TERMS OF SERVICE

Agreement between User and Steader

Welcome to Steader. The Steader website and mobile application (collectively, the "Platform") are comprised of various web pages and features operated by Steader LLC ("Steader"). The Platform is offered to you conditioned on your acceptance without modification of the terms, conditions, and notices contained herein (the "Terms"). Your use of the Platform constitutes your agreement to all such Terms. Please read these terms carefully, and keep a copy of them for your reference.

Steader is a marketplace platform connecting local food producers with their communities.

Note: If you are a seller on the Steader platform, these Terms of Service apply to you in addition to the Steader Seller Agreement, which contains additional terms specifically applicable to sellers.

Platform Purpose and Services

Steader is a mobile marketplace platform designed to connect local homesteaders with their communities. The platform enables users to discover, buy, and sell local homestead products and services while providing homesteaders with tools to manage their online presence and business operations.

Steader facilitates the listing and discovery of fresh, locally produced agricultural goods such as eggs, dairy, meat, produce, and other homegrown or homemade products. The platform also supports service listings for educational opportunities, farm tours, workshops, and homesteading consultations. In addition to marketplace functionality, Steader offers business management tools for tracking production, inventory, and costs.

Through Steader, we aim to strengthen local food systems, increase food security, and foster direct relationships between producers and consumers in their communities.

Privacy

Your use of the Platform is subject to Steader's Privacy Policy. Please review our Privacy Policy, which also governs the Platform and informs users of our data collection practices.

Electronic Communications

Visiting the Platform or sending emails to Steader constitutes electronic communications. You consent to receive electronic communications and you agree that all agreements, notices, disclosures and other communications that we provide to you electronically, via email and on the Platform, satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing.

Your Account

If you use the Platform, you are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account and password and for restricting access to your computer or mobile device, and you agree to accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your account or password. You may not assign or otherwise transfer your account to any other person or entity. You acknowledge that Steader is not responsible for third party access to your account that results from theft or misappropriation of your account. Steader reserves the right to refuse or cancel service, terminate accounts, or remove or edit content in our sole discretion.

Account Standing and Termination

Steader may terminate or suspend your account for violations including but not limited to:

  • Violation of these Terms or the Seller Agreement (if applicable)
  • Misrepresentation of farming practices or products
  • Violation of community standards or quality guidelines
  • Engaging in prohibited activities
  • Failure to comply with applicable food safety or consumer protection laws
  • Fraudulent activities or misuse of the Platform
  • Receiving consistent negative feedback from other users
  • Inactivity for an extended period

We reserve the right to make the determination of account standing in our sole discretion. If your account is terminated, you may not register for a new account without our permission.

Children Under Thirteen

Steader does not knowingly collect, either online or offline, personal information from persons under the age of thirteen. If you are under 18, you may use the Platform only with permission of a parent or guardian.

Subscription and Transaction Policies

Subscription Plans

Basic Plan (Free)

  • Basic marketplace access
  • Standard search placement
  • Limited listings

Pro Plan

  • Unlimited marketplace listings
  • Advanced business tools
  • Premium features and customization

Subscription fees for Pro Plan and any other premium offerings will be charged at the rates listed on our pricing page. Steader reserves the right to modify subscription pricing with notice to users.

Subscription Terms:

  • Monthly or annual billing options
  • You may upgrade or downgrade your subscription at any time, with changes taking effect immediately for upgrades and at the end of the current billing period for downgrades

Subscription Cancellation Policy

Users may cancel their subscription to Steader Pro at any time through their account settings or by contacting our support team at support@steader.com. Cancellations will take effect at the end of the current billing period, and users will retain access to Pro features until that time. We do not provide prorated refunds for partial billing periods. Annual subscriptions cancelled before the end of the 12-month term may be eligible for a prorated refund of unused months, less a processing fee.

User Roles and Responsibilities

Buyers

As a buyer on the Steader platform, you agree to:

  • Pay for items purchased through the Platform's approved payment methods
  • Inspect items upon receipt and communicate any issues directly with the seller
  • Acknowledge that photos and descriptions are representative and natural variations in homegrown or handmade products may occur
  • Respect the pickup/delivery arrangements established by sellers
  • Communicate respectfully with sellers
  • Provide honest feedback and reviews based on actual transactions

Sellers

If you are a seller on the Platform, you are subject to both these Terms of Service and the Steader Seller Agreement. As a seller, you additionally agree to:

  • Accurately describe all products and services
  • Comply with all applicable laws regarding food safety, labeling, business licensing, and taxation
  • Fulfill orders as described in your listings and within the specified timeframe
  • Charge accurate and transparent prices for your goods and services
  • Address customer concerns professionally and provide appropriate remedies for legitimate complaints
  • Adhere to Steader's quality standards and sustainable farming practice principles found in the Seller Agreement.

Marketplace Transaction Policy

For marketplace transactions between users, Steader serves as a platform facilitating these exchanges but is not directly responsible for product quality, delivery, or refunds between buyers and sellers. All transaction disputes should first be addressed between the parties involved, with Steader providing mediation support if needed through our dispute resolution process. Our dispute resolution process includes:

  • 72-hour window to report issues after delivery/pickup
  • Required seller response within 24 hours
  • Resolution plan within 48 hours
  • Final resolution within 5 business days

Marketplace Transactions

Steader is not a party to any transaction between users and does not transfer title to products or services offered on the Platform. Steader provides a venue for buyers and sellers to connect, but does not guarantee the quality, safety, or legality of items advertised, the accuracy of listings, or the ability of buyers to pay for items. User-to-user transactions are governed by the following provisions:

Sales Tax Collection and Remittance

Steader serves as a "Marketplace Facilitator" as defined by applicable state laws. As a Marketplace Facilitator, Steader is responsible for:

  1. Calculating Sales Tax: Steader will automatically calculate applicable state and local sales tax based on the transaction location, product type, and current tax rates.
  2. Collecting Sales Tax: Steader will collect sales tax from buyers at the time of purchase for taxable items in states where Marketplace Facilitator laws are in effect.
  3. Remitting Sales Tax: Steader will remit collected sales taxes to the appropriate state and local tax authorities in accordance with applicable laws and filing schedules.
  4. Tax Reporting: Steader will maintain records of sales tax collected and remitted, and will provide tax reporting documentation as required by law.

Seller Responsibilities

As a seller on the Steader platform, you acknowledge and agree to the following:

  1. Accurate Product Classification: You are responsible for correctly categorizing your products to enable proper tax calculation. Certain agricultural products may be exempt from sales tax in some jurisdictions.
  2. Location Information: You must provide accurate location information for your business and pickup/delivery points to ensure proper tax jurisdiction determination.
  3. Tax Exemptions: If you claim exempt status for certain sales, you must provide valid documentation to Steader upon request.
  4. Non-Marketplace Facilitator States: In states where Marketplace Facilitator laws are not in effect, or for transactions outside Steader's platform, you remain solely responsible for all sales tax obligations.
  5. Other Tax Obligations: This provision only covers sales tax collection and remittance. You remain responsible for all other tax obligations related to your business, including but not limited to income tax, business tax, and employment taxes.

State-Specific Requirements

Steader complies with Marketplace Facilitator laws in all states where such legislation exists. The specific requirements and thresholds vary by state, and Steader continuously monitors legislative changes to ensure compliance.

For a current list of states where Steader acts as a Marketplace Facilitator and collects sales tax, please visit the Tax Information section of the Steader Help Center.

Tax Documentation

Sellers may access transaction and tax collection reports through their Steader account dashboard. These reports can be used for your business records and tax filing purposes.

If you have specific questions about how sales tax applies to your products or business, please consult with a qualified tax professional. While Steader handles sales tax collection and remittance in Marketplace Facilitator states, we cannot provide tax advice for your specific situation.

Prohibited Items

The following items may not be listed or sold on the Platform:

  • Illegal goods or services
  • Counterfeit items or unauthorized replicas
  • Hazardous materials
  • Items that promote hate, violence, or discrimination
  • Processed foods without proper permits/licensing
  • Unsafe food products or mishandled perishables
  • Mislabeled or misrepresented items
  • Products that violate health codes or regulations
  • Resold commercial products from unknown or unverified sources
  • Any items prohibited by federal, state, or local law

Purchase Protection Program

Steader's Purchase Protection for buyers covers:

  • Items not received during agreed timeframe
  • Items significantly different from description
  • Spoiled or unsafe food products
  • Incorrect quantities or weights
  • Quality issues that make products unusable
  • Misrepresented production methods

All users agree to cooperate with the Purchase Protection Program process and provide appropriate documentation when requested. Sellers specifically agree to provide appropriate remedies for valid claims as detailed in the Seller Agreement.

Links to Third Party Sites/Third Party Services

The Platform may contain links to other websites ("Linked Sites"). The Linked Sites are not under the control of Steader and Steader is not responsible for the contents of any Linked Site, including without limitation any link contained in a Linked Site, or any changes or updates to a Linked Site. Steader is providing these links to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by Steader of the site or any association with its operators.

Certain services made available via the Platform are delivered by third party sites and organizations. By using any product, service or functionality originating from the Platform, you hereby acknowledge and consent that Steader may share such information and data with any third party with whom Steader has a contractual relationship to provide the requested product, service or functionality on behalf of Platform users and customers.

Intellectual Property Rights

Platform Content

All content included as part of the Service, such as text, graphics, logos, images, as well as the compilation thereof, and any software used on the Platform, is the property of Steader or its suppliers and protected by copyright and other laws that protect intellectual property and proprietary rights. You agree to observe and abide by all copyright and other proprietary notices, legends or other restrictions contained in any such content and will not make any changes thereto.

License to Use

You are granted a non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Platform strictly in accordance with these Terms. As a condition of your use of the Platform, you warrant to Steader that you will not use the Platform for any purpose that is unlawful or prohibited by these Terms.

Restrictions

You will not modify, publish, transmit, reverse engineer, participate in the transfer or sale, create derivative works, or in any way exploit any of the content, in whole or in part, found on the Platform. Steader content is not for resale. Your use of the Platform does not entitle you to make any unauthorized use of any protected content, and in particular you will not delete or alter any proprietary rights or attribution notices in any content. You will use protected content solely for your personal use, and will make no other use of the content without the express written permission of Steader and the copyright owner. You agree that you do not acquire any ownership rights in any protected content. We do not grant you any licenses, express or implied, to the intellectual property of Steader or our licensors except as expressly authorized by these Terms.

User Content and Communication Services

User Content License

By posting, uploading, inputting, providing or submitting content to the Platform (collectively "Submissions"), you grant Steader a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, irrevocable, sublicensable, and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, and perform your Submissions in connection with the operation of the Platform and Steader's business. No compensation will be paid with respect to the use of your Submissions as provided herein.

Content Retention

By using the platform, you grant Steader a license to:

  • Display your content on the platform
  • Use your content for marketing purposes
  • Modify or remove content that violates our policies

Data Retention Periods:

  • Transaction records: 7 years
  • Customer communications: 2 years
  • Account information: Duration of active account plus 1 year
  • Listing information: Duration of active listing plus 1 year
  • Reviews and ratings: Indefinitely, unless removed for policy violations
  • Payment information: As required by payment processors and applicable laws

Content Warranties

By posting Submissions, you warrant and represent that you own or otherwise control all of the rights to your Submissions, including all necessary rights to grant the licenses described in these Terms.

Communication Services

The Platform provides messaging features designed to enable you to communicate directly with other users ("Communication System"). This includes the two-way messaging/chat feature between buyers and sellers, as well as public-facing profile pages that can be viewed by other users through both the mobile application and web browsers via a dedicated URL. You agree to use the Communication Services only to post, send and receive messages and material that are proper and related to the particular Communication Service.

Prohibited Communications

When using a Communication Service, you agree that you will not:

  • Defame, abuse, harass, stalk, threaten or otherwise violate the legal rights of others
  • Publish, post, upload, distribute or disseminate inappropriate, profane, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent or unlawful content
  • Upload files that contain viruses, corrupted files, or harmful software
  • Advertise or offer to sell goods or services unrelated to the Platform's purpose
  • Falsify information or impersonate another person or entity
  • Violate any applicable laws or regulations

Steader reserves the right to review and remove any user content in its sole discretion. Steader reserves the right to terminate your access to any or all Communication Services at any time without notice for any reason whatsoever.

Quality Standards and Platform Principles

Steader is committed to promoting sustainable, ethical, and community-based food systems. All users agree to uphold the following principles when using the Platform:

For Sellers

  • Transparency: Accurately disclose production methods, including growing practices, animal husbandry approaches, and inputs used
  • Sustainability: Employ farming and production practices that prioritize soil health, water conservation, biodiversity, and ecological balance
  • Humane Treatment: For livestock producers, raise animals with adequate space, appropriate nutrition, access to the outdoors, and minimal stress
  • Local Focus: Offer products that are grown or produced by the seller or sourced within a reasonable local radius
  • Educational Commitment: Participate in the community knowledge exchange by sharing information about practices and methods

For Buyers

  • Community Support: Engage respectfully with local producers
  • Understanding: Recognize the seasonal nature and natural variations in locally produced goods
  • Direct Relationships: Use the platform to build connections with local food producers

Steader reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to determine whether a user's practices align with these principles. Users who misrepresent their practices or employ methods that significantly contradict these principles may have their content removed or accounts terminated.

Third Party Accounts

You will be able to connect your Steader account to third party accounts. By connecting your Steader account to your third party account, you acknowledge and agree that you are consenting to the continuous release of information about you to others (in accordance with your privacy settings on those third party sites). If you do not want information about you to be shared in this manner, do not use this feature.

International Users

The Service is controlled, operated and administered by Steader from our offices within the USA. If you access the Service from a location outside the USA, you are responsible for compliance with all local laws. You agree that you will not use the Steader Content accessed through the Platform in any country or in any manner prohibited by any applicable laws, restrictions or regulations.

Legal Compliance

Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance

All users, especially sellers, must comply with applicable food safety regulations, which may include but are not limited to:

  • FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)
  • State and local cottage food laws
  • USDA regulations for meat, poultry, and egg products
  • State licensing requirements for food producers
  • Labeling requirements for food products
  • Proper handling and storage guidelines for perishable items

Tax Compliance

Users are responsible for complying with all applicable tax laws, including:

  • Collection and remittance of sales tax where required
  • Reporting of income from Platform transactions
  • Maintaining necessary records for tax purposes

Business Licensing

Sellers are responsible for obtaining and maintaining all necessary business licenses, permits, certifications, and insurance required by federal, state, and local laws to legally sell their products and services.

Force Majeure

Neither Steader nor any user shall be liable for any failure of or delay in the performance of their obligations under these Terms for the period that such failure or delay is due to causes beyond their reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, war, strikes or labor disputes, embargoes, government orders, telecommunications, network, computer, server or Internet downtime, unauthorized access to Steader's information technology systems by third parties, or other events of force majeure.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Steader, its officers, directors, members, owners, employees, agents and third parties, for any losses, costs, liabilities and expenses (including reasonable attorney's fees) relating to or arising out of your use of or inability to use the Platform or services, any user postings made by you, your violation of any terms of this Agreement or your violation of any rights of a third party, or your violation of any applicable laws, rules or regulations. Steader reserves the right, at its own cost, to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter otherwise subject to indemnification by you, in which event you will fully cooperate with Steader in asserting any available defenses.

Class Action Waiver

Any arbitration under these Terms of Service will take place on an individual basis; class arbitrations and class/representative/collective actions are not permitted. THE PARTIES AGREE THAT A PARTY MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN EACH'S INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PUTATIVE CLASS, COLLECTIVE AND/OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING, SUCH AS IN THE FORM OF A PRIVATE ATTORNEY GENERAL ACTION AGAINST THE OTHER. Further, unless both you and Steader agree otherwise, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims, and may not otherwise preside over any form of a representative or class proceeding.

Platform-Specific Terms

iOS Users

  • Subscriptions processed through Apple's in-app purchase system
  • Subject to Apple's App Store terms and conditions
  • No external payment methods may be advertised within the iOS app

Android Users

  • Direct payment processing through Stripe
  • Subject to Google Play Store terms and conditions
  • Multiple payment options may be offered

Web Platform Users

  • Payment processing through Stripe
  • Cross-platform access honored across all devices

Disclaimer of Warranties

STEADER LLC AND ITS MEMBERS AND OWNERS PROVIDE THE PLATFORM AND SERVICES ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS. STEADER LLC AND ITS MEMBERS AND OWNERS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

STEADER LLC AND ITS MEMBERS AND OWNERS DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE PLATFORM WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, THAT THE PLATFORM WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE, THAT THE INFORMATION PROVIDED THROUGH THE PLATFORM WILL BE ACCURATE, RELIABLE OR COMPLETE, OR THAT DEFECTS IN THE PLATFORM WILL BE CORRECTED. ANY PRODUCTS OR SERVICES OBTAINED THROUGH THE USE OF THE PLATFORM ARE DONE AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION AND RISK.

THE INFORMATION, SOFTWARE, PRODUCTS, AND SERVICES INCLUDED IN OR AVAILABLE THROUGH THE PLATFORM MAY INCLUDE INACCURACIES OR TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS. CHANGES ARE PERIODICALLY ADDED TO THE INFORMATION HEREIN. STEADER LLC AND ITS MEMBERS AND OWNERS MAY MAKE IMPROVEMENTS AND/OR CHANGES IN THE PLATFORM AT ANY TIME.

NO ADVICE OR INFORMATION, WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN, OBTAINED BY YOU FROM STEADER LLC, ITS MEMBERS, OWNERS, OR THROUGH THE PLATFORM SHALL CREATE ANY WARRANTY NOT EXPRESSLY STATED IN THIS AGREEMENT.

Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL STEADER LLC, ITS SUPPLIERS, MEMBERS, AND OWNERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THE PLATFORM, WITH THE DELAY OR INABILITY TO USE THE PLATFORM OR RELATED SERVICES, THE PROVISION OF OR FAILURE TO PROVIDE SERVICES, OR FOR ANY INFORMATION, SOFTWARE, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND RELATED GRAPHICS OBTAINED THROUGH THE PLATFORM, OR OTHERWISE ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THE PLATFORM, WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF STEADER LLC OR ANY OF ITS SUPPLIERS, MEMBERS, AND OWNERS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGES.

BECAUSE SOME STATES/JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. IF YOU ARE DISSATISFIED WITH ANY PORTION OF THE PLATFORM, OR WITH ANY OF THESE TERMS OF USE, YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY IS TO DISCONTINUE USING THE PLATFORM.

Termination/Access Restriction

Steader reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to terminate your access to the Platform and the related services or any portion thereof at any time, without notice. Steader may terminate or suspend your account for violations of our quality standards and platform principles, including misrepresentation of farming practices, violation of community standards, or engaging in prohibited activities.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, this agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Texas and you hereby consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of courts in Texas in all disputes arising out of or relating to the use of the Platform. Use of the Platform is unauthorized in any jurisdiction that does not give effect to all provisions of these Terms, including, without limitation, this section.

You agree that no joint venture, partnership, employment, or agency relationship exists between you and Steader as a result of this agreement or use of the Platform. Steader's performance of this agreement is subject to existing laws and legal process, and nothing contained in this agreement is in derogation of Steader's right to comply with governmental, court and law enforcement requests or requirements relating to your use of the Platform or information provided to or gathered by Steader with respect to such use. If any part of this agreement is determined to be invalid or unenforceable pursuant to applicable law including, but not limited to, the warranty disclaimers and liability limitations set forth above, then the invalid or unenforceable provision will be deemed superseded by a valid, enforceable provision that most closely matches the intent of the original provision and the remainder of the agreement shall continue in effect.

Unless otherwise specified herein, this agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the user and Steader with respect to the Platform and it supersedes all prior or contemporaneous communications and proposals, whether electronic, oral or written, between the user and Steader with respect to the Platform. A printed version of this agreement and of any notice given in electronic form shall be admissible in judicial or administrative proceedings based upon or relating to this agreement to the same extent and subject to the same conditions as other business documents and records originally generated and maintained in printed form. It is the express wish to the parties that this agreement and all related documents be written in English.

Dispute Resolution

Informal Resolution Process

If you have a dispute with Steader or another user, we encourage you to contact us first to seek an informal resolution. Most issues can be resolved quickly by emailing support@steader.com with details of your concern.

Arbitration Agreement

Except for disputes that qualify for small claims court, all disputes arising out of or related to these Terms or any aspect of the relationship between you and Steader, whether based in contract, tort, statute, fraud, misrepresentation, or any other legal theory, will be resolved through final and binding arbitration before a neutral arbitrator instead of in a court by a judge or jury.

The arbitration will be administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Commercial Arbitration Rules. The arbitration will be presided over by a single arbitrator selected in accordance with the AAA rules. The location of the arbitration will be Travis County, Texas, although you may choose to participate remotely. Judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof.

Payment of all filing, administration and arbitrator fees will be governed by the AAA rules, but if you demonstrate that these costs would be prohibitively more expensive than litigation, Steader will pay the amount of your filing, administration, and arbitrator fees that exceeds what you would have paid to file a lawsuit in the appropriate court.

The arbitrator will have authority to award damages to the prevailing party, if any, to the extent authorized by applicable law. The arbitrator shall not be bound by rulings in prior arbitrations involving different users but is bound by rulings in prior arbitrations involving the same user to the extent required by applicable law.

You and Steader agree that any dispute resolution proceedings will be conducted only on an individual basis and not in a class, consolidated, or representative action. If for any reason a claim proceeds in court rather than in arbitration, you and Steader each waive any right to a jury trial.

Exceptions

Notwithstanding the foregoing, either party may bring an individual action in small claims court. Nothing in this Agreement precludes you from bringing issues to the attention of federal, state, or local agencies.

Contact Us

Steader welcomes your questions or comments regarding the Terms:

Steader LLC

5900 Balcones Dr, Ste 8330

Austin, Texas 78731

Email Address:

hello@steader.com

Telephone number:

(512) 881-9114

Effective as of March 10, 2025