Terms & Conditions
BookHeart Beta Terms & Conditions (v1.0 – November 2025)
Effective Date: November 5, 2025
Entity: BookHeart, LLC (a North Carolina limited liability company)
1. Introduction
Welcome to BookHeart, a marketplace for romantasy and collectible books.
These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the BookHeart website, mobile interfaces, and related services (collectively, the "Platform").
By using BookHeart — including during the beta phase — you agree to these Terms.
If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the Platform.
2. Beta Notice
BookHeart is currently in beta testing, meaning features may change, experience interruptions, or contain errors.
You understand that:
- The Platform may experience downtime, bugs, or incomplete features.
- Your data (e.g., messages, listings, preferences) may be lost or reset during testing.
- BookHeart may modify or terminate access at any time during the beta phase.
- BookHeart provides no warranties regarding performance, uptime, or feature completeness during beta.
3. Marketplace Role
BookHeart provides a neutral venue where users can list, buy, and sell books.
BookHeart does not:
- Own or take title to listed books;
- Verify book authenticity or condition;
- Guarantee the conduct of buyers or sellers.
BookHeart facilitates payments through Stripe Connect. Stripe securely handles all payment processing.
Funds are held in escrow by Stripe until transaction milestones are reached.
BookHeart does not hold or control buyer or seller funds at any time.
4. Eligibility
You must:
- Be at least 18 years old,
- Have legal capacity to enter a binding contract, and
- Reside in the United States.
Minors under 18 are not permitted to use BookHeart.
5. Account and Guest Checkout
You may use BookHeart through:
- A registered user account, or
- A temporary guest checkout account.
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and all activities that occur under your account or guest session.
6. Seller Responsibilities
Sellers agree to:
- Accurately describe the condition, edition, and authenticity of each listed book;
- Upload clear photos per BookHeart's listing requirements;
- Ship sold items promptly and provide tracking information;
- Comply with all applicable shipping, tax, and commerce laws.
Sellers are solely responsible for their listings and transactions.
BookHeart reserves the right to suspend or remove listings or accounts for policy violations.
7. Buyer Responsibilities
Buyers agree to:
- Review item descriptions and photos carefully before purchase;
- Pay for items in a timely manner via Stripe;
- Provide accurate shipping information;
- Communicate directly with sellers to resolve order issues when possible.
8. Payment Processing
Payments are securely processed by Stripe, Inc.
By using BookHeart, you agree to Stripe's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
BookHeart's platform fee (currently 10%) is deducted from each completed transaction.
Stripe may require identity verification from sellers before enabling payouts.
All payment data is handled by Stripe and not stored by BookHeart.
9. Escrow & Transaction Milestones
BookHeart uses a milestone-based transaction model:
- Buyer payment is authorized via Stripe.
- Seller ships the book and provides tracking.
- Funds are held until delivery is confirmed.
- Buyer has 72 hours after delivery to approve or dispute.
- If no dispute occurs, funds are automatically released to the seller.
10. Disputes Between Users
BookHeart encourages buyers and sellers to resolve disputes directly.
If they cannot, BookHeart may — at its discretion — review the case and determine a resolution.
BookHeart's decision is final for platform purposes but does not restrict your legal rights under law.
All chargebacks and payment disputes are subject to Stripe's resolution process.
11. Prohibited Activities
You may not:
- List prohibited or counterfeit items;
- Misrepresent an item's condition;
- Circumvent BookHeart's payment system;
- Harass, defraud, or abuse other users;
- Interfere with or damage the Platform.
Violation may result in account suspension or removal.
12. Intellectual Property
BookHeart's trademarks, logos, and software are owned by BookHeart, LLC.
You retain ownership of your own listings, photos, and content, but grant BookHeart a non-exclusive, worldwide license to display, reproduce, and distribute them within the Platform for promotional or functional purposes.
13. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law:
- BookHeart is not liable for user content, user conduct, or any transaction between users.
- BookHeart is not liable for lost data, downtime, or interruptions during beta testing.
- BookHeart's total liability shall not exceed the greater of (a) $100 or (b) the total fees you paid to BookHeart in the 12 months before the claim.
Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so portions may not apply.
14. Disclaimer of Warranties
BookHeart is provided "as is" and "as available."
We make no warranties, express or implied, including any warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.
15. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless BookHeart LLC, its affiliates, and employees from any claims, damages, or expenses arising out of your use of the Platform, your listings, or your interactions with other users.
16. Arbitration & Class Action Waiver
You agree that any dispute arising from or relating to these Terms or your use of BookHeart shall be resolved by binding arbitration conducted under the rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.
You and BookHeart agree to waive any right to participate in a class action or class-wide arbitration.
17. Governing Law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina, without regard to its conflict-of-law principles.
18. Termination
BookHeart may suspend or terminate your account at any time for violations of these Terms or other conduct harmful to the Platform or its users.
19. Modifications
BookHeart may modify these Terms at any time.
Continued use after updates constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
The "Effective Date" above reflects the most recent version.