Effective Date: 05 March 2026 | Version 1.1
This Acceptable Use Policy ("Policy") outlines the standards of conduct required for all Vendors, Customers, Delivery Partners, and other Platform Users ("Users"). It applies to all interactions and transactions conducted through the StoreNova platform.
StoreNova acts as the Merchant of Record (MoR) for all transactions. StoreNova also acts as a Disclosed Agent facilitating the Contract of Sale between the Vendor (as Principal) and the Customer. The Contract of Sale for Goods is formed directly between the Vendor and the Customer. Stripe Connect facilitates secure payment collection and Vendor payouts, but StoreNova controls all refund decisions, payout holds, dispute outcomes and fraud reviews.
Vendors operate as independent businesses, and couriers are independent third- party service providers. Nothing in this Policy creates an employment, partnership, agency or joint- venture relationship between StoreNova and any User.
By accessing StoreNova, you agree to comply with this Policy. Nothing in this Policy limits or replaces a customer's statutory rights under UK consumer law, including the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
Users are strictly prohibited from listing, selling, advertising or distributing the following items or engaging in the following activities on StoreNova:
i. Adult Oriented Products and Services - This includes pornography, sexually explicit materials (in all media types), or any sexually-related services.
ii. Alcohol and Intoxicating Liquor - The sale of alcohol or home-made alcoholic beverages is prohibited unless the vendor is properly licensed under the Licensing Act 2003 and has received prior written approval from StoreNova.
iii. Breach of UK Food Safety Laws - Includes any activity violating the Food Safety Act 1990 or General Food Regulations 2004. This includes but is not limited to: Selling food that is "injurious to health" or "unfit for human consumption." Failure to maintain cold-chain integrity during storage or transit. Selling items past their "Use By" date.
iv. Cash or Cash Equivalent Instruments - Includes the use of StoreNova to facilitate money orders, traveler's checks, or stored value products (e.g., gift cards).
v. Cigarette Substitutes and Tobacco - All tobacco-based products, electronic cigarettes, and nicotine-based products are prohibited.
vi. Circumvention of Payment Systems - Includes any attempt to bypass StoreNova's checkout to avoid service fees or to solicit payments outside the platform. Transactions conducted "off-platform" are not protected by our escrow system or the Payment Services Regulations 2017.
vii. Drip Pricing and Deceptive Marketing - In accordance with the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act 2024, vendors must display the total price including mandatory taxes/fees upfront. Any hidden fees added late in the checkout journey are prohibited.
viii. Drugs and Paraphernalia - Includes illegal drugs, CBD products, and unapproved nutritional supplements.
ix. Financial Intermediaries and Money Service Businesses - StoreNova may not be used for debt financing, currency exchange, or unlicensed escrow services.
x. Firearms and Weapons - Includes ammunition and knives. Professional kitchen cutlery is permitted only with strict age-verification compliance under the Criminal Justice Act 1988.
xi. Illegal, Inappropriate, or Offensive Items - Includes stolen goods and materials that infringe on intellectual property as provided for in the Trade Marks Act 1994. All electronic items (e.g., kitchen scales) must be UKCA/CE marked.
xii. Misleading Information and Allergen Disclosure - In accordance with the Food Information Regulations 2014, all vendors must clearly and accurately list ingredients and the 14 regulated allergens in bold within the digital listing.
xiii. Miracle Cure Products - Includes any foodstuff or item marketed with "guaranteed" medical results or health claims not approved by the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The following items and activities require prior written approval and the submission of additional documentation (including but not limited to licenses, health certificates, or proof of origin) before they can be listed on the StoreNova platform:
Donations and Charitable Solicitations: Any listing where a portion of the proceeds is intended for a charity or non- profit organisation.
High-Risk Perishables: Items that require strict cold- chain management to prevent immediate bacterial growth, including: Unpasteurised/Raw Dairy: Fresh milk or cheese. Specific Organ Meats: Offal or variety of meats that have shorter safety windows. Fresh Bushmeat: Any meat from non- domesticated animals, which must comply with strict UK CITES and import health regulations.
Imported Goods from Sanctioned Regions: Any product originating from, or containing ingredients from, countries currently under UK/International trade sanctions (e.g., North Korea, Iran, or specific restricted regions).
Dried or Smoked Fish and Meats: Large- scale imports of dried fish (e.g. Stockfish) or smoked meats that require specific "Phytosanitary Certificates" or Health Certificates for commercial resale in the UK.
Bulk Grains and Tubers: Wholesale quantities of staples (e.g. Yam, Cassava, Rice) that require proof of pest- free certification to prevent the introduction of invasive species.
Home-Made Preserves and Spices: Any "small-batch" processed items (e.g., bottled oils, spice blends, or sauces) that are packaged at home rather than in a certified commercial facility.
As a marketplace for raw food, our vendors must maintain the highest health standards:
Vendors must comply with all UK food hygiene and safety regulations as well as local food safety regulations, including proper handling, storage, and packaging. Vendors must not ship perished or decaying items. All items must be accurately labelled and include accurate descriptions of ingredients, weight, and known allergens.
To maintain a trustworthy marketplace, Users must not:
Misrepresent Goods: Use stock photos that do not accurately represent the quality or quantity of the raw food being sold.
Deceptive Pricing: The price displayed at the start of the transaction must be the total price. Users are prohibited from drip pricing and all unavoidable costs must be disclosed upfront.
Unit Pricing: For food sold by weight (e.g., meat, tubers, grains), Vendors must provide clear unit pricing (e.g., €/kg) to allow customers to compare value, in accordance with the Price Marking Order.
Substitution: Vendors must not provide substitute goods for any order without the express digital consent of the customer via the StoreNova platform. Any unapproved substitution is a breach of this policy and may justify a full refund and withholding of funds.
Authenticity of Reviews: StoreNova has a zero- tolerance policy for "Fake Reviews." Users must not submit, commission, or incentivise any review that is not based on a genuine consumer experience, offer discounts or refunds in exchange for the removal of a negative review and/or post reviews for their own business or a competitor's business. StoreNova will take reasonable and proportionate steps to detect and remove fake reviews. Accounts found to be manipulating the rating system will face immediate permanent termination and may be reported to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
StoreNova does not tolerate harassment, discrimination, and violence to vendors, customers, delivery partners and other platform users. To ensure a safe environment for our vendors, customers, and partners, Users must comply with the following:
Abuse or Harassment: Users must not engage in conduct that violates an individual's dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment. This includes the use of threatening, defamatory, or discriminatory language based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability, as protected under the Equality Act 2010.
Interactions with Delivery Partners: External delivery personnel are essential to the StoreNova platform. Physical or verbal abuse, intimidation, or any form of mistreatment during the delivery hand- off is strictly prohibited. Any reported incident of physical assault or severe verbal abuse will result in an immediate and permanent ban from the platform without warning.
Malicious Communications: In accordance with the Malicious Communications Act 1988, sending messages via the StoreNova platform with the intent to cause distress or anxiety is a criminal offence and will be reported to the police.
Sexual Harassment: StoreNova complies with the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023. We take proactive, all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment within our marketplace. Any User found engaging in unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, whether digital or physical, will be removed and may face an uplift in legal damages if pursued in court.
Any verbal or physical abuse directed at customers, staff, or external delivery partners is a breach of this policy.
6.1 The integrity of StoreNova relies on our secure marketplace payment model. StoreNova acts as the Merchant on Record for all transactions, using Stripe Connect. Customer funds are held centrally and remain in "Pending Payout" status until delivery Sign- off is completed and the Inspection Window (6 hours for Patent Defects and 24 hours for Latent Defects) has expired, as defined in the Dispute and Refund Policy and Vendor Terms.
6.2 To protect the security of transactions and ensure all users benefit from our dispute resolution services, the following activities are strictly prohibited:
Sharing personal contact details (phone numbers, email addresses, or social media handles) with the intent to complete a transaction outside the platform. Soliciting or accepting direct bank transfers, "cash- on- delivery" (unless expressly authorised in writing by StoreNova), or any other "off- platform" payment method for goods discovered via the marketplace. Transactions completed outside the platform constitute a material breach of contract and are not protected by our escrow security, dispute resolution centre, or the Payment Services Regulations 2017. Any Vendor found attempting to divert transactions off- platform may incur a £500 administrative penalty and permanent account termination.
6.3 StoreNova protects customers by holding funds until physical delivery is verified. Providing a Delivery Code ("Sign- off") confirms physical receipt and a preliminary visual inspection only. Sign- off does not waive a Customer's right to report Patent Defects within 6 hours or Latent Defects within 24 hours under the Inspection Window, nor does it affect statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Nothing in this Policy excludes or limits StoreNova's liability where it would be unlawful to do so, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence.
6.4 Vendors must not pressure, incentivise, or coerce customers or external delivery partners to confirm delivery or Sign- off before the physical items have been received and inspected. Any vendor found requesting early release of funds or asking a driver to signify delivery prior to the actual hand- off will have their account flagged for fraud investigation and may face immediate suspension.
6.5 In accordance with the Fraud Act 2006, any attempt to dishonestly manipulate the release of funds may constitute fraud and may be reported to the appropriate authorities where there is evidence of criminal conduct. Delivery partners must not signify that a delivery has occurred if the items have not been physically handed to the recipient.
Customers must not dishonestly deny receipt of goods to prevent the release of funds to a vendor who has fulfilled their contractual obligation. Any collusive agreement between a vendor, customer, delivery partner and or any third party, to trigger a fund release without a genuine delivery will result in the immediate termination of all involved accounts and a formal report to Action Fraud, where appropriate.
6.6 StoreNova reserves the right to deduct, withhold, or "set- off" any refunds, dispute fees, or bank chargeback costs from a Vendor's Pending Payout or Available Balance, in accordance with the Vendor Terms and Dispute and Refund Policy.
6.7 In the event of a bank reversal or chargeback, the Vendor agrees to indemnify StoreNova. The cost of the transaction plus any processor- imposed fees will be debited from the Vendor's earnings.
6.8 By listing goods, Vendors authorise StoreNova to manage all payment flows, including the right to delay payouts during fraud investigations or food safety audits or compliance reviews, provided such delays are reasonable and proportionate.
The security of our marketplace and the privacy of our Users are paramount. In accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, the following activities are strictly prohibited:
1) Users must not use, or attempt to use, any automated software, bots, spiders, or scripts to extract data from the StoreNova platform. This includes the harvesting of: Product listings and pricing data. Vendor profiles or customer reviews. Proprietary source code or platform metadata.
2) Any activity intended to crawl or index our services for commercial gain or competitive analysis without express written consent.
3) Personal data provided on the platform (including names, delivery addresses, and phone numbers) is shared solely for the purpose of facilitating a specific StoreNova transaction. Vendors must delete Customer personal data within 24 hours of successful delivery in accordance with the Vendor Privacy Policy.
4) Vendors and delivery partners must not store, save, or record the personal contact information of other Users beyond the requirements of a single, active delivery.
5) Users must not contact each other outside the StoreNova platform for marketing purposes, "spamming," or private solicitations.
6) Any attempt to use customer data for purposes other than the immediate fulfillment of a StoreNova order is a breach of this Policy and may result in suspension, regulatory reporting, or enforcement action in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
7) Users are prohibited from sharing account credentials or allowing third parties to access their StoreNova dashboard. Any activity originating from an account shall be the legal responsibility of the registered account holder.
StoreNova reserves the sole and absolute right to determine whether a violation of this Policy has occurred. We may investigate any reported violation or suspected breach of this Policy and, in doing so, may request additional information from Users or third- party delivery partners.
Failure to comply with any provision of this Policy may result in StoreNova taking any or all of the following actions:
Immediate Removal: The summary deletion or removal of any product listings or content that violates these standards.
Account Sanctions: Temporary or permanent suspension, restriction, or termination of account access for any User, including associated or linked accounts.
Financial Withholding: The withholding, freezing, or clawback of funds pending a full investigation into suspected fraudulent activity, sign- off manipulation, or food safety breaches.
Account Audits: StoreNova reserves the right to audit a Vendor's food hygiene certificates or local authority registration at any time. Failure to provide up- to- date documentation within 48 hours of a request will result in immediate account suspension.
Legal & Regulatory Action: Initiation of legal proceedings for breach of contract, and/or reporting of the activity to relevant authorities, including the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Trading Standards, or law enforcement.
Processor Indemnity: Any fines or penalties levied against StoreNova by our payment processor (Stripe) due to a Vendor's prohibited activity (e.g., selling "miracle cures" or restricted meats) will be passed on to the Vendor in full.
The rights and remedies provided in this Policy are cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights or remedies provided by law or in equity. StoreNova may exercise any of the above actions simultaneously or sequentially, and the exercise of one remedy shall not preclude or waive the right to exercise any other.
This Policy is reviewed every 12 months, or sooner if regulatory or operational changes require it.
Version Control: Version 1.1 | Date: 05 March 2026