Customer Terms & Conditions

Free Market Express ("we," "us," "our," or "the Platform") is an on-demand grocery and retail delivery marketplace that connects consumers ("you" or "Customer") with local independent stores ("Merchants") and independent delivery contractors ("Drivers"). Free Market Express is a technology platform only — we facilitate transactions but are not the retailer, seller, or employer of any Driver. All goods are sold by the individual Merchants and all deliveries are performed by independent contractors.

• →You browse approved local stores and add items to your cart.
• →You place and pay for your order through our secure checkout system.
• →The Merchant receives a notification and begins preparing your order.
• →A nearby Driver is automatically matched and dispatched to the store for pickup.
• →The Driver collects your order, scans it for accuracy, and delivers it to your address.
• →You receive real-time tracking and can communicate directly with your Driver via in-app chat.
• →After delivery, you are invited to rate the Driver, store, and individual products.

Free Market Express is not responsible for the quality, safety, or accuracy of products listed by Merchants. Any product complaints should be directed to the Merchant through our support system.

By downloading, accessing, or using the Free Market Express application or website (collectively, the "Service"), you confirm and agree to all of the following:

• ✓You are at least 18 years of age, or you have obtained verifiable parental or guardian consent.
• ✓You have the legal capacity to enter into a binding agreement under the laws of your jurisdiction.
• ✓You are not prohibited from using the Service under any applicable law.
• ✓You agree to be bound by these Terms of Service, our Privacy Policy, and any additional guidelines we publish.
• ✓You understand that these Terms may be updated periodically. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.
• ✓If you are using the Service on behalf of an organization, you represent that you have authority to bind that organization to these Terms.

If you do not agree with any part of these Terms, you must immediately stop using the Service and delete your account.

To place orders and access most features of Free Market Express, you must create an account. When registering, you agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information. You are fully responsible for all activity that occurs under your account. Specifically:

• ✓Use a strong, unique password for your Free Market Express account and do not reuse it elsewhere.
• ✓Never share your login credentials, one-time passwords (OTPs), or account access with any third party.
• ✓You are solely responsible for any actions, purchases, or communications made from your account.
• ✓Notify Free Market Express immediately at support@freemarketexpress.com if you suspect unauthorized access to your account.
• ✓Do not create more than one account per person. Duplicate accounts may be merged or removed.
• ✓Ensure your contact details (email, phone number, delivery address) are always kept current and accurate.
• ✓Free Market Express reserves the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, contain false information, or engage in fraudulent or abusive activity.

Free Market Express will never ask you for your password via email, SMS, or phone call. If you receive such a request, it is a phishing attempt — report it immediately.

When you place an order through Free Market Express, you are entering into a direct purchase agreement with the Merchant. The following rules apply to all orders:

• →Orders are subject to product availability. Merchants may substitute unavailable items or cancel individual items from your order, in which case you will be charged only for items delivered.
• →Prices displayed are set by the Merchant and may change without prior notice. The price you see at checkout is the price you will be charged.
• →You must provide an accurate delivery address. Free Market Express and Drivers are not responsible for failed deliveries due to an incorrect address provided by the Customer.
• →For scheduled deliveries, you must ensure someone is available to receive the order during the scheduled window.
• →Orders placed through the platform are generally non-transferable and are intended solely for the account holder.
• →Free Market Express reserves the right to cancel any order that appears fraudulent, suspicious, or in violation of these Terms, with a full refund issued.

All prices are displayed in US Dollars (USD). When you place an order, your total charge will consist of the following components:

Payment is authorized at the time you place your order and captured upon successful delivery. We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. All payment data is encrypted and processed through our PCI-DSS compliant payment partner, Stripe. Free Market Express does not store your full card number on our servers.

We understand that plans change. Our cancellation and refund policy is designed to be as fair as possible given the perishable nature of grocery items and the costs incurred by Merchants and Drivers once work begins.

Free Market Express provides estimated delivery times based on real-time data including store preparation time, Driver location, distance, and traffic. These are estimates only and are not guarantees. Please note the following:

• →Standard "Fast Delivery" orders are estimated to arrive within 30–60 minutes depending on distance and demand.
• →Scheduled deliveries allow you to select a specific date and time window. While we make every effort to deliver within the selected window, delays beyond our control may occur.
• →Delivery is available only within the service areas currently supported by the platform. Entering an unsupported address will prevent checkout.
• →Free Market Express reserves the right to suspend or limit service in certain areas during extreme weather, civil emergencies, or other circumstances beyond our control.
• →If a Driver is unable to reach your address due to access restrictions, building lockdowns, or other issues, they will attempt to contact you via the app. If no contact can be made, the order may be returned and a partial refund issued.
• →Free Market Express is not liable for spoilage or damage resulting from an inability to complete delivery due to circumstances attributed to the Customer (e.g., wrong address, no recipient available).

If you receive an order with issues such as missing items, wrong products, damaged packaging, or expired goods, you may file a return or dispute request within 24 hours of delivery. To do so:

• →Navigate to your Order History and select the affected order.
• →Tap "Request Return" and describe the issue for each item.
• →Upload photos of the item(s) where applicable. Clear photos significantly speed up resolution.
• →Our support team will review your request within 1–2 business days.
• →Approved returns will be refunded to your original payment method or issued as store credit, at your discretion.
• →Abuse of the returns system (repeated claims without evidence, claiming non-delivery of confirmed delivered orders) may result in account restrictions.

Perishable items such as fresh produce, dairy, and meat must be reported within 6 hours of delivery due to food safety considerations.

After each delivery, you are encouraged to rate your experience with the Driver, the store, and individual products. Ratings help maintain the quality of the marketplace. By submitting a rating or review, you agree to the following:

• ✓Your review must be honest, based on your genuine experience, and not contain false statements.
• ✓Reviews must not include offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, or threats.
• ✓You must not post reviews in exchange for compensation or incentives.
• ✓You must not post reviews for orders you did not actually place.
• ✓Free Market Express reserves the right to remove reviews that violate these guidelines.
• ✓Drivers and Merchants can respond publicly to your reviews.

By using Free Market Express, you agree NOT to engage in any of the following behaviors. Violations are taken seriously and may result in immediate account suspension or permanent ban:

• ✕Placing fraudulent, false, test, or duplicate orders with the intent to not receive or pay for goods.
• ✕Providing a false delivery address to obtain a refund while retaining the goods.
• ✕Claiming non-delivery of orders that were verifiably delivered (confirmed by GPS and photo evidence).
• ✕Harassing, threatening, intimidating, or abusing Drivers, Merchant staff, or support agents — in person or via in-app messaging.
• ✕Using abusive, discriminatory, or inappropriate language in any communication on the platform.
• ✕Attempting to contact or solicit Drivers or Merchants outside of the platform for private transactions.
• ✕Using automated bots, scripts, or tools to access, scrape, or interact with the platform.
• ✕Attempting to reverse-engineer, decompile, or otherwise access the source code of the application.
• ✕Circumventing fees, tipping systems, or payment processing in any way.
• ✕Reselling products ordered through the platform for commercial profit without written authorization from Free Market Express.
• ✕Creating fake accounts, impersonating other users, or misrepresenting your identity.
• ✕Violating any applicable local, state, or federal law in connection with your use of the Service.

Free Market Express cooperates with law enforcement and may report suspected illegal activity, fraud, or abuse to the appropriate authorities.

All content on the Free Market Express platform — including but not limited to logos, trademarks, text, graphics, user interface design, software, and data — is the exclusive property of Free Market Express or its licensors and is protected by applicable intellectual property laws. You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the Service for personal, non-commercial purposes only. You may not:

• ✕Copy, reproduce, modify, or create derivative works from any part of the platform.
• ✕Use the Free Market Express name, logo, or branding without prior written permission.
• ✕Remove or alter any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notices.
• ✕Use any content from the platform for commercial purposes without authorization.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Free Market Express, its directors, employees, partners, agents, suppliers, and affiliates shall not be liable for:

• →Any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the Service.
• →Any loss of profits, data, goodwill, or other intangible losses.
• →Any damage to your property caused by a Driver during pickup or delivery.
• →Any personal injury caused by a Driver during the course of a delivery.
• →Any product defects, food safety issues, allergen content, or inaccurate product descriptions provided by Merchants.
• →Any delays, failures, or errors in the Service due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including internet outages, natural disasters, or third-party service failures.

Our total liability to you for any claim arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall not exceed the total amount you paid to Free Market Express in the 90 days preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of [Your State], without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising from or relating to these Terms or your use of the Service shall be resolved as follows:

• →Both parties agree to first attempt to resolve any dispute informally by contacting Free Market Express support.
• →If informal resolution fails within 30 days, disputes shall be submitted to binding arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA).
• →Class action lawsuits and class-wide arbitration are expressly waived by both parties.
• →Notwithstanding the above, either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction for the protection of intellectual property or confidential information.

Your privacy matters to us. Free Market Express collects and processes certain personal data to operate the Service. A summary of data we collect and how we use it:

We do not sell your personal data to advertisers or third-party marketers. We may share anonymized, aggregated data for research purposes. For full details, please read our Privacy Policy available in the app settings.

Free Market Express reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will provide notice of significant changes by email or in-app notification at least 7 days before the changes take effect. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date of the updated Terms constitutes your acceptance. Free Market Express also reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service (or any portion thereof) at any time, with or without notice, and is not liable to you or any third party for any such modification, suspension, or discontinuation.