Effective date: 13 October 2026.
1. About These Terms
These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Serche website, applications and related services (the "Platform"), operated by Serche Technologies Limited, a company incorporated in Nigeria on 9 December 2022 (RC No. 2008527), with its registered office at 6 Furo Ezimora ("Serche", "we", "us", "our").
These Terms are adopted by Serche effective 13 October 2026. A complete Privacy Policy has not yet been supplied for publication. Independent legal review remains outstanding, including the acceptance process and Privacy Policy; adoption does not establish legal compliance.
2. What Serche Is
Serche is an online marketplace where individuals and businesses ("Sellers") list pre-owned (second-hand) items for sale to other users ("Buyers"). Unless we expressly state otherwise, Serche is not the seller of items listed on the Platform. The sale contract is between the Buyer and the Seller. Serche provides the technology and tools that let them find each other, communicate and transact.
Separately, Cash & Pawn lets users request a direct sale to Serche or a loan secured by a valuable item. An AI estimate is not a guaranteed offer. Items must be dropped off at a Serche hub for staff inspection and confirmation. Pawn requests support terms of 1–12 months; repayment is required to collect the item, and on default Serche keeps and may sell it. Recording a repayment in the app does not transfer money. Legal review required: lending permissions, interest and charges, collateral custody, default notices, recovery rights and separate signed loan/direct-sale agreements. Current displayed rates and hubs are provisional, not approved contractual terms.
3. Eligibility and Accounts
- You must be at least 18 years old and legally able to enter into a binding contract under Nigerian law.
- You must provide accurate, current information and keep it updated.
- You are responsible for all activity under your account and for keeping your login details secure. Notify us immediately of any unauthorised use.
- One person or business may hold one account unless we agree otherwise.
- An account is required to buy, list an item or request Cash & Pawn.
- Legal review required: identity or business verification requirements and lawful collection of any identity information. Government-ID and BVN/NIN verification are not currently implemented; these Terms do not imply that users are verified.
4. Listing Items (Sellers)
4.1 Accurate descriptions. You must describe each item honestly and completely, including its condition, defects, age, included accessories and any repairs. Photos must be of the actual item.
4.2 Ownership. You must own the item or have the legal right to sell it. You must not list stolen, counterfeit, cloned or unlawfully obtained goods.
4.3 Prohibited items. You must not list:
- Illegal items or items whose sale is restricted under Nigerian law (including narcotics, firearms, ammunition and explosives)
- Counterfeit, replica or pirated goods
- Stolen goods, or phones and devices reported lost, stolen or blacklisted
- Items that infringe intellectual property rights
- Prescription medicines, expired food or cosmetics, and used undergarments or personal-hygiene items
- Hazardous materials, human remains, or protected wildlife products
- Adult content, or anything else we reasonably decide is unsafe or inappropriate
4.4 Pricing. You set your own prices in Nigerian Naira (NGN). Prices must be genuine, with no bait pricing or misleading discounts.
4.5 Our rights. We may review, edit, hide or remove any listing that breaches these Terms or the law, without prior notice.
5. Buying on Serche
- Review the listing, photos, condition and seller ratings carefully before you buy. Because items are pre-owned, they may show signs of wear that the Seller has described.
- The app saves an order before payment and marks it paid only after payment is verified with Paystack. Legal review required: define when a binding sale contract arises, including accepted offers and unpaid reservations.
- Where you arrange an in-person meeting, inspect the item before paying, meet in a public and safe place, and never share one-time passwords or card PINs with anyone.
6. Payments, Fees and Payouts
6.1 Payment methods. Payments are processed by third-party payment providers Paystack. We do not store your full card details.
6.2 Fees. Standard seller listings are free. For eligible protected checkout, the Buyer pays a buyer protection fee of 3% of the item price, capped at ₦3,000. For an accepted offer, the agreed item price is used. The fee is calculated by the server in whole kobo, rounded to the nearest kobo, and charged once as part of the saved order total. The item price, protection fee and total are shown before payment. The Seller receives the full item price; the buyer protection fee is not deducted from their proceeds. Approved full order refunds include the entire protection fee. Promoted listings are disabled; professional subscriptions and delivery margin are future phases and are not charged. Legal review required: VAT treatment, fee disclosure and the scope of buyer protection; these Terms do not assert a tax treatment or guarantee every claim will be approved.
6.3 Holding of funds. For protected checkout, verified payment is held until delivery-code confirmation. The Buyer should inspect the received item before giving the Seller the six-digit delivery code. When the Seller enters the valid code, the item price is credited once to the Seller's Serche wallet. There is no automatic release after 24 hours. Escrow-held money, seller proceeds and wallet balances are not Serche revenue; the protection fee is recorded as Serche revenue only on release. Legal review required: payment custody, escrow terminology and regulatory obligations.
6.4 Payouts. Bank withdrawals are requests processed manually by staff, not instant or automatic payouts. A pending request reserves its amount from the available wallet balance. Sellers must provide accurate bank details. Legal review required: bank-account ownership checks, payout timing, limits and grounds for delaying or withholding payment; no payout deadline is guaranteed by these Terms.
6.5 Off-platform transactions. Taking a transaction outside the Platform to avoid fees, or paying a Seller outside the Platform, is a breach of these Terms and means you lose any protection we offer.
6.6 Taxes. Each user is responsible for their own tax obligations arising from transactions on the Platform.
7. Delivery, Returns and Refunds
7.1 Delivery. Sellers and Buyers agree delivery or collection arrangements directly. Serche does not currently provide an integrated delivery-booking service. Cash & Pawn and direct-sale requests require hub drop-off; no pickup is offered for those requests.
7.2 Item not as described. If an item is materially different from its listing, the Buyer can request a refund from the order page while payment remains held, before sharing the delivery code. Use messaging and contact Serche with relevant evidence. Legal review required: claims after release, evidence requirements and statutory rights. No automatic 24-hour claims cutoff or partial-refund feature is implemented.
7.3 Change of mind. Legal review required: a returns and change-of-mind policy consistent with applicable consumer law. These Terms do not create a self-service return or guarantee refund eligibility.
7.4 Non-delivery. If the item has not arrived as agreed, do not share your delivery code. Contact the Seller through messaging and request a refund while payment is held. Legal review required: escalation procedures and response deadlines; no seven-day automated dispute timer is implemented.
7.5 Refund processing. When the Seller approves an eligible full order refund, the item payment and full buyer protection fee are sent for refund through Paystack to the original payment method. The order remains refund pending until Paystack confirms completion. Failed refunds remain failed and may be retried; they are not treated as completed and do not credit a Serche wallet. Timing depends on Paystack and the original payment method; no fixed seven-day refund completion is guaranteed. Legal review required: service timelines and handling of exceptions, reversals and claims after release.
Nothing in this section limits any rights you have under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 or other applicable consumer protection law.
8. Disputes Between Users
Buyers and Sellers should first try to resolve issues through messaging. Buyers can request a refund while funds are held; a Seller can approve or decline it. A declined request leaves funds held for review. Contact Serche for assistance. Legal review required: staffing, escalation, evidence, appeals and decision deadlines. A separate staff dispute-resolution screen is not yet available, and these Terms do not promise a seven-day decision. Nothing here prevents users from pursuing their legal rights.
9. Acceptable Use
You must not:
- Use the Platform for fraud, money laundering, scams or any unlawful purpose
- Impersonate another person or misrepresent your affiliation
- Post false, defamatory, abusive, threatening, discriminatory or obscene content
- Harass, stalk or exploit other users
- Manipulate ratings or reviews, including fake or paid reviews
- Scrape, crawl, reverse engineer or interfere with the Platform, or introduce malware
- Circumvent security, verification or fee mechanisms
- Create multiple accounts to evade suspension or restrictions
10. User Content and Licence
You own the content you post (photos, descriptions, reviews, messages). By posting it, you grant Serche a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, display, reproduce, adapt and promote that content for operating and marketing the Platform. You confirm that you have the rights to give this licence and that your content does not infringe anyone else's rights.
11. Intellectual Property
The Platform, including its name, logo, design, software and content created by us, belongs to Serche or its licensors and is protected by law. You may not copy, modify or exploit it without our written permission. If you believe content on the Platform infringes your rights, contact us at serchetechnologieslimited@gmail.com with details and we will review it promptly.
12. Privacy and Data Protection
The Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 applies where relevant. A complete Privacy Policy has not yet been supplied for publication. Legal review required: lawful bases, data categories, service providers, retention, international transfers and procedures for access, correction, objection and deletion. Contact Serche with a privacy request; these Terms is not a substitute for the missing Privacy Policy.
13. Safety Notice
Serche does not inspect every marketplace listing, verify every user, or guarantee the identity, honesty or conduct of Buyers and Sellers. Cash & Pawn and direct-sale offers separately require staff inspection. Use good judgement: meet in public places, bring someone with you where possible, inspect items before confirming receipt, and report suspicious activity to Serche and appropriate authorities.
14. Suspension and Termination
We may suspend, restrict or close your account, remove content, or withhold payouts if permitted by applicable law and approved policy. Contact Serche to request account closure; there is no self-service account-deletion setting currently available. Legal review required: notice, appeal, deletion procedures and treatment of open orders, disputes and retained records. Sections that by their nature should survive termination remain subject to legal review.
15. Disclaimers
To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Platform is provided "as is" and "as available". We do not warrant that the Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free or secure, or that listings are accurate, lawful or of satisfactory quality, as these are the responsibility of Sellers.
16. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Serche is not liable for:
- Losses arising from transactions or disputes between users
- Indirect, incidental or consequential losses, or loss of profit, data or goodwill
- Acts or omissions of Sellers, Buyers, logistics partners or payment providers
Our total liability to you for any claim relating to the Platform is limited to the greater of (a) the fees you paid to Serche in the 12 months before the claim and (b) NGN 100,000. Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot be excluded under Nigerian law, including liability for fraud or for death or personal injury caused by our negligence.
17. Indemnity
You agree to indemnify Serche against claims, losses and reasonable costs (including legal fees) arising from your breach of these Terms, your content, or your violation of any law or third-party right.
18. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by email, in-app notice or on the Platform, and the updated Terms take effect from the date stated. Continued use after that date means you accept the changes.
19. Governing Law and Disputes
These Terms are governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We encourage you to contact us first to resolve any complaint. If it is not resolved within 30 days, the parties will attempt mediation, and failing that, the courts of Lagos State have jurisdiction.
20. General
- Entire agreement: These Terms and the documents they refer to are the whole agreement between you and Serche about the Platform.
- Severability: If any provision is unenforceable, the rest stays in force.
- No waiver: Our failure to enforce a right is not a waiver of it.
- Assignment: You may not transfer your rights under these Terms. We may assign ours to a successor to our business.
- Force majeure: We are not liable for delays or failures caused by events beyond our reasonable control.
21. Contact Us
Serche Technologies Limited (RC No. 2008527) Address: 6 Furo Ezimora Email: serchetechnologieslimited@gmail.com Phone: 09136764678
Independent legal review remains outstanding. These Terms are not legal advice or a certification of regulatory compliance.
Outstanding legal review: particularly eligibility, prohibited goods, moderation powers, off-platform restrictions, taxes, content licensing, disclaimers, the NGN 100,000 liability floor, indemnity, suspension rights, mediation deadlines and Lagos jurisdiction. Making these Terms effective does not establish legal compliance or create unavailable services.