Marketplace Terms of Service

1Introduction

Welcome to the Benmort Marketplace.

These Marketplace Terms of Service (“Marketplace Terms”) govern how you access and use the Benmort Marketplace. They form part of the Benmort Connect legal framework and should be read alongside the Benmort Connect General Terms of Use, which continue to apply to all matters not specifically addressed here.

Where these Marketplace Terms conflict with the General Terms of Use on a Marketplace-specific matter, these Marketplace Terms will take precedence on that point only.

By using the Marketplace in any way — whether to browse, register, list services, request services, make a purchase, accept a project, or make a payment — you agree to be legally bound by these Terms.

2What the Marketplace Is For

The Benmort Marketplace is a trusted digital space where individuals, professionals, businesses, institutions, and organisations can come together to discover, offer, purchase, and manage professional and commercial services. We built it to make it easier for great work to happen between people who trust each other.

Specifically, the Marketplace is designed to:

• Connect clients with verified, professional service providers across a wide range of disciplines.
• Facilitate transparent, well-documented commercial transactions.
• Promote professional standards and ethical conduct among all participants.
• Support secure payment facilitation and, where applicable, the holding of funds through Benmort Pay.
• Encourage fair competition and consistently high-quality service delivery.
• Protect the interests, rights, and experiences of all Marketplace participants.

3Key Definitions

The following terms have specific meanings within these Marketplace Terms:

4What These Terms Cover

These Marketplace Terms apply to everything that happens on or through the Benmort Marketplace, including:

• Service listings and profiles
• Administrative and business support
• Project requests and quotations
• Payment facilitation through Benmort Pay
• Professional engagements
• Holding of funds where applicable
• Digital and creative services
• Dispute resolution for Marketplace transactions
• Consulting and advisory services
• Any other lawful commercial services offered through the platform
• Technology and development services

5Who Can Participate

The Marketplace is open to a wide range of participants. Here is a quick overview of who can use it and what they can do:

6Eligibility

To use the Benmort Marketplace, you must:

• Have the legal capacity to enter into binding contracts under the laws applicable to you.
• Provide registration information that is complete, accurate, and current.
• Keep your login credentials confidential and take reasonable steps to protect your account.
• Comply with all applicable laws, professional obligations, and regulatory requirements relevant to your activities on the Marketplace.
• Accept these Marketplace Terms and all related Benmort policies.

We reserve the right to refuse, suspend, or terminate access to the Marketplace where eligibility requirements are not met. Where possible, we will let you know why and give you an opportunity to address the issue.

7Account Registration

Your Marketplace account is your professional identity on our platform, and we ask that you take it seriously. When registering, you agree to:

• Use your legal name or your registered business name.
• Provide valid, working contact details.
• Keep your profile information current and accurate at all times.
• Notify us promptly if you become aware of any unauthorised use of your account.
• Keep your password and authentication credentials secure.

We may request additional documentation to verify your identity or business status at any time. We will always handle your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

8Identity Verification

To build a marketplace where everyone can transact with confidence, we may require Users to complete an identity verification process before accessing certain features. This helps us protect everyone from fraud and maintain the integrity of the platform.

Depending on your account type and the services you wish to access, verification may require any of the following:

• Government-issued identification
• Tax identification information
• Proof of address
• Banking or payment verification
• Business registration documents
• Employer or institutional verification
• Professional licences or certifications
• Other documentation required for compliance or risk management

We want to be transparent: completing verification does not mean Benmort endorses, guarantees, or certifies your competence, financial position, or suitability for any particular project. It simply confirms that you are who you say you are.

9What You Can Do on the Marketplace

The Benmort Marketplace gives you a full suite of tools to manage your professional engagements from start to finish. As a registered User, you can:

• Create and manage a professional profile
• Upload and share documents
• Publish service listings
• Submit and receive deliverables
• Request quotations from service providers
• Receive and leave ratings and reviews
• Submit and receive proposals
• Facilitate payments through Benmort Pay
• Accept engagements and manage projects
• Use holding of funds functionality where available
• Exchange messages with other users
• Access new tools and features as we introduce them

We work constantly to improve the Marketplace. This means we may need to modify, suspend, or discontinue certain features from time to time for operational, legal, security, or business reasons. Where we are able to, we will give you advance notice.

10Service Listings

If you are a Service Provider, your listing is your shop window — and it reflects on you and on the Marketplace as a whole. You are solely responsible for ensuring that every listing you publish is accurate, complete, and lawful.

Each listing must clearly set out:

• The nature and description of the service you are offering.
• The scope of work included.
• What the client will receive as deliverables.
• Your estimated timelines for delivery.
• Your pricing or pricing methodology.
• Any prerequisites, limitations, or exclusions the client should know about.

Listings must not contain anything that is false, misleading, deceptive, discriminatory, offensive, or unlawful. We take the quality and integrity of our Marketplace seriously and may edit, suspend, or remove listings that do not meet these standards, without prior notice.

11Project Requests, Quotations, and Proposals

11.1 Submitting a Project Request

If you are a Buyer, you can post a project request describing what you need. A clear and detailed request leads to better proposals and a smoother engagement. Where applicable, your request should include:

• A description of your project objectives and what you want to achieve.
• The scope of work you are looking for.
• What you expect to receive as deliverables.
• Your preferred timeline or deadline.
• Your budget or pricing expectations.
• Any technical requirements or specific qualifications needed.
• Supporting documents or background information that will help providers understand the project.

We may review project requests before they are published and reserve the right to reject or remove requests that do not comply with these Terms or applicable law.

11.2 Quotations and Proposals

Service Providers may respond to project requests by submitting a quotation or proposal. To give Buyers everything they need to make an informed decision, each proposal should clearly state:

• The scope of services being offered.
• The deliverables the Service Provider commits to providing.
• Estimated completion timeline.
• Pricing structure and payment schedule.
• Any assumptions or exclusions.
• The validity period of the quotation.

Submitting a proposal does not create a binding agreement. An agreement only comes into effect when the Buyer formally accepts the proposal.

11.3 Accepting a Proposal

A project becomes legally binding only when all of the following have occurred:

• The Buyer has formally accepted the proposal.
• Any required payment arrangements have been completed.
• Any required verification requirements have been satisfied.
• Both parties have received confirmation through the Marketplace.

12Project Engagement

Once a project has been confirmed, both parties commit to working together in good faith to deliver a successful outcome. Here is what that looks like from each side:

As a Buyer, you agree to:

• Provide accurate and complete project information from the start.
• Respond to requests for clarification promptly so work is not held up unnecessarily.
• Provide approvals, feedback, and materials within reasonable timeframes.
• Cooperate and communicate openly throughout the engagement.
• Make payments in accordance with the agreed terms.

As a Service Provider, you agree to:

• Perform the services to a professional standard.
• Exercise reasonable skill, care, and diligence throughout.
• Make every reasonable effort to meet agreed timelines.
• Keep the client informed of any material developments that may affect the project.
• Comply with all applicable laws and professional standards relevant to the services you provide.

13Service Delivery Standards

Every Service Provider on the Benmort Marketplace is expected to deliver their services:

• Professionally, ethically, and with genuine care for the client’s outcome.
• In accordance with the agreed specifications and project scope.
• Within agreed timelines where reasonably practicable.
• Using personnel who have the qualifications and experience required for the work.

The following types of services are strictly prohibited on the Marketplace, and their listing or delivery will result in immediate removal and potential account termination:

• Illegal services of any kind.
• Fraudulent or deceptive services.
• Work that involves plagiarism, copyright infringement, or the use of third-party content without authorisation.
• Distribution of malicious software, harmful code, or spyware.
• Services that are discriminatory or that promote unlawful conduct.

14Deliverables

All deliverables must match what was agreed in the project scope. Unless the parties have agreed otherwise in writing, deliverables must be:

• Complete and functional for their intended purpose.
• Original where the project requires original work — including any AI-assisted outputs that are clearly labelled as such.
• Delivered in the agreed format.
• Suitable for the purpose described in the project brief.

Where a project includes an agreed number of revision rounds, the Service Provider should complete those revisions within a reasonable timeframe. Revisions that fall outside the agreed scope may be quoted for separately.

15Milestones

Many projects benefit from being broken down into milestones — it keeps things organised, builds trust between parties, and links payment releases to agreed progress. Each milestone should specify:

• The work to be completed at that stage.
• The expected completion date.
• The specific deliverables due.
• The value associated with that milestone.
• How completion will be confirmed by the Buyer.

Completing one milestone does not mean the overall project is finished. The project is only complete when all milestones have been delivered and accepted, or when both parties have otherwise agreed in writing.

16Change Requests

Projects sometimes evolve after they start, and that is perfectly normal. Either party may request changes to the agreed scope during a project. However, if a requested change materially affects any of the following, both parties must agree in writing before the change takes effect:

• The overall project scope.
• Timelines or deadlines.
• Pricing or payment schedule.
• Deliverables.
• Technical requirements or resources.

We strongly encourage both parties to document all change requests through the Marketplace. Benmort is not able to assist in disputes arising from changes that were agreed informally or not documented.

17Communication

Good communication is at the heart of a successful project. We ask that, wherever reasonably practicable, project communications take place through the Marketplace’s built-in communication channels. This keeps everything in one place and makes it easier to resolve any issues that arise.

When communicating through the Marketplace, all Users agree to:

• Treat others with respect at all times.
• Avoid abusive, threatening, or inappropriate language.
• Respond to messages within a reasonable timeframe.
• Keep records of important agreements or decisions made through messages.

Benmort may retain communication records for security, compliance, dispute resolution, quality assurance, and fraud prevention purposes, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable law.

18Project Completion

A project is considered complete when one of the following has occurred:

• All agreed deliverables have been submitted and any agreed revisions have been completed.
• The Buyer formally confirms acceptance of the deliverables.
• The applicable review period expires without a valid dispute being raised.

Completion of a project does not end all obligations. Continuing duties relating to confidentiality, intellectual property, warranties, and any agreed post-completion support remain in effect.

19Acceptance of Deliverables

Once deliverables have been submitted, the Buyer should review them carefully within the applicable review period. At that point, the Buyer can:

• Accept the deliverables, which triggers payment release through Benmort Pay.
• Request reasonable revisions where permitted under the project agreement.
• Raise a formal dispute, supported by clear and reasonable evidence, where the deliverables do not meet the agreed specifications.

If a Buyer does not respond within the review period, this may be treated as acceptance of the deliverables unless the applicable service agreement provides otherwise. We encourage Buyers to review and respond promptly to avoid unnecessary delays for Service Providers.

20Cancellation of Projects

We know that sometimes projects need to be cancelled. A project may be cancelled in the following circumstances:

• By mutual agreement between the Buyer and the Service Provider.
• Where performance has become genuinely impossible due to events outside both parties’ control.
• Where either party has materially breached these Marketplace Terms.
• Where fraud is suspected and cancellation is necessary to protect the parties involved.
• Where required by applicable law.
• Where Benmort determines that cancellation is necessary to protect the Marketplace or its users.

Cancellation does not automatically entitle either party to a refund or other financial compensation. Any financial adjustments will be determined in accordance with the applicable service agreement, the Benmort Refund Policy, and any payment or funds-holding arrangements through Benmort Pay.

21Payment Facilitation

Payments for Marketplace transactions are processed through Benmort Pay or another payment method approved by Benmort. We take payment security seriously and apply robust controls to every transaction.

Where Benmort Pay is used:

• Payments may be verified before processing to prevent fraud and protect all parties.
• Transaction monitoring may be carried out for security and compliance purposes.
• Payments may be delayed where fraud screening, regulatory checks, or risk management reviews require additional time.
• Applicable processing fees may apply and will be disclosed to you before they are charged.

By using the Marketplace, you authorise Benmort to process payments on your behalf in accordance with these Terms and the Benmort Pay Payment Facilitation & Holding of Funds Terms.

22Holding of Funds

For eligible Marketplace transactions, Benmort Pay may hold funds on behalf of the parties until specified conditions have been met. This gives both Buyers and Service Providers confidence that money is secure while work is in progress.

Funds may be held until any of the following conditions are satisfied:

• Agreed milestones have been completed and confirmed.
• All contractual conditions have been met.
• Required approvals from the Buyer have been obtained.
• Identity or compliance verification has been completed.
• An authorised dispute has been fully resolved.

The holding of funds service is designed to reduce payment risk and facilitate smooth transactions. It is not a guarantee that the services delivered will meet your expectations, nor is it a guarantee of contractual performance by either party.

Benmort reserves the right to refuse or discontinue the holding of funds service where required by law, regulatory obligations, or risk management considerations.

23Marketplace Fees

Benmort may charge fees in connection with the Marketplace. These may include:

• Service fees
• Premium listing fees
• Transaction fees
• Promotional service fees
• Payment processing fees
• Other fees published by Benmort from time to time
• Subscription fees

We will always disclose applicable fees to you before they become payable, so there are no surprises. We may revise our fee schedule from time to time with reasonable notice.

24Taxes

You are responsible for understanding and meeting any tax obligations that arise from your Marketplace activities in your jurisdiction. This includes determining, collecting, reporting, and paying any income tax, VAT, withholding tax, or other applicable taxes related to your transactions.

Benmort may request tax-related information from you where necessary to comply with its own legal or regulatory obligations. Where applicable law requires Benmort to collect or remit taxes on your behalf, we will do so and will notify you accordingly.

25Refunds

Refunds are handled in accordance with the Benmort Refund Policy and any service-specific terms that apply to your transaction. We handle each refund request individually and fairly.

A refund may be considered in the following circumstances:

• A Service Provider fails to commence work without a reasonable justification.
• The services delivered materially differ from what was agreed in the project scope.
• A project is cancelled in accordance with these Marketplace Terms and a refund is appropriate in the circumstances.
• A duplicate or erroneous payment has been made.
• Applicable law requires that a refund be issued.

Refunds will not ordinarily be granted in the following situations:

• The Buyer changes their mind after work has already commenced.
• Dissatisfaction relates solely to personal preference where the agreed specifications were fully met.
• Delays arose because the Buyer failed to provide required information, approvals, or materials in time.
• The services have been fully delivered and formally accepted.

We will always review the circumstances of each request carefully and aim to reach a fair outcome in line with our policies.

26Ratings and Reviews

Reviews are one of the most powerful tools on the Marketplace. They help build trust, reward quality, and help everyone make better decisions. For that reason, we take their integrity very seriously.

Buyers and Service Providers may submit ratings and reviews following the completion of a project. All reviews must:

• Reflect a genuine, first-hand experience of the engagement.
• Be truthful and as accurate as possible.
• Be written respectfully, without defamatory, abusive, or discriminatory content.

We reserve the right to moderate, remove, or decline to publish reviews that violate these Terms or applicable law.

You must not attempt to manipulate reviews or ratings through fake accounts, paid incentives, coercion, or any other deceptive practice. We monitor for review manipulation and take it seriously when we find it.

27Intellectual Property

Intellectual property is often at the heart of creative and professional work, and we want to make sure that ownership is always clear. Unless the parties have agreed otherwise in writing:

• Each party retains ownership of their pre-existing intellectual property, including tools, frameworks, templates, or background know-how they bring to a project.
• Intellectual property created specifically for a Buyer will transfer to the Buyer only upon full payment, and only where such a transfer is contemplated under the applicable project agreement.
• Service Providers may retain ownership of general methodologies, reusable components, and independently developed tools that were not created specifically for the client.

All Users must respect the intellectual property rights of Benmort, other Users, and third parties. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, modify, reverse-engineer, or exploit Marketplace software, branding, content, or technology except as expressly permitted.

28Confidentiality

In the course of working together, Users will often share sensitive information — business plans, pricing, technical details, client data, and more. All Users must treat this information with the same care they would want their own information to receive.

Confidential information includes but is not limited to:

• Business strategies and plans
• Customer and client information
• Trade secrets
• Project documentation and materials
• Pricing and financial information
• Proprietary methodologies
• Technical documentation
• Any information identified as confidential or that would reasonably be understood as such

Confidential information must not be disclosed except:

• With the prior written consent of the owner.
• Where disclosure is required by law or court order.
• Where necessary to fulfil contractual obligations under the project agreement.

These confidentiality obligations continue after the project is completed or the engagement comes to an end. What is shared on the Marketplace stays protected.

29Non-Circumvention

When the Marketplace brings a Buyer and a Service Provider together, both parties agree not to intentionally bypass the Marketplace in a way that avoids applicable Marketplace fees that would otherwise be due under Benmort’s applicable pricing model.

This applies to introductions made through the Marketplace and for the period specified in Benmort’s applicable policy or agreement. It does not prevent either party from complying with the law or from exercising rights that cannot lawfully be restricted.

30Off-Platform Transactions

We understand that parties sometimes choose to transact outside the Marketplace. However, when they do, they give up the protections and services that come with using our platform. If you transact off-platform:

• Benmort may not be able to provide payment facilitation, holding of funds services, dispute assistance, or other Marketplace protections.
• You take on the additional risks associated with those transactions yourselves.

Benmort will not be liable for disputes arising solely from off-platform transactions, unless we have specifically agreed to be involved in writing.

31Prohibited Services

The Benmort Marketplace is a professional environment, and there are certain types of services that have no place here. The following are strictly prohibited:

• Fraudulent or deceptive services of any kind
• Hacking or unauthorised system access
• Services that infringe intellectual property rights
• Identity theft or document forgery
• Money laundering or financial crime facilitation
• Trafficking in prohibited goods
• Bribery or corruption
• Services that promote violence, hatred, or discrimination
• Illegal gambling or unlawful financial schemes
• Any service prohibited by applicable law or Benmort policy
• Malware development or distribution

We may remove prohibited listings without prior notice and report unlawful activity to the relevant authorities where we are required or permitted to do so.

32Professional Conduct

The Benmort Marketplace works best when everyone shows up professionally and treats others the way they would want to be treated. All participants are expected to:

• Act honestly, ethically, and in good faith in all dealings.
• Communicate with respect, even when disagreements arise.
• Avoid any form of harassment, intimidation, discrimination, or abusive behaviour.
• Honour the commitments they make to other participants.
• Cooperate genuinely during the dispute resolution process.
• Comply with the professional, legal, and regulatory standards applicable to the services they provide.

Service Providers remain solely responsible for ensuring they hold any licences, registrations, certifications, insurance, or qualifications required to deliver their services. Benmort’s verification process does not substitute for this responsibility.

33Compliance with Laws

All Marketplace Users are responsible for ensuring that their activities comply with all applicable laws and regulations. This includes laws concerning:

• Employment and labour regulations
• Anti-money laundering (AML)
• Taxation
• Sanctions and export controls
• Consumer protection
• Professional licensing requirements
• Data protection and privacy
• Intellectual property

Benmort may request evidence of compliance where reasonably necessary, and we reserve the right to suspend or remove Users who are in material breach of applicable law.

34Suspension of Accounts

We have a responsibility to protect the Marketplace and everyone who uses it. We may suspend or restrict a User’s account where we reasonably believe the User has:

• Breached these Marketplace Terms.
• Provided false, incomplete, or misleading information.
• Engaged in fraud or unlawful conduct.
• Endangered or threatened other Users or the platform.
• Attempted to compromise the security or integrity of the Marketplace.
• Otherwise created a material legal, operational, or reputational risk.

Where the circumstances allow, we will notify you and give you an opportunity to respond before we take any permanent action. Our goal is always to act proportionately and fairly.

35Termination

You may close your Marketplace account at any time, but you must first fulfil any outstanding contractual obligations to clients or service providers before doing so.

Benmort may terminate your access to the Marketplace where:

• You have materially breached these Marketplace Terms.
• Your continued access presents an unacceptable legal or operational risk.
• We are required to do so by law or regulatory direction.
• The Marketplace services are being discontinued.

Termination of your account does not affect any rights or obligations that existed before termination, including accrued payment obligations, confidentiality duties, intellectual property rights, or any dispute resolution provisions that are intended to survive.

36Limitation of Liability

We do everything we can to make the Benmort Marketplace a reliable, high-quality, and professional environment. However, some things are genuinely outside our control. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Benmort is not liable for:

• Disputes that arise between Buyers and Service Providers.
• The quality, suitability, accuracy, or legality of services offered by Users.
• Delays caused by Users, third-party providers, or events outside Benmort’s reasonable control.
• Indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages of any kind.
• Loss of profits, revenue, goodwill, business opportunities, or data.
• Interruptions or failures caused by events beyond our reasonable control.

Where our liability cannot legally be excluded, Benmort’s total liability to you in relation to a specific transaction will not exceed the amount of Marketplace fees paid to Benmort in connection with that transaction. Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law.

37Indemnification

If Benmort faces a claim, liability, cost, or expense as a result of your conduct on the Marketplace, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless Benmort and its directors, officers, employees, affiliates, contractors, agents, and representatives against those claims.

This applies where the claim arises from:

• Your breach of these Marketplace Terms.
• Your misuse of the Marketplace.
• Your unlawful conduct.
• Your infringement of the rights of a third party.
• Your negligent or wilful acts or omissions.

38Dispute Resolution

We know that disagreements happen, even between parties who both want the same good outcome. Our first recommendation is always to talk it through directly and in good faith. Most issues can be resolved that way.

Where we can help, Benmort may facilitate communication or provide dispute resolution support between Users. However, this does not make us a party to the underlying contract between you and the other User.

If a dispute cannot be resolved amicably, the parties may pursue mediation, arbitration, or court proceedings as permitted by the applicable agreement and governing law. We encourage parties to exhaust informal and mediation routes before resorting to formal legal proceedings.

39Governing Law

These Marketplace Terms are governed by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the relevant Benmort contracting entity operates, unless a written agreement between the parties specifies otherwise or applicable law requires a different framework.

40Amendments

We may update these Marketplace Terms from time to time to reflect changes in law, technology, how our Marketplace works, or our business operations. When we make material changes, we will let you know through official channels — by notification on the platform, by email, or by updating the effective date of this document.

Updated Terms take effect upon notification or publication. If you continue to use the Marketplace after that point, you are confirming that you accept the revised Terms. If you disagree with any changes, please stop using the Marketplace before the updated Terms take effect.

41Severability

If any provision of these Marketplace Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court or competent authority, that provision will be read down or severed to the minimum extent necessary. The remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect, unaffected by the invalid provision.

42Entire Agreement

These Marketplace Terms, together with the Benmort Connect General Terms of Use, the Benmort Privacy Policy, the Acceptable Use Policy, the Refund Policy, and any applicable service-specific agreements or policies, form the complete agreement between you and Benmort Connect regarding your use of the Benmort Marketplace.

These Terms supersede any prior discussions, representations, or understandings on the same subject, whether verbal or written.

43Contact Us

We are here for you. If you have questions, feedback, or concerns about these Marketplace Terms or anything related to your Marketplace experience, please get in touch through our official support channels.

We aim to respond to all enquiries within 2 business days.

44Your Acceptance

By creating an account, listing services, requesting services, purchasing services, accepting projects, making payments, or otherwise using the Benmort Marketplace in any way, you confirm that you have read and understood these Marketplace Terms of Service in their entirety and that you agree to be legally bound by them.