PIPEHUB.COM | We Are Pipes
It must be noted that all aspects of this document and also all aspects of the FAQ’s document found here: http://www.pipehub.com/faqs are fully and legally binding to all users who create accounts on PIPEHUB.COM.
Of Legal Age
All users of this website must be of legal smoking age in their state or country! It is your responsibility to abide by the law of your state and by making a purchase on this website you confirm that you are of legal smoking age in your state or country. PIPEHUBB LLC and its subsidiaries will not be held responsible for any user acting illegally!
Proper Conduct
Users must conduct themselves in an appropriate and professional manner at all times. We do not support or condone vulgarity, threats, harassment, etc. This includes within any messages, blog posts, feedback, or anywhere else on our platform. If a user is reported as acting improperly, an investigation will ensue and proper disciplinary actions will be taken as deemed appropriate. (For more details on our disciplinary policies please see the "Disciplinary Policies” section below.)
Off Site Solicitation
It is completely unacceptable, and punishable by disciplinary actions, for buyers or sellers to propose or solicit any "offsite” sales of items listed on PIPEHUB.COM. It is unacceptable to underprice items to avoid paying fees on those items. It is unacceptable for users to share any private information amongst themselves! This includes, phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses, social media account info, etc. All communications between our users must stay on PIPEHUB.COM. Sellers may not include any promotional material in their shipments to PIPEHUB.COM customers which mentions any non PIPEHUB.COM email address, website, shop, address phone number, etc. Sellers man include promotional materials in their shipments that drive customers to their shop on PIPEHUB.com. Sellers can agree on accepting cash, check, or bank transfer, for items, but adequate compensation needs to be paid to all appropriate parties (pipehub.com, authentication verifier, royalty commissions, etc.). An attempt to do, or evade, any of the above will result in sever disciplinary actions against all users involved. (For more details on our disciplinary policies please see the "Disciplinary Policies” section below.)
Logos & Branding
Unless you receive prior written consent, users do not have the right to upload images with any sort of boarder. Also, users may not upload images with any sort of logo or mention of an outside website or sales channel. Watermarks or logos anywhere on photos or within listings themselves can not contain any domain name or mention of an outside sales channel unless a proper redirect of that domain is done and points to the users shop on our platform. There can be no mention of an outside domain name or outside distribution channel anywhere in a users shop, biography, policies, shop info, policies, or anywhere in their listings. Example, if PIPES.COM opens a store on our platform they do not have the right to use any logo or watermark on their photos or in their listings or on their shop page that contains the domain PIPES.COM unless that domain is redirecting back to the users shop on PIPEHUB.COM. If you would like us to redirect your domain name please contact us at [email protected] . If you have any questions please email us at [email protected]
Quality Control
At PIPEHUB.COM we go through a vigorous process to vet all of the sellers to insure that these sellers are of the highest caliber! This includes the carvers and manufacturers as well as all other sellers on the platform. For carvers and manufacturers we do rigorous research to verify their reputation and quality before they are allowed to sell on PIPEHUB.COM. If the carver or manufacture has not been around long enough to build up their reputation, we may require a sample of their work to be sent in and approved before they are permitted to sell on PIPEHUB.COM, or be added to the carver family. For the purpose of controlling over saturation, we ask that new sellers only post up to 5 items on PIPEHUB.COM. Based on account performance we will reach out to each user and increase their seller limits based on a case by case performance review.
For all other sellers, including those that sell new and estate goods, we require that only items which meet our high quality criteria be sold on our platform. This means that any item sold on PIPEHUB.COM must be in good condition and must be adequately described so that buyers fully understand the shape and condition in which the item currently exists. Furthermore, the seller must provide an adequate number of quality photos to show all necessary angles of the items they are selling. Failure to describe or properly display an item can result in a returned purchase and full refund given to the buyer, as well as negative feedback to the seller. If any seller receives too much negative feedback in any given month it can result in disciplinary actions taken against the seller! (For more details on our disciplinary policies please see the "Disciplinary Policies” section below.)
All of these quality control steps and requirements are put in place to protect our community of buyers and sellers and to ensure that all of the items sold on PIPEHUB.COM are of the highest caliber possible.
Disciplinary Policies
We never want to, but there may be instances where, for the protection of our community, we may have to step in and "discipline” a user. Disciplinary actions may include, but are not limited to; admin can make changes to product listings if needed, removal of items, temporary or permanent restriction on listing categories, temporary or permanent ban on buyer or seller account, or any other actions deemed appropriate by the admins. These actions will only be taken after an inquiry into the matter has been made by the admins and disciplinary actions have been deemed appropriate.
Disciplinary actions may result from, but is not limited to, any of the following; too many negative feedback in any given month, too many complaints made about a user, a violation or breach of the "terms and conditions” or the "FAQ’s”, any inappropriate conduct amongst users, inappropriate listing practices, an inability for a buyer and seller to resolve a conflict, any solicitation of off site purchases or sharing private contact information, any fraudulent activity, or for any other reason deemed appropriate by the admins.
Offers
An offer is a binding contract to purchase the particular item for the price offered. There is no way for a buyer to cancel or retract an offer once it is made so please only make offers on items you are ready to purchase. The only reason an offer can be canceled is because the wrong amount was accidentally entered. In this case, the buyer must contact the seller immediately and inform them of your wish to cancel the offer. They can then decline your offer. However, once a seller accepts an offer the buyer is obligated to make the purchase unless an agreement is arrived at by the buyer and seller not to go through with the purchase. So please contact the seller and talk things over with them if there are any issues with any offers. If a buyer and seller cannot resolve an issue on their own please contact us and we will step in.
Please use this feature seriously. Make your first offer a reasonable one so you can increase your chances of getting what you want. So please don’t waist anyone’s time making $1 offers on items worth much more than that. Anyone reported abusing the offer system will have their account temporarily blocked. Furthermore if anyone is reported of not paying for items which they made offers on, they will be either temporarily or permanently blocked from using this website.
Feedback
Feedback is an extremely helpful tool which we strongly encourage our users to take advantage of! Buyers can review sellers only after they have completed a transaction. Reviews allows all users to see how satisfied previous customers were with sellers and its by this rating that more and more people will trust each other and move this community along.
These reviews permanent and can not be edited once left, so please be nice and appropriate. If there was an issue with a purchase, please do everything in your power to resolve the issue before leaving feedback. Remember, we are all humans and make mistakes. Also, remember, that feedback is very important to us as site administrators! Just like we have quality control requirements for the products sold on our website, we also have quality control requirements for the people that buy and sell on our website too! If a buyer or seller gets 3 negative feedback or complaints against them in a month, their account will be put under review and a temporary suspension may ensue. If this is a reoccurring issue for any particular user they may be banned from the website altogether!
Shipping
Shipping costs, carriers, and handling times can vary with each store so please make sure and check each shops shipping policies for full details on their shipping policies. PIPEHUBB LLC and its subsidiaries are not liable for any lost, stolen, or damaged packages or merchandise. We require that all packages be properly packed, insured, and fully declared so that the buyer and seller are fully protected in case of any issues with a package. Sellers and buyers take full responsibility over their packages and items bought and sold on PIPEHUB.COM. By creating a user profile and accepting the "Terms And Condition” found in this document, all users agree to release PIPEHUBB LLC and its subsidiaries of any and all responsibility and liability in regards to any transaction on PIPEHUB.COM.
It is important to note that PIPEHUB.COM will hold the person shipping the package responsible for any issues that may arise in transit. This means, if you are shipping the package to a customer and it gets lost or damaged in the mail, the buyer has a right to a refund even though you no longer have the item. Likewise, if you are a buyer and you are returning an item to the seller and the package gets lost or damaged, you will be held responsible for that package and you will not receive your refund even though you no longer have the item or the money you paid for it. So whoever is shipping an item should always properly package items and adequately insure the package with your sipping provider to make sure you are always covered in case something happens along the way.
Returns
PIPEHUB.COM requires all sellers to offer a minimum of 7 days post delivery confirmation return allowance. This applies to all domestic and international shipments. This means that once an item is confirmed delivered, using the tracking information provided, the buyer has 7 days to review the item and either keep it or return it to the seller for a refund. Items must be returned in the same condition as when they were purchased or they will not be eligible to be returned.
If there was an error in the original listing, or if the item was damaged or was not as described in the listing, or if the item is returned for other reasons where it is found that the buyer was not at fault in any way, then the seller must pay for return shipping. If the return is for subjective reasons such as the buyer did not liking the item, or if the buyer missed something in the listing or did not look at the photos or any other reason where it is found that the buyer was at fault, then the buyer must pay the return shipping. Returns and refunds must be initiated within 7 days of receiving your item through the MY ORDERS section on the users dashboard. Once the item has been confirmed as returned, using the tracking information provided, you will receive your refund. After a week, sellers are not required to refund a buyers money unless the seller chooses to do so.
If you are returning an item, you are responsible for its safe return back to the seller. Make sure to package the item safely and insure the package appropriately with the post office in case something happens along the way. If a package is lost or damaged or the item is not returned in the original condition in which it was sold, the buyer will not receive a refund.
If a return needs to happen, we strongly encourage our users to contact the sellers before initiating a return. Many issues can be resolved directly with the seller. If there ongoing issues and a buyer and seller can not come to terms regarding a transaction please contact us and we will step in. The highest authority regarding returns will be PayPal. If matters can not be resolved between the buyer and seller we will recommend that the buyer escalates the claim with PayPal who will have the final say on the matter. PayPal makes the final decision on all disputes and PIPEHUB.COM can not be held liable for losses or damaged incurred by either party do to a ruling against either party.
What Can I Sell
PIPEHUB.COM will by no means allow users to sell any cigarettes, smokeless tobacco products, or any drug related products. Any users who violate this clause will be blocked from the platform. There are currently 3 sales categories which are completely open to the public as long as sellers abide by our quality standards and PayPal’s aup policies; these are PIPES, ACCESSORIES, and OTHER. PayPal’s acceptable use policies can be found here: https://www.paypal.com/webapps/mpp/ua/acceptableuse-fullUsers who create an account on PIPEHUB.COM also agree to abide by all of PayPal’s acceptable use policies.
All sellers must have the appropriate licenses and permits from their local states or country in which they are conducing their business. Sellers are fully responsible for acquiring these permits and licenses on their own and are fully responsible to know all laws and requirements of selling products online. By listing any products on PIPEHUB.COM you agree to all the terms and conditions found in this document, and you agree to the fact that you have done everything the law requires to legally have the right to sell products online. PIPEHUBB LLC and its subsidiaries will not be held liable for any users who fail to uphold the laws of their state or country.
Privacy Policy
All users’ information will be kept private and will not be shared with any third parties without first notifying all users. We have several third party companies that we work with which provide crucial service such as mass email capabilities, payment processing services, instant chat capabilities, phone service, etc. If necessary, your information may be provided to these third party companies. Each of these sites have their own terms and conditions and privacy polices as well and we would encourage you to read their policies as well.
PIPEHUB.COM is a closed environment, which means everything that happens on the website is under one roof and is accessible and visible by the admins. This includes access to all communications on our platform and any other activity on the site. We reserve the right to make changes we see fit to any product listing or any user account. We reserve the right to read and review any messages sent through our messaging system, and do anything else we deem necessary in order to make sure we provide a safe and secure marketplace form people to enjoy, or for the general betterment of our platform.
Third Parties Notification
These are the third party companies we currently work with which require some or all of the private information you have provided PIPEHUB.COM.
1. PayPal.com (merchant services)
2. MailChimp.com (newsletter subscriptions service)
3. Tawk.to (instant chat service)
4. Google Voice (phone service)
5. Facebook (social media service)
6. Instagram (social media service)
7. Youtube (media hosting service)
8. Twitter (social media service)
9. Google Plus (web services)
Content Rights
PIPEHUBB LLC and its subsidiaries will have shared rights to any & all content uploaded by any user onto PIPEHUB.COM. This includes but is not limited to written content, photos, videos, and any other content or materials used on PIPEHUB.COM. PIPEHUBB LLC and its subsidiaries will have the rights to use any of this content in any manner including but not limited to advertising, promotions, future projects, etc. PIPEHUB LLC will have sole rights to any returns produced by the use of this shared content.
Pricing
PIPEHUB.COM only charges an 8% service fee on the final sale price of most items. There can be additional commissions sent to the carvers of some pipes as well. These may include a 3% royalty payment on the final sale price if you are selling the pipe of a carverwho is part of the CARVER FAMILY. This is a little added bonus for the carvers to keep doing what they are doing and for sellers to show their appreciation for the carvers art, because lets be real, if it wasn’t for the carvers, piping wouldn’t exist! There can also be a 1% commission charged on the final sale price if a seller request authentication from a carver who is the CARVER FAMILY. This is to compensate the carvers for taking the time to review your listing and verify that it is indeed a genuine piece they made!
If you are a carver or manufacture you will be charged a 10% service fees on the final sale price of all items you sell.
If a seller would like assistance selling their items, we are here to help! We can help with the most difficult parts of selling your products for a 30% service fee. This will include creating your seller account and shop, taking the photos, making a video if deemed appropriate, making a 360 video of your item if deemed appropriate, creating a detailed listing and description for your items, and listing the items in your shop for you. We will then send the items back to you and turn over control of your new shop for you to manage from there on.
If the pipe is in need of any optional touchups, which may include buffing the outside of the pipe or buffing the stem, there is an additional 10% service fee for this kind of work, which brings the total potentials service fees to 30%-40%. However it must be noted that we will not touch the inside of your pipe bowls during our touchup process by any means. Whatever condition the bowl is in is the sellers responsibility and PIPEHUB.COM can not be held liable for anything sold by sellers on the website. As per our "quality control standards” we may ask users to remove items which do not meet these standards. We also reserve the right to refuse service for items which do not meet these standards.
Please keep in mind, we are in the early stages of our company and everything is not yet set in stone. Pricing may vary as time goes on and we learn more about what works and what doesn’t. Any changes to pricing will be announced ahead of time through an email notification.
(Please keep in mind these are the fees associated with PIPEHUB.COM only. There will be additional fees, such as PayPal’s transaction fee and shipping costs as well.)
Royalty Commissions
As an added bonus to the carvers that participate in the website, we ask all sellers to send a 3% royalty commission on the final sale price of any pipe carved by a carver that is in the CARVER FAMILY and which sells on PIPEHUB.COM.
Sending & Receiving Payments
All payments and transactions will be done through PayPal. You can also check out as a guest using just a credit card through PayPal as well. Buyers and sellers are subject to PayPal’s user agreements also.
Payments made to sellers will automatically be transferred into the sellers PayPal account. However, on its way to the sellers account, PayPal will distribute all appropriate commissions and fees to the appropriate individuals. The result being that the sellers will instantly receive their funds, minus the commissions and fees due.
Refunds and returns need to be initiated through our MY ORDERS section on the user dashboard, however, when it comes time to sent money back, you will need to initiate the funds transfer through PayPal.
In the case of a dispute between buyers and sellers, buyers have the right to escalate cases up to PayPal and PayPal will review the situation and made a decision in favor of either the buyer or the seller. PayPal has the final say on all disputes and PIPEHUB.COM can not be held liable for losses or damaged incurred by either party do to a ruling against either party.
Authentication
Sellers have the ability to request authentication of items from the pipes original carver or a specialist provided. For this service the seller will be charged a 1% final sale commission which will be automatically sent to the individual who did the authenticating. PIPEHUB.COM can not be held liable if there is any issues or if a mistake is made with the authentication process.
Users Take Full Responsibility For Their Actions
PIPEHUB.COM does not directly engage in the sales of any products. PIPEHUB.COM is a social marketplace driven by the community and our users. PIPEHUBB LLC solely provides PIPEHUB.COM to the public as a platform connecting hobbyist and enthusiasts to one another. PIPEHUB.COM is not responsible for the products sold on PIPEHUB.COM. It is the sole responsibility of the sellers and buyers to know and abide by all state, federal, and country laws associated with the buying and selling any products online. If you are not sure what the requirements are for selling products online please get in touch with your state or countries leading sources on online commerce and acquire all appropriate documentation, licenses, and permits required before you proceed with listing any product on PIPEHUB.COM.
By creating an account on PIPEHUB.COM you agree to all Terms And Conditions found in this document and you also declare that you fully understand any and all state and federal laws related to buying and selling products online within your state of country. You further agree to abide by and obey any and all state, federal, and country laws while conducting business on PIPEHUB.COM and you accept total and full responsibility for your actions on PIPEHUB.COM and relinquish PIPEHUB.COM of any and all liability associated with your actions, or the actions of others, on PIPEHUB.COM.
