Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of These Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Close Friends app, website, and related services (together, the "Platform"), operated by [Close Friends LLC Legal Name], a limited liability company in the process of being incorporated in the United Arab Emirates ("Close Friends," "we," "us," or "our") [insert LLC legal name, trade license number and registered address once incorporation is complete]. By creating an account or using the Platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms, our Privacy Policy, our Refund Policy, and our Shipping Policy, which are incorporated by reference. Headings in these Terms are included for convenience only and do not affect their interpretation.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old and legally capable of entering into a binding contract to use Close Friends. By using the Platform, you confirm that the information you provide, including your identity verification documents, is accurate and that you meet these requirements.

3. What Close Friends Is

Close Friends is a peer-to-peer marketplace that connects members who want to rent out, lend, sell, or buy fashion items ("Members"). We refer to the Member sending an item as "Party A" (Lender or Seller) and the Member receiving it as "Party B" (Renter or Buyer).

Close Friends facilitates listings, bookings, payments, courier logistics and customer support, but we are not the owner of any item listed on the Platform, and we are not a party to the rental or sale agreement formed between Members. We review listings for brand eligibility, our quality standards and, where required, authenticity, but we do not physically inspect every item before dispatch. Each Member is responsible for the accuracy of their own listings and for honouring their commitments to other Members.

4. Your Account

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. Notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorized use of your account. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, as described in Section 18.

5. Service Changes & Accuracy of Information

We may refuse service to anyone, and may modify, suspend or discontinue any part of the Platform at any time. Product and item information, including photos, is supplied by Members and is not independently verified by Close Friends beyond our listing review process; we make reasonable efforts to display items accurately, but cannot guarantee that colours and details will appear exactly as they do in person, including due to differences between device screens. If a listing or order contains a pricing or descriptive error, we may correct it, or cancel and refund the affected order, even after it has been placed.

6. Listing Items (Lenders & Sellers)

When you list an item, you confirm that:

• you own the item, or are otherwise authorized to rent or sell it, and it is genuine and not counterfeit;
• the listing accurately describes the item's brand, condition, size and any imperfections, as of the time of dispatch — not only at the time you first listed it;
• the item meets our quality standards — in excellent condition, from an approved brand other than Shein or Temu, and not damaged or otherwise excluded under our listing guidelines; and
• where required, you have provided or arranged for authentication of luxury items, as described in our in-app guidance.

We review listings before they go live and may decline or remove any listing, or update our listing guidelines, at our reasonable discretion and without prior notice. If anything about your item's condition changes before dispatch, you must update us as soon as possible. You are required to upload photos showing your item's condition before it is collected by our courier, as described in the app; this evidence is required for you to be eligible for Close Friends Protect or any damage-related resolution. If we contact you about a condition or dispute query, we ask that you respond within 24 hours — if we don't hear from you, we may make a decision based on the information available to us.

7. Renting & Buying (Renters & Buyers)

When you rent or buy an item, you agree to:

• pay the listed price, applicable delivery fee, and any optional add-ons (such as Damage Protection) at checkout;
• care for a rented item as you would your own, and return it, ready for collection, in the condition you received it, by the agreed return date;
• follow the fit-return and reporting processes described in our Refund Policy if there is an issue with your order; and
• not use a rented item for any purpose other than personal wear during the rental period.

By creating an account, you authorize Close Friends to carry out identity verification as described in our Privacy Policy. You also authorize Close Friends to charge your registered payment method for amounts properly owed under these Terms — for example, where an item is returned late, or is lost or damaged beyond repair while in your care, as described in Section 12. You are responsible for providing an accurate delivery address; delivery and return timeframes shown in the app are estimates rather than guarantees, and our Refund Policy explains your options if a delivery is delayed.

8. Fees, Pricing & Payments

Lenders and Sellers set their own prices, guided by Close Friends' suggested pricing. Close Friends charges a 15% commission on the value of each completed rental or sale, deducted from the Lender's or Seller's payout, which covers logistics, payment processing, authentication coordination, and customer support. Payments are processed securely through our payment partner, Stripe. We accept the payment methods listed in the app; we do not accept cash on delivery or cryptocurrency.

Payouts to Lenders and Sellers are issued within 5 business days of a rental ending or a sale being delivered, to the bank details provided in your account.

9. Cancellations, Refunds & Returns

Cancellations, fit returns, and refunds are governed by our Refund Policy, which forms part of these Terms.

10. Prohibited Items & Conduct

You may not list, request, or facilitate the rental or sale of: counterfeit or unauthenticated luxury items, unbranded items, items from Shein or Temu, jewellery, gym wear, loungewear, underwear, shapewear, swimwear, damaged or excessively worn items, or any item that violates a third party's intellectual property rights.

You also agree not to use the Platform:

• for any unlawful purpose, or to solicit others to perform an unlawful act;
• to harass, threaten, defame or discriminate against another Member on the basis of gender, nationality, religion, ethnicity, age, disability or any other protected characteristic;
• to submit false or misleading information about yourself or an item;
• to upload viruses, malware, or any code intended to disrupt the Platform;
• to scrape, crawl, or extract data from the Platform without our written permission; or
• to interfere with or attempt to circumvent the security of the Platform.

You also agree not to publish false or defamatory statements about Close Friends or other Members on any public platform; we reserve the right to act on such content in line with UAE law, including Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 on Combating Rumours and Cybercrimes. We may remove content, cancel transactions, or suspend accounts that violate this Section.

11. Authentication

Luxury items require proof of authenticity before they can be listed, either provided by the Lender or Seller, or arranged through our authentication partner, Real Authentication. Knowingly listing a counterfeit item is a serious violation of these Terms and may result in immediate account termination and referral to the relevant authorities, as counterfeiting is illegal under UAE law.

12. Damage, Loss & Close Friends Protect

Lending or selling on Close Friends is undertaken at the Member's own risk. Close Friends Protect and our condition-documentation process are designed to support a fair outcome, but Close Friends is not an insurer of listed items and does not guarantee reimbursement for every loss. We work with our courier and cleaning partners to investigate damage that occurs in transit or during professional cleaning, but we are not automatically liable for it. Minor wear and tear — such as light creasing, faint marks, or loose threads consistent with normal use — is not treated as damage.

Where Close Friends determines, based on the available evidence, that an item was lost or damaged beyond repair while in a Renter's or Buyer's care, we may charge that Member's payment method up to the item's estimated current market value, and pass the proceeds to the affected Lender or Seller, net of our commission. Renters may purchase optional Damage Protection at checkout to cover minor, accidental damage to a rented item, as described in the app.

13. Content You Submit

You retain ownership of the photos, descriptions and other content you upload to the Platform. By uploading content, you grant Close Friends a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, display, and use that content to operate and promote the Platform, including in marketing materials, for as long as your listing or account remains active, or as otherwise agreed for brand and creator collaborations. If you send us feedback, ideas or suggestions about the Platform, you agree that we may use them without any obligation to compensate you or keep them confidential.

14. Reviews & Community Conduct

Members may rate and review each other after a completed transaction. Reviews must be honest and based on a genuine transaction. We may remove reviews that are fraudulent, abusive, or otherwise violate these Terms.

15. Third-Party Tools & Links

The Platform may include links to, or integrations with, third-party tools, payment providers or websites that we do not control. Your use of any third-party tool or website is at your own risk and subject to that third party's own terms; Close Friends is not responsible for third-party content, products or services.

16. Disclaimers & Limitation of Liability

The Platform is provided "as is" and "as available." We do not guarantee that the Platform will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free. While we take reasonable steps to verify listings and support safe transactions, Close Friends does not guarantee the condition, authenticity (beyond our stated authentication process), or availability of any item, and we are not responsible for the acts or omissions of Members.

To the maximum extent permitted by UAE law, Close Friends will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages, including lost profits or lost data, arising from your use of the Platform. Close Friends' total liability arising out of your use of the Platform is otherwise limited to the amount of fees you paid to Close Friends in the 3 months preceding the claim. Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.

17. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold Close Friends harmless from any claims, losses or expenses, including reasonable legal fees, arising from your breach of these Terms, your listings, or your use of the Platform, except to the extent caused by our own negligence or wilful misconduct.

18. Suspension & Termination

We may suspend or terminate your account at our reasonable discretion if you violate these Terms, engage in fraudulent or unsafe behaviour, or where required by law. You may close your account at any time by contacting us, subject to completing any rentals, sales, or payouts already in progress. Obligations and liabilities that arose before termination — including any amounts owed — will survive the end of your account.

19. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes through the app or by email. Continued use of the Platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

20. Governing Law & Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the United Arab Emirates. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Dubai, without prejudice to any mandatory consumer protections available to you under UAE law. [Confirm with your lawyer once incorporation is finalized.]

21. Miscellaneous

If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force, and the unenforceable provision will be treated as severed. Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms is not a waiver of that right. Any ambiguity in these Terms will not be interpreted against whichever party drafted it. These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, Refund Policy and Shipping Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Close Friends regarding the Platform, and supersede any prior agreements or understandings on the same subject.

22. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, contact us through the Help section of the app or at Fabiolaandreinaf@gmail.com (we recommend moving to a dedicated business email, e.g. hello@closefriends.ae, before launch).

23. A Note on Our Legal Structure

Close Friends is currently in the process of incorporating as a limited liability company in the United Arab Emirates. Once incorporation is complete, please insert the final legal entity name, trade license number, registered address and licensed activity in Section 1 above, confirm the governing law/dispute forum in Section 20, and have this document given a final review by your lawyer before publishing.