Hopayola

Hopayola Platform Terms and Conditions

Artisans & Service Providers

1. Scope & Acceptance

These Terms govern all registered artisans, tailors, embellishers, pattern makers, and independent designers ("Artisans") operating on Hopayola. By accepting commissions, listing services, or receiving payouts via the platform, you agree to comply with these operational, legal, and financial standards.

2. Quality Standards, Performance Ratings & Account Suspension

  • Rating Benchmark: Artisans must maintain an average customer rating of at least 3.8 out of 5 stars across rolling 30-day windows.
  • Low-Rating Triggers: Receiving multiple sub-3-star reviews for sizing discrepancies, unfinished seams, late delivery, or unapproved material substitutions initiates an internal quality audit.
  • Suspension & Offboarding:
    • First Infraction / Tier 1: Temporary suspension of new incoming job requests for 14 days, with mandatory review of platform tailoring standards.
    • Repeated Infractions / Tier 2: Permanent deactivation of the artisan profile, forfeiture of platform verification badges, and cancellation of active bids.

3. Financial Structure, Platform Fees & Maintenance Deductions

  • Commission & Maintenance Fee: Hopayola applies a standard service and infrastructure maintenance deduction from the gross value of each completed commission. This fee covers payment processing, platform hosting, AI render pipelines, marketing, customer support, and dispute arbitration.
  • Milestone Payout Escrow: All client funds are held securely via Paystack split-payment escrow. Payouts release strictly upon verified completion of agreed production milestones (Intake/Cutting, Assembly, Final Quality Check/Fitting).
  • Chargebacks & Rework Deductions: If a garment fails verified quality checks due to artisan error or negligence, remediation costs (alteration fees, courier return fees, or client refunds) will be deducted directly from the artisan's pending payout ledger.

4. Platform Exclusivity & Anti-Circumvention (Off-Platform Contact)

  • In-App Communication Requirement: All client communications, fitting updates, style alterations, deadline extensions, and progress photos must be logged directly within the Hopayola project dashboard.
  • Prohibited Off-Platform Transactions:Soliciting clients to pay via private bank transfers, cash, or alternative channels outside of Hopayola's Paystack checkout is strictly prohibited.
  • External Contact Disclosure: If an artisan communicates with a client via phone, WhatsApp, or in-person fitting, the artisan must log a written summary of any agreed changes or status updates onto the Hopayola dashboard within 12 hours.
  • Penalties for Circumvention: Bypassing platform payment or communication channels results in immediate account termination, withholding of pending platform payouts, and potential legal recovery of lost commission fees.

5. Client Data Privacy & Non-Disclosure

  • Confidential Information: Client body measurements, home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and personal reference images are strictly confidential.
  • Prohibition on Public Sharing: Artisans may not post client photos, measurements, personal identities, or raw fitting footage on personal social media (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, etc.) or portfolio sites without prior written consent logged on the platform.
  • Data Misuse Penalties: Unlawfully sharing, selling, or leaking client data triggers immediate platform expulsion, reporting to relevant data privacy authorities, and liability for civil damages.

6. Fabric Care, Custody & Loss Liability

  • Custody Responsibility: The artisan assumes full financial responsibility for customer fabric from the moment physical intake is confirmed (via drop-off hub or verified courier) until final garment handoff.
  • Fabric Damage or Ruin: If fabric is burned, stained, cut contrary to approved specifications, or misplaced while in the artisan's possession, the artisan must reimburse the client for the full verified retail value of the yardage. The equivalent amount will be debited from the artisan's platform balance.

7. Turnaround Timelines & Delivery Penalties

  • Agreed Timelines: Production deadlines agreed upon during project intake and bidding are legally binding.
  • Delay Notification: Unavoidable delays (e.g., machinery breakdown, power outage) must be reported via the project dashboard at least 48 hours before the milestone deadline.
  • Unexcused Delays: Unreported delivery delays incur an automatic platform late-fee deduction of 5% per day past deadline, credited back to the affected client.

8. Intellectual Property & Showcase Rights

  • Hopayola Content: All proprietary digital sketches, AI-generated design concepts, print patterns, and croquis downloaded from or generated by Hopayola remain the intellectual property of Hopayola or its licensors. Artisans receive a limited production license solely to construct the specific commissioned garment.
  • Portfolio Showcase Rights: Hopayola reserves the right to display high-quality photographs of completed client garments on the public platform showcase, Style Arcade, and marketing campaigns, with appropriate artisan craftsmanship attribution.

9. Dispute Resolution & Platform Arbitration

In the event of a dispute regarding fit, construction quality, or delivery status, both the client and artisan agree to submit to Hopayola's Internal Quality Arbitration. Hopayola's physical inspection team reserves the right to evaluate the garment against the approved project brief, measurement profile, and uploaded fabric photos. The arbitration team's decision regarding payout release or refund issuance is final and binding.