these Terms, not to abuse the returns system, and not to make fraudulent payment disputes. Misuse of buyer protections may result in account suspension.

4. Seller Terms

Listing Rules

All listings must comply with these Terms, our Acceptable Use Policy, and all applicable UK law. Listings must be in the correct category. You may not list items that you do not own or have authority to sell. Each listing must relate to a single item or clearly defined lot of items.

Accurate Descriptions

Listing titles, descriptions, photographs, prices, and all other information must be accurate and not misleading. Images must be of the actual item being sold (or clearly labelled as representative for digital/new goods). Misrepresentation is a breach of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and may result in immediate removal of the listing and account suspension.

Prohibited Items

You must not list any item included in the Prohibited Items list in Section 8 of these Terms or in our Acceptable Use Policy. HSC reserves the right to remove any listing at any time without notice.

Seller Obligations on Sale

Once a buyer completes payment, you are contractually bound to fulfil the order. You must dispatch physical goods promptly and provide tracking information where available. For digital goods, you must ensure the buyer can access the product immediately after payment. Failure to fulfil an order without good cause may result in a forced refund, negative feedback, and account action.

Commission & Listing Fees

HSC charges commission on completed transactions and listing fees for certain verticals. Full details are set out in Sections 5 and 6 of these Terms.

Taxes

You are solely responsible for determining and complying with your tax obligations, including VAT, income tax, and any other applicable taxes arising from your sales on HSC. HSC does not provide tax advice. Business sellers are reminded that HMRC requires platforms to collect and report seller income data under UK DAC7 regulations from January 2024.

5. Pay-to-List Verticals

The following verticals require a listing fee per 30-day period. These fees are non-refundable once the listing goes live. Listing fees cover the cost of displaying your advert on HSC and do not constitute commission on any sale or transaction.

Renewal

Listings expire after 30 days. You may renew at the same price for a further 30-day period. Renewal is not automatic unless you have opted into a subscription plan. Expired listings are taken off-market but retained in draft for 90 days, after which they are permanently deleted.

Subscription Plans

HSC offers subscription plans for frequent listers in Motors, Property, and Jobs verticals. Subscription plans provide discounted or unlimited listings at a fixed monthly fee. Subscription details, pricing, cancellation terms, and billing cycles are set out separately in the subscription plan terms presented at the time of subscription. Subscriptions renew automatically and can be cancelled at any time; cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period.

Advertising Only

Property and Jobs listings are advertising services only. HSC does not facilitate payments for property transactions or employment arrangements and is not a party to any tenancy, sale, or employment contract arising from a listing. Motors listings may optionally use HSC’s invoice-based payment service (see Section 6).

6. Commission & Fees

Transactional Commission

Where HSC processes a payment on behalf of a seller, HSC charges a commission on the transaction value (excluding Stripe processing fees) as follows:

Commission is deducted automatically from the transaction amount before funds are credited to your HSC wallet. You will receive a breakdown of all fees in your transaction history.

Stripe Processing Fees

In addition to HSC commission, Stripe’s standard processing fees apply to all transactions (typically 1.4% + 20p for European cards; 2.9% + 20p for non-European cards). These fees are deducted by Stripe before funds reach HSC and are passed on to the seller. Current Stripe fees are displayed at checkout and in your seller dashboard.

Fee Changes

HSC reserves the right to change commission rates and fees. We will provide at least 30 days’ notice of any fee increases via email and an in-platform notification. Continued use of the platform after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the new fees.

7. Wallet & Payouts

HSC Wallet

When a buyer completes a purchase, the funds (net of commission and Stripe fees) are held in your HSC wallet. Funds are held pending until the buyer confirms delivery or, where automatic confirmation applies, until the relevant holding period expires (typically 7 days after the estimated delivery date for physical goods, or 3 days for digital goods with no dispute raised).

Withdrawals

You may withdraw cleared funds from your HSC wallet to your verified bank account at any time. The minimum withdrawal amount is £1.00. Withdrawals are processed via Stripe Connect. Standard bank transfer times apply (typically 1–3 business days). Stripe’s payout fees (if applicable) are passed to the seller and deducted from the withdrawal amount.

Identity Verification

To receive payouts, you must complete identity verification as required by Stripe Connect and applicable anti-money laundering (AML) regulations. HSC reserves the right to withhold payouts pending satisfactory verification. Sellers who fail to complete verification within 30 days of being requested to do so may have their listing and selling privileges suspended.

Disputes & Holds

Where a buyer raises a dispute, the relevant funds will be placed on hold in the wallet until the dispute is resolved. If a dispute is found in favour of the buyer, the relevant funds will be refunded. If HSC is required to issue a refund to a buyer but the seller’s wallet has insufficient funds, HSC reserves the right to pursue the seller for the outstanding amount.

Dormant Wallets

Wallets that have been inactive for 24 consecutive months with a zero or positive balance will be flagged as dormant. HSC will contact you at your registered email address before taking any action. Unclaimed funds in dormant accounts may, after a further 12-month notice period, be donated to a registered UK charity.

8. Prohibited Items

The following items and categories are strictly prohibited on HSC. This list is not exhaustive — HSC reserves the right to remove any listing that we consider inappropriate, harmful, or in violation of applicable law.

Listing prohibited items may result in immediate account suspension, reporting to relevant law enforcement authorities, and civil or criminal liability. See our Acceptable Use Policy for more detail.

9. Intellectual Property

Your Content

You retain ownership of all content you upload to HSC — including listing photographs, descriptions, and any other materials (“User Content”). By uploading User Content you grant HSC a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to use, reproduce, display, distribute, and adapt that content for the purposes of operating and promoting the HSC platform. This licence ends when you delete the relevant content or close your account (subject to reasonable archival periods).

Your Warranties

By uploading User Content you confirm that you own or have the necessary rights to all content you upload, that it does not infringe the intellectual property rights of any third party, and that you have obtained all necessary consents from individuals who appear in photographs.

HSC Platform

All intellectual property rights in the HSC platform — including its software, design, branding, trademarks, and databases — are owned by Home Shopping Centre Ltd or licensed to us. Nothing in these Terms grants you any rights to our intellectual property. You may not copy, reproduce, scrape, or commercially exploit any part of the HSC platform without our prior written consent.

DMCA / Copyright Complaints

If you believe content on HSC infringes your copyright, please send a written notice to legal@homeshoppingcentre.co.uk with: (1) a description of the copyrighted work; (2) a link to the infringing content; (3) your contact details; and (4) a statement that you have a good faith belief the use is unauthorised. We will investigate and act promptly on valid complaints.

10. Privacy

Your privacy matters to us. Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. By using HSC you acknowledge that you have read our Privacy Policy and consent to the collection and use of your data as described therein. Our Cookie Policy, available at /legal/cookies, explains how we use cookies and tracking technologies.

11. Dispute Resolution

Buyer–Seller Disputes

We encourage buyers and sellers to resolve disputes directly through our in-platform messaging system. If you cannot reach agreement within 7 calendar days of the dispute being raised, either party may escalate it to HSC via the Resolution Centre.

HSC Mediation

When a dispute is escalated, HSC will review the evidence provided by both parties — including messages, order history, tracking information, and photographs. HSC will aim to issue a decision within 5 business days. HSC’s decision in mediation is final and binding for the purpose of wallet fund release. Our role is that of a neutral mediator; we are not a formal arbitration body.

Refunds

Where a dispute is found in favour of the buyer, a full or partial refund will be issued to the buyer’s original payment method or HSC wallet. Refunds typically take 5–10 business days to process depending on the buyer’s bank. Stripe processing fees are non-refundable by HSC; however, Stripe itself may refund these in certain circumstances.

Chargebacks

If a buyer initiates a chargeback through their bank without first raising a dispute with HSC, HSC may suspend the buyer’s account pending investigation. Sellers affected by a chargeback will be notified immediately. HSC will assist sellers in disputing unjustified chargebacks where evidence supports the seller.

Legal Action

Nothing in this section prevents either party from pursuing their statutory rights through the courts. For claims under £10,000, the UK Small Claims Court is an accessible option. HSC is subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

12. Limitation of Liability

Marketplace Status

HSC is a marketplace facilitator. Except in relation to its role as a payment intermediary, HSC is not a party to any transaction between buyers and sellers. HSC does not own, inspect, or guarantee the quality, legality, or accuracy of any listing. The contract for any purchase is formed between the buyer and the seller directly.

Extent of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by UK law, HSC’s total liability to you in connection with these Terms or your use of the platform shall not exceed the greater of: (a) the total fees paid by you to HSC in the 12 months preceding the event giving rise to the claim; or (b) £500. We shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive loss or damage, including loss of profits, loss of data, or business interruption.

Statutory Rights Not Affected

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for: (a) death or personal injury caused by our negligence; (b) fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; (c) any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited under UK law.

Service Availability

We aim to keep HSC available 24/7 but we do not guarantee uninterrupted access. We may suspend or restrict access to carry out maintenance or deal with technical issues. We are not liable for any losses arising from platform downtime.

13. Termination

Termination by You

You may close your account at any time through your account settings or by contacting us at legal@homeshoppingcentre.co.uk. Account closure will not affect any outstanding orders, disputes, or financial obligations. Any cleared funds in your wallet at the time of closure will be paid out to your verified bank account within 14 days.

Termination by HSC

HSC reserves the right to suspend or permanently terminate your account at any time, with or without notice, for:

• Breach of these Terms, the Acceptable Use Policy, or any other HSC policy.
• Fraudulent activity, including fake listings, shill bidding, or payment fraud.
• Repeatedly receiving negative feedback or unresolved disputes.
• Failure to fulfil orders without reasonable cause.
• Identity or verification failure.
• A requirement imposed by law, regulation, or court order.
• Behaviour that is abusive, threatening, or harmful to other users or HSC staff.

Where an account is suspended rather than terminated, we will notify you of the reason and the steps required to reinstate it, where reinstatement is possible.

Effect of Termination

On termination, all active listings will be removed, wallet funds held pending dispute resolution will be dealt with appropriately, and your personal data will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable retention obligations.

14. Governing Law

These Terms and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of England and Wales.

You and HSC irrevocably agree that the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with these Terms, except where you are entitled to bring proceedings in your jurisdiction of residence under applicable consumer protection law.

15. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time to reflect changes to the law, our business practices, or platform features. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page.
• Send an email notification to your registered email address.
• Display an in-platform banner at your next login for a period of at least 14 days.

Your continued use of HSC after the effective date of the updated Terms constitutes acceptance. If you do not accept the revised Terms, you must stop using HSC and may close your account. For fee changes, the notice period is at least 30 days (see Section 6).

16. Contact

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us: